The summer in Norway is short, and there is too much going on. During winter there is “nothing”, but now there are not enough time. Like this weekend. There are two festival I would have liked to attend. One of them is Ridddu Riddu, in Northern Norway. It is very far from were I live, actually it is 1200 km, but I was there two years ago, and it was well worth the long trip. Riddu Riđđu is an international festival for indigenous music and arts, in the Sea Sami village of Olmmáivággi (Olderdalen in Norwegian). The festival is one of the most significant international indigenous festivals in Europe, but still have the charm of a small norwegian festival and the arctic summer. Everybody have to live in a tent and to leave their cars before they enter the valley.
The main attraction for me on Riddu Riddu in 2010 was Tinariwen, a band from Mali in Sahara. It was strange of course, to listen to tuareg music from the desert in the chill night of the Arctic, but it was a very great experience, and I still love this music.
The second big attraction at Riddu Riddu was Mari Boine, a Norwegian Sami musician known for having added jazz, rock and world music to the yoiks of her native people. It was also such a great experience. But so was everything at Riddu Riddu.
This weekend there is also another festival I usually attend and I would love to go there agein. This one is small, located to a tiny mountain village and only 70 km away from were I live. But I can’t go to Tydalsfestivalen either, and just have to remeber how it use to be by looking at some pictures. I have other plans. And I am sure that too will be an experience.
I have more photos from Riddu Riddu, Tydalsfestivalen and Tydalsfestivalen 2011 in my photo gallery.
Bente Haarstad Photography 
Very interesting. The blue tents are really impressive. 🙂
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Glad you liked the tents, Cocomino. It is nice to stay in a tent.
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I didn’t know about Riddu Riddu, but it sounds very interesting – maybe I’ll have to add it to a ‘northern’ excursion next summer….
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I can really recomend this event, Rudolf. It is every year in July…
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¡Qué bien os lo montáis?
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Sorry, didn’t understand your comment, Mercedes, not even with Googles help, but thanks anyway.
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I love the blue tents also…and the woman singing!!!
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Thanks, Suzanne. The woman is Mari Boine, the greatest singer from the sami people.
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Ah, I wish I could have been there! Always wanted to catch Tinariwen, too. Great photos!
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Very beautiful pictures!! I really like them!! The first one rocks!!
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Thanks a lot, Soy Asi.
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With all these events going on there’s no time to get bored, right?
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Exactly, no time getting bored, Anneli.
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Theoretically, that is what the TeePee is though, this is the first time to see the tent
in a camp blowing a smoke out 🙂 = I guess, it must be a hell of smoke inside 😀 —- still, looks beautiful !
The singing woman’s image is iconic !
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The sami tent, the lavvo, is almost the same as a tipi, and the lavvo have been used for thousands of years, Yoshizen. It used to be made of reindeer hides, today it is made of tent material, the classical one of very strong material so that you can make a fire inside. That is very necessary for those who lives outside all year, also in very cold winter. Or a cold summer… No smoke problem, Yoshizen, if you know what you are doing. 😉
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I did know, the Canadian Inuit having a fire in TeePee.
(According to a story I read 40 years ago 😉 )
Unlike outside, the frame and smoke should go up
straight still, the wet log, tree branch makes a lots of
smoke.
In our Alpine Club, younger member on rota for cooking, had to have a tearful life. 🙂
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What surprised me most was, if it was a camp in a Rock festival in England, most of the people don’t cook, just survive with hot-dog kind.
Yet, in a festival in your country, people cook with open-fire ! not with Phoebus or Radius kind of burner or Camping-gas. —– Especially in comparison to when you showed photos of “Lake side Picnic” your friends brought full of Plastic furnitures = (hence, I commented “How civilized” 🙂 )
—– May be Sami people stuck to there tradition more.
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I looove festivals, there can’t be enough…this weekend we were on the Cactusfestival in Bruges (Belgium) 30km from were we live. It was great, althoug it rained the whole weekend…but the music made it worth to stay in the rain…
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The festivals and festival music is almost always worth a stay in the rain. I agree, Geedebee. I guess in Belgium you are unlucky if rains happens, that it is not a usual thing.
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Wet summer and too many concerts, events, festivals cancelled here in the U.K.
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Too bad, David. Heavy rain and cancelled concerts and festivals is not a good thing for summer. I hope things brightens up.
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I love the idea of keeping the cars out of the valley.
Norway reminds me, a little, of where I live in Western Canada, Is it really cold in your mountains this time of year? I have always wanted to visit this part of the world.
Jackie
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I don’t know Canada, but I have a feeling the climate is not that different in many places. The summer in the norwegian mountains varies a lot. From almost zero till 30. In my part I think normal day temperature is everything between 5-25 degrees, but I have walked a day with heavy backpack at 32 degrees. I prefer 15, and thats more normal. Almost carry warm clothing and rainwear, and hope that a dip in a river or lake will be necessary..
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I can see why you wanted to go to this festival. What a lovely setting, and unbelievably neat! I liked the music, too.
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I forgot to bring any links. This is one, by Mari Boine:
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Thanks!
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These sound like wonderful fetivals, and your images certainly were wonderful. The colourful tents lining the river made we want to pack up & go there for a few days of music & fun 🙂
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It is a nice festival, Ella. And differnt form most of them. Thanks for your comment.
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Lovely and colorful Summer festivals! Thanks for sharing these!
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Thanks for commenting MC.
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Pity you can’t be more than one place at a time. Both festivals look like such great fun!
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They are, Gunta. Festivals in generals are great fun, and some more than others.
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Both in Denmark and in Norway, there’s a lot of summer festivals – if there’s too many is hard to say – but many of them have money problems – so it look likes the answer is “to many” – or their pr-people is n’t good enough… 😉
But why do they not tried some in’door festivals or who says that it have to be in the summer everything happens – if lots of rain at the “Roskilde Festival” every year in july isn’t a problem – why would september be bad…?
Der are some few festival who’s not summer most of them are indoors like “Blues in Hell – maybe that the way..?
http://www.bluesinhell.no/
Likes your shot, Bente;-)
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I am going to Blues in Hell, Drake, again. It is just around the corner and a very good one. Really hope I can. Sorry about the weather at Roskilde, but it seems people enjoy even if it rains a lot. It’s that special festival feeling I guess. I have never tried Roskilde, it is maybe a little bit too big..?
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You are one busy lady Bente! 🙂
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Oh, I have a lot of hours by the computer, Cybermum. Guess that is busy also. 😉
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Så mange festivaler, så liten tid 😉 Flotte bilder, og jeg er litt misunnelig for at du har fått med deg Riddu Riddu. Jeg er sikker på at det var fantastisk. 🙂
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Bare en gang til nå, Inga, håper det blir flere ganger. Var ganske spesielt og flott der ja. Anbefales.
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The pictures are beautiful, especially the blue tents, and I’ve bookmarked the musicians to listen to in a quiet moment. Thanks. 🙂
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I can recomend the musicians. Especially if you like world music. They are both super.
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really cool shots, love the ones of the girl singing and the tents look awesome, really showed the atmosphere
of the event. Perhaps one day i might get to go and have a look, love music festivals
cheers Callie
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There are so many festivals around Callie. I tend to prefer those that are not too big, and have something special. And the best music of course.
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Muy bonito el reportaje, me encantan las casetas de campaña, ¿tu estabas dentro del escenario?, abrazos
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Quelle chance. J’ai découvert tinariwen et mari boine il y a peu de temps et j’aime beaucoup. Ca devait être un super bon moment ce festival 🙂
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What a wonderful setting for such great music. Very special!
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My husband and I originally met at a Folklife Festival. Though it was in the heart of the city, the atmosphere and musicians were somewhat similar and it was a great experience. I miss a festival we once had in our area called Starlight Festival. It required camping too, and the artists at the festival sold many kinds of handmade lanterns and candles everyone could carry or put on stands. The whole area lit up with works of art surrounded the music that played on several stages far into the night. There was also a lake to swim in, and it took place near the mountain pass. I don’t think it was as amazing as your festival, but it is a very fond memory of beauty! These experiences are treasures.
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These are great festival pictures, Bente. And it does look like you had a great time. I love the first picture of Mari Boine, so spiritual. Would have been great to see and listen to her live.
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is there such a thing as too many festivals? hahaha enjoy it looks awesome. I am headed to a three day music festival at the end of the month here in MOntana, as a vendor with some of our products… I will try to get photos, I am sure it will look ‘tent’ like too!
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A fascinating insight into a different world. Excellent pictures.
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it sure looks like fun, Bente!
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Good festival pictures, Bente (I really like the one with the tents)
I have most of Tinariwen’s albums–it must’ve been an awesome concert!
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These images are great! I know firsthand how difficult it can be to nail down the right exposure at concerts, especially when the lights are constantly changing and the artist is constantly in motion! It’s also hard to focus on getting good images when the music is really good and all you want to do is take it in for what it is… sometimes being a photographer is exhausting!! Looks like you had a good time! Look forward to seeing more in my Reader
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Beautiful photos.. like them.. 🙂
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How lucky you were to hear Tinariwen, Bente! It might be a bit strange to be listening to African music around the arctic circle, but on the other hand, quite fitting that these displaced Tuareg troubadours should bring their music to every corner of the globe. Since I heard the soundtrack to the Festival in the Desert, in 2003, I’ve been a huge fan – fired by a real desire to track out into the desert to be part of it one time. Now the festival’s been moved close to Timbuktu you never know, right?
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