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.
Next we are heading to the city of Tampere, the capital of the Pirkanmaa region of Finland. It was once an industrial powerhouse due to its availability of water generated electricity from the Tamerkoski rapids connecting 2 lakes either side of the city. It is also known as a cultural city ranking 26th in the list of hipster cities of the world (top is Brighton apparently, since you asked) and as the world's sauna capital.
Photo credit: By Leo-setä - TampereUploaded by A333, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12378791
We
find quite a varied music scene here starting with a folk quartet
reviving the fortunes of an ancient instrument the Johiorkesteri,
the horse hair orchestra. They were formed in the early
noughties playing the jouhikko, a horsehair strung bowed lyre, which
has a history dating back to the early Middle Ages. The
instrument fell out of fashion by the early 20th century, but is now
being revived by the likes of this band. The sound has been
likened to a swarm of huskily raspy fiddles, but with a slithery,
edgy pitching. The jouhikko typically has 3 strings and the
strings are stopped with the backs of the fingers. Here is the
title track of the bands 2008
debut album Nikodemus:
Another proponent of the jouhikko, born in 1976 in Tampere, is musician and ethno-musicologist Pekko Käppi. His style is quite different though, being originally inspired by the Grateful Dead, he decided to delve into the folk music of his own country. Combined with the jouhikko which he amplified he developed his own style of Finnish folk rock, sometimes with inflections of the blues or psychedelic influences. Since 2015 he has played and recorded with his band K:H:H:L, which apparently stands for the Finnish for The Bones of Dead Horses Out of Control. Here is an acoustic version of the opening track of his 2019 album Väärä laulu called Ikoni:
Also born in 1976 in Tampere is composer and 'trance-folk' accordionist Anne-Mari Kivimäki. Her unique style of music combines a hypnotic pulse, rasping archival recordings and the sound of a wistful Soviet-made Notka accordion. Here's a track from her 2019 album Ilja called Kaivos (The Mine), performed in a mine and also featuring a jouhikko:
Anne-Mari
Kivimäki is also part of the ethno-electro foursome Suistamon Säkhö. They are made up of 4 non-binary individuals (could be two guys and two gals, or maybe not - who cares), who have drifted quite far from their folk music roots ("Some of us just have a degree in that music"). Their performances are energetic, colourful and just slightly mad. Their lyrics tackle contemporary issues of life and death and the tunes are eminently danceable. Here is a song from their 2021 album Varokaa! Hengenvaara (Watch Out! Danger of Death) called Kutsu:
Experimental musician Pelkkä Poutanen (actually Petra Poutanen, Pelkkä meaning 'just') is also from Tampere. She doesn't like to be pinned down to a genre, mixing different folk traditions with electronics, art pop, noise and vocal music. Her voice has been described as acrobatic which includes techniques from Scandinavian and Finno-Ugrian folk-singing to throat singing. She plays completely solo with an electronic mixing station, a loop station and a Finnish kantele made from an old skateboard. Here is a track which demonstrates that from her 2022 debut album Pyhä Veri Vuotaa (Sacred Blood Will Spill) called Manobuddhyahamkar:
Finally we head a bit south to the town of Viiala, where accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen was born in 1964. He is known for his avant-garde experimental work with his custom-made electrified and modified button accordion. He performs both solo and as part of many collaborations. Here he talks about the making of his 2015 album Sensitive Skin:
That's it from the region of Pirkanmaa for today, next we are heading towards the southwest of Finland. Until then, as usual, you can follow my virtual ramblings on my tripline map.
The next stop on our tour of Finland is the coastal town of Vaasa in the Ostrobothnia region. Now Vaasa is a bilingual city with a third of the population speaking Swedish as their native language. Hence some of the traditional music is more influenced by the Scandinavian neighbour.
The folk band Gjallarhorn (named after a horn associated with the Norse God Heimdallr) is one such example. Their style is influenced by New Age sounds, mostly acoustic, but accompanied by drums and bass and led by the lead vocals of Jenny Wilhelms singing in Swedish. They were established in 1994, but sadly their website appears to be dormant right now and their music is not easy to obtain. Here's a song from their last album to date the 2006 Rimfaxe. The track is simply called Hymn:
Next up we're visiting the region of South Ostrobothnia. All female folk quartet Enkel are from the town of Alavus (at least 2 of their members are). They exude just loads of fun generally with 2 melodeons, a viola and the Finnish national instrument the Kantele, which is exemplified in this song Babes in the Water:
Next we're heading to the region of Central Finland and we're stopping in the town of Jyväskylä, where bluegrass / metal band Steve 'n' Seagulls hail from. They shot to fame when their popular and humorous videos started appearing on YouTube in 2015. They do covers of hard rock and heavy metal classics and giving them the bluegrass treatment (or bluegrassifying them, which according to Tabetha Tozer of of Northern Ireland's Cup O'Joe is a word). Here are a couple of songs from their 2015 debut album Farm Machine. First up is Thunderstruck by AC/DC:
...and another AC/DC number You Shook Me All Night Long featuring the Finland women's national ice hockey team and a pony:
Last stop in Central Finland is the municipality of Korpilahti, where composer, jazz pianist and moog player (the moog is a form of early synthesizer) Kari Ikonen was born in 1973. He has released numerous albums as a solo artist as well as part of the Kari Ikonen Trio and as a leader of his band Karikko. Here is a track from an album with the latter called The Helsinki Suite from 2011. The track is called Circular:
That's it for today, next we're heading for Tampere in the Pirkanmaa region. Until then you can follow my virtual journey on my Tripline map.
Next on our virtual tour through Finland we're heading for the regions of Ostrobothnia, of which there are four, North, Central, South and just Ostrobothnia. First stop is the municipality of Lumijoki on the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia in North Ostrobothnia, where violinist and lead singer of the progressive folk band Auri Johanna Kurkela was born in 1985. Johanna once represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest and the music of Auri could easily feature in the schmalz fest as one of the better performances. Here is the opening track to their 2018 self-titled debut album called The Space Between:
Next we are heading inland to the town of Haapavesi, still in the North Ostrobothnia region, where accordionist and composer Teija Niku was born in 1982. She is known for her expertise in both Nordic and Balkan folk music on her diatonic button accordion. In her latest critically acclaimed album Hetkessä she plays completely solo and develops her own unique style. The title of the album translates as either 'in the moment' or 'happening in seconds'. Here is a track from the album called Salakavala:
Now Helsinki might be the administrative and political capital of Finland, however there is only one undisputed music capital in Finland and that is the town Kaustinen in Central Ostrobothnia. It's a town of just 4,300 souls built on a crossroad by a river and seems unremarkable. However, once a year for a week in July the population swells to 60,000+ as musicians and music fans alike descend on the town for the biggest folk festival in the Nordic countries, the Kaustinen Folk Festival. It started in 1968, initially to celebrate the local fiddle-based folk music tradition, which is said to go back some 250 years. The festival soon became nicknamed the Woodstock of the North. So if you want to attend this year, it will be held between the 10th-16th July (which of course clashes with the Riddu Riddu festival I recommended in the last post).
The Kaustinen fiddle tradition has now been given UN Heritage protected status, so it goes without saying that the local music scene is alive and well. We start with traditional folk band Tallari who have been going since 1986 with various changes in personnel and have released 18 full length albums since then. Theirs is the typical fiddle-led uplifting balfolk of the region accompanied by harmonium and guitar. Here is a tune from their latest 2021 album Luontua (Natural) called Markkinamassi:
Also formed in the early 1980's in Kaustinen are the fiddle band JPP, which is short for Järvelän pikkupelimannit, which means little fiddlers from the village of Järvelä, which boasts several members of the Järvelä family. They are also grounded in the Kaustinen folk style, but often add elements of Americana, Jazz and classical music. They haven't recorded anything new in some time, their albums are somewhat tricky to get hold of now. Their website sadly is also inactive now. This is a tune that appeared on the 2000 Rough Guide to Scandinavia compilation, and it's called Antin Mikko:
Another band in the same vein and with some of the same members is Troka, who were formed in 1993 in Kaustinen. Here is a tune from their 1994 self-titled debut album called Klockar Aleksanteri:
Also featuring members of the Järvelä family is fiddle band Frigg. They incorporate Hardanger fiddle and mandolin amongst other instruments to their sets with occasional hints of bluegrass, leading to their style being described as Nordgrass. Here is a tune from their 2020 album Frixx called Early Bird:
Fiddler and composer Ville Kangas (his website is currently under construction) comes from an eminent musical family in Kaustinen. He was classically trained and he blends many international genres and electronic elements into his compositions. Here's a track from his 2017 album Plastic Fiddle Band called 100 kg:
Ville Kangas is also a member of the Prusikoukku Sound System, who produce mostly a more poppy sound in their instrumental arrangements. Here is a more serene tune from their 1999 album Mahtava:
There are numerous other acts in and around Kaustinen such as the Kaustinen Potpourri Players and the Kaustisen
Purppuripelimannit, or folk-pop band Folkarit, but I think this is where we leave Kaustinen and continue our virtual journey around Finland with South Ostrobothnia and Central Finland next. In the meantime you can follow my virtual ramblings on my Tripline map.
Next on our trip around Finnish Lapland we arrive in the municipality of Enontekiö, which sits sandwiched between Norway and Sweden. This is where writer, poet, artist, singer and all round renaissance man Nils-Aslak Valkeapää was born in 1943 (died in 2001). He is credited with being a central person to revitalise the ancient art of Sámi joiking. Amongst his many achievements he featured on the 1994 Mike Oldfield album The Songs of Distant Earth on the song Prayer for the Earth:
Here's a fascinating historical documentary about his life, which also gives a great insight into Sámi life and culture:
Also born in Enontekiö in 1968 was Nils-Aslak's godson musician Niko-Mikhal Valkeapää. He was one of the first to combine Sámi joik and folk with pop and more modern influences. He also acted as a politician on the Sámi council. He now lives in Kautokeino in Norwegian Sápmi. Here's a song from his 2019 album Birrat Birrat called Okta Ráhkkisvuohta (One Love):
Another stalwart of Sámi joiking is Wimme Saari (usually just known as Wimme), who was born in nearby Kelottijärvi in 1959. He combines his joiking often with techno-ambient accompaniments. He has collaborated with many other acts, most notably with Swedish/Finnish outfit Hedningarna. Here is a piece they did together at the Riddu Riddu festival, which is held annually in the Norwegian Sápmi village of Kåfjord. If you have at all been inspired by my ramblings about Sámi music and culture or are interested in indigenous music in general, the festival takes place from the 12-16 July this year. Sadly I won't be able to make it this year, but would love to one day. Anyway this song appeared on a compilation disc called Riddu Riddu 1991-2001, which I don't think is available any more:
Here's another documentary on Wimme giving more insights into Sámi life and Wimme's music:
Finally for something completely different as we travel to Rovaniemi the capital of the Lapland region. This is where composer, guitarist and oud player Jussi Reijonen was born. His style is much more international in outlook with his own style of ethno-jazz with Middle Eastern influences. For his 2022 album Three Seconds / Kolme Toista he assembled a 9-piece orchestra with musicians from Finland, Jordan/Iraq, Palestine, Turkey, Japan and the USA to produce a suite in 5 movements. Here is the third movement called III: The Weaver, Every So Often the Sands Shifting Beneath Her:
That's it from Lapland, next we are heading south to the regions of Ostrobothnia. In the meantime you can follow my virtual ramblings on my Tripline map.
After spending the last few months crisscrossing Sweden and Norway on our virtual musical journey, we finally visit a new country in Finland, the land of a million lakes (well 180,000 odd anyway...). The language is totally unintelligible to the average human. In fact when God gave letters to the speakers of all the different language, the Welsh were at the back of the queue for vowels, and also the Fins nipped ahead of them using them all up, leaving none for the Welsh. That's my theory anyway and I'm sticking to it. The Finns are also amongst the most stoic people I have ever come across, but with a very dry sense of humour. Getting them to show any passion or emotion is like squeezing blood out of a stone. Famously Finnish formula One driver Mika Hakkinen was giving monosyllabic answers to complex questions in interviews. However, Finland also has recently been voted happiest country in the world and they have a word for getting drunk alone in your underwear, kalsarikännit
Finland is divided into 19 administrative regions, and we'll be visiting most of them in the coming weeks. First up is the wild northern region of Lapland, reputedly home of Santa Claus. I only visited Finland once very briefly, and that was that narrow strip of Lapland that sticks out between Sweden and Norway. We just stopped for a Picknick in the snow before moving on. It looked a bit like this:
Photo credit: By Čeština: Petr Vodička, Wikipedie
Whilst technically we have crossed an international border, we are still very much in Sápmi, the country of the indigenous Sámi people, which stretches between the northern reaches of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia. Our first stop in the far north is the village of Nuorgam, where Sámi joiker Ánnámáret is based (although she was born in nearby Inari in 1979). She combines her joiking with the sound of the jouhikko, the Finnish bowed lyre and organic electronic patterns. Here's a track from her 2021 album Nieguid duovdagat called Dolat:
Next we are heading a few miles down the road, hugging the border to Norway, to arrive in the village of Utsjoki. It may be small and remote, but a lot of Sámi music comes from here. First we have the yoik/pop duo VILDÁ, the name of which is a combination of the 2 first names of the duo, Hildá Länsman (joik and drums) and Viivi Maria Saarenkylä (accordion). Now, you might think nothing much happens in this remote spot, but here the duo organise a disco, the Utsjoki-disco a song from their 2019 album Vildaluodda / Wildprint, which bizarrely features a banana, an inflatable flamingo and some llamas:
And talking about Hildá Länsman, she also performs with her mother Ulla Pirttijärvi to form the duo Solju. Again it's a coming together of the traditional and the modern, with Ulla long established as traditional joiker and Hildá adding elements of pop and New Age. Here is one of the more poppy songs from their 2018 debut album Ođđa Áigodat (New Times) called Muhtumin. I don't understand the words, which are in North Sámi, but the pictures in this video are pretty self explanatory:
Hildá Länsman is also lead singer of Sámi prog rock band Gájanas (Echo), who have been awarded numerous awards including International International Artist-group Recording of the Year 2021 for their album Čihkkojuvvon (Hidden). Here's a live version of a song from the album called Geažehis áhpi (Endless Sea):
And still staying in the family we're going back to Hildá's mother Ulla Pirttijärvi, who actually was born a bit further south in the village of Angeli. She also heads a band called Áššu accompanied by Harald Skullerud on percussion and Olav Torget on guitar and African Konting. They combine traditional joiking with West African influences, sometimes with quiet moods, sometimes with more up-tempo grooves. Here is a song from their 2019 self-titled album called Jođedettiin. It combines traditional joiks from the villages of Karasjok, Utsjoki and Kautokeino:
And some more family connections from the remote village of Angeli in the form of joik group Angelit. They were formed back in 1989 by sisters Ursula and Tuuni Länsman (presumably related to Hildá) as Angelin Tytöt and also had Ulla Pirttijärvi in its original line-up. Their recordings mostly have electronic, pop and techno elements, but sadly their last album Reasons was in 2003. Here is a recent live recording of more acoustic set, with some of the songs from the album, finishing in the upbeat song Hobo:
There's more music from Finnish Lapland, but this post having been all but taken over by a single family, we'll continue with other unrelated musicians from the area next time out. In the meantime, as usual, you can follow my virtual travels on my Tripline map.
Finally finishing our long journey through Sweden and Norway, we'll be zigzagging between the two countries exploring the far Arctic north. Our first stop is the town of Bodø just north of the Arctic Circle in the Nordland County of Norway. This is where traditional folk musician, fiddler and composer Susanne Lundeng was born in 1969. Her music is firmly rooted in the traditions of her home region, but has a distinctive sound of her own as a fiddler, composer and free thinker. She has just recorded her 13th studio album called Følge, named after the guardian spirits that accompany each person throughout their lives according to Nordic beliefs. Here's a song from the album called Sku det meir te:
Next we are retracing our steps back to Sweden and the county of Norbotten. The small town of Kalix apparently has its own dialect unintelligible to other Swedes and even its own culinary speciality, a kind of caviar called Kalix Löjrom, which is made from the eggs of a local fish called vendace. This is where singer / songwriter and producer Vera Vinter was born in 1981. Her music has something of an ambient film music feel to it, creating a uniquely Nordic atmosphere with some dark undertones. In 2022 she got together with violinist Hanna
Ekström from Dalarna in central Sweden to record an album called Lios entirely in the Kalix dialect. Here is a song from the album called SÅLT Å VATTNE (salt on the water):
Now for something completely and wildly different we are heading to the far northern municipality of Jukkasjärvi, still in Norbotten County, where organist Gunnar Idenstam was born in 1961. Classically trained on the organ (yes we are talking about great big church organs) his mission is to broaden the instruments appeal to a wider audience and dabbling with 70's prog rock and Swedish folk. If that sounds whacky listen out for his 2022 collaboration with Sámi hip-hop and rap artist Ola Stinnerbom, who takes Sámi joiking to a whole new level. The resulting album is called A Saami Requiem and is described as a musical journey to The Kingdom of Death and back. It is quite difficult to describe in words, so here is a sample called A Saami Requiem Part 1 "The Journey":Saaiva - The Door to the Kingdom of Death.
Next we are hopping back over to Norway and the northern-most city in the world Tromsø. I visited it once many years ago, it also sports the northern-most university in the world, the northern-most beer brewery (although you need to take out a mortgage to be able to afford a pint...) and the Arctic Cathedral. Sadly my ex-girlfriend has kept all the photos I took on that trip.
Anyway, I digress, Tromsø is also the birthplace in 1987 of Fiddler, composer and singer Julie Alapnes. She has been playing the instrument since the age of 5 and was immersed early on in the traditional music of the far north, which she now combines with more contemporary sounds. Here is a song from her 2022 album Helleristning called Støa:
Next we are heading to Kautokeino in the Troms og Finmark county. This is where the Sámi from all 4 corners of their territory gather for their annual spring festival over the Easter weekend, dressed in their bright blue and red costumes, herding their reindeer with them and racing on reindeer sleighs on a frozen over lake. It's a spectacle I was lucky enough to witness back in 1982 and, although I don't have any photographic evidence any more, remains one of my most vivid travel memories.
Kautokeino is also the birthplace of singer, joiker and activist for Sámi rights and the environment Sara Marielle Gaup Beaska (aka Iŋgor Ántte Ánte Mihkkala Sara in Northern Sámi) in 1983. She doesn't really have a website, but a look at her Instagram page reveals her strong activism. Here is a video from before her visit to the Paris COP conference, where she invites everybody to join her in a joik:
She has also performed with ice musician Terje Isungset, whom we already met in Viken County. Here is a live piece from a concert in 2019 in Oslo called Ocean Memories:
About 60 km north of Kautokeino is the village of Masi (or Máze) where young joiker John André Eira comes from. Still in his 20's, he has been joiking since the age of 2, and is said to have a particularly keen ear due to the fact that he was born blind. Whilst keen to preserve the ancient traditions he is also not afraid to blend it with modern influences including rock and blues, especially with his current band GABBA. Here is a track from their 2022 self-titled debut album called Mihkkelaš:
Next we are heading almost as far north as you can get in Norway to the village of Gamvik on the northern shore of the Nordkinn peninsula, which is just east of North Cape. This is where joiker Torgeir Vassvik was born in 1962. His compositions are wildly dramatic, incorporating traditional drums and distorted strings to the traditional joiks. He calls himself an Arctic Soundpoet. Here is a track from his 2019 album Gákti called Whipped / Spiddumat:
Finally we conclude our journey of Sweden and Norway in the far north-eastern corner of Norway in the town of Vadsø. This is where Hardanger fiddle player Sivert Holmen was born, although at the age of 6 his family moved to Aurdal in Inlandet County, which is evident in his musical influences. He has since toured the world with his fiddle. Here is a tune from his 2021 album Jotunheimen called Sumarkveld i Jotunheimen:
That's it finally from Sweden and Norway and we can move onto a new country next with Finland. Sorry it's a bit of a long post this time, I just wanted to get through the last of the material I had on these 2 countries. As usual you can follow my virtual journey on my Tripline map
