Livonians are a Finno-Ugric people and originates from what we today know as Latvia. Julgi Stalte is one of few vocalists who choose to sing in Livonian and a leader of Riga Livonians.
 
– When I sing it´s like a heart is speaking to a heart. If you listen and are open-minded you will understand my singing even though you can´t understand the language, Julgi explains.
 
Julgi has co-operated with Umeå 2014 before, with her participation in two Sami weeks before and the market of Jokkmokk now. She is also the leader of two Riga 2014 projects, where knowledge about different Sami and Livonian issues will be shown to the world. Saturday the 4th of February she performed at the market of Jokkmokk together with the Sami yoiker Jörgen Stenberg, an arrangement by Umeå 2014, Sami week and Ájtte. Julgi explains that the idea with the concert was to let feelings guide the musical expression, and it included both old Livonian instruments and Sami yoik.

– There are many similarities with the Livonian and the Sami people, not only the language, but the humor, and the understanding of the world. Both Sami people and Livonians have kept knowledge that is 12 000 years old and is still valid today, says Julgi Stalte.

Livonian and Sami languages are similar in the sense that both are minority languages and Finno-Ugric languages. But as Sami languages are spoken by approximately 30 000 people, the Livonian language is spoken by 100 individuals as a second language, and there are only about 10 native speakers alive today.

– There was a counting last year, and this time there were actually twice as many people who called themselves Livonians as the last counting. That means that more people are standing up for themselves and are proud of being Livonian, thinks Julgi Stalte.