Teija Niku: Tovi

Music diary, Feb 18, 2026 Teija Niku is one of Finland's leading folk musicians. She plays the chromatic button accordion, that massive thing with a zillion tiny buttons, with stupendous skill, style and passion. I've heard her playing live and it's just mesmerizing what someone can get out of an instrument that looks like a … Continue reading Teija Niku: Tovi

Finland’s Frigg promise you Dreamscapes and deliver in full

One of Finland's folk music spearheads internationally has been, for over two decades already, the masterful Frigg. They both continue and reform the Finnish folk and fiddle traditions as they swing from very traditional to very original, sometimes album by album. Two albums back, they released the inventive FriXX that was also meant as a … Continue reading Finland’s Frigg promise you Dreamscapes and deliver in full

Finnish folk music special: it’s not what it once was…

I am writing this on December 6, 2023, the 106th independence day of my country. This year, and the last, our independence has felt more important to than ever in my soon 58 years on this earth, due to the horrifying actions of our gigantic neighbor to the east of us. Having said that, I … Continue reading Finnish folk music special: it’s not what it once was…