Keiju makes commissioned song for Lapland War film

Rapper Keiju, the stage name of Viivi Ågren, has made a new song for a feature film about the Lapland War. Yle followed the filming of its music video in Pelkosenniemi, in eastern Lapland.

The song is a wistful ballad about young lovers hoping to stay alive, and also touches on a loved one falling ill. Ågren describes its style as “poetry rap”. It includes references to Lapland’s natural world, including the words “beard lichen” and “Siberian jay”.

Ågren wrote the song while holidaying in Rovaniemi and Salla, places where her family has roots and which suffered extensive destruction when German forces withdrew during the Lapland War. She says she even bought a typewriter in Rovaniemi to help create a more authentic feeling.

The commission for the film, due out in the autumn, feels like a great honour and “a little unreal”, Ågren said. The video was filmed on a mire in Pelkosenniemi, with Pyhätunturi rising in the background.

Ågren, who is from Rovaniemi and now lives in Helsinki, made her breakthrough on major stages this year. She has performed at Flow Festival, Ilosaari and Blockfest, as well as at Helsinki Pride in front of tens of thousands of people alongside pop artist Olga.

She calls the run of shows her “maid summer”, using a pet name her grandmother from Salla had for her. Ågren also released an independent EP with the same name this year.

She began rapping in Finnish a couple of years ago, after previously writing in English. “A lot of my personality disappears with English,” she said. “Using Finnish brought me closer to authentic self-expression.”

Ågren says she turns to nature when life speeds up. She has tried visiting forests in southern Finland, but says people there have a very different idea of what a nature trail is. She returns regularly to Lapland to get away from city bustle and sensory overload.