Freely-The band has won the 15th Konsta Jylhä competition at the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival. This year’s competition theme was ballads, and teams of 2–4 members were allowed to participate. Ten bands made it through to the semifinals on Monday to compete for victory.
The 2026 competition was won by the Lahti band Freija, according to the jury's assessment, which reads as follows:”Over 20 years of work in the world of ballade music saw the deep understanding of the characteristics of ballades being seen and heard. New and old ballads created a diverse whole. The ensemble work was really great and refined.”
The jury included, as usual, FT, the associate professor Hannu Saha and emeritus professor Heikki Laitinen as a third member this year, a visual artist Riitta Huttunen. They announced the results in the full Isossa Hall at Pelimanni House on Tuesday early evening.
Hannu Saha commented that evaluating the results is hard work every year:
– The competition is a showcase for the best Finnish folk music creators. Konsta Jylhä's compositions are so divine that they deserve to be heard in new versions. Konsta Jylhä can be considered a continuation of the great Finnish composers – if not exactly Sibelius, is Konsta Jylhä as great a master of melody as Oskari Merikanto and Toivo Kärki.
The competition is organized annually by Pelimannitalo in collaboration with the Folk Music Institute.
The jury is in the habit of dividing the prize money in the way they consider best. This year, that meant dividing the 6,000 euros between the winner and the second and fourth place finishers. Hannu Saha gave an award ceremony in which he acknowledged the money award winners.
The Konsta Jylhä competition is a highly respected event in the field.
– When Konsta Jylhä started composing in 1964, it only took three years for him to be made into a TV documentary as a composer, and a year later the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival was established. Therefore, his name should always be mentioned in these contexts, Saha notes.
Results of the Konsta Jylhä competition:
- Winner, 1st place: Freija, 2000 euros
- Shared 2nd place
Cienna, & Saana 1250 euros
Keino, 1250 euros - Shared 4th place, each of the three bands 500 euros:
Emmi Rajala & Verna Kylmänen
Kamala Kamele
Katriina Loisa & The Dead Languages
Presentation of the winner
Freely
Maija Karhinen-Ilo: singing, flute, kantele, haitari
Lassi Logrén: violin, string orchestra, singing
Arto Anttila: bass, vocals, guitar
Matti Laitinen: keyboard instruments, singing
The Freija band has been making music in its own folk music-inspired style and recognizable sound since 2005. The band’s appeal lies in the way it handles folk songs, pop songs, and its own compositions in a fresh, swinging, and airy way.
Freija creates roots-oriented music for both adult and children audiences, and the band's recordings have received recognition. Ballades have always played an important role in the band's repertoire.
PHOTO:
Freija's musicians Lassi Logrén (left), Maija Karhinen-Ilo, Arto Anttila and Matti Laitinen cheered outside the Pelimanni House after the results were announced on Tuesday. Photo: Risto Savolainen