in Reviews

Musical nostalgia

by Amanda Kauranne

"The album as a whole is moving; nostalgia in its many forms is woven into the music, and longing is expressed through carefully selected instrumental combinations."

Accordionist Anne-Mari Kivimäki’s artistic doctorate process has once more produced some high-quality music, this time through her project “A Closed-Down Village – Suistamo in music and photographs”. The photographic exhibition with sound, produced in collaboration with photographer Hanna Koikkalainen, is now paired with a recording.

The album reflects both the fates of  war evacuees’  and the general longing for home through nostalgic war-time tunes as well as melodies from present-day Suistamo, including soundscapes and Kivimäki’s compositions for the nuanced Russian Notka accordion and a working group of ten top folk musicians. In addition to vocal harmonies, jouhikko, kantele, violin and other folk instruments, the album features archival recordings from Ilja Kotikallio, an accordionist and storyteller who is a central character in Kivimäki’s doctorate.

The album as a whole is moving; nostalgia in its many forms is woven into the music, and longing is expressed through carefully selected instrumental combinations. The album provides an intricate and warm listening experience which encourages listeners to view the past in a subtle way through the prism of the present.


ANNE-MARI KIVIMÄKI: Lakkautettu kylä  – A Closed-Down Village

Kihtinäjärvi Records K3JCD007


The album climbed to #10 on the World Music Charts Europe in November 2015.

 


Translation: Hanna-Mari Latham