Etta performs in Utsjoki for the first time on her ancestral land

Rap artist Etta, known offstage as Emmalotta Kanth, performed at the Utsjoki Lumo festival for the first time in her ancestral hometown, calling it an emotional experience, Yle reports.

Kanth’s great-grandmother, Kaarin Högman, was from Utsjoki, and she has heard stories about the area from her grandfather since childhood. The visit felt deeply familiar, she said.

“This is exactly the kind of magical and wonderful place I imagined,” Kanth said, speaking after the performance. “It felt like I found my people. Somehow, we spoke the same language—the language of the heart.”

As the final act of the two-day festival, which sold nearly 900 tickets, Etta brought the crowd to life, with attendees singing along to her songs. She described the reception as the “best gig ever.”

During the trip, Kanth connected with locals, who shared stories about her family. The experience inspired her to create a new track sampling a Sámi-language song by her grandfather’s cousin, Johan Högman, recorded when he was 12. The song was found in Yle’s archives.

Kanth, 28, is considered Finland’s most successful female rapper. Earlier this year, she competed in UMK with the song Million Dollar Smile, where she first spoke publicly about her Sámi roots as a source of strength.

She has a tattoo of the Sámi word bearaš (family) on her neck, calling it her strength. Though she does not speak Sámi, she said locals promised to teach her some words.

“This has been a very meaningful trip,” Kanth said. “The way I was welcomed—it felt like I was among friends.”