Kardemimmit

Kardemimmit are four young women playing the ancient Finnish national instrument, kantele. The band members are Maija Pokela, Jutta Rahmel, Anna Wegelius and Leeni Wegelius. Alongside 15 and 38 stringed kanteles, singing has a big part in Kardemimmit’s musical universe where original pieces with a modern aproach still have a strong foundation in Finnish, Eastern European and Scandinavian traditions. The Finnish reki-singing style, 19th century dancing music and Perhonjokilaakso kantele playing style, Eastern Finnish archaic improvisation and ancient runo singing are all present in Kardemimmit’s music. The band was founded already in 1999 in the musical institute Juvenalia in the band members’ home town Espoo. The long mutual history can be heard in their unique sound. The silvery tones of kantele flow together with the mesmerising singing harmonies. As a kantele band Kardemimmit are pioneers: in the year 2004 Kardemimmit were nominated the Band of the Year by Kantele Association in 2004 and the next year they won the International kantele competition. The following years Kardemimmit have been touring extensively in Europe, North America and Japan. Kardemimmit have released four albums, Viira (2006), Kaisla (2009), Autio Huvila (2012) and Onni (2015). Kaisla was republished in 2012 as The Rough Guide to the Music of Scandinavia compilation’s bonus cd Introducing Kardemimmit (www.worldmusic.net/scandinavia). Autio huvila was chosen as the Finnish folk album of the year 2012. Sound of the Finnish forest