INNAFØRR?—From Hazaristan to Sápmi

Project Spotlight: A Sámi joiker and a traditional Hazara musician on connection and cultural resilience through music. 

Creating Activism Possible Futures
Two people shown from the waist upwards look towards the camera with a city street behind them. The Afghan man at left wears a black t-shirt, and the Sámi woman at right wears an embroidered blouse and a black jacket.

Sara Marielle Gaup Beaska and Hamid Sakhizada have found a connection through their music—across national borders and cultures. In this recording from the 2021 Arctic Arts Festival,  they talk about the struggle to convey their culture.

Gaup Beaska is a traditional and modern joiker, while Sakhizada is an Afghan musician, specializing in the classical folk instrument Dambora. Due to his performance and popularization of the traditional music of the Hazara minority, he was threatened with death in his home country. Gaup Beaska has a strong and clear voice for the Sámi environmental and rights struggle.

Two people shown from the waist upwards look towards the camera with a city street behind them. The Afghan man at left wears a black t-shirt, and the Sámi woman at right wears an embroidered blouse and a black jacket.
COURTESY ARCTIC ARTS FESTIVAL.

INNAFØRR? is a new series of conversations based on the festival’s 2021 theme, “Who is allowed to tell the story?” The conversations take place in an intimate environment at Støperiet where participants raise questions that have to do with storytelling—their own and/or in a bigger perspective. The series includes questions about what types of stories it is important to tell, who has the right to tell the stories, and if there are stories you should not tell. The participants are selected based on similarities or differences between them that appear to be interesting to highlight.

Norsk

Sara Marielle Gaup Beaska og Hamid Sakhizada har funnet en musikalsk fellesnevner – på tvers av landegrenser og kulturer. Bli med når de snakker om kampen for å få formidle sin kultur.

Gaup Beaska er en tradisjonell og moderne joiker, mens Sakhizada er Afghansk musiker, som har spesialisert seg på det klassiske folkeinstrumentet Dambora. På grunn av sin fremføring og popularisering av den tradisjonelle musikken til Hazara-minoriteten, ble han truet på livet i hjemlandet. Gaup Beaska har en sterk og klar stemme for samisk miljø- og rettighetskamp. 

INNAFØRR? er ny samtaleserie hvor samtaler tar utgangspunkt i årets tema – Hvem har lov til å fortelle historien? 

Samtalene foregår på Støperiet, hvor deltakerne tar opp spørsmål rundt historiefortelling, sin egen og/eller i et større perspektiv. Spørsmålene handler om hvilke typer historier det er viktig å fortelle, hvem har rett til å løfte fram historiene og om det finnes historier som ikke skal fortelles? Samtalepartnerne kobles sammen basert på likhetstrekk eller ulikheter dem imellom.

Credit: This event was presented as part of the Arctic Arts Festival, June 22, 2021. COURTESY ARCTIC ARTS FESTIVAL.  

This story is part of the Sámi Spotlight. View more content from the Spotlight here.