Antti Paalanen

The accordion belongs to a huge worldwide family: the Basque country’s trikitixa, the Malagasy sound of the late Régis Gizavo, the bandoneón music of Astor Piazzolla, iconic French café music or American Cajun music – the list is endless. But isn’t the accordion also the voice of Finnish tradition? In this world of ever-developing technology, downloading and social media, does the accordion still have a place?

A small country must learn how to adapt, cooperate and innovate. Agility is key. Finland has a high degree of social equality, and in music this means that basically anyone can do anything. Creativity and curiosity are the wellspring of the vitality of contemporary Finnish folk music.

"What is supremely attractive is the earthiness, the urgency, the absolute conviction of voice meeting accordion."

Pull or push? Diatonal or microtonal? Traditional bear hunting celebration or reflections of the cosmos? Antti Paalanen and Veli Kujala prove that the accordion can do it all.