Fiddler on a bike tour
In old times the Finnish fiddlers moved around by their own means – walking or biking. They traded their craft for food and accommodation. And they met real people, not just anonymous audiences. That is why Emilia Lajunen’s tour includes more than the festival concerts. She will play in village squares, campsites and private homes.
Lajunen carries with her everything that is needed for the tour: violin, nyckelharpa, clothing, tent, kitchen, spare parts… that really is possible, and not just for an experienced cyclist like Lajunen, but for everyone. To fight climate change all you need is a change in attitude.
Lajunen takes the tour together with her husband, music journalist Kare Eskola.
You can follow Emilia’s tour – and feel the magic of the festival summer in Finland – via the video blog here on our website.
Emilia Lajunen
Emilia Lajunen (b. 1979) is a Finnish folk musician, known for her personal, strong and modern style of playing the violin, claiming its origins in archaic heritage and fiddler music. Lajunen initially studied folk music under the guidance of Ritva Talvitie and the legendary group Tallari. She further studied at the Sibelius Academy and at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm. From 2010 to 2015 Lajunen has occupied the position of the Violin Teacher-in-charge in the folk music department of Sibelius Academy. Lajunen’s instruments are the violin and the keyed fiddle. She is a member of such groups as Suo, Spontaani Vire and Juuri & Juuri. Her solo album, Turkoosi Polkupyörä, was released in 2012.