New champion players. Photo Kaustinen Folk Music Festival.
Press release 10.7.2017
The title of Master Musician is awarded by the Pro Kaustinen Association to a person who has promoted folk music through traditional skills, rich repertoire or other outstanding achievements. The singer holds the title of Master Folk Singer and in 2011 the first ever Master Folk Dancer was elected.
In 2017, the title of champion no less than six people: a champion singer Jussi Asu, master dancer Eivor Wallinvirta and the champion players Teuvo Anttila (double bass), Mauno Järvelä (violin), Veikko Kuivala (wooden spoons) and Tony Uusitalo (double bass).
In addition The Kaustinen Folk Music Festival annually awards festival plaques designed by Tapio Virkkala to an outstanding musician or otherwise distinguished person in folk music activities. This year, the plaque will be awarded to a person with a very wide range of merits Hannu Saha, currently Director of the Music Promotion Foundation.
A champion folk singer, a champion folk dancer and four champion gamblers
Jussi Erkki Asu (b. 1953, Ylistaro, Seinäjoki) is a widely known and respected singer, minstrel and songwriter, who knows the secrets of the bell, traditional folk singing and newer genres. Even as a young boy, singing was part of everyday life in Jussi's household. He says he already had an astonishing repertoire of folk songs at the age of two. At the age of 13, singing was joined by the guitar, which he learned to play himself.
Jussi has played in many different ensembles, but he is best known as a self-accompanied troubadour clown. Jussi Asu's songs combine with rare stylistic awareness the laws of both the old bell masters and more recent Finnish song lyricism. Jussi Asu's lyrical and musical stylistic mastery of the traditional recorder song builds a unique bridge between the archaic West Finnish late runic folk song tradition and the vibrant contemporary pelimannilaulanta.
Eivor Wallinvirta (b. 1953, Helsinki) is the third in a row to be appointed by the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival. He has been heavily involved in the Finnish-Swedish folk dance association Brage since birth. His parents were both active members of the association, which means that folk dance has been a matter of course for Eivor from an early age. Since then he has been the main director of the Brage Association and for 15 years the main director (riksinstruktör) of the Finnish-Swedish folk dance umbrella organisation Finlands svenska folkdansring. He has also contributed to the development of Finnish folk dance in several other projects and contexts.
Throughout his career, Eivor has particularly emphasised the importance of keeping tradition alive and adaptable. In addition to the social well-being that folk dance offers, he also attaches importance to the levels of history and identity that folk dance and its practice can promote and deepen. In addition to dancing and teaching dance, Eivor has also made a name for himself in the field of folk dance collecting and recording.
Teuvo Anttila (b. 1945, Kaustinen) remembers being inspired to make music at the age of five. Elias Kentala was at home painting the ceiling and singing folk songs during work and breaks. These songs and singing made a deep impression on the little boy.
Teuvo Anttila's first instrument was the violin, which he learned as a young man, but the main instrument changed to double bass when Hääpelimanne needed a bass player. In a five-violin band, someone had to make the sacrifice, and the consequences can be seen here. In addition to the Hääpelimannie, Anttila's other bands have been or still are at least the Pikkupelimannie, the Mosala Pelimannie and the Kirkonkylä Pelimannie. His playing is sturdy and rhythmic.
Teuvo Anttila, who worked as a plant engineer at Outokumpu, has always had a strong musical background in his family. The most important thing about music for him is playing together and the hard-to-explain feeling of enjoyment and togetherness that playing in a group gives people.
Mauno Järvelä (b. 1949) comes from Kaustinen, Järvelä village. His musical worldview was shaped as a child by the strong tradition of playing in his family and in his family. Folk music, especially the violin tradition, was also an integral part of the tradition of his home village. Mauno's father, Johannes Järvelä, was awarded the title of master fiddler in 1972.
Strong musical roots later brought Mauno Järvelä to Helsinki to study at the Sibelius Academy and become a musician. From Helsinki he moved back to Järvela in 1978, where he has worked as a music teacher at the Perhonjokilaakso Community College until last year.
Mauno Järvelä performs and has performed in many different bands and has been heavily involved in the birth and development of Finnish contemporary folk music. On the other hand, he is also well versed in the traditional style and repertoire of his family and village.
As a guardian, protector and animator of the Pelican tradition, Mauno Järvelä is second to none. Perhaps the best way to demonstrate the effectiveness of Järvelä's tireless heritage work is to pass on his knowledge and skills to future generations - both through his own children and through his extensive educational work with children and young people.
Veikko Ilmari Kuivala (b. 1929), birthplace Vyborg, residence Lieto, instrument: wooden spoons. Throughout his life, Veikko has worked at least as a banker, fire chief, sports massage therapist, and as a papermaker, shipyard worker and sailor. Veikko learned to play the spoons from a ship's captain while sailing in the Norwegian seas.
The playing started with metal spoons, but later the spoons were replaced by wooden spoons, as other players requested a softer sound. Veikko has been a familiar sight in the pelican circles for a long time - even in Kaustinen, Veikko's playing has become a trademark of its own. Veikko Kuivala has a unique talent for playing the spoon and his playing is melodic, rhythmically precise and he interprets the songs he plays with subtlety.
Since then, Veikko has worked hard on the development of his instrument and has built wooden echo spoons for many of the players here. Veikko has also taught young players, and the legacy lives on in the spoons he has made and the way they are played.
Tony Uusitalo (b. 1960) is from Jylhä in Kaustinen and the current bass player of Purppuripelimannit. Tony's other bands include at least Jylhä's Pelimannit and Heikki Lahti & KOMIA. Tony Uusitalo's father was Toimi Uusitalo, the legendary drummer of Purppuripelimannit, so he hasn't had to look far for role models. Tony has picked up the secrets of his playing by ear and his repertoire is exceptionally wide. His sensitive playing ear also finds it easy to find the chord progressions of new tunes, and his attitude to music and playing together is widely praised. The double bass used by Tony is a Tony Uusitalo model and built in Jylhä in Kaustinen.
Festival poster for Hannu Saha
Hannu Saha (b. 1956, Humppila), director of the Music Promotion Foundation, doctor of philosophy and associate professor of folk music research, is familiar to the folk music community as a researcher, cultural influencer and musician. He has served as the director of the Folk Music Institute, chairman of the Central Arts Council, and has held professorships at both Tampere University and Sibelius Academy.
Hannu Saha has been particularly involved in cultural policy and arts promotion in various positions of trust. His work has had a very broad impact on the folk music scene, and on the Finnish cultural scene in general, today.
Hannu Saha is also a musician, gambler and composer. He is known for his bands Mummi kutoo, Primo, Kaustinen kanteleet and Salamakannel, the latter of which will be performing here again after a 20-year break.
For more information and interview requests:
Information Manager
Tove Djupsjöbacka
p. 040-6585340
press(at)kaustinen.net