US EditionA rap festival near the Arctic Ocean delights crowds under the midnight sun
UTSJOKI, FINLAND, JUL 15 – Loktafeasta festival draws over 300 attendees celebrating Sámi culture with rap performances in Sámi and Finnish languages under the Arctic Circle's midnight sun.
- Mihkku Laiti, a Sámi rapper and creator of the Loktafeasta festival, performed after midnight during an outdoor music event held in Utsjoki, a village in northern Finland.
- The festival highlighted Sámi culture amid ongoing efforts to preserve their identity following centuries of oppression and language bans.
- Laiti rapped in his native Sámi language to a crowd of over 300 people, many wearing distinctive Sámi clothing, with some fans singing along despite language barriers.
- Laiti said, "I want to show how being Smi is like from my point of view," and he aims to normalize Sámi life without romanticizing stereotypes.
- The festival fostered joy and cultural visibility, reflecting broader recognition including Finland’s constitutional guarantee for the Sámi language.
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24 Articles
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Finland's Sami people still tend reindeer—they also rap about their lifestyle in front of the midnight sun
It was well past midnight when Mihkku Laiti appeared on stage to perform at an open-air music festival in the Finnish village of Utsjoki, north of the Arctic circle. Despite the time, Lapland’s famous midnight sun was still up. During the summer months the sun doesn’t go down at all in Utsjoki, which is less than 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Arctic Ocean. In the glow of blue spotlights, Laiti rapped while a crowd of more than 300 listened, …
Associated Press News
A rap festival near the Arctic Ocean delights crowds under the midnight sun
A music festival in Utsjoki, Finland, brings Sámi culture to the spotlight under the midnight sun. Rapper Mihkku Laiti, also known as Yungmiqu, performed recently at the Loktafeasta festival, rapping in his native Sámi language.
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