Fred Buljo

{{Infobox person

| name = Fred-René Buljo

| image = ColognePride 2019-Samstag-Hauptbühne-1850-KEiiNO-8188.jpg

| caption = Buljo at Cologne Pride in 2019

| birth_name = Fred-René Øvergård Buljo

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1988|02|06|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Kautokeino, Norway

| nationality = Norwegian

| other_names = Fred Buljo

| occupation = {{hlist|Musician|politician|producer|songwriter|rapper|joiker}}

| years_active = 2007–present

| website = {{URL|duottar.com}}
{{URL|keiino.com}}

| module = {{Infobox officeholder|embed=yes

| office = Member of the Sami Parliament of Norway

| term_start1 = 2016

| term_end1 = 2017

| office2 = Deputy of the Sami Parliament of Norway

| term_start2 = 2013

| term_end2 = 2016

| party = Árja

}}{{Infobox musical artist

| embed = yes

| genre = {{hlist|Hip hop||Sámi|joik}}

| label =

| associated_acts = {{hlist|{{ill|Duolva Duottar|no}}|Keiino}}

}}

Fred-René Øvergård Buljo (born 6 February 1988), better known as simply Fred Buljo, is a Norwegian Sámi rapper and joiker. Buljo is a member of the Sámi rap duo Duolva Duottar, consisting of Buljo and Ole Mahtte Gaup, established in 2007. In 2008, the group made a breakthrough when they participated in Norske Talenter and reached the final.{{Cite web|url=http://riddu.no/nb/program/duolva-duottar|title=Riddu Riđđu|website=riddu.no|access-date=2019-03-06|archive-date=30 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230530211853/https://riddu.no/nb/program/duolva-duottar|url-status=live}} He also is one of members of the supergroup KEiiNO, alongside Alexandra Rotan and Tom Hugo. The group was created in late 2018 in preparation for the participation in Melodi Grand Prix 2019,{{cite web|url=https://www.nrk.no/kultur/dette-er-arets-mgp-artister-1.14398309|title=Dette er årets MGP-artister|last=Ertesvåg|first=Oda Ruggesæter|work=NRK|language=nb-NO|date=2 March 2019|access-date=25 January 2019|archive-date=10 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410172927/https://www.nrk.no/kultur/dette-er-arets-mgp-artister-1.14398309|url-status=live}} which they won and so were selected to represent Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019, finishing in sixth place.

As well as being a musician, Buljo also has served in the Sami Parliament for the party Árja, first as a deputy from 2013 to 2016, and as an MP and parliamentary leader in the period 2016–2017.

Musical career

File:Semi2Dress2019-039-20190516-EuroVisionary.jpg" with Alexandra Rotan (centre) and Tom Hugo (left) as the group Keiino during the Semi-final dress rehearsal for the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israel]]

Since then, he has toured in the Nordic countries and Russia,{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrk.no/mgp/her-er-artistene-i-mgp-2019-1.14378791|title=Her er artistene i MGP 2019|last=Hyttebakk|first=Jon Marius|date=2019-01-25|website=NRK|language=nb-NO|access-date=2019-03-06|archive-date=1 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201104333/https://www.nrk.no/mgp/her-er-artistene-i-mgp-2019-1.14378791|url-status=live}} and has worked both as a songwriter and as a performer. In 2019, he participated in the Melodi Grand Prix as part of the group KEiiNO and won with the song "Spirit in the Sky".{{Cite web|url=https://www.aftenposten.no/article/ap-7l8ny4.html|title="Å prøve for hardt, er ikke en suksessformel"|last=kulturjournalist|first=Robert Hoftun Gjestad|website=Aftenposten|date=25 January 2019|access-date=2019-03-06|archive-date=16 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616102046/https://www.aftenposten.no/article/ap-7l8ny4.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.vg.no/i/8we1PQ|title=Keiino er årets MGP-vinner!|website=www.vg.no|date=2 March 2019|language=no|access-date=2019-03-06|archive-date=16 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616102049/https://www.vg.no/rampelys/musikk/i/8we1PQ/keiino-er-aarets-mgp-vinner|url-status=live}}

Political career

Buljo has also served as representative on the Sámi Parliament of Norway for the party Árja, first as a deputy from 2013 to 2016, and as an MP and parliamentary leader in the period 2016–2017.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sametinget.no/Om-Sametinget/Arkiv-perioden-2016-2017/Sametingsrepresentantene/Fred-Rene-OEvergaard-Buljo|title=Fred-Rene Øvergård Buljo|website=www.sametinget.no|access-date=2019-03-06|archive-date=2019-01-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190126062404/https://www.sametinget.no/Om-Sametinget/Arkiv-perioden-2016-2017/Sametingsrepresentantene/Fred-Rene-OEvergaard-Buljo|url-status=dead}}

Awards

In December 2019, Buljo beat Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen with 46.3% of the votes over her 32.87% to win Ávvir's Saami of the Year Award.{{Cite news | title = Fred René Buljo dán jagáš sápmelaš | trans-title= Fred René Buljo [wins] Saami of the Year | url = https://www.nrk.no/sapmi/fred-rene-buljo-dan-jaga_-sapmela_-1.14838158 | date = 2019-12-27 | work = NRK Sápmi | access-date = 2019-12-28 | language = se}}{{Cite news | last = Skum | first= Iselin | title = Dán jagáš sápmelaš: – Stuora gudni munnje | trans-title = Saami of the Year: a great honor for me | url = https://www.avvir.no/dan-jagas-sapmelas-stuora-gudni-munnje/ | date = 2019-12-27 | work = Ávvir | access-date = 2019-12-28 | language = se |url-access=subscription}}