Music
Press
Ida Elina’s debut album Songs of Freedom is phenomenal, no kantele player has ever done something like this before. -- Her voice is soft and the singing is very skillful and hand in hand with the playing the music is both grooving and innovative.
Kantele -magazine, Maija Pokela (02/2012)
- Kanteleliitto
The cd introduces a kantele player Ida Elina who might be the most interesting phenomenon inside the Finnish Christian music ground at the moment.
Ristin Voitto, Christian weekly magazine (06.08.2012)
- Ristin voitto
The Finnish top-kanteleplayers were performing at the Feeniks-club on Friday and Saturday evening. All the performers on both nights were pros with very personal repertoires. All of them were performing their own original tunes and the solos of Maija Kauhanen and Ida Elina were especially unforgettable. We should really imprint the names of these women on our minds.
Kantele-magazine, Sauli Heikkilä (05.27.2011)
- Kanteleliitto
Ida Elina (Päivi Ollikainen) is a singer-songwriter who won the 1st price in the professional series in the 1st International Kantele Competion. Her kanteleplaying is very rhythmic and skillful.
Hannu Saha,
Finnish composer, folk musician, Professor in the Folk Music Department in Sibelius-Academy
- Kanteleliitto
Ida Elina’s way to play the kantele is unique.
- Vantaan Lauri (08.23.2012)
Ida Elina has created a totally new and amazing way to play the kantele (Finnish zither). Her strong and soulful voice combined with her virtuosic kanteleplaying plus the message of her songs are really something unheard-of..
- Maanalainen Levykauppa - The Underground Record Store
Discography
Album: Songs of Freedom (2012)
Photos
Bio
Ida Elina is a 25-year-old singer-songwriter and a new generation kantele player from Finland. Her music is described as unique, intensive kantelegospel with the touch of r&b – mentioning Michael Jackson, Kirk Franklin and Whitney as the ones of her major musical influences.
After some attempts to form a band of her own she decided to create a totally new way of playing her instrument to bring out the rhythm. Now her kanteleplaying combined with her strong and characteristic voice is just something you've never heard before.
Ida Elina's debut album Songs of Freedom was released in June 2012.
Ida Elina is the first pop-jazz-kanteleplayer in Finland and graduated from Sibelius-Academy with the master's degree in Music in 2012. She's also the winner of the professional series in the 1.international kantelecompetition that was held in Helsinki in May 2011.
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