01	Vihma						04:04
	02	Tielle Heitetty						02:57
	03	Emoton						03:31
	04	Paivan Nousu Nostajani						03:41
	05	Laulutytto						03:31
	06	Uskottu Ei Uupuvani						05:04
	07	Maa Ei Kerro						03:02
	08	Kylan Kavija						04:00
	09	Mieleni Alenevi						02:57
	10	Neitonen						02:55
	11	Aamu						04:40
	12	Kauan Kulkenut						03:18
	13	Vihmax (Vihma Remix)						03:31

Varttina Line-Up

SUSAN AHO - vocals.
Playing accordion since the age of 13, she played accordion on Varttina's Vihma album before moving to vocals. Previously involved at Sibelius Academy Folk Music Department, she also now works with the group Vaeltajat and the puppet theatre Sampo.


MARI KAASINEN - vocals.
Mari, another original Varttina member from Raakkyla, has been singing and performing since age 2 ?. Previously with Sibelius Academy Folk Music Department, she now maintains a career simultaneous with her life in Varttina, teaching voice, kantele and accordion in Helsinki.


JOHANNA VIRTANEN - vocals.
Johanna studied folk music at the Central Ostrobothnian Conservatory in Kokkola and is now studying folk music and singing at Sibelius Academy Folk Music Department. Also plays harmonium, kantele and 2-row accordion. She joined Varttina in 2001.


JANNE LAPPALAINEN - bouzouki, saxophones.
Janne is another original Varttina member from Raakkyla and is one of the band's chief arrangers and composers. Janne, also from Sibelius Academy Folk Music Department, is a wind instrument specialist and has been involved with other bands Progmatics and Ottopasuuna.


HANNU RANTANEN - basses.
Hannu Rantanen is one of Finland's top bassists. Having studied and now teaching at Helsinki Pop Jazz Conservatory and brilliantly skillful on double bass and electric bass, Hannu has been involved with numerous top Finnish outfits including UMO Big Band, Pepa Paivinen Trio, Raoul Bjorkenheim Triad, Avanti and Unto Tango Orchestra. Hannu has also played with international stars: Wayne Krantz, Larry Coryell, Django Bates, Anders Bergcrantz, Ted Curson and Luis de Matteo. He also does music for theatre.


MARKKU LEPISTO - accordion.
From southern Ostrobothnia, Markku, who joined Varttina just after the Vihma recordings, is one of Finland's most dynamic accordionists. Playing folk and dance music since age five, and later involved with Sibelius Academy Folk Music Department, Markku plays kantele, woodwinds, double bass and fiddle and was a member of the now defunct ensemble Pirnales. When he isn't gigging with Varttina, he finds time to play with the group Progmatics, in a duo with Aldargaz mandolinist Petri Hakala and in the klezmer group Doina Klezmer. In 2001 he released a duo album with Petri Hakala and in 2002, his own album Silta. Award: Composers Grant from the Finnish state.


LASSI LOGREN - fiddle.
The original fiddler in Varttina, from 1985-1989, officially rejoined the band in April 2002, although he has done several tours with Varttina in recent years. Also playing nyckelharpa and jouhikko, Lassi graduated Sibelius Academy Folk Music Department, where he also teaches fiddle, in 2002. Lassi has played in several professional theatres since 1995 and has made a book/CD called "Harmony Parts for Finnish Fiddle" in 2001.


JAAKKO LUKKARINEN - drums, percussion.
Jaakko "Jaska" Lukkarinen is one of Finland's most versatile and energetic drummers/percussionists. Having studied under Marko Timonen, also in Sibelius Academy, Espoo Pop/Jazz School and Helsinki Pop/Jazz Conservatory, Jaska has developed a personal style that accentuates and propels Varttina's rhythmical music to new directions. Jaska has performed in many popular bands in Helsinki and is an exciting addition to the Varttina group.


ANTTO VARILO - guitars, cumbus tambur (Turkish long necked lute).
A professional Helsinki guitarist since 1985, Antto joined Varttina in 1993. Has performed with numerous rock, Afro and jazz artists and bands including Hasse Walli, Badu N'Djay. He played in Finnish National Theatre and with singing star Reijo Taipale. He has also performed with guitarist Raoul Bjorkenheim. One of Varttina's main composers and arrangers, Antto and Mari Kaasinen have composed specially commissioned music for the Finnish female choir Philomela.





Biography

Varttina (meaning spindle) is touted as an early progenitor of "New Finnish Folk." Varttina's origins go back to 1983 in the village of Raakkyla, in Karelia, the southeastern region of Finland, as the project of singers and kantele players Sari and Mari Kaasinen. The concept was to form a youth group to recite Karelian poetry, sing and play kantele. Interest and appreciation in the group grew to such a degree that many more youngsters wanted to join, and they did! The result was a group of 21 members, playing and singing traditional Karelian folk song. Later, a common goal emerged: to explore and revive Karelian / Finno-Ugric musical tradition and to discover new, more exciting ways of arranging and performing.

The original Varttina line-up, featuring the distinctive sound of fifteen young girls singing and playing kantele (the Finnish national instrument), plus six young men accompanying them with acoustic guitar, acoustic bass, fiddle, accordion, saxophone, tin whistle and flute made two recordings Varttina (1987) and Musta Lindu (1989), each one breaking new territory in the Finnish folk music field.

In 1990, events took a dramatic turn: several original members left to pursue other interests and the core members, Sari & Mari Kaasinen, Janne Lappalainen and Kirsi Kahkonen formed a new band, recruiting some of Finland's top players in the roots and rock scene.

Enter Varttina phase two and a startling new direction: five effervescent young ladies bursting with vocal energy, fueled by a powerhouse acoustic band. The group's repertoire diversified even further into Finno-Ugric territory, borrowing tunes, poems, songs and ideas from women's singing traditions of Setuland, Mariland, Ingria and other areas. Equally as important, if not more so, was the emergence of original compositions and lyrics from group members, providing new dimensions to the band's character and clearly showing that Varttina had risen to a new level of sophistication. In performance, the focus shifted to a more "rock/pop" approach, presenting Finno-Ugric musical tradition in ways never before conceived. The girls' voices, having matured greatly since the early days, were the forefront of the group's sound and the band delivered rousing acoustic accompaniment.

In 1991 the new Varttina released the groundbreaking Oi Dai album, which became an instant smash hit, propelling Varttina to the status of household name. Oi Dai, a fun, frenetic fusion of folk and rock, was the biggest folk music phenomenon in twenty years and has today been certified Platinum seller. Foreign interest in the band came quickly and Varttina found themselves touring and performing extensively throughout Europe, suddenly becoming the talk of the European "world music" community.

Successor to Oi Dai was 1992's excellent Seleniko, produced by Hijaz Mustapha, which immediately entered the European World Music radio charts at the Number One position and remained there for three straight months. The Finnish single "Kyla Vuotti Uutta Kuuta", ("The Village Awaits the New Moon") became a hit among fans and has remained a stage favourite worldwide.

The chart success of Seleniko attracted global attention and the album was released in North America (Green Linnet/Xenophile) and Benelux territories (Music & Words). The band continued with foreign performances including a showcase headliner at the SXSW Music & Media Convention in Austin, Texas, a tour of Benelux and appearances at Rudolstadt Festival in Germany and Glastonbury Festival in England. Varttina also released their first video, the Seleniko track "Pihi Neito". At the end of 1993, Varttina embarked on their first US tour, selling out eight concerts and gathering piles of rave reviews. Simultaneously, Oi Dai was released in USA on Xenophile.

In '94, Varttina recorded their fifth album, Aitara, featuring mostly original compositions and drummer. Instantly upon release, Aitara entered the World Music Charts Europe at Number Five and was picked "Album of the Week" at Multi Kulti radio, Berlin. 1994 highlights included a live spot on European television with Baaba Maal and Angelique Kidjo in MTV's anti-racism video competition PRIZE OF EUROPE.

In 1995, Aitara was released by King Records in Japan, Music and Words in Benelux and Xenophile in North America, where the album spent five weeks in the Number One position on the CMJ College radio World Music charts. Aitara was also voted "Best Contemporary World Music Album" at the NAIRD (National Association of Independent Record Distributors) convention in USA Varttina returned to USA for their second tour selling out concerts in New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles and Minneapolis. Then it was off to Sweden for a two week tour, followed by Vienna Festival's "Out of the Cool" Nordic music event, tours of Benelux and Spain, Finnish Festival performances in Raakkyla and Kaustinen and a packed house at the WOMAD, Helsinki event in August. Varttina then made their second video, "Yotulet" (Night Fires).

The distinctive Varttina voices began to attract demand from musicians abroad and the singers engaged in extra-curricular activities including Hector Zazou's Songs from the Cold Seas (Sony) and Maggie Reilly's Elena album (EMI).

Highlights for 1996 included a showcase slot at MIDEM, in Cannes, with Dadawa (China) and I Muvrini (Corsica), a 1000 seat sell out at Festival Interceltico in Oporto, Portugal, their third tour of Benelux, two sold out shows with Leningrad Cowboys at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London (including live interviews on the BBC radio program Kaleidoscope), an opening slot with Bjork at Pori Jazz Festival in Finland and the summer mini-tour of North America, including an opening performance for Joan Armatrading at the Edmonton Folk Festival, with an audience of 10000. Then it was off to Germany where Varttina participated in the WDR Folk Festival in Bonn, including a live television broadcast on WDR, then continuing to the Lowlands Festival in Holland. In October, Varttina's sixth album Kokko was released in North American and Finland on the Nonesuch label.

1997: Nonesuch released Kokko throughout the rest of the world. Critical acclaim included: European World Music Radio Charts at Number Two. "CD of the Month" in Lift Music Magazine, Germany. "Album of the Month" in Stereo Review magazine, USA, Number Two position on CMJ World Music radio charts in USA. Concert highlights included Fasching Club, Stockholm, their fourth tour of Benelux, first tour of Germany, US east coast dates including St. Anne's Cathedral in Brooklyn, first tour of Australia followed by a packed house at Tokyo's famed Club Quattro, Azene Unnepe Festival in Budapest, Voix Festival in Germany, Pirineos Sur and La Mar de Musicas Festivals in Spain, Galician tour, Dranouter Festival in Belgium, Water Festival in Stockholm, WOMAD Canarias Festival and the Barbican Center in London.

Sari Kaasinen leaves the group to work on other projects, in particular the group Sirmakka and her first solo album. Singer, accordionist Susan Aho (ex-Metsanvaki) joins Varttina.

1998 began with two concerts at Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow: one with Maria Kalaniemi & Aldargaz, the other a packed house at the Fruitmarket with Carlos Nunez. Summer highlights include a headline performance at Europa Sziget festival in Budapest and the Varttina 15 Year Anniversary concert at Kihaus Festival in Raakkyla, Finland (July 11). On August 13, Varttina goes to Asturias, Spain, then it's back to Japan on August 19 for a one week tour, including Osaka (Aug. 21), Toyama (Aug. 23) and a return engagement at Tokyo's Club Quattro (Aug 25). The band flew to San Remo, Italy for the nationally televised Tenco Festival which resulted in a planned tour for 1999. In November it's back to Germany and Benelux for another tour.

Big news for 1998 is the August release of Varttina's seventh album, Vihma, on Wicklow Records, the new label from the Chieftains' Paddy Moloney and BMG. Vihma features the co-production talents of New York musician Richard Horowitz, known for his work with singer Susan Deyhim and on various filmscores including The Sheltering Sky. Special guests include Finnish fiddling stars JPP and throat singers from the electric Tuvan group Yat-Kha. Also worth noting is the new album from British singer Tanita Tikaram which includes a looped sample of the piece "Seelinnikoi" from Varttina's Seleniko album.

Additional news is from the popular animated children's TV series. Arthur: Varttina's song "Matalii ja Mustii" from the Seleniko album, was featured in an Arthur episode, broadcast in USA in November 1998 and appears on the Arthur CD. The program is also broadcast worldwide and is available on video. The CD is available worldwide, as well.

Accordionist Markku Lepisto (from Progmatics) joins Varttina. Susan Aho moves to the front line of singers.

1998: The Vihma album entered the European World Music Radio Charts at Number One in November. In USA, the album reached Number One in the CMJ New World radio charts. Vihma is voted "Best Album of 1998" in the Rock/Pop category of Adlib magazine in Japan and "Best World Music Album of 1998" from Music Magazine of Japan.

Singer/lyricist Sirpa Reiman leaves Varttina to be a full-time mother. Replacement vocalist is Riikka Vayrynen who also sings with the Adiemus project.

1999: Tours of Italy, Spain and North America, including Winnipeg Festival, Festival d'ete International de Quebec, Central Park Summer Stage. Also a slot at the ET Jam festival in Prague. Televised Sopot festival performance in Poland on August 20, including a collaboration with the Bulgarian Choir Angelite.

Vihma and producers Richard Horowitz and Janne Haavisto, with Finnvox studios and engineer Risto Hemmi, receive Master Award from BASF.

In December, Varttina returned to Finnvox studios, Helsinki, to record their eighth album, for release in spring 2000. Producer is Frenchman Hughes de Courson, known for his work with Malicorne, Kolinda, Spondo, Lambarena, Palestrina, Mozart in Egypt, El Lebrijano and Songs of Innocence.

January 2000: release of Wicklow's "Deep Roots and Future Grooves Remix" CD including Varttina's "Vihma" remixed by Japan's Fantastic Plastic Machine.

May 2000: European and Japanese release of Varttina's eighth album Ilmatar ("Goddess of Air"). This is unquestionably Varttina's best and most adventurous album to date, a dramatic leap forward. Lots of suprises in store including more imaginative use of acoustics and percussion, plus the amazing vocal section which has never been so powerful and dynamic.

Musician Profiles:

Susan Aho - voice
Mari Kaasinen - voice
Kirsi Kahkonen - voice
Riikka Vayrynen - voice
Markku Lepisto - accordions
Antto Varilo - guitars
Pekka Lehti - basses
Kari Reiman - fiddle, kantele
Janne Lappalainen - bouzouki, sax, wind instruments
Marko Timonen - drums, percussion

Susan Aho voice and accordion. Joining in 1997, she hails from Espoo and has been playing accordion since the age of 13. She has been involved with the Sibelius Academy Folk Music Department and with the folk music group Metsanvaki. Recently she has also been working with accordionist Minna Luoma, in the duo called Rotunaiset, performing Finnish gypsy songs.

Mari Kaasinen voice. Mari, another original Varttina member from Raakkyla, has been singing and performing since age 2 ?. Previously a student at Sibelius Academy Folk Music Department, she now maintains a career simultaneous with her life in Varttina, teaching voice, kantele and accordion in Helsinki.

Kirsi Kahkonen voice. Kirsi, from Raakkyla in Karelia, is an original Varttina member from 1983 and has been singing with them exclusively since that time.

Riikka Vayrynen voice. Replacing Sirpa Reiman in January 1999, Riikka is also a singer with the well-known Adiemus project and the Adiemus offshoot project called Kaira.

Janne Lappalainen - bouzouki, saxophones. Janne is another original Varttina member from Raakkyla and is one of the band's chief arrangers and composers. Janne, a student of Sibelius Academy Folk Music Department and wind instrument specialist, has been involved with bands Progmatics and Ottopasuuna.

Pekka Lehti basses. Pekka, from Joensuu in Karelia, is one of Finland's top players, having performed with many of Finland's leading bands and having received five gold records and two platnum records. He joined Varttina in 1994 and has become one of the band's main arrangers. Pekka does some side work with other outstanding groups, for example ZetaBoo. He's just released his first solo album Outo Voima.

Markku Lepisto accordion. Markku, from southern Ostrobothnia, is one of Finland's most dynamic accordionists, having been playing folk and dance music since age five. A graduate of the Sibelius Academy Folk Music Department, where he studied kantele, woodwinds, double bass and fiddle, Markku was a member of the now defunct ensemble Pirnales, has played with the group Progmatics, more recently in a duo with Aldargaz mandolinist Petri Hakala and in the klezmer group Doina Klezmer. Markku joined Varttina just before the Vihma recordings. Award: Composers Grant from the Finnish state.

Kari Reiman fiddle. A native of Helsinki, "Reiska" has a long history of acoustic music, including five-string banjo, mandolin and guitar with several bluegrass bands and fiddling with Finnish-Irish group Korkkijalka. He joined Varttina in 1989 and has become one of the band's principal composers and arrangers. Reiska was also a member of the group Ottopasuuna. Awards: One year Composer's Grant from the Finnish state (1999).

Marko Timonen - drums, percussion. One of Finland's most popular, respected and versatile drummers, Marko, a Helsinki native, brought his talents to Varttina in 1995. Skillful on a wide variety of drums and percussion instruments from around the world, Marko also performs with other ensembles such as ZetaBoo and the Ismo Alanko group. Awards: European Champion of Young Jazz Soloists (1990), Jazzrytmit Magazine Best Jazz Drummer (1994 and 1996)

Antto Varilo guitars. A professional Helsinki guitarist for the past
fifteen years, Antto has performed with numerous rock, Afro and jazz artists and bands including Hasse Walli, Badu N'Djay and Porvoo Big Band. He joined Varttina in 1994.

Discography:

Varttina (1987)

Musta Lindu (1989)

Oi Dai (1991)

Seleniko (1992)

Aitara (1994)

Kokko (Nonesuch, 1996)

Vihma (Wicklow Records, 1998)

Ilmatar (Northside Records, 2000)



Varttina Evolution

Beginnings
Varttina's origins go back to 1983 in the village of Raakkyla, in Karelia, the southeastern region of Finland, as the project of singers and kantele players Sari and Mari Kaasinen. The concept was to form a youth group to recite Karelian poetry, sing and play kantele. Interest and appreciation in the group grew to such a degree that many more youngsters wanted to join, and they did! The result was a group of 21 members, playing and singing traditional Karelian folk song. Later, a common goal emerged: to explore and revive Karelian / Finno-Ugric musical tradition and to discover new, more exciting ways of arranging and performing.



The original Varttina line-up, featuring the distinctive sound of fifteen young girls singing and playing kantele (the Finnish national instrument), plus six young men accompanying them with acoustic guitar, double bass, fiddle, accordion, saxophone, tin whistle and flute made two recordings Varttina (1987) and Musta Lindu (1989), each one breaking new territory in the Finnish folk music field.

Rebirth
In 1990, events took a dramatic turn: several original members left to pursue other interests and the core members, Sari & Mari Kaasinen, Janne Lappalainen and Kirsi Kahkonen formed a new band, recruiting some of Finland's top players in the roots and rock scene.


Enter Varttina phase two and a startling new direction: five effervescent young ladies bursting with vocal energy, fueled by a powerhouse acoustic band. The group's repertoire diversified even further into Finno-Ugric territory, borrowing tunes, poems, songs and ideas from women's singing traditions of Setuland, Mariland, Ingria and other areas. Equally as important, if not moreso, was the emergence of original compositions and lyrics from group members, providing new dimensions to the band's character and clearly showing that Varttina had risen to a new level of sophistication. In performance, the focus shifted to a more "rock/pop" approach, presenting Finno-Ugric musical tradition in ways never before conceived. The girls' voices, having matured greatly since the early days, were the forefront of the group's sound and the band delivered rousing acoustic accompaniment.

Hysteria
In 1991 the new Varttina released the groundbreaking Oi Dai album, which became an instant smash hit, propelling Varttina to the status of household name. Oi Dai, a fun, frenetic fusion of folk and rock, was the biggest folk music phenomenon in twenty years and has today been certified Platinum seller. Foreign interest in the band came quickly and Varttina found themselves touring and performing extensively throughout Europe, suddenly becoming the talk of the European "world music" community.

Successor to Oi Dai was 1992's excellent Seleniko, produced by Hijaz Mustapha, which immediately entered the European World Music radio charts at the Number One position and remained there for three straight months. The Finnish single "Kyla Vuotti Uutta Kuuta", ("The Village Awaits the New Moon") became a hit among fans and has remained a stage favourite worldwide.

Breakout
The chart success of Seleniko attracted global attention and the album was released in North America (Green Linnet/Xenophile) and Benelux territories (Music & Words). The band continued with foreign performances including a showcase headliner at the SXSW Music & Media Convention in Austin, Texas, a tour of Benelux and appearances at Rudolstadt Festival in Germany and Glastonbury Festival in England. Varttina also released their first video, the Seleniko track "Pihi Neito". At the end of 1993, Varttina embarked on their first US tour, selling out eight concerts and gathering piles of rave reviews. Simultaneously, Oi Dai was released in USA on Xenophile.



In '94, Varttina recorded their fifth album, Aitara, featuring mostly original compositions and drummer. Instantly upon release, Aitara entered the World Music Charts Europe at Number Five and was picked "Album of the Week" at Multi Kulti radio, Berlin. 1994 highlights included a live spot on European television with Baaba Maal and Angelique Kidjo in MTV's anti-racism video competition PRIZE OF EUROPE.

In 1995, Aitara was released by King Records in Japan, Music and Words in Benelux and Xenophile in North America, where the album spent five weeks in the Number One position on the CMJ College radio World Music charts. Aitara was also voted "Best Contemporary World Music Album" at the NAIRD (National Association of Independent Record Distributors) convention in USA Varttina returned to USA for their second tour selling out concerts in New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles and Minneapolis. Then it was off to Sweden for a two week tour, followed by Vienna Festival's "Out of the Cool" Nordic music event, tours of Benelux and Spain, Finnish Festival performances in Raakkyla and Kaustinen and a packed house at the WOMAD, Helsinki event in August. Varttina then made their second video, "Yotulet" (Night Fires).

The distinctive Varttina voices began to attract demand from musicians abroad and the singers engaged in extra-curricular activities including Hector Zazou's "Songs from the Cold Seas" (Sony) and Maggie Reilly's "Elena" album (EMI).

Nonesuch
Highlights for 1996 included a showcase slot at MIDEM, in Cannes, with Dadawa (China) and I Muvrini (Corsica), a 1000 seat sell out at Festival Interceltico in Oporto, Portugal, their third tour of Benelux, two sold out shows with Leningrad Cowboys at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London (including live interviews on the BBC radio program Kaleidoscope), an opening slot with Bjork at Pori Jazz Festival in Finland and the summer mini-tour of North America, including an opening performance for Joan Armatrading at the Edmonton Folk Festival, with an audience of 10000. Then it was off to Germany where Varttina participated in the WDR Folk Festival in Bonn, including a live television broadcast on WDR, then continuing to the Lowlands Festival in Holland. In October, Varttina's sixth album Kokko was released in North American and Finland on the Nonesuch label.

1997: Nonesuch released Kokko throughout the rest of the world. Critical acclaim included: European World Music Radio Charts at Number Two. "CD of the Month" in Lift Music Magazine, Germany. "Album of the Month" in Stereo Review magazine, USA, Number Two position on CMJ World Music radio charts in USA. Concert highlights included Fasching Club, Stockholm, their fourth tour of Benelux, first tour of Germany, US east coast dates including St. Anne's Cathedral in Brooklyn, first tour of Australia followed by a packed house at Tokyo's famed Club Quattro, Azene Unnepe Festival in Budapest, Voix Festival in Germany, Pirineos Sur and La Mar de Musicas Festivals in Spain, Galician tour, Dranouter Festival in Belgium, Water Festival in Stockholm, WOMAD Canarias Festival and the Barbican Center in London.

Sari Kaasinen leaves the group to work on other projects, in particular the group Sirmakka and her first solo album. Singer, accordionist Susan Aho (ex-Metsanvaki) joins Varttina.

1998 began with two concerts at Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow: one with Maria Kalaniemi & Aldargaz, the other a packed house at the Fruitmarket with Carlos Nunez. Summer highlights include a headline performance at Europa Sziget festival in Budapest and the Varttina 15 Year Anniversary concert at Kihaus Festival in Raakkyla, Finland (July 11). On August 13, Varttina goes to Asturias, Spain, then it's back to Japan on August 19 for a one week tour, including Osaka (Aug. 21), Toyama (Aug. 23) and a return engagement at Tokyo's Club Quattro (Aug 25). The band flew to San Remo, Italy for the nationally televised Tenco Festival which resulted in a planned tour for 1999. In November it's back to Germany and Benelux for another tour.

Wicklow

Big news for 1998 is the August release of Varttina's seventh album, Vihma, on Wicklow Records, the new label from the Chieftains' Paddy Moloney and BMG. Vihma features the co-production talents of New York musician Richard Horowitz, known for his work with singer Susan Deyhim and on various filmscores including "The Sheltering Sky". Special guests include Finnish fiddling stars JPP and throat singers from the electric Tuvan group Yat-Kha. Also worth noting is the new album from British singer Tanita Tikaram which includes a looped sample of the piece "Seelinnikoi" from Varttina's Seleniko album.

Additional news is from the popular animated children's TV series. Arthur: Varttina's song "Matalii ja Mustii" from the Seleniko album, was featured in an Arthur episode, broadcast in USA in November 1998 and appears on the Arthur CD. The program is also broadcast worldwide and is available on video. The CD is available worldwide, as well.

Accordionist Markku Lepisto (from Progmatics) joins Varttina. Susan Aho moves to the front line of singers.






Varttina,
Oi Dai
(1991; Green Linnet, 1994)




If you are unfamiliar with Finnish music -- as I was when I first discovered Varttina -- it can be a fascinating enigma. Just when you think you have it pinned down, the music will give an unexpected wriggle and suddenly sound quite different. At times it seems to tap into a primal, shamanistic tradition, or the great heritage of oral sagas; at the next moment, it skips off in a rollicking and utterly normal polka. Both Scandinavian and Slavic influences can be heard, along with unexpected overtones of Celtic, klezmer and Middle Eastern music.

Varttina (the name means "spindle" in Finnish) was for several years a major force for traditional music in Finland. At the time of this recording, the mostly-female ensemble numbered 11 members. In addition to five singers, the group also featured kantele (a folk instrument similar to the zither), accordion, bass, fiddle, guitar, mandola, percussion and wind instruments. Oi Dai was their third recording and the earliest one to be released in the United States. It was the breakthrough album which established Varttina's reputation in Finland, where it became the biggest-selling folk album in 20 years.

Some of the songs are jolly and rowdy -- the sort of thing someone might strike up for a sing-along on a hayride. Others are chantlike with many quick syllables, performed either with accompaniment or in the group's trademark a cappella settings. There are two fine instrumental tracks reflecting the major cultural influences on Finnish music: "Kamaritski" sounds very Scandinavian, with a cheerfully lopsided melody, and "Tantsukolena" has a strongly Russian sound.

Two tracks deserve special mention. The first is "Viikon Vaivanen," a song taken from a charm for banishing disease. The sinuous melody is first performed slowly a cappella; then it swings into a faster rendition supported by an asymmetrical pulse from the bass and crisp taps on the bongos. More voices, accordion, fiddle, and wind instruments are added in various combinations. Amazingly enough, much of the performance is in unison or very simple harmonies; the interest comes from the mixing and combining of various tone colors.

The second standout is the title track, "Oi Dai." The singers make effective use of harmony on the repeated phrases. Although the song is slow, it is not allowed to drag. The vocals ride with deceptive smoothness over a constantly shifting and changing instrumental bed. Sharp and urgent percussion drives the whole ensemble forward. The overall effect is hypnotic.

A slow and meditative song, "Yks on Huoli," closes the album.

One of the pleasures of listening to Varttina is the sound of the Finnish language. The group has a strong vocal section with excellent diction. Even if you do not speak a word of Finnish (I certainly don't), it is possible to pick out the intricate alliteration and rhymes. For those who like to know what they're hearing, the liner notes provide both translations of the songs and transcriptions of the Finnish lyrics.

Varttina's next recording, Seleniko, probably marked their high point as a traditional band. Compared to the later recording, Oi Dai sounds a bit rougher around the edges. The performances are slightly less polished, and the recording techniques are not as slick. However, it is a worthy companion to the later album. After Seleniko, Varttina moved away from traditional Finnish music. Their subsequent releases have focused on original compositions and, I confess, have not succeeded in capturing me. Luckily, through these early albums it is still possible to enjoy their days as a fine traditional band.

[ by Juliet Youngren ]