Mattis Haetta, legendary Eurovision Song Contest star, dies at 63

• Mattis Haetta died after battling an illness.
• He was a star of the Eurovision Song Contest.
• The singer’s life is remembered.

Mattis Haetta dies: Nineteen-eighty Melodi Grand Prix winner and Norwegian Eurovision Song Contest representative, Mattis Hætta, has passed away from an illness at the age of 63. Mattis became an overnight star in Norway after winning the Melodi Grand Prix alongside Sverre Kjelsberg with the song Sámiid Ædnan.

He was remembered for being the first singer in Eurovision history to represent the Sámi culture as well as for his way of playing with traditional music. He will always be remembered in his homeland. At the 1980 Eurovision Song Contest in The Hague, the duo finished in 16th place.

The Sami culture

Mattis Haetta was active in the Sámi rights protest and was among the protesters for the Alta cause, a political conflict in which the Sámi people opposed the construction of a dam in the interior of Finnmark. The Sami live in Lapland, a region that stretches across northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula in northwestern Russia.

The protest resulted in a hunger strike and marks a significant point in Sámi history as it led to the establishment of the Sámi parliament. Sámiid Ædnan was created in connection with this case and is dedicated to the entire Sámi people, who suffered discrimination as an ethnic minority.

Mattis Haetta’s death is confirmed

In a statement to NRK, the singer’s family confirmed that he had died after battling an illness, but did not elaborate on what exactly it was. The artist is survived by his four children and two grandchildren.

After his performance in the Eurovision Song Contest, Haetta trained to become a teacher and released an album named after his hometown Máze, which NRK praised for its content. He had been away from show business for a while.

Saying goodbye to the singer

Per Sundnes, the former Melodi Grand Prix program leader explained the impact of Mattis’ story: “Mattis was a pop great and suddenly he helped the Sámi in Norway. He is unique in relation to setting a political agenda. Sámiid Ædnan was a breath of fresh air on a solid program.”

The singer left a great mark on his culture by helping save his community from being destroyed by the construction that was already mentioned. He is remembered as a great hero who fought for the rights of all alike.

Mattis Haetta conquered the Eurovision Song Contest and Melodi Grand Prix

The demonstrations targeted more than just the power plant. They also opened discussions on the Sami’s right to self-determination and the preservation of their traditional culture. A year later, he and Pussycats star Sverre Kjelsberg entered the Melodi Grand Prix, Norway’s selection for the Eurovision Song Contest.

Performing for the last time on the night, they were initially tied with Åge Aleksandarsen, but the jury decided in their favor in a second round of voting. At the Hague competition, they ultimately placed 16th out of 19 acts, but their participation helped raise awareness of issues important to the Sami people, both at home and abroad. With information from 20 minutos, wiwi vlogs and ESCBubble.