ŠLOBBOTEN + Romssa Rástát (choir) (Sápmi / Norway)
Friday, 31. October 2025
Hålogaland Teater Scene Øst
Doors: 18:00
Show: 19:00 – 20:15
🇳🇴 🎶 A Musical Exploration of Sami Identity and Culture
in collaboration with Tromsø Jazzklubb
Get ready for a truly groundbreaking performance with Šlobboten, a unique project created by Sondre Närva Pettersen, a Norwegian-Sami musician and composer. This concert will take you on a musical and visual journey that blends Sami culture, Nordic jazz, joik, Sami hymn sounds, and electronic textures, while also incorporating personal interviews and captivating video art.
Šlobboten’s performance draws deeply from the Sami culture of the Ullsfjord area in Northern Troms, where almost everyone spoke Sami at the turn of the 20th century. However, by the 1950s, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission reported that the Sami language in this region had “collapsed.” But is that really true? Has deep culture disappeared within just 50 years, or has it evolved, transformed, and integrated into Norwegian traditions with new names? Pettersen’s exploration of these themes through personal interviews, cultural investigation, and music creates a multi-layered experience where identity, language, and culture intertwine.
Through his extensive research, Pettersen has spent years gathering stories from people in the area, investigating Sami identity and sea Sami culture. The result is Šlobboten, an ambitious concert project that blends Sami contemporary culture with jazz, electronic soundscapes, and video art. The stunning visuals provide an intimate look at the people and nature of Ullsfjord, inviting the audience to reflect on the richness of the culture and its ongoing evolution.
Sondre Närva Pettersen is a musician and composer with Sami and Kven roots. His artistic practice spans several disciplines, and he is currently working on a commission for Borealis Festival in Bergen and composing for Beaivváš – The Sami National Theatre.
This concert promises to be a unique and thought-provoking experience that challenges the boundaries of contemporary Sami music and celebrates the living culture of the sea Sami people in Northern Norway.
Šlobboten will bring the Sámi choir Romssa Rástát, with Sondre Närva Pettersen (Vocal, Joik, Kalimba and Keyboards) Heidi Kvelvane (Sax) April Soohyun Jang (Violin, South Korea) Snorre Bjerch (Percussion) Sondre Ross Folkestad (Tuba) Andreas Hatzikiriakidis (Trumpet) Amund Nordstrøm (Trumpet) Oscar Vide Lars-Andreas Forthun (Sound).
This will be a magical evening with powerful music! We can’t wait to feel their powerful story through their music.
🌟 Join us for an evening of powerful sound, culture, and reflection with Šlobboten.
