Ton's Musical Musings: Karelian runolaulaja

Just got back from a wonderful festival called Sommelo, taking place in Finland (Kuhmo) and across the Russian border in Viena Karelia (part of the republic of Karelia).

This annual event, founded in 2006 by singer and song collector Pekka Huttu-Hiltunen, focuses especially on the old Karelian tradition of runo singing, epic songs with a typical meter of eight syllables. The young Finnish artists who are now reviving this ancient art form, study not only field recordings and transcriptions, but also visit the last remaining runolaulaja (female runo singers) still living in remote vilages in Viena Karelia.

After four days of concerts and seminars in Kuhmo, most of the festival's artists and some of the visitors travel across the border by bus for a three day tour, during which they perform in the Dom Kultury (house of culture) in the small town of Uhtua, and in the former house of Karelian writer Jouhkon Ortjo, in the now deserted village of Haikola.

Highlights of the trip were housecalls to Marina Wdovitmina (84) and Santra Remsujeva (94), who in spite of their age can still sing hundreds of old runo songs from memory, melodies and lyrics they learned from their own mothers as children. More info on www.juminkeko.fi.

Marina Wdovitmina at her home, being interviewed by Pekka Huttu-Hiltunen

Listen to the interview here:

An interview with Marina Wdovitsina

The first song Marina Wdovitsina sings, is about Väinämöinen, the wise old man who is the hero of the Kalevala, the Karelian-Finnish epos put together from runo songs by Elias Lönnrot in the 19th century. The interviewer is Pekka Huttu-Hiltunen.

posted by Ton Maas on 7/11/2008 1:14 pm | COMMENTS (2)
Comments (2)

Wow, that must have been such a great experience to go to the villages of the elder singers. Do you have any links to sample music? I'm curious as to what runo singing sounds like.

posted by katiek on 7/11/2008 1:37 pm

The Juminkeko institute in Kuhmo (Finland) has issued a series of cd's with field recordings from Karelian singers, including one by Santra Remsujeva. For modern interpretations of runo song, you could check out Liisa Matveinen and Tellu Virkkala, and also their vocal ensemble Suden Aika. These cd's are available through Amazon. Also I made a recording myself of Marina talking and singing during the interview when the picture was taken. I'll see if it can be somehow posted here.

posted by Ton Maas on 7/12/2008 4:28 am

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