Äijä

Äijä are a male choir from Pirkanmaa, Finland. They offer a unique experience in traditonal singing. I was actually seeking out some Finnish music a few weeks ago…I was after something that sounded different and inspiring when I came across Äijä. Their diversity of styles are imense and cover traditions from across the world. The majoity of the songs they sing are old and hearing them is quite a moving experience. They include songs from the Ukraine, Mordvinia, Albania, Georgia, Russia, the USA and Estonia.

I got the same feeling listening to Äijä that I got when I heard the singing from the film documentary, Echoes Of Home, which I reviewed here. It is quite hard to pin down but there is something about this music that gives it a feeling of being ancient. It has a natural and earthly quality that is difficult to put into words, so what better than to hear it:

S’Accettuzzedda

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Jet-Black Woman

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Their album, Jet-Black, was nominated for a Finnish Grammy in 2009.

Links:Myspace

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