KEINO (KΞiiNO) popularized Joik singing at Eurovision 2019. Now they are back with this special sound
KEINO was the most voted band by the audience at Eurovision 2019. Their song mixed flawlessly Dance music with a beautiful Yoik singing, traditional of the Sámi people. They have used the same combination in their new works, among which we highlight ‘Unbreakable‘.
Reading Time | 2.3 min
Listening Time | 9:36 min
Keiino Unbreakable
Keiino (KΞiiNO) is a supergroup from Norway, formed in 2018 to take part in their yearly local contest to select their representative in Eurovision.
Do you know what a supergroup is?
The first time I read it, I thought it simply meant “really good band“, but it turns out it doesn’t. A supergroup is a band formed by musicians who already have independent solo careers and come together for a while to create a joint project 🧍🏽🧍🏽♀️🧍🏽♂️
Keiino consists of singers Alexandra Rotan and Tom Hugo, joined by a rapper from Sámi village (Lapland), Fred Buljo. The latter is the one who sings Joik (or Yoik).
What is Joik (Yoik)?
Joik (Yoik) is a type of singing performed by the Sámi, a community of about 82,000 people living in Lapland (northern Norway).
Nasjonalbiblioteket from Norway, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Joik is so special that many Sámi people have their own melody. It is like a musical signature or unique identity, which can also describe the appearance or personality of a Sámi.
It was in 2018 when Tom Hugo started writing “Spirit in the Sky“, inspired by historical struggles for equality.
- They swept their country’s pre-selection and went to the Eurovision Song Contest 2019. The song received the highest score from the public, but not from the jury and came sixth.
It was also our favourite, although the winner was the Netherlands with ‘Arcade‘ by Duncan Laurance. Which one do you like the most?
Keiino Spirit in the Sky
Don’t miss our selection of 2021 songs 🧡
Why are they called Keiino?
The group name was inspired by Fred Buljo‘s hometown, Kautokeino. The last part “keino” translates to “the road”, which Buljo stated:
It represents the road that brought us together
After the success at Eurovision, they continued together and released in 2018 a great album called ‘OKTA‘. They would also cover ‘Shallow‘ by Lady Gaga and ‘Drivers License‘ by Olivia Rodrigo, more recently. Both with exceptionally good reception.
Among the singles they have been releasing lately, ‘Unbreakable‘ stands out for its melody and message, which Keiino explains as follows:
We want everyone to feel seen and appreciated in our little musical universe that is Keiino, and our new single ‘Unbreakable’ is a celebration to everyone who feels they don’t fit it. The inspiration behind the song is the Russian fairytale The Snow Maiden.
The band made a comeback in the Norwegian pre-selection for Eurovision 2021, coming 2nd with ‘Monument‘, that you can enjoy below. Remember to stay tuned as a new wave of Keiino songs is coming 🤩
