Music runs in families and families in Kaustinen. The Anttlia family band at the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival 2016.
The Ministry of Education and Culture has selected the Kaustis violin as one of two Finnish traditions to be launched.
to prepare for nomination to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Another traditional phenomenon selected by the Ministry is the Finnish sauna culture.
In assessing the applications, the expert group will take into account the criteria of UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The sites were also assessed against the Finnish national criteria. In addition to this
taking into account the resources of the applicant organisations and their capacity to coordinate and produce an international application within the given timeframe:
”The Kaustis violin has lived in the local community for centuries, passed down from generation to generation. The tradition is very much alive thanks to a variety of successful conservation measures. The tradition is constantly being renewed in creative ways and involves people of all ages. As regards the violin method, it also serves as a good example of cultural practice in an open and democratic society. Throughout the decades, the activities have been based on the principle of inclusion, which is described in a pervasive way in the application. The strength of the phenomenon is its growth from a local tradition to a national and internationally recognised activity that could serve as a model for other countries. The application is backed by a wide range of local actors in the field. The application process has been planned in detail, work has already been done and resources have been allocated. The site meets the UNESCO criteria and also the national specific criteria. On the basis of the application, the Kaustis violin ensemble would have a strong case for inscription on UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.”
The preparatory process for inscription on the World Heritage List will take several years, and for Kaustinen the aim is to be considered at the 2021 UNESCO General Assembly on Intangible Cultural Heritage.
From the Kaustis-based master gambler and father of the Snitch phenomenon About Mauno Järvela the nomination seems shocking:
”Kaustis fiddling is the soundscape of my childhood and a lifelong cavalcade of melodies, playing styles, and playful characters and stories. Kaustis fiddling is a unique local cultural phenomenon on the scale of the whole of Finland, and its power has only grown over time. There are still almost 250 children and young people involved in folk music and dance alone, which is a huge number for a municipality of just over 4,000 inhabitants, especially in these times when children's time is being competed for by a thousand bits and pixels,” says Järvelä.
Director of the Folk Music Institute Matti Hakamäki is also satisfied. Hakamäki has been following the changes in Finnish cultural heritage policy for some time:
”Under the surface, a new enthusiasm, a change of perspective and a reactivation of inheritance policy has been taking shape for years. The direction of heritage is now as much in the future as in the past. Contemporary European thinking on cultural heritage sees heritage not only as belonging to everyone, but also as a factor that brings different groups of people together and promotes dialogue. In an even broader sense, it is about the role of peace and democracy, which traditional phenomena can play together to promote,” Hakamäki interprets."
The Folk Music Institute has also been nominated as the first Finnish expert organisation for UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage. The selection is expected to be confirmed in the first week of June. Hakamäki sees the perseverance of the work of the Kaustis-based actors in the background:
”Conservation work in Kaustinen has been done consciously and unconsciously for almost a century. Becoming a member of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Environment brings a new international frame of reference, new perspectives and opportunities for cooperation. In the coming years, cooperation on good conservation practices, especially in the Nordic countries, will open up interesting networks in which Kaustinen will play both a donor and a recipient role. I can also see that the opportunities opening up will also benefit the entire Finnish folk music scene, as the Kaustinen Festival has always been a gathering of Finnish folk music,” Hakamäki sums up.
Kaustinen's application has been backed by a wide range of communities of Kaustinen players and dancers, including the Kaustinen Youth Association, Kaustinen Puppeteers, Kaustinen Players' Association, the Folk Music Institute, Pro Kaustinen ry, which organises the Folk Music Festival, the Kaustinen Municipality and the Finnish Folk Music Association, in the spirit of the Unesco Convention, which emphasises community participation.
Intangible cultural heritage is defined as living heritage that is present in people's everyday lives and pervades all forms of human activity. It can be, for example, oral traditions, performing arts, festivals and customs, craftsmanship, or knowledge and skills about nature and the universe. In the field of music, the list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity includes the Argentinean tango, Mexican mariachi music and the singing tradition of the Setuka people.
Folk Music Institute
Kaustinen Youth Association
Kaustinen Pointers
Kaustinen Pelimanni Association
Pro Kaustinen ry.