Artist: Adjagas
Album: Mun Ja Mun
Label:Ever Records
Year:2006
Reviewed by: Woodstock Slim
Adjagas
meaning the state between awake and sleep. Glad to find a nicer word
than limbo, thanks guys. Adjagas is the result a group of cats from
Samiland, you'll know it better as Lapland. The northern most regions of
Norway, Sweden and Finland spreading in to Russia. Sami, the now
60,000 strong nomadic tribe herding their reindeer following the
coastal summers as they go. The Sami were heavily exploited in similar
ways to the way Native Americans were and Sami(the language) was banned
in Norwegian schools as late as the 50's. They were forced to change
their identities adopting Norwegian names and surnames to be able to
claim land etc. Today they are a modern people but cling dear to their
traditions still.
The Sami Duo, Sara Mariella Gaup(23) and Lawra
Somby(26) plus the endless list of musicians feature on this album they
have met on their extensive travels. Sigor Ros fans, La Mystere Des
Voix Bulgares fans, deep Electronica fans and even a few "Rest of the
World Music" fans will find this a home, don't even read further, go
get this. "Mun Ja Mun" is dreamlike, spiritual, peaceful, hypnotic,
warm and deeply personal and alien. For Mazzy Star fans that might feel
like something less melancholy on certain days. A lot of people with a
tribal history of being exploited will find this album welcoming,
understanding and nurturing of that pain. You don't have to understand
a word of Sami to know every word sang or spoken on this ground
breaking album. As a regular friendless person I find this album to be a
good friend. With every listen it gets closer to me and I to it.
Adjagas will never leave me and never exploit me and always love me. I
cry inside, not sad tears but happy ones. "I made a friend today..." I
whisper to the little boy standing cold and alone inside me.
It is
said that their music is based on a "Yoik." A traditional music form
describing music not with its words but with its sounds. It can be
anything, any length, any structure you want it to be. They describe it
as the liquid in a bottle, you can shake it up or not, the contents
remains the same.
