Young Kaustinen 1998

I first met Meri Tiitola in Kangasala in 1993, when she was playing bass and harmonium with a local folk group, Leuhu Leevi. Since then, she has gone on to study at the music academy in Helsinki and is developing into a great singer. Over the summer she became the newest member of the women's vocal group Me Naiset. Here she sings a solo piece, a fiddle tune from Kaustinen. You can also hear her new band, Asa.

This piece was recorded in a cafeteria at a local school, with all that charming linoleum reverb!

Katri Hauhilahti is from Kaustinen, and grew up playing music as part of her school curriculum. She was one of Mauno Järvelä's students, and also studied with Tallari. At 20 she is a good player, and plans to become a teacher. The piece she performs here is a traditional fiddle tune and she plays it with spirit. The tune was recorded in the "musician's house" late in the morning, so there's a little ambiance as well....

Mauno Järvelä is not only a well known fiddler and composer with JPP. Possibly his most important contribution to the music of Finland is his dedication to musical education. Mauno has not only been a teacher for many years, he has developed a teaching system that is being used and imitated all over the country. Every year at the Kaustinen Festival, Mauno and a few hundred of the students from the region give a performance on the mainstage, an unforgettable site and sound as hundreds of fiddles and dozens of accordionists, bassists and harmonium players join together to celebrate their music.

All the sounds on this site are exclusive to RootsWorld, recorded by us in July of 1998 in Kaustinen, Finland. The songs are all traditional unless noted, and all are used with the express permission of the performers and composers.
Photos are by Cliff Furnald or AkiPhoto of Finland.