Loituma

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Loituma is a Finnish quartet whose members combine the Finnish vocal tradition with the sounds of the kantele (Finnish zither). Loituma were selected Ensemble of the Year at the 1997 Kaustinen Folk Music Festival.

1 History
2 Band members
3 Discography
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] History

Loituma’s initial incarnation was in the autumn of 1989 as a septet called Jäykkä Leipä ("Stiff Bread"), born in the Sibelius Academy’s Folk music department. The original lineup included singers Sanna Kurki-Suonio and Tellu Paulasto, who later left for Sweden to join Hedningarna.

Over the years, the group has persistently followed its own musical path, applying different musical influences to its music. It has dived into musical streams of diverse origins. One of the cornerstones of Finnish folk music is the art of singing: stories and feelings are best conveyed through this instrument. Loituma's songs convey the Finnish heritage, aided in the background by Martti Pokela and Toivo Alaspää. Another cornerstone of Loituma's art is a Finnish folk instrument called kantele, which is featured in varied ways in their recordings.

Loituma members compose or arrange the tunes by themselves, often using improvisation. Lyrics come from many sources, two main traditional sources are the Kalevala, the national epic of Finland, and the Kanteletar. The lyrics are in Finnish language.

[edit] Band members

Sari Kauranen — kanteles, vocals
Anita Lehtola-Tollin — vocals, 5-string kantele
Timo Väänänen, Home page — kanteles, vocals
Hanni-Mari Autere, Home page, Example music in Etnonet — vocals, fiddle, 5-string kantele, alto recorder, double bass, Lapin drum

[edit] Discography

Loituma (released in Finland in 1995) / Things of Beauty (released in the United States in 1998)
Kuutamolla (released in Finland in 1998) / In the Moonlight (released in United States in 1999)