Track Listing

1. Eriskummainen Kantele/My Kantele
2. Kultaansa Ikavoiva/There Is My Lover
3. Viimesen Kerran/ The Very Last Time
4. Minuet And Polska
5. Kun Mun Kultani Tulisi/Missing Him
6. Valamon Kirkonkellot/Valamo Cloister Bells
7. Ai, Ai Taas Sattuu/Oh, Oh, It Hurts Again
8. Suo/Marshland
9. Kolme Kaunista/Three Things Of Beauty
10. Ievan Polkka/leva's Polka

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #22620 in Music
• Released on: 1998-02-24
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced

Amazon.com
The kantele, a mix of harp, hammered dulcimer, and zither, is Finland's national instrument, and Loituma show the range of its possibilities on this album. Ranging from the traditional, like "Leva's Polka" (which was released as a Finnish single and hit the charts), to the modern, the band covers a musical territory that encompasses the atmospheric with Marti Pokela's insidious "Marshaland" and "Three Things of Beauty," whose words are adapted from Kalevala poetry, and bring to mind an acoustic Cocteau Twins. Originally formed by two singers who later moved to Hedningarna, Loituma produce a lovely balance of vocal and instrumental pieces that offer unalloyed joy while introducing American audiences to the light magic that is the kantele. --Chris Nickson

Customer Reviews

One jewel makes the CD worht buying
I bought this CD because it has the song "Ievan Polka" in it. I listened to "Ievan Polka" online, at Google Videos. This is one of the most amazing songs I have ever heard. It is full of life, joy, energy, happiness and enthusiasm. It is Finish folk music. Loituma sings the song with no instruments other than their voices. This one song is one of the most beautiful songs ever in my whole life. I really didn't care at all for all other items in the CD. I copied "Ievan Polka" to my computer, I burnt an 80-minute audio CD with nothing in it other than "Ievan Polka" over and over and over. The full CD I made has only "Ievan Polka" repeated time and time again. I listened to it in my car for three full weeks before changing the CD.

fabulous ancient suomic music sung with a deep delicate contralto voice
The quality of the music for normal ears may be 3 to 4 stars but the linguistic and historic value of these ancient suomic music and the delicateness of the voice , resembling the softness of Alison Krauss , to me , an old glottologist , is immense for the insight in the word and communication sytem formation it supplies

Loituma Lives Up To Their Name
You read that Vainamoinen, hero the the Finnish epic "Kalevala" worked great feats of magic and charms by playing the Kantele (Finnish harp) as no other could. You will be a believer when you hear Loituma's "Things of Beauty." I was amazed at the wealth of undiscovered beauty that has been brought forth by Baltic Finnish culture. For example, the exquisite "Kolme Kaunista" 'Three Things of Beauty'. It captures the essence of that surge of joy one feels on a beautiful summer day. "Valamon Kirkonkellot" 'Valamo Cloister Bells' is exceptional in its conveyance of Karelian Orthodox bells. Timo Vaananen delivers a beautiful vocal performance in "Kultaansa Ikavoiva" 'There is My Lover' alongside Sanna-Kurki Sounio's (now of Hedningarna fame) lovely "Eriskumainen Kantele" 'My Kantele.' This album is a gem.