Leaving Dysfunction: Värttinä and "Tielle Heitetty"

Today's tune is by Värttinä, a folk group from Finland founded in 1983 by sisters Sari and Mari Kaasinen when they entered a youth arts contest and read poetry. They made it into the finals that first year, and the next year they switched to music, named themselves Värttinä, and won the event. They added some male musicians in 1985 and entered the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, becoming known as the group that sings high and loud. In 1987, at the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, they were chosen "Ensemble of the Year," and in 1988 they released their first album. In the early 1990s, they moved to Helsinki and began training at the Sibelius Academy and perfecting their skills. The band first performed traditional Finnish folk songs, but in the mid-1990s began playing its own original compositions. Over the years the band has had many forms and lineup changes, and is currently made up of three female vocalists and three acoustic musicians. They have performed worldwide to international acclaim and have released 16 albums, including 3 compilation albums and one live CD. You can find this song, Tielle Heitetty, on Värttinä's 1998 album Vihma.The song is a song of leaving from a bad situation in a village where the singer was subject to jealous stares, gossip and evil plots.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A4rttin%C3%A4; http://varttina.com/

Missing Home: Värttinä and "Kylän Kävijä"

Finnish band Värttinä brings us today's random tune. Värttinä is a folk group founded in 1983 by sisters Sari and Mari Kaasinen, who had performed together reading poetry in the 1970s. In 1983, the sisters formed Värttinä and entered a youth arts contest with their poetry reading. They made it into the finals that first year, and the next year changed to singing and won the event. They brought on some male members in 1985 and entered the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, becoming known as the group that sings high and loud. Many children in their hometown were now eager to join the band, and finally Värttinä had to establish a new group for the youngest children to join. In 1987, at the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, they were chosen "Ensemble of the Year," and in 1988 they released their first album. In the early 1990s, they moved to Helsinki and began training at the Sibelius Academy and perfecting their skills. The band first performed traditional Finnish folk songs, but in the mid-1990s began playing its own original compositions. Over the years the band has had many forms and lineup changes, and is currently made up of three female vocalists and three acoustic musicians. They have performed worldwide to international acclaim and have released 14 albums, including 3 compilation albums and one live CD. You can find this song, Kylän Kävijä, on their 1998 album Vihma. The song is the lament of someone who is a foreigner away from all that is known and dealing with strange ways and customs.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A4rttin%C3%A4; http://varttina.com/

Song of a Drifter: Värttinä and "Päivän Nousu Nostajani"

Today's random song is by Värttinä. Värttinä is a Finnish folk group founded in 1983 by sisters Sari and Mari Kaasinen, who had performed together reading poetry in the 1970s. In 1983, the sisters entered a youth arts contest with their poetry reading. They made it into the finals that first year. The next year they decided to refocus on singing and they won the event. They brought on some male members in 1985 and entered the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, becoming known as the group that sings high and loud. Many children in their hometown were now eager to join the band, and finally Värttinä had to establish a new group for the youngest children to join. In 1987, at the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, they were chosen "Ensemble of the Year," and in 1988 they released their first album. In the early 1990s, they moved to Helsinki and began training at the Sibelius Academy and perfecting their skills. The band first performed traditional Finnish folk songs, but in the mid-1990s began playing its own original compositions. Over the years the band has had many forms and lineup changes, and is currently made up of three female vocalists and three acoustic musicians. They have performed worldwide to international acclaim and have released 14 albums, including 3 compilation albums and one live CD. You can find this song, Päivän Nousu Nostajani, on their 1998 album Vihma.

The song's lyrics are:

Where can I go, poor drifter in this world?

Where will my song take me, child that I am?

Evening is my father and dusk is my nurse;

the dark night is my keeper and dawn my rouser.

I have nothing but the wind to rely on.

I shall keep my hands from play and close my mouth to song.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Drink Up: Värttinä and "Laulutyttö"

Värttinä, a folk group from Finland founded in 1983 by sisters Sari and Mari Kaasinen, provides our random tune for today. In 1983, the sisters formed Värttinä and entered a youth arts contest reading poetry. They made it into the finals that first year, and the next year they switched to music and won the event. They added some male musicians in 1985 and entered the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, becoming known as the group that sings high and loud. In 1987, at the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, they were chosen "Ensemble of the Year," and in 1988 they released their first album. In the early 1990s, they moved to Helsinki and began training at the Sibelius Academy and perfecting their skills. The band first performed traditional Finnish folk songs, but in the mid-1990s began playing its own original compositions. Over the years the band has had many forms and lineup changes, and is currently made up of three female vocalists and three acoustic musicians. They have performed worldwide to international acclaim and have released 16 albums, including 3 compilation albums and one live CD. You can find this song, Laulutyttö, on Värttinä's 1998 album Vihma. A rousing drinking song, it urges us to "drink up and moisten our mouths with brew."

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Värttinä and "Emoton"

Today's random tune, Emoton, is performed by Värttinä, a Finnish folk group founded in 1983 by sisters Sari and Mari Kaasinen, who had performed together reading poetry in the 1970s. In 1983, the sisters formed Värttinä and entered a youth arts contest with their poetry reading. They made it into the finals that first year, and the next year changed to singing and won the event. They brought on some male members in 1985 and entered the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, becoming known as the group that sings high and loud. In 1987, at the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, they were chosen "Ensemble of the Year," and in 1988 they released their first album. In the early 1990s, they moved to Helsinki and began training at the Sibelius Academy and perfecting their skills. The band first performed traditional Finnish folk songs, but in the mid-1990s began playing its own original compositions. Over the years the band has had many forms and lineup changes, and is currently made up of three female vocalists and three acoustic musicians. They have performed worldwide to international acclaim and have released 14 albums, including 3 compilation albums and one live CD. You can find Emoton on Värttinä's 1998 album Vihma. The song is the lament of "one born less beautiful" who wonders 'what will become of me?" This footage is from their 30th anniversary concert in 2013.

Exile: Värttinä and "Kylän Kävijä"

Today's random tune is called Kylän Kävijä. It is performed by Värttinä, a Finnish folk group founded in 1983 by sisters Sari and Mari Kaasinen, who had performed together reading poetry in the 1970s. In 1983, the sisters formed Värttinä and entered a youth arts contest with their poetry reading. They made it into the finals that first year, and the next year changed to singing and won the event. They brought on some male members in 1985 and entered the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, becoming known as the group that sings high and loud. Many children in their hometown were now eager to join the band, and finally Värttinä had to establish a new group for the youngest children to join. In 1987, at the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, they were chosen "Ensemble of the Year," and in 1988 they released their first album. In the early 1990s, they moved to Helsinki and began training at the Sibelius Academy and perfecting their skills. The band first performed traditional Finnish folk songs, but in the mid-1990s began playing its own original compositions. Over the years the band has had many forms and lineup changes, and is currently made up of three female vocalists and three acoustic musicians. They have performed worldwide to international acclaim and have released 14 albums, including 3 compilation albums and one live CD. You can find Kylän Kävijä on their 1998 album Vihma. The song is the lament of someone who is a foreigner away from all that is known and dealing with strange ways and customs.

They Just Want to Bust Out Singing: Värttinä and "Laulutyttö"

Today's random song of the day is by Värttinä, a Finnish folk group founded in 1983 by sisters Sari and Mari Kaasinen, who had performed together reading poetry in the 1970s. In 1983, the sisters formed Värttinä and entered a youth arts contest with their poetry reading. They made it into the finals that first year, and the next year changed to singing and won the event. They brought on some male members in 1985 and entered the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, becoming known as the group that sings high and loud. Many children in their hometown were now eager to join the band, and finally Värttinä had to establish a new group for the youngest children to join. In 1987, at the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, they were chosen "Ensemble of the Year," and in 1988 they released their first album. In the early 1990s, they moved to Helsinki and began training at the Sibelius Academy and perfecting their skills. The band first performed traditional Finnish folk songs, but in the mid-1990s began playing its own original compositions. Over the years the band has had many forms and lineup changes, and is currently made up of three female vocalists and three acoustic musicians. They have performed worldwide to international acclaim and have released 14 albums, including 3 compilation albums and one live CD. This song, Laulutyttö, is from their 1998 CD Vihma. The song lyrics are in the first person - the singer wants just wants to sing and party.

Iron Maiden: Värttinä and "Neitonen"

Step outside of being human for a moment. Imagine that you are some being of an alien race who is studying humans, a kind of Jane Goodall from the planets who is spending time with the humans on earth, learning their ways and socializing with them. Of course, you watch their mating rituals and given that you are an alien, you have technology that allows you to read the chemical balances inside human bodies. So, you are well aware of the chemical changes that take place when one human becomes attracted to another, and when two become attracted to each other. You are also aware that humans have a drive to match up, to experience these chemical differences, and then to mate in the process of procreation, and that the actual coupling is apparently very, very good in most cases.

And then you examine their customs and beliefs, and the big social prohibitions against mating and procreation before certain criteria are met such as being of a certain age and whether a social and religious contract called marriage or something like it has been entered into. And you try to reconcile - how do some humans resist the chemical changes caused by hormones, which rage and scream against the prohibitions against copulation, while others fail?

I guess that's what I wonder when I read the translation of the lyrics to this song, Neitonen, by Värttinä:

The maiden had waited for a perfect suitor.
She dreamed of her soul mate--
a son-in-law for her family
to stand by her side and embrace her.
Many a hard year she waited,
not marrying even for gold and silver.
Now she has a man to her liking--
knowing what she found,
she found what she knew...

I think it would be difficult, especially if you have many suitors, to resist the temptation but then again. The lyrics said it was hard for her to go without companionship and help, but her waiting led her to a soul mate. We often sing of battles fought physically, and when love has conquered. Rarely do we sing of the mental and emotional battles against our own urges other than when we fail, and rarely do we sing about conquering love until we are ready for it.

Värttinä is a Finnish folk group founded in 1983 by sisters Sari and Mari Kaasinen, who had performed together reading poetry in the 1970s. In 1983, the sisters formed Värttinä and entered a youth arts contest with their poetry reading. They made it into the finals that first year, and the next year changed to singing and won the event. They brought on some male members in 1985 and entered the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, becoming known as the group that sings high and loud. Many children in their hometown were now eager to join the band, and finally Värttinä had to establish a new group for the youngest children to join. In 1987, at the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, they were chosen "Ensemble of the Year," and in 1988 they released their first album. In the early 1990s, they moved to Helsinki and began training at the Sibelius Academy and perfecting their skills. The band first performed traditional Finnish folk songs, but in the mid-1990s began playing its own original compositions. Over the years the band has had many forms and lineup changes, and is currently made up of three female vocalists and three acoustic musicians. They have performed worldwide to international acclaim and have released 14 albums, including 3 compilation albums and one live CD. Neitonen, is from their 1998 CD Vihma.

Dawn Glory: Värttinä and "Aamu"

Dawn, when I actually am awake or paying attention, is a glorious time. It is a time of discovery, or rediscovery of things that we may have noticed before, but when we see it in a different light or at the beginning of the day it takes on a whole new significance. In a way, exploration of global music has been like that for me, and even as I listen to a song again that I may have heard before, I can also hear something new in the song. Värttinä is one of those groups - a group that I was listening to in the 1990s but when I go back to that initial album, I still love it and still hear new things.

Värttinä is a Finnish folk group founded in 1983 by sisters Sari and Mari Kaasinen, who had performed together reading poetry in the 1970s. In 1983, the sisters formed Värttinä and entered a youth arts contest with their poetry reading. They made it into the finals that first year, and the next year changed the group to focus on singing and won the event. They brought on some male members in 1985 and entered the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, becoming known as the group that sings high and loud. In 1987, at the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, they were chosen "Ensemble of the Year," and in 1988 they released their first album. In the early 1990s, they moved to Helsinki and began training at the Sibelius Academy and perfecting their skills. At first, the band stuck to traditional Finnish folk songs, but in the mid-1990s began playing its own original compositions. Over the years the band has had many forms and lineup changes, and is currently made up of three female vocalists and three acoustic musicians. They have performed worldwide to international acclaim and have released 14 albums, including 3 compilation albums and one live CD. This song, Aamu, is from their 1998 album Vihma.

Finnish It Up!: Värttinä and "Päivän Nousu Nostajani"

Do you ever have those time stopping moments when you are listening to music? I can honestly say that Värttinä provided me with one of those times. Megan and I were driving back to our home in San Antonio from a Lyle Lovett/Robert Earl Keen concert at Floore's Country Store in Helotes, Texas in the late 1990s. The radio was on, playing San Antonio public radio's version of a local world music show. Interstate 10 was busy as usual, despite the hour, and the music was nothing that was catching my ear (of course I didn't have a good ear for world music then). Suddenly, a riotous song that sounded like it was teetering between music and cacophony came on the radio. After a moment of "what the hell is this?" I began listening more carefully. It sounded almost Irish, but it definitely had an eastern flavor to it. I couldn't make out what instruments were being used - maybe an electric fiddle along with some crashing percussion. And the voices! Female voices singing in some language that I couldn't identify. And, it was amazing. It was one of those songs that had little elements that surprised you - where you expected something to happen something else did. It made sense and it didn't. And I loved it! It was one of those songs that I didn't want to end, and it did about four minutes after it started. I waited with baited breath to hear what the song was on the radio and when I didn't hear it, I called the radio station to find out what they had played. They couldn't quite tell but with about five songs that they gave me that they played roughly around the time I heard the song I managed to narrow it down to Värttinä's song Vihma. I immediately bought the album - it was my first non-Irish purchase of world music. Their album Vihma was just as fascinating and it was an album that almost ruined Värttinä for me, because I loved it so much other songs from other albums didn't seem the same. Vihma is still the only album by Värttinä I own, as if I am afraid to sully that moment by getting their other works.

Värttinä is a Finnish folk group founded in 1983 by sisters Sari and Mari Kaasinen, who had performed together reading poetry in the 1970s. In 1983, the sisters formed Värttinä and entered a youth arts contest with their poetry reading. They made it into the finals that first year, and the next year changed to singing and won the event. They brought on some male members in 1985 and entered the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, becoming known as the group that sings high and loud. Many children in their hometown were now eager to join the band, and finally Värttinä had to establish a new group for the youngest children to join. In 1987, at the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, they were chosen "Ensemble of the Year," and in 1988 they released their first album. In the early 1990s, they moved to Helsinki and began training at the Sibelius Academy and perfecting their skills. The band first performed traditional Finnish folk songs, but in the mid-1990s began playing its own original compositions. Over the years the band has had many forms and lineup changes, and is currently made up of three female vocalists and three acoustic musicians. They have performed worldwide to international acclaim and have released 14 albums, including 3 compilation albums and one live CD. This song, Päivän Nousu Nostajani, is from my favorite, their 1998 CD Vihma. The lyrics, hauntingly vocalized, are from the point of view of a traveling musician