The Sami vocalist taking joik to a new generation

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Joik is the traditional song of the Sami people of the Arctic circle. When singer and activist Maxida Märak was growing up, she used to joik with her grandfather Johan, a Sami priest who had revived joiking after successive Scandinavian governments had oppressed it, calling it 'the devil’s language'. Now she’s using her own unique brand of joik to campaign on Sami issues. In New Caledonia, a collection of islands in the South Pacific, Doctor Claire Goiran discovered a new population of venomous sea snake. She’s been helped by a group of snorkelling fans who call themselves the Fantastic Grandmothers. Laura Thomas spoke to them in 2019. Mariachi and heavy metal aren't an obvious musical match... but both of these musical genres have inspired a band called Metalachi. The group plays arrangements of heavy metal songs in a Mexican mariachi style, and say they're the first to do it. This interview was first broadcast in 2017. Get in touch: [email protected] Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: Laura Thomas and Sarah Kendal (Photo: Maxida Marak performs in Oslo, 2017. Credit: Gonzales Photo, Tor Atle Kleven via Alamy)