Sound Travels this week is going to be in one of few places that's actually colder than Wisconsin, or at least it seems so in my imagination, Scandinavia. All week we'll be checking out music from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark , Iceland and maybe even Greenland.
Started out with something that was amoung the best of 2012 according to British world music mag Songlines, The Kronos Quartet & Kimo Pohjonen's "Särmä." The Kronos Quartet is from Seattle, Kimo Pohjonen however is an acclaimed Finnish performer whose work sounds avant-garde at times and rustic at others; a master of the obscure Finnish sound known as the 'murder ballad.' Jimi Tenor is one of those cats whose nationality was unkown to me, though I'm familiar with his generally afrobeat oriented compositions. So it was actually a bit of a surprise when I learned he is from Finland. I played something from his collab with afrobeat legend/co-founder Tony Allen.
The last time I played Finnish tunes I became familiar with some of her reggae artists and found an intriguing little tune on a Raappana album from an artist named Paarma. An enigma on the internet, but sounding good on the air in Milwaukee. Ended today's Finnish excursion with a punky number from 22-Pistepirkko, who are acclaimed in Finland as well as Central Europe in general, on a tune that is a Finnish cover of a Link Wray tune; cool stuff, not cold at all.
The Kronos Quartet & Kimo Pohjonen "Särmä"
Sanna Kurki-Suonio "Ei Musta"
Jimi Tenor & Tony Allen "Sinuhe"
Paarma "Puhelias Suu"
22-Pistepirkko "Ouwee"