J.P.P. is a group of Finnish folk musicians from Kaustinen. The group still uses the Kaustinen traditional settings with fiddles, harmonium and double bass, although their arrangements are more advanced than those of earlier generations of traditional musicians in the area. The group's repertoire consists of traditional tunes, as well as newly-composed music in old-style dance rhythms -- polskas, waltzes, schottisches, etc. -- as well as some Finnish-style tangos, and some jazz and bluegrass influences too.
Järvelän Pikkupelimannit began in the early 1980s as an offshoot of the group Järvelän Pelimannit, which consisted mainly of older musicians (in Finnish pelimanni) from the village of Järvelä. The group's original full name, literally "Little Fiddlers of Järvelä," was abbreviated "JPP," which then became the group's official name. JPP further developed local musical tradition with their innovative arrangements and, inspired by other folk music groups, played not only local tunes but also those from other parts of the country. Group members Arto Järvelä and Timo Alakotila have been mainly responsible for the group's original compositions and arrangements.
Most of the members have studied at the Sibelius-Akatemia University, mainly at the folk music department. For many years the band consisted of brothers Jouni and Arto Järvelä, who are fourth-generation folk musicians from Järvelä, their uncle Mauno Järvelä and Jarmo and Juha Varila on fiddles, Timo Alakotila on harmonium, and Janne Virkkala on double bass. Jouni Järvelä and the Varila brothers were later succeeded by Matti Mäkelä and Tommi Pyykönen, first on tours and then also on recordings. Antti Järvelä followed Timo Myllykangas on bass.
While JPP releases fewer recordings today than in its early years, the group still tours in both Europe and North America, mainly performing at folk music/world music festivals. Group members have several additional projects, especially Arto Järvelä and Tima Alakotila who are involved in many other groups, both pure folk music and fusions with other styles. Mauno Järvelä, who used to play in symphony orchestra, is currently very active as a teacher of violin and pelimanni music. His method of teaching children to play violin, related to the Suzuki method, is nicknamed the sisuki method.[citation needed]
The double bass, also known simply as the bass, amongst other names, is the largest and, therefore, lowest-pitched chordophone in the modern symphony orchestra. Similar in structure to the cello, it has four, although occasionally five, strings.
A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, the style of the music played may determine specific construction differences between fiddles and classical violins. For example, fiddles may optionally be set up with a bridge with a flatter arch to reduce the range of bow-arm motion needed for techniques such as the double shuffle, a form of bariolage involving rapid alternation between pairs of adjacent strings. To produce a "brighter" tone than the deep tones of gut or synthetic core strings, fiddlers often use steel strings. The fiddle is part of many traditional (folk) styles, which are typically aural traditions—taught "by ear" rather than via written music.
The music of Finland can be roughly divided into folk music, classical and contemporary art music, and contemporary popular music.
A Hardanger fiddle is a traditional stringed instrument considered to be the national instrument of Norway. In modern designs, this type of fiddle is very similar to the violin, though with eight or nine strings and thinner wood. The F-holes of the Hardanger fiddle are distinctive, oftentimes with a more "sunken" appearance, and generally straighter edges. Four of the strings are strung and played like a violin, while the rest, named understrings or sympathetic strings, resonate under the influence of the other four. These extra strings are tuned and secured with extra pegs at the top of the scroll, effectively doubling the length of a Hardingfele scroll when compared to a violin. The sympathetic strings, once fastened to their pegs, are funneled through a "hollow" constructed fingerboard, which is built differently than a violin's, being slightly higher and thicker to allow for these extra strings. The resonant strings lie on the center of the special bridge, attached to extra hooks on the tailpiece. Carved out within the center of the bridge is a smaller secondary "bridge", or opening, designed specifically for these resonant strings to pass through. This is where the resonance is picked up and reverberated; as notes are played, the vibrations are sent through the bridge, where the sympathetics echo those notes.
Kaustinen is a municipality of Finland. It is part of the Central Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population about 4300 and covers an area of 361.12 square kilometres (139.43 sq mi) of which 7.09 km2 (2.74 sq mi) is water. The population density is 11.68 inhabitants per square kilometre (30.3/sq mi).
Kimmo Pohjonen is a Finnish accordionist who is known for his avant-garde and experimental work with his custom-made electrified and modified instrument. He has released nine albums of his work and has toured Europe extensively, as well as performances in Japan and some in North America. He records and performs both solo and in collaboration with musicians and other artists, including the Kronos Quartet, and percussionist Pat Mastelotto and guitarist Trey Gunn of King Crimson. Pohjonen still lives in Finland when not on the road. He has performed with one of his daughters, Saana, who plays the drums.
Vihma is Värttinä's 7th album, released in 1998. It is primarily pop- and rock-influenced Finnish folk music. However, three tracks also include Tuvan throat singing.
Timo Alakotila is a Finnish composer, arranger, and musician born 15 July 1959.
Maria Kalaniemi is a Finnish accordionist. She was classically trained, gaining her MMus from the Sibelius Academy in 1992, but has become mostly known as a folk musician having played this music from childhood, besides her classical music studies, and also at the folk music department of the Sibelius Academy.
Arto Järvelä is a Finnish fiddler and composer. Because of the many groups and projects he is involved in, he has been called "the busiest man in Finnish folk music". He is primarily a violinist, but among other instruments of his are nyckelharpa, mandolin and kantele. Arto Järvelä is the fourth generation of the well known Järvelä fiddler family, whose musical roots belong in the rural area close to the small town Kaustinen.
Traditional Nordic dance music is a type of traditional music or folk music that once was common in the mainland part of the Nordic countries — Scandinavia plus Finland. The person who plays this kind of music might be called speleman (Swedish/Norwegian), spelman (Swedish), spel(l)emann (Norwegian), pelimanni (Finnish) or spillemand (Danish). Finnish traditional dance music is often called pelimanni music in English, while there does not seem to exist a similar, widespread term for the corresponding music from the other countries. It is often more meaningful to distinguish between the traditional dance music from different regions than between music from the countries as such. Some concepts in the field can be defined as Norwegian or Finnish, but most are either common to all four countries or local. Besides the dance music tradition, all countries also have other traditions of folk music that are not shared to a similar extent.
A string band is an old-time music or jazz ensemble made up mainly or solely of string instruments. String bands were popular in the 1920s and 1930s, and are among the forerunners of modern country music and bluegrass. While being active countrywide, in Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs they are a huge part of its musical culture and traditions, appearing, among others, in the yearly Mummers Parade.
Mauno Järvelä is a Finnish fiddler, violinist and music pedagogue. He is the uncle of Arto Järvelä, and both of them are members in the successful folk music group JPP, whose roots are the pelimanni tradition from Kaustinen. Mauno Järvelä also plays in Timo Alakotilas tango project Unto Tango Orchestra (Tango-orkesteri Unto) together with, among others, Maria Kalaniemi.
Voice of Wilderness is the second studio album by Finnish folk metal band Korpiklaani. It was released on 1 February 2005 through Napalm Records.
Spirit of the Forest is the debut studio album by Finnish folk metal band Korpiklaani. It was released in 2003 through Napalm Records.
Loituma is a Finnish quartet whose members combine the Finnish vocal tradition with the sounds of the kantele. Loituma were selected Ensemble of the Year at the 1997 Kaustinen Folk Music Festival.
Erik Hokkanen is an American fiddler, guitar player, and composer living in Austin, Texas. Erik is known for performing and composing an array of musical styles, including gypsy music, western swing, surf rock, rock music, rockabilly, bluegrass music, and classical. He moves effortlessly among instruments, often playing violin while an electric guitar hangs down his back. A third generation Finn raised in Florida, Erik has toured extensively throughout Scandinavia, playing major festivals and clubs with top Finnish musicians.
JPP is a group of Finnish folk musicians, formerly called Järvelän Pikkupelimannit.
Hyperborea is a folk music group, comprising four Finnish musicians. They are:
Hunka Lunka is the only studio album by Finnish folk music band Shamaani Duo, who later changed their name to Shaman, and later to Korpiklaani. This album featured the original lineup of the band, which consisted of guitarist/singer/songwriter Jonne Järvelä and singer Maaren Aikio. Aikio departed following the release of this album, and the band morphed into Shaman.
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