Värttinä is the crown jewel of Finnish folk/world music with a history already more than 30 years old (the group began as a children’s project in the village of Rääkkylä in 1983). Their international breakthrough followed the release of album Oi Dai in 1991. In an illustrious musical career, Värttinä has recorded for such labels as Nonesuch, Realworld, Rockadillo and Westpark Music, and collaborated with A. R. Rahman in composing the music for the theatrical adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, which played in Toronto in 2006 and London in 2007.
Värttinä’s trademark has always been razor-sharp harmonies sung by powerful leading ladies, currently the founding member Mari Kaasinen with Susan Aho and Karoliina Kantelinen. Viena is Värttinä’s thirteenth studio album and its music was inspired by the trip the group made to the Viena Karelian folklore villages in Russia, where they had unique encounters with the last surviving "rune singers" in the region. These singers are the last living connection to an ancient culture that is thousands of years old, and out of which Kalevala folk poetry tradition was born. During their journey, Värttinä enjoyed remarkable nature experiences, which have also inspired the album (as the natural world informs so much of their repertoire). The Viena album is a tribute to Värttinä’s Viena Karelian musical roots.
01 - Taivasranta
02 - Raijan Joiku
03 - Kanaset
04 - Kelo
05 - Ukonlammas
06 - Kokko
07 - Tietäväinen
08 - Kiri
09 - Ikuikävä
10 - Karuliinan Kangaspuut
11 - Otavaiset
12 - Oi Dai
Mari Kaasinen - Vocals
Susan Aho - Vocals
Karoliina Kantelinen - Vocals
Matti Kallio – accordion, flute, production
Lassi Logrén – violin, jouhikko (bowed lyre), nyckelharpa (keyed fiddle)
Matti Laitinen – string instruments