hakosalo_tuohino
October 11, 2025
Maija Kauhanen
October 11, 2025
Nikolai Äystö (b. 1983) is a musician, actor and composer, living in Gällivare, in Lapland, the north of Sweden.
Since 2009 he has been active as a freelance cultural worker and has participated in a variety of contexts.
Äystö moves in widely different artistic forms of expression and
several genres musically. This has led him to the world of theater, folk music, free improvisation and many of Sweden's and Norway's pop/rock scenes.
Äystö has made music for and participated in several productions at Tornedalsteatern in Pajala. He has played and been on tour with Malmfältens Rockklubb, Petter Alatalo, Göran Greider, Ellen Sundberg, Johan Airijoki,Glesbygd ́n, Triakel, Darya and Månskensorkestern, Turteatern, and many more.
Listen to the Village Anthems Podcast episode featuring Nikolai Äystö
In this episode, we are joined by musician, composer and a strong voice of Meänkieli culture, Nikolai Äystö.
Nikolai works at the intersection of the Meänkieli language, the cultural heritage of the Torneo Valley and contemporary folk music. In his artistic practice, language is not merely a tool, but a starting point, a carrier of identity and a creative force. His work moves between tradition and the present moment, seeking new ways of being Meänkieli in our time.
In this conversation, we explore what Meänkieli is as a language, a history and an identity. How has its position been shaped within Sweden, and what is its status today? What does language revitalization mean in everyday life and in artistic practice? We also discuss how language lives through music: how rhythm, sound and meaning shape composition, and how music can offer space, strength and visibility to a minority language.
We dive into Nikolai’s songwriting process, his relationship to performing, and the connection that forms with an audience.
Please note: this interview is in Finnish.
