Masters of local and global ceremonies. Sámi Hip-Hop as narrated by Amoc and Ailu Valle Héctor Sánchez-Garibay 015093882 Master’s Thesis Intercultural Encounters Faculty of Arts University of Helsinki May 2021 Supervisor Pirjo Kristiina Virtanen i Tiedekunta – Fakultet – Faculty Koulutusohjelma – Utbildningsprogram – Degree Programme Humanistinen tiedekunta - Faculty of Arts Kulttuurienvälisen vuorovaikutuksen maisteriohjelma – Master’s Degree in Intercultural Encounters Opintosuunta – Studieinriktning – Study Track Master of Arts Tekijä – Författare – Author Héctor Sánchez-Garibay Työn nimi – Arbetets titel – Title Masters of local and global ceremonies. Sámi Hip-Hop as narrated by Amoc and Ailu Valle Työn laji – Arbetets art – Aika – Datum – Month and Sivumäärä– Sidoantal – Number of pages Level year 60 Master’s Thesis May 2021 Tiivistelmä – Referat – Abstract Hip-Hop in the global context has worked as a music genre that strives to bring to the centre of discussion inequalities lived by its actors through a visibility of the margins. In this regard, Hip-Hop developed by Indigenous artists highlights the re-negotiation of their ethnic identity within their own societies and in the global scenario. Sámi Hip-Hop in the Nordic region follows this logic as it takes inspiration from both global trends and local issues in the Sámi current world. In that context, this thesis aims to analyse the constitution of Sámi Hip-Hop as a music genre from the viewpoint of the artists engaged within it. The study draws from the question “What are the motivations for Sámi artists to engage with Hip-Hop and create a music genre in its own terms?”. This work proposes that global creativity and cultural sovereignty come together as the basis for Sámi artists to engage with this music genre. Global creativity refers to the influences of cultural trends (mainly the global Hip-Hop music) towards the development of creativity among Sámi artists, whereas cultural sovereignty here operates as the music created by Sámi Hip-Hop artists that praises for a multi-faceted perspective on what “Indigenous music” is, where the individual creativity of artists plays an instrumental role. The analysis of the phenomenon is based on the career of Amoc and Ailu Valle, two of the major contributors on the development of Sámi Hip-Hop as a genre. The sources for the inquiry are two documentaries, two qualitative interviews conducted with the artists in question through a conversational method and online journalistic material. The theoretical framework follows a Decolonial approach to the narratives of the margins in the European context, and completed with a “global viewpoint” from the development of Hip-Hop in different Indigenous latitudes worldwide. In so doing, Indigenous Hip-Hop genre is proposed here as an innovative contribution to contemporary global music. Concepts that are used for this Decolonial analysis are ‘Indigenous epistemes’, ‘Indigeneity’ and ‘Cultural Sovereignty’. As a conclusion, I state that Sámi Hip-Hop is a genre that is constituted by the local creativity of those individuals that nurture the genre, operating as a transcultural phenomenon where ‘Indigeneity’ and the positionality of Indigenous youth in music production are re-negotiated. Avainsanat – Nyckelord – Keywords Hip-Hop – Indigenous Hip-Hop – Sámi Music – Cultural sovereignty – Contemporary music – Decoloniality – Authenticity – Transcultural phenomenon – Indigeneity Säilytyspaikka – Förvaringställe – Where deposited City Centre Campus Library Muita tietoja – Övriga uppgifter – Additional information ii Acknowledgments This thesis is a result of the friendship that I hold with many people who have inspired me to take the step onto writing about music matters. First and foremost, I am beyond thankful with Mikkâl and Ailu, the main characters of this research. I thank you for trusting in me and accepting my proposal to have an interview with you guys, even though you did not know me personally beforehand. I hope this work could also motivate you to continue being an inspiration to other Sámi (and non-Sámi) artists. I wish you both the best in your future endeavours and I look forward to collaborate with you again at some point. Secondly, a big thank you goes out to my supervisor, professor Pirjo Kristiina Virtanen. I have learned tons of critical knowledge not only around my thesis topic, but also from her patience to cope with my flaws while writing and constant doubts on my research questions. Nonetheless, she really challenged me to give that extra effort on my work and I wish every student could have a supervisor like her. What’s more, I must say that the topic of this research was originally her idea after she knew I was interested in Sámi music, so I should thank her for motivating me to get to know a new world of knowledge. I am also thankful with other professors who have encouraged me to move forward in my career: Saila Poutiainen, the director of the MA in Intercultural Encounters, who motivated me to apply to this program since my first contacts with the University through email. Without her I would not have done this step. The academic staff at the Study of Religions Department at University College of Cork, who also encouraged me to enrol into the University of Helsinki even though that meant to leave my home at UCC behind. All the professors at my Master’s program, who have inspired me from their teachings in one way or another. Lastly, I am beyond thankful with the University of Helsinki for offering me a scholarship, so that I could focus all my effort in my studies. Similarly, I thank my classmates, from whom I have learnt a lot of life-knowledge and whose company has been a support in my study years at Helsinki. Gracias Mamá, Papá, Nayeli y Roberto, por apoyarme en todo momento, motivarme a ser la mejor versión de mí mismo, creer en mi trabajo y estar conmigo a pesar de la distancia. Gracias, Takkâ, Giitu, Kiitos, Thank You! iii Table of Contents 1. Introduction: Indigenous music and global markets .......................................................... 1 1.1 Setting the field and the area of study ............................................................................ 3 1.2 Previous studies on Sámi music and Hip-Hop .................................................................. 4 1.3 General objective, research question and hypothesis ..................................................... 7 1.4 Sources for this study ..................................................................................................... 7 1.5 Methodology: Conversational narrative method from an Indigenous paradigm .............. 9 1.6 Research Ethics and Researcher’s Positionality ............................................................. 10 1.7 Theoretical Background: Decoloniality, Indigenous Epistemes and Indigeneity ............. 11 2. Key concepts and stories to understand the question of music in the Sápmi region......... 14 2.1 Indigenous peoples as collective actors......................................................................... 14 2.2 Sápmi territory and Sámi people in current times ......................................................... 15 2.3 Sámi history through colonization: From assimilation policies to resilience ................... 16 2.4 Sámi music brief introduction: The Joik song and its tricks ............................................ 18 2.5 Sámi Music Renaissance in the XX century: Social movements and the global music sphere 19 2.6 Sámi music events and institutions today ..................................................................... 22 3. From New York to Aotearoa and back to Finland: Indigenous (and non-Indigenous) Hip- Hop in the global scenario ......................................................................................................... 25 3.1 Hip-Hop early years: From the Caribbean to New York and beyond .............................. 27 3.2 Hip-Hop in Finland: Adaptability of a global ‘scene’ in the Nordics ................................ 30 3.3 Indigenous Hip-Hop and the search for a space in global music..................................... 33 3.3.1 Australian Aboriginal Hip-Hop: Using English language to reclaim sovereignty ...... 34 3.3.2 Māori Hip-Hop or how to establish a new genre through historical remembrance 36 3.3.3 Bridging First Nations’ alliances through the music of The Halluci Nation .............. 38 3.3.4 Furthering the outreach of Indigenous Hip-Hop. The minor representation of women in the movement and the difficulties in the Global South ......................................... 40 3.3.5 Authenticity in Indigenous Hip-Hop through global storytelling: Shedding light on recent ways of cultural sovereignties.................................................................................... 41 4. Sámi Hip-Hop as narrated by its actors: From environmental stewardship to trans cultural flows in Sápmi ............................................................................................................... 43 4.1 What is Sámi Hip-Hop? A brief introduction into it ........................................................ 44 4.2 Precursors of Hip-Hop from Finnish Sápmi: The advocate and the master of ceremonies 47 4.2.1 Ailu Valle: Hip-Hop through environmental stewardship ....................................... 48 iv 4.2.2 Amoc: The Master of Ceremonies and the Sámi presence in disguise .................... 50 4.3 Hip-Hop from one corner of Sápmi to another: the expansion of the genre and