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
[audio:http://www.box.net/shared/static/suyxnu7i1d.mp3|titles=S’Accettuzzedda|artists=Aija]

Jet-Black Woman
[audio:http://www.box.net/shared/static/8j0lqzcqz9.mp3|titles=Jet-Black Woman|artists=Aija]

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

Links:Myspace