Kaustinen

Finland is renowned for its summer festivals held across the country. Our snapshots offer a glimpse into the highlights of this year’s festivals.

In December 2021, Kaustinen fiddle playing was included on the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Kaustinen fiddling tradition has remained unbroken ever since the instrument first made its way to Finland some three hundred years ago. How does a living tradition pass from one generation to another, and what does the everyday music scene in Kaustinen look like?

"Polenta’s innovative arrangements highlight the natural rhythms and lovely melodies of these traditional pieces, and their sound world extends to a grand cinematic feel, complete with angelic harmonies."

"The disc is a good introduction to the gamut of music from Kaustinen, its history and the local humour. Even the playing styles of individual villages are discernible."

”During the turning points of my life, music has helped me so that when faced with difficulties, I have been able to direct my thoughts elsewhere through playing. It is not so much about the musical genre or instrument, but about concentrating on the activity”, says violinist and educator Alina Järvelä who specialises in folk and early music.

A small country must learn how to adapt, cooperate and innovate. Agility is key. Finland has a high degree of social equality, and in music this means that basically anyone can do anything. Creativity and curiosity are the wellspring of the vitality of contemporary Finnish folk music.

When violins first reached the shores of Finland via Sweden sometime during the 17th and 18th centuries, it seems that they jumped straight into the Perho River and swam upstream to the Central Ostrobothnian village of Kaustinen. The local playing tradition has remained unbroken ever since, with each village boasting its own unique playing style. Now the Kaustinen fiddle tradition has been nominated for inclusion in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

What if the aim of music education was not to focus on producing masters, but to create a lifelong, enthusiastic connection with music, where an essential part is making music together? This is exactly what the Kaustinen-based Näppäri method strives for.

In the heart of folk music is an idea of equality: professionals and amateurs playing the same repertoire, each at their own skill level, as valued members of the community. There is a natural curiosity about different cultures and any form of exclusion is discouraged. However, gender equality is an issue that still seems to need some fine tuning. What is the status of female folk musicians in the Finland of 2016?

Baroque violinist Kreeta-Maria Kentala combines on her recording her two strong areas of expertise, baroque and folk music, in a most innovative and fruitful way.

The world music market has seen a boom in Celtic, African and Latin American music. Many people believe that it is the turn of the Nordic countries next.