Guovssu, is the first movement from my String Quartet, composed in 2023, a personal reflection on the Alta controversy that happened during my childhood, when the Sàmi people lost the right to govern their own ancestral lands.
This movement contains the Alta Joik. A joik is a unique form of cultural expression in the Northern Sámi language and for the people in Sápmi. This type of song can be deeply personal or spiritual in nature, often dedicated to a human being, an animal, or a landscape as a personal signature.
Performed by Towha:
Yanghe Yu, violin 1
James Jin, violin 2
Andrew Beer, viola
Matthias Balzat, cello
Recorded at Roundhead Studio A, Auckland, New Zealand, September 2023 by Matthew Gunn. Produced by Wayne Laird for Atoll Records.