Värttinä are classy and commercial survivors of the Finnish folk scene. They started out 32 years ago, and succeeded by treating traditional material and folk-pop songs with exquisite three-part female harmony vocals. They wrote the music for the stage version of Lord of the Rings in collaboration with Bollywood hero AR Rahman, but are still rooted in traditional music; this set is inspired by visits to the Viena Karelian villages across the border in Russia, celebrated for their ancient folk traditions. The harmony work is as exhilarating as ever, with founder member Mari Kaasinen now joined by long-term colleague Susan Aho and newcomer Karoliina Kantelinen. Backed by three multi-instrumentalists, they switch from self-composed dance songs to laments, but are at their best with traditional songs, from the stately, flute-backed Kokko to the thrilling and edgy a capella singing on Raija’s Yoik.
