Huria

Plunging into the rich flow of Kainuu songs has been a journey to traditional tales spread and enrichened by various folk singers over centuries. Broadside ballads found their way to common people by chapmen. Original tunes and melodies from all over Finland were carried into the texts. The songs in this album originate from the repertoires of folk singers in Kainuu region. A song is a story, an illustration, a feeling. Warm, opalescent colours of the Northern sky reflecting from the water. Constantly changing, yet lasting throughout ages. Songs offer us Memorable Moments in time. The new CD of Sanna Kurki-Suonio and Riitta Huttunen is a major event in Finnish contemporary folk music. The album is the duo´s debut and also Sanna's first recording in six years on her own name. Sanna and Riitta have restored the old Finnish traditional songs and hymns from Kainuu region. The sound is very simple but beautiful, featuring only Sanna's magical voice and Riitta's traditional kantele. The album's producer, musician Taito Hoffrén is also singing on one of the tracks. Sanna Kurki-Suonio is a unique talent, a singer who understands the rich tradition of her instrument but who is also interested in exploring contemporary styles and techniques. Sanna is internationally best known for her career with Swedish folk rock band Hedningarna. She sang and played on and composed for Hedningarna's three most successful albums, Kaksi (1992), Trä (1994) and Karelia Visa (1999), and performed with the band all over the world for more than eight years. Sanna's first solo album Musta was released internationally in 1998 and got excellent reviews. After her solo album she toured USA and Europe with Swedish viola player Magnus Stinnerbom, composed the Kalevala 150th Anniversary concert with Finnish rock star A.W. Yrjänä and sang on recordings by a.o. Ismo Alanko, Pekka Lehti, Hannu Saha, Transjoik, Frode Fjellheim and Tapiola Chamber Choir. Riitta Huttunen graduated from the folk music department of Sibelius Academy in 1995. She also studied koto playing in Japan and West-Javanese music and dance in Indonesia. She has worked as a kantele player in many folk music and kantele ensembles, including Katrilli and Rautaneidot, since 1985 and has performed in Russia, Germany, Japan, Indonesia, USA, Hungary, Mexico and Greece. Riitta researched and edited the book Kainuun laulukirja (Songbook from Kainuu) in 2001, which gave Sanna the inspiration for their duo as well as for this recording.