Snow Raven’s “Crying Earth”: Bridging Traditional Sakha Shamanic Sound with Modern, Techno, Catchy Beats
Leading Artist: Snow Raven (Suor)
Song: “Crying Earth”
Date: January 27, 2024
By Sydney Wuu ’24
The 2020 song “Crying Earth” is a collaboration between Andreas Om, Gennady Papizh, Jivan Gasparyan, and Jivan Gasparyan Jr. This soulful masterpiece features a beautiful blend of instruments that bridges traditional Sakha shamanic sound with modern, techno, catchy beats.
Known as the “OG of reindeer breath arctic throat beatbox,” the leading artist Snow Raven (Suor) is an Indigenous Sakha from Arctic Siberia born in one of the world’s coldest and most remote human-inhabited places. She harnesses the magical tools of Shamanism to mimic bird and animal sounds, using her body as an instrument. The power of her vocals put me in a trance-like state and made me feel like I was not in my room but instead in a forest.
Check out André Duqum’s amazing interview with Snow Raven on Indigenous wisdom from Arctic Siberia.
“Indigenous communities that have survived and kept their traditions until today without that much transformation are like a portal of how to connect with Earth. They possess a deep knowledge of how to take care of our home. Earth will be okay without us, but we will not be okay without Earth—our home.”
Snow Raven, Interview with André Duqum (slightly edited/shortened quote for clarity)
Snow Raven’s name was given to her by a shaman in 2018 and represents strength (Yudiskaya). She is truly talented and possesses the unique ability to capture the attention of my generation as she merges modern youth culture with ancient wisdom. As we learned in Pole to Pole, revitalization centered around resilience and youth is key to restoring Indigenous traditions and practices.
Watching the music video for “Crying Earth” transported me into another world. The intensely spiritual and hypnotizing experience elevated my mentality to a more tranquil state. I was drawn to the raw emotions evident in the musicians’ facial expressions, calling us to protect and reexamine our individual footprints on Mother Earth.
The song’s message hits upon themes like how we can provide healing through one another and in caring for the Earth. The video juxtaposes beautiful, expansive landscapes with the crumbling of what appears to be smokestacks, nuclear reactors, or large industrial chimneys that have been overpolluting our planet and contributing to our warming climate. Ultimately, the song invites us to strengthen our relationship with nature, centered around healing, passion, and connection.
Just yesterday, TEDx Talks posted this video featuring Snow Raven performing her talents and showcasing the magic of her music. Please watch and enjoy!
Link to Artist (Song not available on Spotify, but feel free to explore her other music):
Sources:
Do the Bay. (2022). Neoshamanism: Arctic Siberian Ceremonial Concert by Snow Raven. https://dothebay.com/events/2022/7/1/neoshamanism-arctic-siberian-ceremonial-concert-by-snow-raven-tickets
Duqum, A. (2023, October 31). Indigenous wisdom from Arctic Siberia: Animal spirits, Shamanism & Healing Music | snow raven. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2j-T8KFk0Q
SNOW RAVEN. (2020, January 9). Snow Raven (OLOX) feat. Andreas Om, Gennady Papizh, Jivan Gasparyan, Jivan Gasparyanjr. crying earth. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBfK-vGygvk
TEDx. (2024, January 26). Sound journey to arctic siberia: Snow Raven: TEDxHartlandHill. YouTube. https://youtu.be/jmQVlQoP2No
Yuditskaya, S. (2023, April 7). SNOW RAVEN. Creatrix Magazine. https://creatrixmag.com/snow-raven/
I really enjoyed listening to Snow Raven’s “Crying Earth” and experiencing her unique style of music and videography. Compared to my chosen song “Swell,” by Jerry Cans, I believe that Snow Raven incorporates more powerful soul and spirituality into her pieces. The music videos capture powerful imagery and messages important to the indigenous communities of the Arctic. For example, I enjoyed watching the part of the nuclear reactors melting away, symbolizing the harm energy production and nuclear waste have on the environment.
Furthermore, I loved the part where you talk about the leading artist and her connection to magical tools, Shamanism, and the use of animal sounds in her music. The power and ethereal state she can convey through her music is truly inspiring.
Watching these videos I was blown away by the editing, outfits, and scenery. The music videos mesh so cleanly with her music, and watching them is a very transformational experience. Specifically the contrast between the factories shown and the natural beauty of the arctic was very striking. This was so different form the artist I chose but it is very cool seeing the huge variability in influence. I also really like how you added in several interviews with her. Hearing her speak/ her perspectives was very cool side by side with the music.
I thought the videography was amazing and I was very impressed with Snow Raven’s vocals. I had diverted my eyes for one moment, did not see her singing, and at first thought it was a bird in the background before realizing it was her. In the interview linked above she mentions how “mimicking birds and animal sounds are a very, very important aspect of falling into a trance.” When I listened to the piece I felt my mind going to other places which was probably due to her powerful voice. It did make me feel like I was somewhere else in nature rather than in my dorm room, like you mentioned above. In addition to her voice, we can see how the music video has a huge impact in relaying, or helping to relay, the message of the song. The juxtaposition of the natural imagery of the Arctic with pollutants reinforced the idea that we need to reconnect with and protect the planet. The mimicking of bird and animal sounds reminds me that humans in a way speak for animals (meaning simply that whatever we do affects them, and we are the only ones who can advocate for them).
I also chose a song by Snow Raven. Watching the video for “Crying Earth,” I noticed both similarities and differences between this song and the one I chose, “Web of Life.” Right from the beginning, I noticed that both songs start with an instrumental opening. The videos are also both shot in nature settings, jumping from scenes of Snow Raven and the other musicians to large nature shots. “Crying Earth,” however, features more than one vocalist while Snow Raven is the only singer in “Web of Life.” Another difference is evident in the styles. Both songs are traditional and soulful. “Crying Earth” then transitions to a section featuring modern techno styles. Furthermore, “Crying Earth” features more instruments, including a flute and bells.
Beyond the music, I found researching Snow Raven to be very inspiring. Even after moving across the planet to LA, she continues to stay true to her culture and values. For example, she preaches on the importance of maintaining a connection with one’s ancestors and hopes to bring this value to western society. I am excited to listen to more of Snow Raven’s music.