An acknowledged master of the Finnish Sami yoik -- a traditional chanting cut from the same cloth as Native American music -- Wimme Saari debuted in 1997 with a self-titled effort issued on the NorthSide label; Gierran followed two years later and Cugu was issued in fall 2000. He returned three years later with Barru. The NorthSide release included live video from the 2002 Nordic Roots Festival. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide