Maria Kalaniemi - Vilda Rosor - Finland
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Maria Kalaniemi - Vilda Rosor - Finland
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Maria Kalaniemi When I played the opening track of this record and heard Appalachian-style banjo, I wondered if I had the right CD. Then the accordion came in, and I knew everything was right with the world. "I fjol" is a Finnish-Swedish folk song that Maria Kalaniemi heard on the radio when she was young, and this arrangement with Janne Viksten on banjo is a great start to this collection of Finnish-Swedish music. Kalaniemi grew up in a home where both Swedish and Finnish were spoken. In the liner notes she states, "Both of these cultures exist side by side in my musical world." This record has a much broader stylistic range than other Kalaniemi recordings I've heard. "De Rosor Och De Blader" looks toward Eastern Europe. "Under Fullmånen" is a tango with Swedish lyrics. "Magdalena På Källebro," with lyrics that tell the story of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, begins with vocals accompanied only by some string harmonics, the notes ringing and resonating around her voice. The title cut has some prog rock electric guitar from Mikko Kosonen soaring over Kalaniemi's accordion and Viksten's banjo. On many of these songs Kalaniemi sings. On other recordings of hers that I'm familiar with she usually sticks to the accordion, and I'm really pleased she decided to sing on this collection. She has a beautiful and lyrical voice that adds a welcome layer to her musical expression. Underpinning all of this is Kalaniemi's energetic, always tasteful accordion work. She shines on the sparse arrangements, not overplaying, always blending perfectly with the other musicians. And in the more rowdy pieces she brings the fire and expression, whether playing a leading or supporting role. This collection of great music is topped off with nice packaging. Notes are in Finnish and English and there is a set of beautiful photographs from Janne Gröning. Vilda Rosor is highly recommended. -- Greg Harness CD available from cdRoots
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