Kaustinen Folk Music Festival has selected the following bands as its showcase bands 2018 Väisänen, etc.:n, Maria Reikko & Best Case Scenario Bandin and the Swedish Trio Törnin.
”Once again, the pool of applicants was diverse and of a very high standard. There were well over thirty applications. In addition to the artistic level, the selection was based on the overall quality of the band's activities and promotional material. This means that the band is at a level of activity that will probably be able to make a little more use of the showcase designation - after all, helping the band to stand out is the aim of this whole process,” says Anne-Mari Hakamäki, the festival's programme director.
Trio Törn (SE). Photo by Sona Hellman
Väisänen, a singer-songwriter / storyteller from Oulu, sings casually about life and death. Väisänen, etc.. released its debut album in 2016 Continued from. Its stories feature characters who warn their exes, take part in the devil's birthday party and reminisce about the unique atmosphere of Taivalkoski.
Maria Reikko & Best Case Scenario Band play new contemporary folk music that goes under your feet. The walls of folk music's ecological box are shaking as the band adds a new sound and life-affirming groove to the traditional pedal to the metal. The atmospheric loading and the dizzying solos will not leave the listener cold.
Young Swede Trio Törn creates new music, drawing heavily on the power of tradition. The band's roots are in Scandinavian polskis, sottiis and hallings, from which they stretch the boundaries of both their instruments and tradition with a line-up of violin, key violin and cello.
As last year, the opening day of the festival is free of charge, provided by the Kaustinen Municipality in celebration of its 150th anniversary. The Kaustinen Folk Music Festival will take place from 9 to 15 July and the full programme will be announced in May.