Karuna
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Karuna

Helsinki, Central Finland, Finland | INDIE

Helsinki, Central Finland, Finland | INDIE
Band World Acoustic

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"Froots issue 333"

Smart trio of pianist Juha Kujanpää, accordionist Teija Niku, and on nyckelharpa and fiddle the ubiquitous Esko Järvelä, plus guest guitar, double bass and percussion, play mainly Kujanpää’s substantial compositions, including mazurka, polska, minuet, waltz and wedding march, that bring hints of baroque to Finnish pelimanni style.

Froots issue 333, March 2011 - Froots issue 333


"En o-ruff guide"

Karuna är det före detta namnet på en finsk kommun, men också sanskrit för barmhärtighet, medlidande och medkänsla. I den senare betydelsen används det inom buddhismen och hinduismen. Karuna reiki kallas också en grupp symboler som används för att fokusera kraft i ett speciellt område. Allt detta kan stämma inpå den albumdebuterande, akustiska finska trion med samma namn. Karunas cd Hyvää matkaa (Bon voyage eller Trevlig resa) är en mäkta trevlig lyssning och en resa in i ett nytt finskt folkmusiklandskap. Ett landskap där gamla välbekanta vyer passerar förbi och hela tiden upprätthåller både koncentrationen och det meditativa tillståndet. Trion – två herrar och en dam – styr vår färd medelst nyckelharpa, dragspel och piano. Ibland byter de ut någon av delarna i motorn mot en fiol, tramporgel eller så. Karuna ritar utan åthävor om kartan som vi är vana vid den, men hela tiden med resväskan fylld med skandinavisk folkmusik och utan några avantgardistiska avvikningar. Inte ens när en polska blir reskamrat med akustiken i en sober konsertsal. Det är bara en synnerligen väl framförd musik, med såväl skärpa som själ.

Timo Kangas, Lira 1/2011
- Lira 1/2011


"Hufvudstadsbladet 02.02.2011"

The piano is becoming an increasingly common instrument in Finnish folk music. At best it offers a wide dynamic range of sounds, from the twinkling stars in pianissimo to the percussive and grooving patterns in fortissimo. In Karuna, Juha Kujanpää combines this dynamic width with keyed fiddle and accordion, which leads into a rare, but very harmonious result. This is really chamber music. At many places it is difficult to separate the instruments in the sound image, the sounds of the instruments are melting together that well.

Tove Djupsjöbacka, Hufvudstadsbladet 02.02.2011, translated from Swedish - Hufvudstadsbladet 02.02.2011


"Hanuri 4/2010"

The repertoire of the trio is based on Nordic folk music, but one can also hear many other music genres in it, from jazz to baroque music. The Finnish “pelimanni” style of phrasing is catchy and makes you unable to stop tapping your feet. The unisonos and parallels of violin and accordion are a pleasure to listen. The trio plays naturally and seamlessly well together.

Kimmo Mattila, Hanuri 4/2010, translated from Finnish
- Hanuri 4/2010


"Pelimanni 4/2010"

As a whole, the music of the album is beautiful, harmonic, rhythmically very precise and dynamically varied. The arrangements are working very well from the beginning to end, and they give room for the nuances of each instrument.

Minna Raskinen, Pelimanni 4/2010 (translated from Finnish)
- Pelimanni 4/2010


Discography

cd Hyvää matkaa ("Bon Voyage"), Ääniä Records 2010

Photos

Bio

Karuna is a Finnish folk music trio with three keyboard players and unique sound. The acoustic trio combines the sounds of Swedish national instrument nyckelharpa (keyed fiddle) and accordion with the rich harmonies of piano and reed organ. Karuna's music is mostly composed by the pianist Juha Kujanpää, who creatively combines Nordic folk tradition with influences from baroque music, national romanticism and jazz. The musical language has been compared to Sibelius and the sound of the Finnish forests. Esko Järvelä and Teija Niku represent the new generation of Finnish professional folk musicians. Their skills are matched by Kujanpää’s rhythmic playing and jazz background, resulting in fantastic music with many influences and harmonic twists.

Karuna’s first album “Hyvää matkaa” (“Bon Voyage”) was released in September 2010 by Ääniä Records.

About the musicians:

Esko Järvelä is a fourth generation folk musician and one of the most-known folk fiddle players in Finland. He is playing in bands such as Frigg, Es&Co, Baltic Crossing, Tsuumi Sound System and Tötterssön.

Juha Kujanpää is a versatile composer and a musician interested in the area between European jazz and folk music. Besides Karuna he is composing for his own bands Poutaja and Kirjava lintu, and plays piano and reed organ also in Ville Ojanen Band, Captain Cougar, Kuha. and Saarikorpi Brom.

Teija Niku is an accordion player graduated from the folk music department of Sibelius Academy. Besides Scandinavian folk music, she has also specialized in the music of the Balkan area. She recently released her first solo album "Finsko Pajdusko". You can hear her playing also in bands Grupa Balkan and Polka Chicks.