Sámi artist Ella Marie: “Minorities can not keep fighting battles by themselves – we need allies”
nme.comElla Marie has launched her new single ‘Gina’, and spoken to NME about the importance of showing solidarity with minorities – especially when it comes to keeping dying languages and cultures alive.Marie, formerly a member of pioneering band ISÁK, is a well-known activist for the preservation of the rights and culture of the Sámi people – the indigenous people of parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia.Performing twice at this week’s Øya Festival in Oslo – once on a boat for visiting music industry and again on the Vindfruen stage to a large crowd – Marie stunned with her songs delivered in her native tongue.“It truly is an honour,” she told the crowd. “For many years the Nordic state has tried to erase my culture, but I am living proof that we are still alive.”One of the songs that landed best was new single ‘Gina’, a tender track written to honour Marie’s friend and fellow campaigner, Norwegian environmentalist Gina Glyver.“It feels good to release a tribute to someone I care about,” Marie told NME. “My music and my writing has been inspired by a lot of the demonstrations that I have been leading together with Gina over the last two years.
We had large demonstrations against the human rights violations against my people. All of the songs that I have released as a solo artist have been inspired by those events, because they were so life-changing.“This is my third solo single, and it feels really good to show everyone how much I appreciate the work that Gina has done for my people – but also for this movement.
She’s not Sámi herself, but she’s dedicated so much time and effort. She’s put all of herself into this fight, and that’s so special.
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