Kaustians welcome you to the celebrations (photo Krista Järvelä 2017)
Kaustinen is celebrating its 51st year of music and dance, and the festivities kick off today with a grand opening parade and opening ceremony, which coincides with the Central Ostrobothnia County Festival. On Monday, Kaustinen municipality will offer free admission to all in celebration of its 150th anniversary. In the early part of the week, the festival will feature, among others, folk music enthusiast Timo Rautiainen duona Ville Ojasen with the up-and-coming singer-songwriter duo Ida Paul & Kalle Lindroth, a stunning violin duo Power. as well as bringing international colour Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas (UK/USA) and the Nordic party-meinink glowing Folk All-in Band (Sweden).
On Sunday evening, the festival took a back-up start with a night hike, organised in cooperation with the Perhonjokilaakson Retkeilijät ry. A total of 139 hikers joined in to enjoy Kaustinen's nature in line with the festival's nature theme this year. There were two routes of different lengths, and a total of 94 participants hiked the longer 15 km route. There was also music and other activities along the way.
Nippers celebrate Lapland and music education
The highlights of Tuesday's programme are sure to be Comfortable carpets, where the younger generation is doing its best in both folk dance and music. In the Mukulamatina, which focuses on folk dance. Add to will also be performed by the Joensuu-based Motoran children's group. For smartphones The Mukulamatina will once again feature hundreds of enthusiastic musicians from all over Finland.
– It is usually difficult to estimate the exact quantities in advance, but I can say that 360 ice creams have been ordered, says Anni Järvelä, Training Officer. The ice cream is everyone's gig fee after the Mukulamatinea.
This year, the programme of the Näppäreide will reflect the Lapp theme of the festival. Antti Järvelä has adapted for the Nippers Ulla Pirttijärvi joikun Mun dat gal lean. The Song of the Year is Viva solmisation!, whose words have made Mauno and Aili Järvelä and the composition is by Aili Järvelä. Last winter, the Sibelius Academy celebrated the 60th anniversary of music teacher training in schools, and the song celebrating music education was originally written for the occasion.
– The repertoire also includes folk songs and compositions, with a bit of bluegrass and Nordic flavour. There is also a folk song As a voter, to which the Kaustinen Näppärit have added their own lyrics about the joys of practising playing: ”Festival arenas, pelimanni, twist, play, as a votive...”
Mukulamatinea I: Ottoset, Motora Tue 10.7. at 13.00-14.15 Keskipohjanmaa-areena
Mukulamatinea II: Tricks Tuesday 10.7. at 17.00-18.00 Keskipohjanmaa-areena
Konsta Jylhä competition this year focuses on music from ancient Finland
The Konsta Jylhä competition, the theme of which this year is Ancient Finland, will be held at the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival early this week. Ten ensembles were selected from the preliminary rounds to take part in the competition, which will be held on Monday evening in the semi-final and on Tuesday in the final - both at Pelimannitalo, which is organising the competition together with the Folk Music Institute. As last year, the jury will consist of Hannu Saha (chairman), Heikki Laitinen and Kimmo Pohjonen. A total of €10 000 will be awarded in prizes.
The semi-finals will be attended by the following bands:
- Aoide (Heli Hartikainen, Minttu Hellstén, Essi Hirvonen and Jenni Venäläinen)
- Duo Sarvinen & Apiainen (A-P Apiainen and Aino Sarvinen)
- Duo Selina (Hanna Ryynänen and Sanni Virta)
- Landscapes of the Mind (Henry Kolari, Olga Kolari, Kaisa Nyrönen-Piispanen and Maria Ojanperä)
- Munnar Patrol (Satu Lankinen, Ringa Koskinen, Elina Koskela and Janne Ojajärvi)
- OON (Sarah Palu and Johanna Tarkkanen)
- Silvo Vatanen and Jarmo Romppanen duo
- Fog (Vilma Jääskeläinen, Minna Koskenlahti and Lukas Kristo)
- The Mystic Revelation of Teppo Repo (Otto Eskelinen, Arwi Lind and Eero Tikkanen)
- The World Mänkeri Orchestra (Petri Pentikäinen/Meri Tiitola, Olli Penttilä, Heikki Syrjänen and Pekka Westerholm)
Konsta Jylhä competition preliminary rounds today 9.7. at 19, final Tuesday 10.7. at 16 at Pelimannitalo
Arrive early, places are limited!
Old vehicles on display
As in many years before, the Central Ostrobothnia Automobile Club's Tuesday parade will be seen in Kaustinen as a handsome parade of old vehicles. The vehicles will gather on Tuesday 10 July at the Kaustinen inspection office, where the procession will set off at 18.00. The final destination is Kaustinen Neste, where the public will also have time to admire the old vehicles.
51. Kaustinen Folk Music Festival will be held 9.-15.7.2018.
Summer programme information can be found on the website http://www.kaustinen.net
In cooperation with the 150th anniversary of Kaustinen municipality