Finland - Uusimaa & Helsinki Part I

 Next on our virtual trip around Finland we reach the region of Uusimaa, which includes the capital Helsinki.  First up we stop in the city of Espoo, where the all female kantele quartet Kardemimmit come from.  They were formed about 2005 by 2 sisters Anna & Leeni Wegelius and Jutta Rahmel and Maija Pokela.  Apart from playing various forms of the kantele, the national instrument of Finland, they sing self-composed or rearranged folk songs in tight harmonies inspired by the traditions of different regions from all over the country.  Here is a carefree love song from their 2009 album Kaisla called Huoleton rakkaus:

Also born in Espoo in 1964 is accordionist Maria Kalaniemi, who we met on our last post together with Eero Grundström.  She has also worked with pianist Timo Alakotila, whom we also met last time round.  In 2018 they produced an album together with Johanna & Mikko Iivanainen (vocals and guitar respectively) called Seimiyö.  Here's a song off the album called Heinillä härkien Kaukalon:

Finally we arrive in the capital of Finland and the 'Pearl of the Baltic Sea', Helsinki.  It is ranked as one of the most desirable cities in the world to live and is brimming with culture and music.  I have never been, but it's on the bucket list.

We start with one of my all time favourite acts, the vocal quartet Loituma.  They've been going since 1989 and still occasionally get together, but have only released 2 albums during their long career, both of which are hard to get hold of these days, but they scored one huge hit, when initially a Flash animation featuring their song Ievan Polkka went viral.  An old performance from 1996 of the full song soon surfaced and went viral too.  The song featured on their 1995 self-titled album (later released internationally as Things of Beauty) and reinforces my impression that Finnish is just a joke language...

More recently we have electro folk outfit Okra Playground.  They combine traditional Finnish folk with instruments including the kantele and the bowed lyre with a more modern contemporary approach.  Recently their most recent album Itku won the best European album of the year award from Songlines magazine.  The music is dominated by the 3 female vocalists and strong rhythms.  Here is the title track from the album:

'Vocal folk hop group Tuuletar are also relatively new on the scene.  The all female quartet has made some waves at Womex in Budapest and New Zealand, using only their voices, beatbox and even overtone singing, but deeply rooted in Finnish culture and language.  Here's a haunting song from their 2019 album Rajatila / Borderline called Lähteellä (At the Source):

The first musical instrument I ever set eyes on was probably a harmonica.  My Dad had an old diatonic harmonica from his days in the Rotterdam Harmonica Orchestra (yes there used to be such a thing...), which lived in a drawer of our living room cabinet with old shoelaces, buttons, scissors and other useful paraphernalia.  Later, as a teenager, I got into the blues and as harmonicas were cheap, I bought myself a Hohner blues harp.  I managed to get bluesy sounds out of it almost from the first moment I picked it up and managed to get quite good at it.  People still ask me how I do it, and I literally can't explain it, except that I seem to have a natural affinity with the instrument, even though I rarely play it.

Anyway, this long preamble serves me as an introduction to the next act, the harmonica trio Sväng, who were established by Eero Grundström, whom we met in the last post.  It consists of 4 varying types of harmonica, playing anything from Balkan rhythms, Slavic melancholy to passionate tango, world music from the north and wild improvisations.  It is quite a unique combination.  Here's a funny video of them explaining what their name means, whilst playing harmonica and cooking sausages:

Here's a medley from their 2021 album In Trad We Trust called Katrilla, Pilkkua ja Wappua:

Born in 1966, Sanna Kurki-Suonio has been part of the Nordic neo-folk scene for a long time.  She was a founding member of both Swedish-Finnish act Hedningarna as well as singing and playing the Kantele with Loituma and British/Finnish collaboration SANS.  She has also had a successful solo career with her band the snappily named Sanna Kuurki-Suonion Kuolematon Erikoistysteemi (Sanna Kuurki-Suonio's Unparalleled Special System).  This is more folk informed indie rock with elements of psychedelia. This is a track from their self-titled 2015 album called Häävalssi:

As I said Sanna Kurki-Suonio is also a vocalist for British/Armenian/Finnish quartet SANS.  It's the brainchild of British multi-instrumentalist and zither player Andrew Cronshaw and he is also joined by Armenian duduk player Tigran Aleksanyan and reeds player Ian Blake.  The music is roots inspired, but a conversation of different traditions, including Karelian, Armenian and English folk.  Here is an extract from a Womad concert with some of the songs included on their 2018 album Kulku:

That's it for today, next time we'll carry on exploring the music of Helsinki.  Until then you can check out my musical ramblings on my tripline map.

Finland - Kanta-Häme, Satakunta & Southwest

 Next on our virtual trip through Finland we're going on a brief foray into the region of Kanta-Häme and the municipality of Hattula.  This is where composer and pianist Timo Alakotila was born in 1959.  He was a founding member of folk fiddle band JPP (whom we met here), has worked on numerous projects with orchestras, dance and theatre and counting some 250 albums he has contributed to.  On his latest release he is collaborating with accomplished composer and accordionist Johanna Juhola (born 1979), who blends Bueonos Aires tango with dark Finnish forest landscapes.  Together as the Timo Alakotila & Johanna Juhola Duo they produced this beautiful and playful 2023 album called Amicum.  Here's a live version of the opening track of the album called Lupa tanssia:

Next we're heading to the town of Rauma in the Satakunta region.  This is where Kantele player Ulla Katajavuori was born in 1909 (d. 2001).  Known as the Grand Lady of the Kantele she played the modern multi-stringed version of the Finland's national instrument.  Her playing days of course are a long time ago, but there are still historical recordings of her music available such as this single from 1949 called Ack Värmland, which appears on an eclectic collection of historic recordings from around the world by The Sound of Shellac: 

Multi-instrumentalist and Finnish folk music's number one sideman Eero Grundström was also born in Rauma in 1976.  His main instruments are the pump organ and the harmonica, but has also found himself working on modular synths and writing rap lyrics.  He has collaborated with the likes of Suistamon Säkhö, the harmonica quartet Sväng and accordion master Maria Kalaniemi.  He says of himself: "I'm at my best when I can work in the background, and when I'm involved in a bit weirder music".  Here's a track from his 2020 album Mielo with Maria Kalaniemi called Metsähanet (Woodland Geese):

Composer and zither player Barbora Xu was actually born in the Czech Republic, but has made the island of Otava near Naantali in Southwest Finland her home.  She found remarkable similarities between the music of Finland and China and specifically in the style of their respective zithers, the Finnish kantele and the Chinese guzheng.  She sets old poetry from both countries to her own compositions.  Here is the opening track to her 2021 debut album Olin Ennen (I was) called Olin Ennen Otramaana:

Next we are heading to the oldest city in Finland, Turku in Southwest Finland.  This is where accordionist and 'musical blacksmith' Toni Perttula comes from.  He combines his incredible finger dexterity on the button accordion with sounds of a blacksmith workshop including sounds of hammers and anvils, developing his own unique style.  He released his debut solo album Pajavasara in 2021 and this a track called Rauta / Iron:

Fiddler and singer Päivi Hirvonen is also from Turku.  She uniquely sings at the same time as playing the fiddle or the bowed lyre.  Her music is filled with stories and strong emotions.  She also acts as a teacher at the Turku Conservatory.  Here is a track from her 2018 debut album Alku called Viinapiru (The Booze Devil) obviously warning of the dangers of overindulgence of alcohol:

That's it for today, next we're heading for the capital of Finland, Helsinki.  In the meantime, as usual, you can follow my virtual travels on my tripline map.