Buorre ođđa jahki buohkaide! // Godt nyttår, allesammen! // Happy new year, everyone! // Feliz ano nuevo a todos!!!

Sámi versus Tribal

I noticed when I started dancing tribal that many of the costumes and jewlery are very similar to the sami jewlery and costume. Here are just a few pictures to explain what I mean. Sometimes you can hardly see the difference. Specially if we compare the old sami costumes with Tribal.

-------------------------------------
Da jeg begynte å danse tribal så la jeg merke til at kostymene og smykkene var veldig like det samiske. Her er noen bilder for å forklare hva jeg mener. Noenganger kan du såvidt se forskjell. Spesielt om vi sammenligner med gamle samiske kostymer og smykker med tribal.

Samisk kvinne

Reinsdyr seletøy

Krage til samisk mann

Samekvinne

Krage til samisk mann

Russisk sjal

Afghansk beltespenne

Samisk sølje

Tribal belte med dusker

Tribal belte med frynser

Tribal kuchi belte med samme type perlemedajong som russiske samer lager. 

Tribal belte med kuchi smykker og perlemedajong. 

Samiske belter med tinntrådsbroderier

Vevde samiske belter

Pics from google.com // Bilder hentet fra google.com

Tribal costume and jewlery//Tribal kostymer og smykker

I was shopping for some tribal jewlery at Sirik Tribal  and they had made these two very informative pictures in their store under each items description. Very helpful!

It shows where the original jewlery we use in Tribal bellydance come from. We also very much inspired by their colours, patterns and clothing.
Alot of the jewlery we use in tribal are actually made here, and used by nomadic people in there areas before we use them on stage.

---------------------------------------------

Jeg var inne på nettbutikken Sirik Tribal og de hadde lagt ut disse to veldig informative bildene under beskrivelsen av hver ting de solgte. Veldig nyttig!

Disse bildene viser hvor de originale smykkene vi bruker i Tribal magedans kommer fra. Vi er også veldig inspirert av farger, mønstre og plagg fra disse folkegruppene.
Mye av smykkene som blir brukt av Tribal dansere er laget i disse landene, og er blitt brukt av nomadene før vi tar dem i bruk på scenen.

The darkest day of the year is today.... The sun is turning. :D

Tree - Hotel in Sweden!

I have just discovered the most amazing thing! As you know my big passion is trees. I love them and I think they are beautiful! Very fascinated by them. And I never knew about the Tree-hotel in Sweden! I have discovered a few hotels like this in the world now!

There is the Tree hotel in Sweden www.treehotel.se

Wow, I really dream of living in a house like that! When I get rich and famous I definately will build a house similar to that in the forest! I hope I get rich sooooooon!!!!!


Status Update: Can I visit the tree-hotel, please????http://ping.fm/aU9Yv

Christmas presents

Christmas presents from me this year. Wrapping paper from last year, pages from an old comic book and brown household paper. 

When I was a little girl I was very excited about christmas presents. I have maybe 15 aunts and uncles, my mother has 8 siblings, and my father has many siblings as well, and I had friends and godmothers and fathers, so I used to get alot of presents! I also had alot of cousins and friends to give presents to.

When I watched american films they would just tear the wrapping paper off the present and throw it away. But I never got to do this. Cause we used to save the wrapping paper until next years presents. I had to carefully remove the stickytape and be careful not to rip the paper, and unwrap the presents carefully. We did this all my childhood, and I was thinking about this this year before I went to buy presents. About all the christmas wrapping papers that go to waste. They are used one time, and then thrown away. I get sad thinking about the worlds habit of buying and throwing things aways. Producing things that are not meant to last, but sell. This contributes to so much more waste then necassery for the world, and for the enviorment. So this is why I decided not to buy any chritstmas wrapping paper this year, only use what I have.  I had this brown recycled paper, which looks nice with some nice band and some stickers or even just draw a few stars on.  Newspaper can be used, that makes a really cool different look. Or even magazine paper. Find a nice picture from a magazine and use that as wrapping paper.

InTundra photo-frames

Some of you may have seen these photo-frames before. This was one of my many ideas for my InTundra project. I was so happy with the result I decided to make one for each of the sponsors for my new album "The Arctic Fairy" who requested a piece of art from me. I made my first frame of reindeer skin many years ago. I asked my grandmother if she had some reindeer skin for me, and she did. She was happy to give me the skin when she knew I would be making something nice from it. She usually don´t just give things away. I guess I owe her a frame! I have to giver her one!
The skin used on these frames are usually used for making "goikkehat" The sami winter-shoe made of reindeer skin. The skin comes from the reindeers legs.

On the left is a collage of different sami bands in different patterns and skin in different colors. 

The traditonal sami winter shoe "goikkehat" made of reindeer skin from the reindeers legs. 

Suhalia Salimpour tried to kill me with drills and zills!

Kjøpe nytt eller brukt? / Buy new or used?

Jeg er på vei til å flytte alle mine eiendeler fra Oslo til Finnmark igjen. Tilbake til Sameland! Jeg ser på meg selv som en mijøbevisst person, motstander av bruk-og-kast mentaliteten. Jeg overdriver ikke når jeg sier at gjenbruk er typisk for samene. Om en ting ikke kan brukes til det opprinnelig var i bruk som, så finner man alltid et annet bruk for det. Et eksemplet er når snøscooter-beltet ikke kan brukes på scooteren mer, så brukes den som dørmatte. Gjenbruk kan også være et resultat av at det ikke er uendelig med utvalg av produkter her i nordnorge. Man får ikke tak i alt til enhver tid. Og her er folk mest opptatt av funksjonalitet, og ikke design.

Når jeg flytter så kommer jeg til å trenge masse nytt. Nå er jeg igang og ser etter brukte møbler. Jeg tenkte det ville vært kult om jeg hadde KUN hatt brukte møbler i mitt nye hjem, og ingenting fra butikken.

For mange år siden hadde jeg de samme tankene. Jeg ville bare kjøpe brukt for å spare miljøet, men nå husker jeg igjen hvorfor jeg sluttet med det, og begynte å kun kjøpe nye møbler. Det er pga energiene som sitter i brukte ting, møbler, leiligheter og hus. Den spirituelle personen som jeg er så merket jeg stor forskjell når jeg fikk brukte møbler i hus, og når jeg fikk helt nye møbler. Dette kan være både på godt og vondt. Jeg vet ikke om du skjønner hva jeg mener, men jeg tror at alle ting blir påvirket av deres eiere. Alle ting som er brukt av noen vil fortsatt bære dens tidligere eiers energi. Dette gjorde at jeg begynte å kjøpe kun nye møbler, fordi jeg fikk vibber som jeg helst ikke ville ha.

Men dette var mange år siden, og nå har jeg gått tilbake igjen til å synes at brukte møbler er fine, og kan komplimentere et rom på en helt unik måte. Jeg har lært meg å rense rom og objekter, så nå er jeg ikke så redd for å ta inn brukte ting til hjemmet mitt lengre. Jeg leste en plass at man burde likevel være på vakt, da noen ting og møbler ikke gikk å rense ordentlig, så nå bruker jeg magefølelsen når jeg velger hvilke brukte ting jeg kjøper.

For noen måneder siden kjøpte jeg denne plakaten av Paul Berthon i en brukbutikk i Alta.
Jeg har bare fåttt gode vibber fra denne siden jeg fikk den i hus. Jeg forelsket meg i den det sekundet jeg så den, og hvergang jeg ser den så minner den meg om skjønnhet.

Så min konklusjon er: Jeg skal prøve å finne så mye som mulig brukt, gjerne lite brukte ting, og noen ekstra unike, gamle ting. Det jeg ikke finner brukt, vil jeg kjøpe nytt. Det syns jeg er bra balansert! :D


-----------------------------------------------------------------

I am in the middle of moving my stuff from Oslo to the north of Norway again. Back to sapmi! I like to think of myself as enviromental friendly person. I am not a fan of mass-production of goods that end up in the dumpster after a year. I am not eggagerating if I say that its very typical for the sami people to reuse everything. If the belt on the snowmobile is not usable for its purpose anymore, the sami people will find another use for it, - a floor-mat is very common in this particular case.
But reusing everything could also come from not having access to loads of stuff, and people are not that rich here, and also they are more concerned about functionality than design.

When I am moving I am going to need lots of new stuff. Now I am now looking for used furniture. I thought it would be cool if I got all my furniture second hand, and not from the store, but bought from others. So instead of them throwing it in the garbage, I would use it.

Many years ago I thought the same thing, but now I remember again why I stopped buying used furniture. It´s because of the energy from them. The spiriutal person that I am, I felt a big difference in the energy of new furniture and old. This could be good or bad. I don´t know if you know what I mean by this, but I beleive that furniture - like houses - are influenced by the atmosphere and energy from the previous owners. The object will carry the energy of the previous owner. This is why I started buying only new furniture. I didn´t want anything used for a while, cause I could feel the energies when I didn´t want to.

But this was many years ago and I have come back again to the thought that used furniture is nice, and can give more caracter to a room. I have learned how to cleanse furniture and houses for unwanted energy, so now I feel ok with bringing used furniture to my home. But I read somwhere that one should be aware that sometimes furniture and other old objects are impossible to cleanse. So I am just using my gut feeling when choosing what to buy.
A few months ago I bought this really nice poster by Paul Berthon at a second hand shop in Alta.

From this poster I only got good vibes from the day I got it. I felt a very strong drawing to it the second I saw it, and always when I look at it, it reminds be of beauty.

So my decision is to look for used furniture, to see if I can find barely used ones, and also look for the  really really nice, unique furniture with good vibes.  And the rest, what I can´t find used, I will buy new from the store. I think that is good balance. :D

Skoleturné - Shcool-tour

  Heaika Guttorm, me and Juhani Silvola at Arktisk Kultursenter in Hammerfest. Photo by Sami.


We have been on a shcool tour together for about a month. We where Juhani Silvola, Heaika Guttorm and myself. A shcool-tour is basically travelling from shcool to shcool playing a 45 min long show for them. We had so much fun, and the show got better and better very day! Juhani and Heaika are so talented people, and easy to work with, so I am sure that nothing actually can go wrong, with so great people!

It has been full of experinces with the children! I got drawings and gifts from them, and lots of compliments! Here is what I have heard everyday for 4 weeks now... So cuuute!

- "You are beutiful!"
- "You are a good dancer and singer!"
- "Can I have your autograph?"
- "Are you a real fairy?"
- "Can I look at your ears?"
- "Do you have wings?"
- "How did you get so good?"
- "Is that really you singing?"
- "Can you remove the pattern on your face"? (makeup)
- "What language you you sing in?"
- "Can you sing something in Norwegian, I don´t understand sami?"
- "Are you sami, where do you come from?"
- "Is the guitarist sami?"
- "How old are you?"
- "I have sami relatives!"
- "Is that your real hair color?"

Juhani Silvola, and me appearing from behind the backdrop. Photo by May-Liss Thomassen at Øvre Alta Skole

Womex - Copenhagen

Last weekend I was visiting Copehagen. A really quick visit, just to make an appearance at a showcase that Sapmi Music and Scene Finnmark had arranged at the big even WOMEX. This event is huge, and probably the most important world music event of every year.

Juhani and me did a few songs at the showcase, and Niko Valkeapaa also sang a few songs. Niko is by the way sami artist of the year 2012, so I wish him all luck for the next year! :D I hope he gets to make som of his dreams come true, like I did... 

Happytimes in Copenhagen! 

          

Hey! I got my own app for Android- phones! Just search for Elin Kåven. I will get the app for iPhone also soon! :D Yaaayyy! Thats cool! :D

Pusset indiadame i messing.

For noen uker siden kjøpte jeg en Indadame-statue i messing. Den var brukt, og jeg forelsket meg i den med en gang. Akkurat da hadde jeg ikke lommene fylt med penger, så jeg prutet litt på prisen, og jeg fikk den noen hundre kroner billigere hvis jeg pusset den selv.

Jeg lette litt på nettet og fant en bra side med masse kjerringråd i hjemmet. Der fant jeg en oppskrift på messing-puss.

Der sto det:

Nem og Billig  pustning af messing og kobbertøj:
1 kop vand
1 kop eddike
1 kop hvedemel
2 tsk citronsyre
2 tsk salt
Bland det sammen, smør det på tingene og skyl efter med lunken vand og tør efter med en blød klud.
Det er nem og  hurtig. og det skinner bare.        Tak til Birthe Kristensen for det gode råd!
Fra hjemmesiden//From: 
http://acthon.dk/bettina/nyttigt/tips/rengoring.html


Jeg gjorde akkurat slik det sto, og det funket utmerket! Det er synd jeg ikke tok et før-bilde, for å vise forskjellen, men dere ser ihvertfall på bildet at hun skinner som en sol nu! :D

Lynxie var redd indiadama da hun kom i hus, men nå har de visst blitt venner, heldigvis. :D

A few weeks ago I bought a Indiawoman-statue made of brass. I bought it private form someone who had had it in their home for years. I fell in love with it right away when I saw it. I did not have my pockets full of money that week, so I got a bargain; I got it a few hundres cheper if I clean it myself.

I looked on the internet and I found a page where they had lots of good advice for cleaning at home. I found a recipie for a brass-polish:

Easy and cheap polish of brass and copper:

1 kop/cup vand/water
1 kop/cup eddike/vinegar
1 kop/cup hvedemel/flour
2 tsk/tbls citronsyre/lemon
2 tsk/tbls salt

Mix it together, put it on the things and rinse with lukewarm water. Wipe with a wet cloth.

Fra hjemmesiden//From: 

http://acthon.dk/bettina/nyttigt/tips/rengoring.html

I did what it said, and it worked! Too bad I didnt take a picture before I cleaned her, but you can see her she shines like a sun! :D

Lynxie was afraid of the Indiawoman at first, but now they look like they are friends. :D

Maya indianere i Norge og Finnmark

Maya indianere fra Gutemala har vært i Finnmark og holdt en viktig seremoni nå i oktober.

// The maya indians from Guatemala have been in Norway and sapmi and did a very imporant ceremony here in ocotber.

Mer om dette her// More here:
http://www.inlakech.no/p/guatemalske-ambassade.html

Første uke skoleturné er ferdig. Kjempearti! Har fått så masse fine ting fra elevene! Tegning, skjell og mange som har sunget til meg. :D

+ Ikisounds, Oslo, Riksscenen 26.okt! www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=190103581036961

Da er dagene med selvbestemet arbeidstid over for en stund...over til skoleturné-livet og opp kl 7 hver morra :D

is so proud if her "baby" Lynxie. She is growing up so fast! Today she drank water from the toilet for the first time... aaawwww

Historien om Johan Kåven blir forestilling...?

Igår kom jeg til foreldrene mine i Karasjok. Pappa og jeg begynte å snakke om Johan Kåven, fordi pappa hadde snakket med en dame i butikken som fortalte at det sto i avisa at noen skulle lage film eller forestilling om Johan Kåven. Pappa svarte med at "det er nok bare tull halvparten av det dem sier om han". Da svarte dama at "nei, det var det nok ikke, for moren hennes hadde fortalt at han Johan Kåven var sånn som kunne helbrede folk. Alle visste jo det."
Pappa fortalte meg at da han var liten så snakket de aldri om de tingene hjemme. Han fikk aldri høre noe om han Johan Kåven fra foreldrene hans. Men han hadde venner som fortalte han historier om Johan. Dem syntes det var rart at pappa ikke hadde hørt om de her hendelsene. Når han kom på besøk til vennene hans og han fortalte foreldrene dems hvem sin sønn han var, så begynte de å snakke seg imellom om noaidier og hendelser. Når de fikk vite hvem pappa var, så ble han behandlet helt annerledes enn før de visste hvem han var. Han fikk mye mere respekt. Noen ganger orket han ikke å fortelle det heller, fordi eldre folk regerte veldig tydelig på det, og da var det lettest å la være.
Han skjønte ikke mye av de hostoriene når han var så liten, og han brydde seg heller ikke noe spesielt om det. Når han ble større tenkte han at det var bare tull det meste...

Vennene hans fortalte historier om at bekjente av vennene til pappa var syke og at Johan Kåven hadde kommet og gjort dem frisk. Han kunne gjøre folk frisk. Johan Kåven kunne også "sette folk fast". Dvs at hvis noen hadde gjort noe galt, f.eks stjelt noe så kunne man gå til folk som kunne "sette folk fast" bl.a Johan Kåven. Da var det sånn at de som hadde gjort noe galt ikke kom seg noen steder, de var akkurat som fastlåste et sted. Ikke at de ikke kunne røre seg eller noesånnt, det var bare at omstendighetene gjorde at de ikke kom seg noen sted. Da var det bare å gå å hente dem derfra. Johan Kåven kunne fortelle kor dem var, og da var det bare å gå å hente.
Det kunne også skje at hvis noen hadde stjelt noe, så ville dem som hadde stjelt kommet tilbake med det de hadde tatt. Den siste sånne historien som pappa husker er ikke så veldig gammel. En mann hadde tatt en gammel sele til rein/hest fra Ødestua i Beaivvášgieddi, som har hengt der på veggen veldig lenge. Den hadde ikke noe spesiell nytte der den hang, og han tenkte han skulle ta den. Så han tok den med seg hjem,  men han fikk ikke ro så lenge han hadde den. Tilslutt så måtte han bare gå å sette den tilbake, for han fikk ikke sove på natta og fikk ikke ro så lenge han hadde den i hus.

Johan Kåven hadde også masse "hjelpere" som han kalte dem. Hundre eller tusenvis av dem. Han var jo noaidi/sjaman, og mange andre var også det på den tida. Det kunne jo være at en annen sjaman var etter han, eller når han hadde en annen stor oppgave, så trengte han mange hjelpere. Så Johan Kåven pleide å hente de her hjelperen fra kirkegården ved Kistrand Kirke. Der er det en kirkegård rett utenfor kirka. Så der pleier dem å bråke. Johan kunne også fortelle at for å beskytte seg fra "dauinger" så kunne man sette ett tinnspann på hodet, da så ikke dauingene deg, og da va du sikker.

Pappa fortalte også at kista til Johan Kåven, som når et på museumet på Skoganvarre var lenge hos en mann som var lærer, ellernoe... Han som hadde hatt den kista lenge, og var helt overbevist om at den kista hadde hjulpet han masse. Når han ga den videre til museumet, så sa han at han ikke trengte den kista mer...

Jeg e på oddasat - samiske nyheter på NRK1 nu!

Oh, now I can talk again after the dentist numbed my face.

OptiPosture - weekend

So after about 2 years of constant working I am exhausted and barely able to do anything anymore. I don´t have the energy. But I have tried to slow down now for a few weeks, only working in my own paste instead of rushing things like I always tend to cause I have deadlines..
I havent been to the gym for months, just a few dance classes here and there. I am starting to feel a bit more motivated and ready to continue, so this OptiPosture weekend was kind of the perfect timing for a "new" start for me. What better way to start again then with a new posture!
The posture will change everything!
 I have been thinking about taking this class and lessons for a long time! But there has never been a time where it fits my schedule and so and so, but this time it finally did!

 The OptiPosture program is made by Trine Irene Bjarkøy and her husband Kjetil Simonsen. She has a class about the optimal posture and gives us some excersises we can do to improve our posture. Her husband is the physiotherapist who gives private lessons and gives everyone their own training-program that is especially made for their body.

 I went both to her class and the private lesson. And am anxious to begin, although my shoulders a aching so much after the first lesson... So at the private lesson Kjetil measured and looked at my body to see what parts are not quite optimal and that way he can make a personal training program. I thought it was quite interesting what he found in my body. I have had bad posture since I was a teenager. The only time I can sit and stand straight is when I force myself. For instance the few minutes I am on stage dancing or sitting at a restaurant. Otherwise my posture is really bad. Like now, writing this, I am am halfway lying in my bed with the mac on my lap writing. Lynxie is sleeping next to me. :D

 But anyway, I few physical things have stopped my development in dancing and those things are: Overall strength. Alot of strenght is nececassry to do alot of cool things dancing. In tribal fusion alot of strength in the leg/thighs are needed for doing levelling, floorwork and so. This strenght thing was not so hard to build up as I thought. I would go to the gym two times a week and lift some weights and do some pilates and other excersices for strenght and stuff, and I would notice a big difference! So this is cool, no problem! And then I have my back issues. Bigger problem! My upper back is so stiff, and so tense and acing that it won´t move. There is no way I can ahceive the siluhette I am aiming for in Tribal as long as my back is so stiff. I have to be able to move my upper back forward by squeezing the shoulder blades together. This is not happening in my back because of the stiffness. One of my teachers, Sharon Kihara, suggested I should go and get a massage every week for a period of time. And that sounds just awesome, but massages are so exphensive here in Norway, I cant really afford it... I have been to a few massages when I could get them cheaper, but its not enough to have just one massage now and then..

 This programme is all about balancing the muscles. I hope that this programme will make my muscles happier and that way they wont ache so much, and I can continue my stribe to get the tribal siluette that I am aiming for, and start to see a develpment in my dance. Cause I feel like I have staggered again.

 If you want to know more about their work, or invite them to come to your city here is the webpage: www.happyhips.no
 I recommend this for everyone! Not only dancers, but everyone! Absolutely everyone! :D

trying to slow down..

I have been so tired lately. This whole year actually. I have been dreaming about a vacation since last fall (a year after my last vacation), and am still dreaming. I haven´t had a vacation in 2 years. I will definately go to a beach this desember. I have to dream about it a few more months.I should book the ticket now, so I have something to look forward to. I should promise myself never have it get this far ever again. I have to sacrifice a few jobs in favor of my health. Because this is just not very good for me... I havent been working out at the gym for a few months now, I just don´t have the energy. I have only gone to some tribal classes this year. So these last 3 weeks or so, I have tried to rest a bit. I have only worked a little bit every day. And have been triend to slow down, and it is so hard! Cause what happens to me when I dont have any deadlines or anything is that I start making up new projects for myself, new ideas and more work for myself. It is crazy! The other night I was so full of ideas I couldnt even sleep. It is hard to be a creative spirit. Alot of work! Anyway, where do you recommend me to go on a vacation in desember? I want a beach to lie on with sun, and some good food! :D And a nice bed. Thats it! Thats all I want. :D

is finally resting properly.... :D No deadlines today. :D

The Arctic Fairy - CD release | Sponsume

The Arctic Fairy - CD release | Sponsume

dentist. Not nice!

Tromma mi

På Isogaisa festivalen gikk jeg på kurset til Fredrik Prost, der alle kursdeltakere fikk lage sin egen tromme. Jeg har aldri hatt en tromme før, men har hatt lyst på det lenge. For å være ærlig så er jeg elendig å holde takten på et rytmeinstrument samtidig med at jeg synger. Bortsett fra gitar, av en eller anna grunn... Men ihvertfall, med en gang jeg så at det skulle være et trommebyggekurs på Isogaisa, så ville jeg være med. Jeg har sett etter trommer for kjøp, men har aldri funnet noen som jeg har likt godt nok til å kunne kjøpe den. Når jeg får lage min egen så er jo det best. Da blir den veldig spesiell. :D Da jeg kom på kurset fikk jeg tildelt en "oval" tromme. En rund tromme er universell tromme, mens en avlang, nesten ovalformet tromme er mer typisk nordsamisk tromme. Jeg er jo nordsamisk, så derfor fikk jeg den. Natten etter den første dagen av kurset, drømte jeg om trommen min. Jeg drømte at det var riktig av meg å lage denne trommen. Den skulle hjelpe meg mye, og mine forferdre støttet meg i det. Når trommen var ferdig bygd hadde vi en innvielses-seremoni for trommen. På den seremonien skulle vi holde rundt sidene på trommen, som om vi holdt rundt en tønne. se for deg at du er på din spesielle plass, en plass der du føler deg trygg. Så spørre om å få kontakt med ånden til trommen. Når vi så hadde fått kontakt med ånden til trommen, skal vi be den vise oss treet som trommen er lagd av. Så skal vi be den vise oss dyret skinnet kommer fra, og til slutt skal vi be ånden til trommen å vise seg. Denne seremonien gjorde vi mens Fredrik trommet for oss, og han sa at vi gjerne kunne gjøre denne seremonien for oss selv igjen. Helst ved et bål ute i naturen på natten i mørket.... om man tør. Jeg skal prøve å få gjort det, bare for å prøve en gang til. Vi var ca 8 deltakere på kurset, og alle hadde sterke opplevelser under denne seremonien. Jeg fant veien til viddene utenfor min hjemplass Karasjok. Da jeg spurte om å få se trommens ånd så jeg en slags røyksky eller virvelvind som kom opp fra bakken og samlet seg i en sky over bakken. Den skyen kunne bringe meg hvorhen jeg ville. Jeg fikk en følelse av frihet og fred, og jeg skjønte at trommen kom til å lære meg å leve i nuet mer, og slutte å jage så mye i hverdagen. Etter seremonien var jeg på vei til Campingvogna, og på veien møtte jeg en russisk sjamankvinne. Hun snakket bare russisk, men ved hjelp av lyder og tegnspråk sa hun at trommen min ikke lagde en dyp lyd, men en mer luftig høyere tone lyd. Dette sa hun ved bare å se på den. Det stemte akkurat med det jeg nettopp hadde opplevd i innvielsen. Nå er trommen tørket ca 3 dager og det er på tide å gjøre den ferdig. Jeg blandet balsam terpentin med linolje 50/50 og gnidde på treet. Veldig viktig å ikke ha få noe på skinnet, så man må sette den å tøre slik at det ikke renner på skinnet. Trommen min lager en helt spesiell metallisk lyd. Det minner meg veldig om lyden av det de bruker i teater for å lage vindlyder, og stormyder. :D Gjenklanget i tromma lager også melodier, så jeg har allerede laget en joik til katten min ved hjelp av trommen. Jeg var så bekymret for katten, da den for første gang var lenge ute enn bare 1 time... :D Lynxie har begynt å like seg ute. :D

Mamma kokte villsau-suppe. Det var godt! // Mum cooked us wildsheep-soup. Very good! :D

My first shaman festival - Isogaisa.

www.isogaisa.no

The holy fire

It is funny, I have been brought up in Karasjok. The capital of the sami people they call it (they call Kautokeino that too..., but anyway). I have never experienced the things I saw other people at Isogaisa experienced through shamanism. Sjamanism is the old religion of the sami people, before the christians came and taught us it was sin.
Of course, my childhood consisted f many more supernatural things then maybe children in the citys more south experienced. I have many stories about supernatural things happening to me and my family. My grandad had this foreteller that always came before he himself entered the house. That way my grandmother knew when he was coming. I had a incident with this young crying girl who came to me missing her mother terribly. She had the nicest sami dress on. My mother said it could be a girl who had been taken of the huldra, and they had told her her mother died, when in fact she was taken. When I was a teenager we used to tell fortune in the coffee beans, and we heard many superstistios stories and myths, but we were never allowed to talk about it in the open. I am very sorry to say that my sami religion was very much lacking in my upbringing. When I was a child I heard there was only one sami shaman left. That made me very sad. I thought that this religion was gone already, that there was no way that there could be more sami shamans unless this one shaman would teach someone new to be a shaman. But where would this shaman find anyone to teach? They would be all to busy with work and kids....it has to be someone who is strong and ready for it. Being a shaman is not a easy job... this is what I thought when I was a child. And I remembered I wished that I could be a shaman, except I wasnt ready to commit to it just yet. I wanted to do other things first. I wanted to live life without worries and troubles. This is what I have wanted all my life. Just to live life peacefully without any worries. This is how I look upon my childhood like. There was nothing to fear in the world. Being a shaman means you would have to meet fears of other people and see things that are not always good.

I honestly thought that there where hardly any shamans left. I knew there where people you could see things, and tell the future and heal people, but I didnt know some of them also where shamans. We had learned a bit about shamanism in shcool, and I found it very interesting.
But becomeing an adult, ten years later, I learned that there where alot of shamans! I dont know if they had been there all the time hidden, or what. But suddenly I found myself surrounded by alot of shamans and psychics. Since I was a teenager I have been into alot of diffrent nature religions. Well, first I was christian. I have been baptised and confirmed, but after I went to a christian bording shcool, I found that christianity is not for me. After that I read alot of books on different themes and alternative religions, and found that the nature religions where closest to my heart. I read tarot cards, used pendulants, candles, herbs, arometheraphy and read tons of book from writers mostly from the US. I found most of the religions had too many rules and rituals, and would be just too overtaking of my life.

So now lately I have found back to the religion of my ancestors. When I was younger I didnt feel worthy of it in some way. I didnt feel I was serious and commiting enough for it. That I wasnt enlightened enough to start studying. But now I feel differently. I dont feel any pressure to be or do anything then else than what I can do. I don´t have to do rituals every day, or at all. I can still say that I belong to the old sami culture, and the shamans are the ones who guide me. I know now that there is no other religion in the world that is better for me. There is nothing else that is more right. I am a part of this culture, that is why everything I have experienced of the shaman world seems so right, natural and effortless these last years. It just comes naturally to me.

I got some good advice at the festival this weekend "Dont try, just do". Everytime I have tried to practise anything for people that need proof, or if I do it just to check if it works, or whatever, I have failed. These kind of practises dont work if we "try". They only work when I truly am committed and in it with my heart.



Fredrik and me after the initiation of the drums.



Alot of personal religious stuff here. These are my thoughts after this festival....
At Isogaisa a handicrafter Frederik Prost had a workshop going over the entire weekend where we got to make our own drum. I made one, and it turned out pretty good! :D I am very happy with it. I have been missing one, and been looking for one for a while now, and nor that I got the chance to make my own, I figured that must be it. The first night after starting making it dreamt about the drum. I dreamt that it was the right thing for me and it would help me alot. Now the leather is drying still. In a few days I will be able to try drumming.
www.fredrikprost.com

The isogaisa dance went really well. We all danced it together on friday and saturday night. Everyone joined in on saturday. It was so much fun! I was very excited too see how it would go, and it went so much better then I had imagened! :D



Dancing the Isogaisa dance



Status update:
hjemme igjen fra Isogaisa! Så mye nye inntrykk! Helt utrolig bra! :D Takk til alle jeg møtte der! E fortsatt helt ør...

My own Radio-Show in Switzerland! First show on monday!

Yes, I know! You probably don´t believe me. My father didn´t... He was like "Yeah, sure Elin. Thats sounds very likely!" But it is true! I have already made my first show, and it will be braodcasted monday 22nd of August at 19-20!
The show will be braodcasted on a radio station i switzerland called Toxic.fm and the name of the show is FROST. They have a very easy working livestream! Just go to the webpage and press LIVESTREAM.
www.toxic.fm


The thing is that when we were playing in Switerland this february people there really liked our concert! They wanted to know more sami music. The organiser of the festival Felix van den Berg is the one that has the FROST radio shows every week where he presents nordic folk music. He has trouble finding sami music down there in Switzerland, so he asked me for help. Then one day he thought of asking me to actually make a whole show with sami music, oresented by me. And I said yes of course! :D
I will be doing an hour long show every other month. This is so much fun! This first show I have made my own top 10 sami musicians of my life. :D

I did this radioprogram in a very easy way. I used my recorder that I use for recording song-ideas and just used it to record my voice. The day I had planned to finish this program I actually felt like going fishing and barbecue by the fire, so I decided to do that. So the first show is actually recorded by a fire in my hometown Karasjok.

TRIBAL WEEKEND IN COPENHAGEN

Tribe of Gaia (Dud Muurmand, Lisa B.Jørgensen and Louise Heichmann) -organisers and teachers of Tribal CPH.

Last weekend I was staying in Copenhagen for the Tribal CPH. It a weekend full of Tribal. ATS and Tribal Fusion. On the flight back home I was thinking about the improvisational styles of Tribal. I learnt Tribal in Australia. I first took some courses of the Improvisational Tribal style of the studio I was taking classes in. They had made their own format, and it was alot different then the ATS -Caroleena style. I was trying to remember the moves we learnt, and it was kind of fun. I find that style alot easier actually. I have dances ATS alot the last year and I am still struggeling with it. My biggest problem is to choose one move to do. So typical be being undecisive. In the first format there was this shimmy (not 3/4) that was kind of the step we always begin with. Kind of the starting point of the basic step or something. That made it a bit easier for me, to give me time to think...hehhe

I just realised how important the first classes are. My first tribal fusion teacher was actually Rachel Brice. This could be why Fusion has come so easily to me, and why the ATS format is so hard for me to learn. I am always thinking back to what we did the first time we did in The Tribal style class in Australia. Now that I have been teaching more and more I have to think that I am actually making the future of my students. In the beginning when I started to teach, I did it just because the was hardly anyone who knew any tribal. I was the only teacher. I knew more then othes, but maybe not enought. But the students I had then have actually helped me make the dancer and teacher I am today. If I had not taught tribal, I would probably just forgot everything I learned, and I would not be as good as I am today. I know I am a better teacher now that I have dedicated to this. Before I was just teaching until someone else would come and teach...But after a while I started liking it so much that I decided I don´t want to stop. A big thank you to my students the first years for sticking with me! :D

Status update:
sleeeeping....dreaming about Det Blå Hus in CPH where the tribal workshops where this weekend...

Mu video Lihkku Niehku lea Svisj´as NRK3! Jeeeee!My video Dream of Fortune is on Svisj TV NRK3! Late at night though..but yay!

Photos from Festspillene i Nord Norge.

Festspillene i Nord-Norge 2011 from Steve Nilsen on Vimeo.

Si ifra om du ser videoen min på svisj. (når dem begynner å sende det igjen) :D

I am happy the youngsters from my home town Karasjok who where at Utøya are OK!// Lihkkus leat buot Kárásjot nuorat birgen...! <3

Terror attacks in Oslo

We have been worried about Islamic terror attacks in Norway. It would not be a big surprise if they would attack... But this was a Christian Norwegian extremist. A nationalist and Anti-Islamic man. 32 years old, grown up in the west side of Oslo. He placed a bomb in the building where amongst others the prime ministers office is. Killed 8 people and numerous people hurt. Then he goes to a gathering of AUF (Youth organisation of the labour party. The party of the prime minister). They have a gathering every year at Utøya where they have concerts and seminars. They are there to learn about politics and to have fun. He goes over on the Island, dressed as a policeman. He says "Help has arrived, come here". So when the youngsters come to him he starts excecuting them. 84 killed youngsters.

This is just so unbelivable for all of Norway. The whole country is in shock and grief. They don´t have anything else on TV. And I just have to turn off the TV not to cry all the time. But people stand together and support and help each other. The Norwegian people have been really good to each other after this, and I think Norway will stand stronger. There is no way I can imagine how the relatatives of the killed ones feel. Its such a tradegy! I wish I could help... There are at this point still people missing both in the building and at Utøya Island. People have been waiting hours to hear from their loved ones, not knowing if they are ok. Thank god that so many are safe. Condolances and love to you all!

This whole thing just reminds me of a splatter movie of some sort. Its bozarre to think that alot of movies actually are inspired by events like these... *chills*

I am now wondering of this person who did this... Why would he do this to his own people? If he is anti-Islamic and violent, why didnt he blow up the moscee or something? Norway is with the labour party in front a very open country with freedom of speech and has welcomed alot of muslisms to the country. But I wonder if he has ever been to other countries. I have lived in a few other countries, and have been to alot of them. Before I went abroad and saw how other people live I didnt think much of Norway and just wanted away...but now I have seen how people in other countries live and realised that Norway is not that bad. The Labour Party is heaven compared to alot of the other countries I have been to. It´s just unbelivable that anyone would do that Norway, whatever reason...There is democracy in Norway. What gives him the right? In his written anti-Islamic manifest he says that people will thank him one day, and they will see that he is right...

So crazy, still so real...

My brain is in total vacation mode. Just playing with my kitten Lynxie I got on tuesday! :D She is the cutest!

My Cat Lynxie - Most beutiful cat in the world

19th July 2011
11 am
I had a deal with the owner of a cat that I will take her cat because she can´t care for it anymore. But after she said I could have it I have not heard from her since. I was going to get it the day after I come back from Gothla, which was yesterday. Last chance to be on my way to fetch the cat was at 11. Because it is a 2 hour drive to the cat, and I had booked the plane and everyting for the cat and I that evening. Still no answer from the owner, so I give up. I look for cats on the internet and find a few kittens I like.

12 am
I talk to the owner of Main Coon kittens whom I can buy from the same day if I want.

15 pm
I drive to look at the kittens and fall hard for the girl they have. She looks So much like a lynx! Se is a bit shy but curious. I cant resist, so I have to get her!

16pm
We arrive back to the apartment in Oslo. Lynxie has only mjaued a few times during the car ride. We let her out from the cage in the apartment, and she runs straight under the bed and stays there until we lure her out again because we have to go to the airport. She shows no interest in food or sandbox.

17pm
We put her inside the cage with some food to go to the airport. She is calm and looks to be sleeping half the time. She mjaus a few times, but seems to be ok when I say her name and try to calm her.


21pm
We arrive to her new home. I show her the sandbox straight away, and she goes off to explore the house. She hides under a bed again and stays there until I get her from there and show her the sandbox again. She must be having to use the sandbox! She hasnt been since we got her! She explores the livingroom a bit but gets scared of her own reflexion in a mirrot and hides under the sofa.

23 pm
Lynxie is still under the sofa. We figure she feels safe there and let her stay there. Maybe she will eat and use the sandbox at night while we are sleeping.

20th july 2011
7 am
I wake up and Lynxie is stil under the sofa. Doesn´t seem to have used the sandbox nor ate any food. I get worried and take her out from under the couch and take her to the bedroom and close the door. She gets her own little hiding place, and I place her food and sandbox in the bedroom. This makes her feel much comfortable and when she sees no dangers she goes straight to the food to eat. I am so relievied! After that she uses the sandbox! :D

8 am
Lynxie is playing with her toys!

9 am
Lynxie sleeps next to us in bed.


11 am
Lynxie did not allow anyone to pet her before. She had stayed two days in the apartment where we picked her up, and they hadn´t had any luck with petting her, she had only stayed under the sofa and didnt let anyone touch her. But now she is purring and I get my first cuddles!



12 am
Lynxie learns not to walk on the computer keyboard. She is loving her new toys I got from Leicester! :D

21st of July

23 pm
After one and a half day with intensive playing and eating and sleeping in the bedroom, she suddenly decides to explore the rest of the apartment. She was most scared of the sounds from the stairs, but now she walked straight to the stairs, livingroom and kitchen. I was amazed and happy! :D Soon we can move the litter box and food out of the bedroom. In the time she spent in the bedroom we had seen her wild side as well. she will make an excellent hunter, she jumped from one wall to another in there!

Oh my god! Tomorrow is the day! Gothla show! Yaaaaayyy!!

Musth-concert!

Last weekend I went to see the shcizo-metal band MUSTH. I really like this band cause they bring in all kinds of genres to their music. It´s fun to listen to, and even more fun to watch! The vocalist is all over the place, high and low and everything in between. I know about this band because most of the members in the band are from Finnmark. So I always have so much fun with them. I always end up being out WAY longer then I intented just cause I am having so much fun. Nothing beats humor from Finnmark, that is true. I love it! :D

My friend Mari who was photographing and me at the concert.




MUSTH are releasing a new album in september this year, and they just made a new video with alot of blood and dead body parts... Very cute! heh... This is a live video from the Norwegian TV show Lydverket:

I am getting the perfect cat!

I am finally getting a cat! I have been wanting a cat for so many years, but have never actually bought one because I travel alot and the cat would just be miserable and alone... This cat will stay most of the time up north in Alta, but the cool part about this cat is that it like to drive cars and take walks! That means that I can take this cat with me on some of the travelling I do! :D It is so cool! The current owner says the cat think its a dog, it comes everytime she yells for him and just wants to cuddle all the time. Its so perfect for me. This means I don´t have to worry too much about my cat running away and that sort of stuff. I hope I will be able to take good care of it, even it it will probably have a few different homes to live in, like I do...

I wrote to this woman who was giving away her cat a few days ago, and she didn´t answer, so I thought I didn´t get it. But the minute I saw the add for it I understood that that was my cat! :D And today she wrote me and said she was so happy that she found a owner that liked it as it is. And I am really happy too! I feels good to know that the cat is just like I need the cat to be, instead of taking a kitten that you don´t know what it likes and doesn´t. This cat is about 1 year old. I think its name is just "pus" ..:D Like all my other cats name was when I was litttle. The best of all, it looks like a lynx/bobcat, just as I wanted my cat to! :D


Status update:
Mun oaččun bussá viimmat! Ja dat liiku biilan johtit! / I am getting a cat finally! It likes car-rides! :D

Just watched a tv-program about all the food-waste we produce. Supermakets, restaurants, consumers and even producers!

Now you can be a part of my new release!

The Arctic Fairy - CD release | Sponsume EU




I hope you want to sponse me! I would be so grateful!!

I have been tidying and organizing all day!

All day went by and I have been tidying and organising all my stuff and crap from years ago. Memories, newsaper-clippings, magazines, and all kind of stuff that have been just thrown into boxes have now been organised. I still have a long way to go, though... My office is a mess, my costumes and bazar are all over, and also the spare room needs some organizing. Wow!
When clearing space physicahlly you are also clearing your head. I really feel it. I have a hard time going ahead and starting with new projects, and this could be one of the reasons. I have been travelling and changing houses so many times the last 3 years that I dont have any idea where half of my thing are, and what I have in the first place. This feels good! When I finnish (which I hopefully will) I will be ready to start at fresh! :D I will also burn some sage to cleanse the space. :D

Status update:
Finally took time to get all my newspaper-clippings organized. Feels like years of planning this is finally over...:D

There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.

I´m in a Catalan Magazine and Radio!

This is soo coool! Thank you Albert Reguant! He has also presented me on the Catalan Radio Station!

This is what he writes me:

"Broadcasting this sunday 12 juny night, and also is possible listen to for internet in monday 13 juny, in www.icatfm.cat (open web, afther look the link "Programes", intro and search HIDROGEN), or the other web http://www.icat.cat/hidrogen, day 13 juny 2011."


So you can go online and listen to it! :D

For the witches that where sentenced to death in fire at the stake

This summer solstice was really special to me. I have always had a special relation to the midsummer night. (hence my tattoo that is a sami symbol for it).

But this midsummer a memorial monument opened in Vardø, Finnmark in memory of all the witches that were burned in Finnmark. This happened during the witchcraft trials in Finnmark 1600-1692. It was special for me to sing at the old fortress for the opening of this monumnet, as many people have told me that if I had lived in those days, I would have been burned... So I feel like I have something in common with all the witches from back then.
















From http://www.varangermuseum.no/Opening+of+the+Monument+for+the+victims+of+the+witchcraft+trials.9UFRrUXn.ips
In the course of 5 winter months in 1662 and 1663, 20 women were denied the right to live, most of them burned at the stake, but some were also tortured to death. During this century, there great witchcraft panics were held in Finnmark, most of them at the old Fortress in Vardø; 91 people lost their lives, most of them women. Varanger Museum have chosen the excerpt of this trial from the court protocols, because it in many ways casts a light on the line of thinking in this process hell that is absolutely unique.

From the protocols:

One of the most famous of the 91 persons excecuted, Mari Jørgensdatter was:
Brought before the court at Vardøhus Castle on 29 January 1621

ACCUSED
of practising witchcraft

CONFESSED
that the devil came to her one night when she was in bed
that he promised to remunerate her if she where willing to serve him
that she agreed, and he left his mark on her left hand, between the two longest fingers
that the Evil One called himself Saclumb
that the Evil One led her to Kirsten Sørensdatter, and cast the likeness of a raven over her
that she an eleven other witches caroused on Ballvollen near Vardø
that they went to the mountain Lyderhorn near Bergen in the shape of ravens, dogs and cats
that they caroused at the gathering on Lyderhorn
that she took part in raising a dreadful storm in 1617 on Christmas Eve
that ten boats went down then, off Kiberg and Vardø, and 40 people drowned
taht the storm was Kirsten Sørensdatter´s revenge against Anders Blom for Kiberg
that she was adept at healing spells and all kinds of charms, only for beneficial purposes

Denounced Ragnhilde Olufdatter, Marrite Olufsdater, and nine other persons as witches
Said that Kirsten cast a spell on three of Anders Johansen´s cows and a heifer

CONVICTED
of practice of witchcraft

Sentenced to death in fire at the stake





The monuments

Festspillene i Nord Norge

Backstage before the concert

Wow! Our Gig at Festspillene i Nord Norge went so well! I was not sure at all how this would go. If there would come any people to watch us, and how the concert would go. How the Venue was and everything. But It went just great! Which was really good because NRK P2 was recordning this for the radio, and later this year people will be able to hear this on the radio. :D

Earlier that day I was interviewed and photographed for the Paper Nordlys. The photograpfer there was really great, he took some great picures of me. The ones that ended up in the paper where ok, but I actually think he had some better pics of me. Of course, I always see myself differently then others, so... :D

At the concert the place started to fill up after we had played a few songs, and soon it was full! I didnt think that there would be coming so many people a moday night at 2300 and after there had been several other great concerts too choose from. Unfortunately I didnt have time to go on any of them. The crowd where so supportive and the athmosphere was just magic, so all of us where just overwhelmed by how good it went. The sound on the stage was perfect, so where were able to just focus on our thing all the time.
I have been dreaming about perfoming at Festspillene for a long time, cause I have always heard so many good things about this festival. This was my first time there actually, and it was all good! :D Very Happy! YAY!

Status update:
Good gig in at Festspillene i Nord-Norge! So happy with my band! So early... Need sleep on flight.