52nd Kaustinen Folk Music Festival 8 – 14 July 2019
Kaustinen is already heading towards the coming summer. The festival will take off with a night-time hiking event Yövaellus on Sunday July 7th in cooperation with Perhonjokilaakson Retkeilijät ry. Monday’s free opening day together with the festival is provided by Kaustisen Seutukunta, a joint organization of five municipalities (Kaustinen, Lestijärvi, Toholampi, Veteli and Halsua), developing the region and its business life. Kaustisen Seutukunta sees the folk music festival as the most important event in the Kaustinen region and, through mutual cooperation, wants to promote the visibility of regional municipalities at both regional and national levels.
Feel the music! #tunnemusiikki
The theme of the festival this year is rhythm. Rhythm reminds us that music can be detected with different senses along with hearing. Kaustinen Folk Music Festival works in cooperation with Finnish Hearing Associations. On Wednesday, Kaustinen presents Signmark, the most famous sign language rap artist in Finland. You’ll also find sign language interpreters and hearing organizations info booths in the festival area.
Band of the Year 2019
Kaustinen Band of the Year in 2019 is the bold, delicate and delightful ENKEL band. The band originated from spontaneous jam session at the airport in 2013 and the band’s musical grip has continued to be frantic and creative as spontaneous jams continue.
The members of the band Leija Lautamaja, Maija Pokela, Miia Palomäki and Iida Savolainen are strong folk music professionals who, by their own example, encourage people of all ages to be creative in their own way. The music of the band is modern, creatively revelling, and delightfully interesting. Everything the band does exalts their deep respect for the tradition and their own folk musician’s identity. By choosing this band as the band of the year, the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival wants to highlight the importance of preserving the spirit of traditional folk musicians alongside professional activity. Furthermore, the festival wants to support the idea of us all being superheroes of our own lives – a thought that has made a brilliantly functioning brand for ENKEL.
Programme highlights
Ever since the early years of the Kaustinen festival, international programme has played an important role. The Central Committee for Folk Music and Dance theme of the year is ‘Around the World – Internationality in Folk Music and Folk Dance’. This is a perfect theme for the nature of the festival, and the programme features many bands and projects working across countries. Väsen (SE) is celebrating their 30th anniversary with Finnish guests, intense Flemish sibling duo Madingma (BE), the interesting and fresh multinational Farandi (FI / SE / BE / DK / UK), and SANS (FI/UK/AM) who first got together at the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival and have since gathered their members from all around the world. The magically skillful and groovy Crying Uncle’s Bluegrass Band (US) brings an unparalleled energy boost to Kaustinen as part of its tour of Finland. The Nordic countries will have an even stronger representation in the next two years with the aid of Nordisk Kulturfond’s Pulse funding. Mats Berglund & Arto Järvelä (SE / FI) and Vesselil (DK), presenting modern cadence, will be seen in the footsteps of forest Finns of Sweden and Norway in Puls concerts and workshops. Nordic folk dance workshops are now on the festival menu all week. Folk dance has a significant role at the festival again, the programme will include more traditional dance pieces and new choreographies. Also, international folk dance programme will again be prominently displayed. In addition to social dancing and more traditional general dances, there is also a wide range of dance workshops, and the ever traditional and always spectacular Yökatrilli quadrille event under the brand new leadership of Petri Kauppinen.
Programme for the whole family includes Pikku Kakkonen’s Seikkailukone (Adventure Machine), televised together with the Finnish broadcasting company YLE. The concert features familiar faces and happy orchestra members from the television, and of course the hero of all heroes, Heppu the Heppu. At the Children’s Tent, the Tradi Birds celebrate the 20th anniversary of children’s programme in Kaustinen. Mikko Alatalo, the whole nation’s favorite, arrives to Kaustinen and makes sure everyone gets to sing. Other names familiar to the general public include: Samuli Edelmann and Orkestra Suora Lähetys, and Vesterinen. In addition to these, Vuokko Hovatta Kolmisin will perform at the festival as well as Antti Paalanen, the world-renowned master of the accordion, and the energetic Tsuumi Sound System will be returning to Kaustinen after a long break. Bill Hota & the Pulvers are also making their return to Kaustinen, and Jussi Raittinen celebrates the 50th anniversary of Finnish country music with Eldanka, a group of top musicians from around the region. Kaustinen-style classical music will be served by Beethovenin parempi marssi (Beethoven’s Better March), compiled by Kreeta-Maria Kentala, and Kaustinen Mysteerio, a musical performance based on an incredible essay written by Ilmari Wirkkala on the history of Kaustinen, continues the tradition of cavalcades, or musical plays at Kaustinen.
The international Ethno Finland camp will be organized for the fifth time in Finland. The camp is aimed at young folk musicians around the world. The Finnish Folk Music Association is the main organizer in Finland.
Further information:
Programme manager Anne-Mari Hakamäki, anne-mari.hakamaki@kaustinen.net, tel. +358 40 358 2446
Press pictures
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