Lördag 14 november - Rock'n'roll all nite!

Umeå by night...


Being a metal dude takes a lot up here in the North of Sweden. Not to mention metal chicks!
It involves smoking outside wearing your Opeth sleeveless top, finding your way in the Scharinska's underground... By the way, let's take a look inside:

"WTF were doing there anyway?" you'd be asking me (or a more polite version). Well, simply fancied this for a night out:

http://www.scharinska.se/

So, back to the Scharinska:


Obviously, it's really hard proving that being here is normal for you: you have to put up with soppy 80's styled haircuts, or else have long hair for more efficient headbanging... If neither, go for the leather stuff... it rocks, except when sized 46 and more! Being a DJ in Umeå is no better - just ask DJ Suffer and how he's dealing with his permanent make-up. Don't be mistaken, he looks happy enough but just imagine the stares he get's down at the supermarket!


Kiss indigestion? Well, let's go see what's happening on the ground floor... "Helltrain + Hate Ammo": ready?




I must have stayed about 10 minutes no more before my ears fell to the ground... so loooooud! Crazy people! And freaky death'n'roll - or other musical label to that effect - when played loud, just doesn't sound like music at all. Yuck! I hope their albums are more subtle volume-wise.

Just a poetic photo taken in the Scharinska, put aside the musical violence:



Well, quite enough for a night out (especially when it starts in a pub to watch France play against Ireland!). So, just a few photos of Umeå by night taken on the way home:

The Scharinska

Oh yeah, being a rock'n'roll family dude is a bit of a trial when it comes to cars. Well done!

The Church just by...

And bed time for me... GOD NATT!

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Onsdag 14 oktober 2009 - Sofia Jannok

Kultur på Campus...
Here in Umeå, the University organises quite a few cultural events if you know where to look for the information. So today during lunch break there was a concert in the hall, in the teaching building. There is a grand piano there, and students go and play quite often I was told.

Anyway, this was the first time I got to see Sofia Jannok sing live.
Sofia is a young singer from Gällivare,born 15 September 1982. Most of her songs are in Sámi, and her singing is based on the traditional yoiking while flirting with other musical styles, especially jazz.
A powerful, moving voice...









http://www.myspace.com/sofiajannok
http://www.sofiajannok.com/

Here is a video clip from a previous album. This is definitely pop music, but still illustrates what joik is... and the pictures are beautiful. I think some of it is filmed in the ice hotel in Kiruna...

This is Sofia with her pianist, closer to what I listened to today: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x84v72_sofia-jannok-ayyogattis_music
Enjoy :-)

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12th of September - A weekend in Sápmi II

Porjus

Back to Jokkmokk:

And back to our room...

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11th of September - A weekend in Sápmi I

This week-end we decided to make our way up North, and cross the Arctic Circle.

Our destination: Jokkmokk, second largest in size of all Swedish municipalities and is, with an area of 19,477 km² (approximately 7,520 square miles) slightly smaller than Slovenia or New Jersey.

"Sápmi is the name of the cultural region traditionally inhabited by the Sami people. Non-Sami and many regional maps have often called this same region Lapland as there is considerable regional overlap between the two terms. However Lapland can be either misleading, offensive, or both, depending on the context and where this word is used to the Sami. Among the Sami people however, Sápmi is strictly used and acceptable."

The Sámi flag (the red part of the circle represents the Sun, the blue one the Moon)

Preparing for departure... a C3 Picasso filled with maps, warm clothes and cookies naturelly.

On the way...

Shopping in Jokkmokk - culture choc:

One of the three churches in Jokkmokk:

The youth hostel:

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