Hansvilivili Hansvälimäki and Donald Trump from the Putous programme visited the opening day of the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival. Photo by Risto Savolainen.
Press release 10.7.2018
The Kaustinen Folk Music Festival got the week off to a great start - on a sunny opening night, free entry was offered to all, and the Kaustinen municipality paid for the violins. Opening night attendance was 8 300 which is up by a quarter compared to last year. The beautiful evening drew a steady stream of people throughout the evening.
On Wednesday, Kaustinen will present, among other things, Finnish-Swedish music. Lilla spelmansstämman will bring together a large number of Finnish-Swedish musicians and an internationally renowned band. Maria Kalaniemen, which appears as a duo Eero Grundström kanssa.
The female power of Kaustis Akkapelimannit: a group of women from Kausti who gather annually for a folk music festival to play music and enjoy a nisukaffet. The group includes many top classical music professionals such as Kreeta-Maria Kentala, Merja Wirkkala and Maria Pulakka, and this summer they celebrate 30 years together - playing, of course!
Maria Kalaniemi & Eero Grundström Wed 11.7. at 14 Café Mondo, Thu 12.7. at 14.30 Pelimannitalo
Akkapelimannit Wed 11.7. at 17.30 Iholla hall
Sväng releases a new album in Kaustinen
On Wednesday, Kaustinen will also host other internationally renowned Finnish names from the field of contemporary folk music, such as the up-and-coming folk hop a cappella band Windstar and combining folk music and metal Ritva Nero. Harmonica quartet Sväng has been touring the world since 2003 and will release his eighth studio album ”Sväng plays Tango” (Galileo Music) in Kaustinen together with the dancers of Tango Theatre Kiuta (Marjo Kiukaanniemi and Timo Hakkarainen).
Eero Turkka describes the Finnish tango on the album's liner notes as follows: ”The Finnish tango is smoother and more minor-key than its Argentinean cousin. Its fervour is restrained and under the surface, and it doesn't fidget with unnecessary changes and twists. It's a little man's great dream without the foreign chains and obscenities.” Tango has been an integral part of Sväng's repertoire since the band's early days, and hardly a concert has been played without it. The members of Sväng chose the tango songs that have warmed them the most for this album. In addition to these, a few of their own Finnish tango were composed to fit in. All arrangements respect the tradition and danceability of the Finnish tango.
Sväng Wed 11.7. at 17 at Keskipohjanmaa-areena, Thu 12.7. at 21 at Kallioklubi
The Finnish Folk Music Association celebrates
The Finnish Folk Music Association celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The anniversary year started with Etko already after Christmas 2017 at Oriveden Opisto, where the Federation was also founded on 6 January 1968. So far, the year has been packed with events - a Folklandia cruise was used to film the Finnish Folk Music Association's 50th anniversary video, in which each musician takes turns to play four bars from the Pispala Sotitis. Filming will continue in the summer at the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival and the video will be published on the Finnish Folk Music Association's YouTube channel.
In Kaustinen, the celebrations will continue with a festive seminar on Wednesday 11 July, and a church concert presenting special gems of sacred music. Speakers at the seminar will be Heikki Laitinen, Anne-Mari Kivimäki, Antti Savilampi and Seppo Kononen. The performers include Pömpeli, Pia Rask & Katri Susitaival, the Pirkanmaa provincial minstrels and the Putta minstrels representing the Lapp theme.
50th anniversary seminar of the Finnish Folk Music Association Wed 11.7. at 11.30-13 Kaustinen hall
Ignite the spirit of your work - concert of spiritual folk music Wed 11.7. at 19-20.15 Kaustinen Church
The finalists of the Konsta Jylhä competition
The final of the Konsta Jylhä competition will take place on Tuesday at 16-19 at Pelimannitalo. The finalists in order of appearance are:
- Duo Selina
- Silvo Vatanen and Jarmo Romppanen duo
- buzz
- The World Mänkeri Orchestra
- Aoids
- The Mystic Revelation of Teppo Repo
Note! After the final of the Konsta Jylhä competition, a separate announcement will be sent out with the results.
51. Kaustinen Folk Music Festival will be held 9.-15.7.2018.
For summer programme information, visit the website http://www.kaustinen.net
In cooperation with the 150th anniversary of Kaustinen municipality