Heikki Laitinen

“Although I have delved deep into archives and particularly into the traditional music of the Suistamo area through my research, the fact is that modern folk music finds its inspiration absolutely anywhere, not just in dusty antiquities,” writes Anne-Mari Kivimäki, a composer and the developer of the modern Karelian accordion trance style, who is also known as a member of the band Suistamon Sähkö.

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.

“'The archaic is avant-garde!', is a provocative catch-cry, but also the truth. It is also true that both the archaic and the avant-garde are necessary for the arts." This column is part of the series "On my music and beyond", where composers and other music makers write about their music.

"Laitinen flexes his vocals to varied roles, portraying the whole spectrum of emotions: humour, jealousy, love, sadness, smugness, weakness, cruelty and the feeling of abandonment. As the ballads open a window into humanity, you forget the theme of murder...

The world music market has seen a boom in Celtic, African and Latin American music. Many people believe that it is the turn of the Nordic countries next.