Olof Lindgren (born 1935 ni Visby/Gotland)

Jieleden Vuilie (Livets Jojk) (1995)

-Rituell dans till livets under
-Meditativ sång
-Canto con anima - Polska

Olof Lindgren writes:
A few years ago I met the Sami (of the indigenous people of Scandinavia )journalist Pål Doj. He gave me a book about the jojk (the Sami chant) by Karl Tirén. This man had recorded hundreds of jojks during his extensive travels in the north at the turn of last century. Pål Doj wanted to arouse my interest in this material. But I did not feel ready for it.

1995 in the spring Cecilia and Martin Gelland contacted me and asked for a violin duet. They were about to embark on a tour of the parts of USA where Swedes once settled. They wanted something inspired by the north Swedish landscape. This gave me an impulse to study the book with Sami jojks. I chose three jojks. When I had finished the work I asked Pål Doj to give it a name. He called it Jieleden Vuilie. That means the jojk of life.

The work has three parts. The first one is a ritual dance dedicated to the origin of life. It expresses happiness and marvel at the wonder of life. The second part is a quiet, meditative song to the powers of love, solidarity and to nature - also foreboding eternity. The third part is more dramatic as we cannot avoid both dramatic and dangerous conflicts in life. My basic attitude is positive. I end with a joyful, lively dance.