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Kardemimmit is a Finnish vocal and kantele quartet which consists of good friends Maija, Jutta, Anna and Leeni. Introducing Kardemimmit is the group’s first international album and is filled with the girls’ sweet voices singing in close harmony, interwoven with the delicate sounds of their accompanying zithers. The modern folk sound of Kardemimmit is achieved through a fresh attitude and their own repertoire, as well as a reworking of old folk traditions in which both vocal and instrumental techniques are based.
Introducing Kardemimmit is an album that oozes the quartet’s signature sensitive style. It however consists of some darker songs such as Tuonen Tyttö whose traditional Finnish lyrics describe a sea faring maiden of death who rows onto shore to collect the souls of dead people. The free downloadable track is more upbeat; ‘Huoleton Rakkauslaulu’ is a carefree love song with a catchy refrain..
Pre-order a copy of the album here
Click here to download ‘Huoleton Rakkauslaulu’, a song by Kardemimmit from their forthcoming album Introducing Kardemimmit
The four girls met at a music school over ten years ago and have since then been performing all over Scandanavia and the USA. With the album Introducing Kardemimmitthe artists will increase further awareness about the kantele in countries where zithers are nowadays viewed as unusual and ancient instruments. Finland’s national instrument is often compared to the harp due to the similarity in sound and romantic depictions in art, but is however most closely related to Russian and Baltic zithers.The zither, whose origins are likely to be over 2000 years old, comes in various sizes and the group often performs with at least one large kantele which functions as a bass. Especially the art of the small and simple versions was heading towards extinction in the late 20th century when new instruments became more popular. These days there as been a revival; kanteles are being miked-up at concerts and kantele players can even rely on sound archives to learn century old techniques. Kardemimmit is a great example which shows that the kantele has definitively not seen its last days.
Watch here a live performance of the opening track 'Tuonen tyttö' (Maiden of Death) of Kardemimmit's new album:
