In English

Maria Kalaniemi, a master of free-bass button accordion, is one of Finland’s leading contemporary accordionists. Once a member of pioneering groups Niekku and Aldargaz, from the Sibelius Academy Folk Music Department, where she now teaches, her roots are in folk and classical music but her sights and abilities go far beyond existing styles. Technically brilliant as a player, and adept at improvisation, she is also a very powerful, intuitive and sensitive composer.

Maria has released many albums with many ensembles, including Acordion Tribe. Her newest album, Åkerö, released December 2011, is the second duo album with Timo Alakotila was released December 2011 and was awarded Etno-Emma. Her previous album Vilda Rosor “Wild Roses”, a collection of Finnish-Swedish songs, was released in Finland in October 2010.

Svalan

Tangohousut / Tangotrousers, Sumu

In English

Johanna Juhola has been hailed as an undisciplined innovator in the tango genre, a world music icon and a major reformist in the field of accordion music – she has even been called a musical superhero! Johanna shakes up tango traditions wherever she goes.

The newest concert ensemble presented by Johanna is a vividly visualized show titled Imaginary Friends. Besides this she performs with her two colourful fantasy tango ensembles, Johanna Juhola Reaktori and the Johanna Juhola Trio. Her highly original output and collaborative work with top names from the classical, jazz and even electronic music scene has sealed her reputation as a groundbreaking and genre-transcending visionary.

In English

JOHANNA JUHOLA (accordion)

MILLA VILJAMAA (piano, harmonium)

Milla Viljamaa and Johanna Juhola are experienced authorities in the art of tango. Their work as a duo has astounded audiences with their jaw-dropping virtuosity, sensitivity and laid-back approach. Over the last fifteen years, the duo has produced three albums and travelled the globe on multiple tours.

Johanna has been hailed as an undisciplined innovator in the tango genre, a world music icon and a major reformist in the field of accordion music – she has even been called a musical superhero! Johanna shakes up tango traditions wherever she goes. If she is not playing as part of the duo, she is enchanting tango aficionados around the world with her two colourful fantasy tango ensembles, Johanna Juhola Reaktori and the Johanna Juhola Trio. Johanna is well remembered as the composer of the opening ceremony music for the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest in Helsinki, towering ten meters over the festivities as the accordion-playing ice queen.

Milla was awarded the esteemed Teosto Prize in 2012 in recognition of her ‘Minne’ solo album compositions. Her first ballet score ‘Sankariveljekset’ is scheduled to be presented by the Tapiola Sinfonietta in early October. Milla also plays with the group Las Chicas del Tango that includes Johanna, as well as with the Scandinavian folk group Hereä. Early in their career, Viljamaa and Juhola travelled to Italy and won the international Ástor Piazzolla Competition in 2002. Through their instrumental music, both members of the duo are able to vividly transmit the stories, feelings and glimpses of life summoned by their songs.

The duo has released three albums; Piazzolla Passage (2003), Mi Retorno (2006) and Tango Diary (2013).

In English

Riikka Timonen is an outstanding singer from Finland. After performing years with bands like Värttinä and Adiemus she’s truly been concentrating to creating her own music. Her first solo album “Käenkukuntayöt” (Aito Records 2008) presented an intriguing combination of electro-ethnic sounds made by acoustic instruments, programming and the unique voice of Riikka – both sensitive and brutal.

While recording her second album “In Tune With Wolves” she made a funny observation: every time her voice reached a certain frequency her dogs started to howl. Riikka was so fascinated about the fact that her voice woke up this ancient instinct in her home dogs that she named the album after this! “In Tune With Wolves” (Rockadillo Records & WestparkMusic) was released in late autumn 2014 both in Finland and Germany.

Duo Riikka Timonen & Senni Eskelinen

Riikka has found a fantastic partner to work with. Senni Eskelinen plays the electric kannel which is now attached in a totally new concept. Senni Eskelinen is one of the most famous kantelist in Finland. She started to play the concert kantele in the age of eight and when she was in her teens, electric kantele came in to the picture. Over the years she has found more than one way to play this traditional intstrument; from old Karelian songs to heavy music and even progressive rock!

Riikka writes her own lyrics true to traditions and the songs are composed by several Finnish songwriters. Senni’s virtuosity in kantelism and Riikka’s unique voice create a sound, that’s truly original and beautiful in ways you could never have imagined

Riikka, Tuulella Käyvä / Wind-Driven

Riikka – Tuulella Käyvä (Wind-Driven) from Riikka on Vimeo.

Riikka Timonen & Senni Eskelinen feat. Milla Viljamaa: En osannut omasi olla & Perillä

In English

The world wide known legendary world music ensemble Piirpauke was founded in the Autumn of 1974 by saxophonist Sakari Kukko. It has released twenty studio albums, the latest called Juju (Rockadillo 2017) which entered the WMCE list in February and March 2018. The previous album Koli (Rockadillo 2010) peaked number 1 on WMCE list in October 2010.

Piirpauke has an ability to translate music from composers such as Jean Sibelius, Erik Satie, Toivo Kuula, Jean-Philippe Rameau and many other to colourful and abundant sound scape without forgetting the iconic tune Konevitsan kirkonkellot (Church Bells of Konevitsa) which launched the band for the big audience. This Karelian song is named after the Konevsky Monastery in the Konevets island of Lake Ladoga. The song was covered by heavy metal band Sentenced in their 2002 album The Cold White Light.

Piirpauke is a multicultural laboratory that uses elements from folk, jazz and progressive rock as a driving force in an extraordinary way. This musical richness has become also a trademark of the band.

Current Band Members
Sakari Kukko – winds, piano, keyboards, vocals
Eerik Siikasaari – bass
Rami Eskelinen – drums
Ismaila Sané – percussion, vocals
Nicholas Rehn – guitar

Piirpauke-Nirvathi Sukatha live

Konevitsan kirkonkellot (2013)

In English

Emilia Lajunen Fixed is a solo project by one of Finland’s leading fiddlers. Emilia Lajunen is a Finnish violinist, whose modern, powerful music is firmly based on archaic and folk traditions. “She plays like a village full of haunted fiddlers”, wrote the leading newspaper in Finland./span>

Lajunen plays 5-string violin and nyckelharpa and sings, intensively present on stage, connecting collective tradition and personal interpretation. Her solo music consists of Finnish polskas, archaic herding tunes, ancient kantele music and epic ballads, all adapted to Lajunen’s contemporary style.

“Fixed” refers to Lajunen’s fixed gear urban bike that has it’s own polska tune. Lajunen’s solo album Turquoise Bicycle was realesed in 2012.

In summer 2015 Emilia Lajunen made a CO2-free concert tour in Finland. There was more than twenty concerts to play and more than two thousand kilometers to ride. The tour’s purpose was to return to the vagabond roots of Finnish traditional folk music – but also to save the world. 

Solo Emilia Lajunen, 5 string violin, nyckelharpa

Emilia Lajunen Bike Tour

In English

Timo Alakotila is one of Finland’s busiest, most versatile and most in-demand musicians, as composer, arranger, pianist and harmonium player in folk, classical, jazz and pop fields. After working for years with other bands, he released his first solo album Timo Alakotila & Piano on 2.3.2016, when he played the premiere for a solo concert in Tokyo, Japan.

Alakotila’s career began in 1982 in Kaustinen, Finland as harmonium player and founder member of the fiddle group JPP. Timo composes, arranges and performs with accordionist Maria Kalaniemi. He performs also in duo with accordionist Johanna Juhola and British accordionist Karen Tweed in May Monday, Nordik Tree with JPP’s Arto Järvelä and Sweden’s Hans Kennemark and UNTO Tango Orchestra.

He has composed and arranged music for: Värttinä, Hannu Ilmolahti, Järvelän Näppärit, Tsuumi dance group, Hannu Kella, female vocal group Kaira, vocal group Rajaton, Japanese singer HaLo, British singer Bill Jones, Finnish group Vissinki, BBC Concert Orchestra, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Pori Sinfonietta, Finnish opera singer Jorma Hynninen, Tempera String Quartet, UMO Jazz Orchestra, SAMA Folk Baroque Ensemble among others.

Timo Alakotila & Piano, Sciatica