Ella Marie: A Voice of Sámi Resilience

Ella Marie is an Indigenous artist from Sápmi, located in northern Scandinavia. She gained widespread acclaim as lead singer of the Norwegian/Sámi band ISÁK, which enjoyed remarkable success from 2016 until 2023. With over 245 million streams on Spotify and collaborations with artists like Alan Walker, the band toured globally, showcasing Ella Marie's dynamic stage presence and her passionate delivery of yoik—a traditional Sámi musical chant. Now embarking on a solo career, Ella Marie has spent the last year creating new, timeless, and powerful indie pop music sung and yoiked in Northern Sámi.

Her artist journey began in 2018 when she won the popular television singing competition Stjernekamp in Norway. She has since used her platform and her music to fight for Sámi rights. She has fought tirelessly to protect Sámi lands, often standing alongside activists such as Greta Thunberg, and has emerged as a leading voice for human rights in Scandinavia. While Ella Marie’s music address’s themes of assimilation and cultural loss, it simultaneously celebrates Sámi resilience, unity, and pride. In poetic ways, she puts words and melodies to the pain shared by many indigenous and marginalized people all over the world, inviting her audience into a personal and safe space where her proud Sámi heritage shines.

In addition to her music, Ella Marie is a critically acclaimed actress, starring in the film Ellos eatnu – La elva leve (Let The River Flow), directed by Ole Giæver. In this poignant role, she portrays a young teacher in 1979’s Northern-Norway who conceals her Sámi identity to evade racism, drawing parallels to her own life and ongoing struggles for Sámi rights in present-day Norway. Ella Marie is also an author, having published Danne galggat diehtit mun lean sápmelaš (This is why you must know that I am Sámi) in 2021, and has featured in several documentaries.

Ella Marie released part 1 of her solo debut album VARRA—meaning "blood"— in early 2025, with part 2 scheduled for release at the end of October! The album explores the duality of Sámi bloodshed over the centuries and the contemporary significance of Sámi identity, reflecting bloodlines that span across Scandinavia. She has already toured over 40 dates across the region, and is now heading back on the road with new music and a mesmerizing live show!