Frode Fjellheim (born 27 August 1959 in Mussere) is a Southern Saami

yoik A joik or yoik (anglicised, where the latter spelling in English conforms with the pronunciation; also named , , , or in the Sámi languages) is a traditional form of song in Sámi music performed by the Sámi people of Sapmi in Northern Europ ...

er and musician (piano and synthesizer) from Norway. He is best known for his band

Transjoik Transjoik, originally named Frode Fjellheim Jazzjoik Ensemble (founded 1992 in Trondheim, Norway by Frode Fjellheim), is a Norwegian band that plays Sámi music, often characterised as an ambient electronic, techno and trance band, but with a d ...

and as the composer of the 2002 song "Eatnemen Vuelie", which was later adapted to become the opening musical number of '' Frozen''. Fjellheim was raised in Gausdal and

Karasjok ( se, Kárášjohka ; fkv, Kaarasjoki) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Karasjok. Other villages include Dorvonjárga, Šuoššjávri, and Váljohka. Th ...

, and is of South Sámi origin.

Career

Fjellheim was educated at the Classical program at Trøndelag Musikkonservatorium (1980–84). He lives in

Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, an ...

, where he is a freelance musician and composer. He has been involved in productions at

Trøndelag Teater Trøndelag Teater is a large theater in the city of Trondheim, in Trøndelag county, Norway. Trøndelag Teater stages large-scale dance and musical performances. History Originally built in 1816, the theater is the oldest stage in Scandinavia ...

and

Rikskonsertene Concerts Norway ( no, Rikskonsertene) was established in 1967 on the initiative of the Arts Council Norway ( no, Norsk kulturråd), with its main purpose described as follows: "Concerts Norway is to make living music of high artistic quality acces ...

. Among his commissioned compositions are, ''Sørsamar rundt Hardangervidda'' (Telemarkfestivalen 2003), Aejlies Gaaltije - The sacred Source (''Festspillene i Nord-Norge'' 2000), and ''Àhkunjárga'' or ''Tøtta sitt ness'' (''Vinterfestuka'' in

Narvik ( se, Áhkanjárga) is the third-largest List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Narvik (town), town of Narvik. Some of t ...

2006) Since 1997, he has also composed

film score A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to e ...

s for

NRK NRK, an abbreviation of the Norwegian ''Norsk Rikskringkasting AS'', generally expressed in English as the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, is the Norwegian government-owned radio and television public broadcasting company, and the largest ...

and several short films. During the 1990s, he headed his namesake band ''Jazz Joik Ensemble'', which later became ''Transjoik''. Fjellheim was also a member of ''Tango Concertino''.

Mari Boine Mari Boine (born Mari Brit Randi Boine, 8 November 1956) is a Norwegian Sámi singer. She combined traditional Sámi joik singing with rock. In 2008, she became a professor of musicology at Nesna University College. Biography Mari Boine was b ...

Ulla Pirttijärvi Ulla is a given name. It is short for Ursula in German-speaking countries and Ulrika/Ulrikke in Scandinavian countries. As of 31 December 2011, there were 61,043 females named Ulla in Sweden, with the name being most popular during the 1930s a ...

, Katarina Barruk, Anne Vada, Hildegunn Øiseth,

Iren Reppen Iren Reppen (born 19 December 1965) is a Norwegian actress. She graduated from Norwegian National Academy of Theatre in 1990. Her debut was in the play «Romeo and Juliet» ved Trøndelag Teater in 1990. She has since worked at Det Norske Tea ...

, Ella Holm Bull and

Tone Hulbækmo Tone Hulbækmo (born 27 September 1957) is a Norwegian singer and musician, married to the traditional folk flutist Hans Fredrik Jacobsen, and the mother of Jazz drummer and vibraphonist Hans Hulbækmo (b. 1989) and pianist Alf Hulbækmo (b. ...

are some of the other artists that Fjellheim has worked with. Fjellheim also heads his own music company called Vuelie, which publishes books, sheet music and CDs by a number of artists. In 2004 he released the album Aejlies Gaaltije which contains the mass Arktisk Messe, commissioned by ''Festspillene in

Harstad ( se, Hárstták) is the second-most populated municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is mostly located on the large island of Hinnøya. The municipal center is the town of Harstad, the most populous town in Central Hålogalan ...

'' in 2000. Fjellheim has also written a book called ''Joik for kor'' ("Yoik for choirs") and a textbook on music rooted in joik. Fjellheim wrote the opening song "Vuelie" for '' Frozen'', which was based on yoiking. The song is a slightly altered version of "Eatnemen Vuelie" ("Song of the Earth"), which was originally written in 1996. The film version is shorter and lacks the elements of the Christian hymn "Fairest Lord Jesus", which is an essential part of the version from 1996. Fjellheim has subsequently received praise from the Norwegian Sámi President for spreading yoik to new audiences. Fjellheim holds a professorate a
Nord Universitet

Awards and honors

In 2002, Fjellheim was awarded the

Áillohaš Music Award The Áillohaš Music Award is an annual Sámi music award created to commemorate Nils-Aslak ''Áillohaš'' Valkeapää's 50th birthday in 1993. The winner of the award is announced on Holy Saturday in conjunction with the Sámi Grand Prix du ...

, a Sámi music award conferred by the municipality of

Kautokeino Kautokeino ( no, Kautokeino; se, Guovdageaidnu ; fkv, Koutokeino; fi, Koutokeino) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Guovdageaidnu/Kautokeino. Other village ...

and the

Kautokeino Sámi Association Kautokeino ( no, Kautokeino; se, Guovdageaidnu ; fkv, Koutokeino; fi, Koutokeino) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Guovdageaidnu/Kautokeino. Other village ...

to honor the significant contributions the recipient or recipients has made to the diverse world of Sámi music. In addition to the Áillohaš Music Award, he has also received the following awards and honors: *3-year grant by the Norwegian Government (1993–1996). * Spellemannprisen 2004 open class for ''Aejlies Gaaltiie — the Sacred Source'' *

Sør-Trøndelag Sør-Trøndelag () was a county comprising the southern portion of the present-day Trøndelag county in Norway. It bordered the old Nord-Trøndelag county as well as the counties of Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, and Hedmark. To the west is the N ...

County Cultural Award, 2007 *Liv Ullmann prisen, 2015 * Hillmarprisen, 2015 * Gammlengprisen open class, 2016

Books

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

: ''Joik For Kor'' (Vuelie) *2004: ''Med Joik Som Utgangspunkt'' (Vuelie)

Discography

Solo albums

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...

: ''Sangen Vi Glemte — Mijjen Vuelieh'' ( Iđut) *

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...

: ''Aejlies Gaaltije — The Sacred Source'' (Vuelie) *2013: ''Biejjien vuelie - Solkvad'' (Vuelie) ;With Frode Fjellheim's Jazz Joik Ensemble -

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nels ...

: ''Saajve Dans'' (Iđut) *

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...

: ''Mahkalahke'' (Atrium) *

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a multi-national coalition in an invasion of Afghanist ...

: ''Meavraa'' (Atrium) *2004: ''Uja Nami'' (Vuelie) *

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; " Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discover ...

: ''Bewafá'' (Vuelie), with Sher Miandad Khan

Collaborations

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

: ''Áibbašeabmi'' (Vuelie) - with Ulla Pirttijärvi *

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrates ...

: ''Bálggis'' (Vuelie) - with Bárut *

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

: Gilvve Gollát – Sow your Gold (Universal) - with Mari Boine and KORK *

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...

: ''As I Walk'' (Vuelie) - with Anne Vada *2015: ''Spes'' (2L) - with Cantus

References

External links

Transjoik Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fjellheim, Frode 1959 births Living people Musicians from Vefsn Norwegian Sámi musicians 20th-century Norwegian pianists 21st-century Norwegian pianists Norwegian jazz pianists Norwegian jazz composers Norwegian Sámi people Áillohaš Music Award winners Spellemannprisen winners