The Finnish American Folk Festival of Naselle is pleased to announce a featured performing group for our festival . . .

Kardemimmit

Kardemimmit is a folk music band playing Finland’s ancient national instrument, kantele, with a fresh, new style.

The band consists of four young women: Maija Pokela, Jutta Rahmel, Anna Wegelius and Leeni Wegelius. Kardemimmit was formed ten years ago by a kantele artist Sanna Huntus, a teacher of girls in Music Institute Juvenalia, and a master of arts in folk music. During ten years Kardemimmit has performed on numerous occasions and Finnish music festivals, such as Kaustinen Folk Music Festival. The first CD, Viira, was released in December 2006. Now Kardemimmit is working on new material to release a new album at the end of this year.

Kardemimmit also co-operates with other professional folk music bands, and can be heard on the next CD of Finnish-Norwegian Frigg (to be released in July).

The music of Kardemimmit is based on Finnish and Scandinavian music tradition, but their tunes are mainly of their own inspiration. All the members of Kardemimmit play several kinds of kanteles from five-stringed to 38-stringed concert kanteles. Singing has a big part in their music. They have been described as fresh, talented and creative. Their music combines different kantele playing styles and has lots of influences from new Finnish folk music, also other than kantele music.

Kardemimmit has been selected as the Kantele Band of the year 2004 by Kanteleliitto (the official kantele association of Finland). They also won the National Kantele Band Contest 2005. Kardemimmit is one of the best known kantele bands in Finland: this summer they will perform at Finland’s biggest folk music festivals, the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival and Haapavesi Folk.

More information on the band: www.myspace.com/kardemimmit.

They are scheduled to play several times during our festival: twice on Friday and three times on Saturday.

More music at the festival: finnam.naselle.net/2008/music/.