Solju is formed by Ulla Pirttijärvi and her daughter Hildá Länsman, who combine their heritage of northern Sámi language and traditional chant, known as yoik, with a desire for new and innovative music. Solju provides a dialogue of traditional and modern Sámi culture. Solju is proud of their indigenous roots and want to show it to the world.

In Solju’s music, the Northern Sámi joiks and songs playfully merge, weaving enchanting soundscapes. Ulla and Hildá, the front figures of Solju, proudly showcase their roots and the nuanced and invigorating expressive power that stems from joiking. Lively, earthy, vibrant, unique, yet also ethereal and evocative are words used by the artists themselves to characterize their music.

The compositions depict the everyday experiences of young Sámi women in contemporary times, as well as narratives inspired by traditional Sámi ways of life, stories, and worldview. In Solju’s music, one can sense the tangible warmth and intimacy of a campfire’s glow, as well as the resilience and perseverance shaped and demanded by the Arctic nature.

Solju’s debut album, “Ođđa Áigodat,” was released in 2018 under the Bafe’s Factory label. In 2019, the album won the “Best International Indigenous Release” category at the Canadian Indigenous Music Awards.

Their latest album, “Uvjamuohta” (Powder Snow), was released in 2022 (Bafe’s Factory) and it won the International Indigenous Artist/Group Recording of the Year 2023 by Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards in Canada.

“Pirttijärvi has long been on the most distinctive and celebrated voices in joik. On Ođđa Áigodat (New Times), she shows off all of her familiar qualities, while Länsman emerges as one of Sámi music’s brightes new talents.”
– Merlyn Driver, Songlines (UK), August 2018

SOLJU is the WINNER for The International Indigenous Artist/Group/Recording of the Year 2023 by Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards in Canada.