News: Merja Soria's song "Melkutus"(included in this recording) was part of the National Geographic Television program "Beyond the Movie: The Lord of The Rings"

Merja Soria
Arctic Silence
currently unavailable

15 traditional songs from Finland, performed by this US based, Finnish singer and 5-and 10-string kantele player. She is accompanied by Jeff Gauthier (electric and acoustic violins), John Bergamo (percussion), Jeanette Wrate (frame drum, jaw harp, chimes), Alex Khalil (overtone-singing and saz) and Anne Whattoff (vocals).

Merja is a native of Finland. She graduated from the Sibelius- Academy folk music deparment in 1997 and now teaches traditional music of Finland at San Diego State University. She also perform around the country; and finds these songs have become her Finnish way to communicate with American culture.

Listen to "Kylä Vuotti Uutta Kunta" (Real Audio)
MP3 samples:
Yksi, Kaksi, Kolme, Neljä
Likka Istu Kivellä
Allalaarian Alalammi

"Finnish singer and kantele player Merja Soria has settled in San Diego to teach and play music, but her roots are still solidly in Suomi. On Arctic Silence (self-produced) Soria presents songs for solo kantele or voice, kantele and voice, and some small ensemble pieces with violin (including one lovely piece with an electric fiddle), frame drums, Jews harp, percussion, backing vocals and on two tracks, overtone vocals. Soria plays these traditional songs with wistful pleasure and a simple freshness, not so much in a strict traditional manner as in a creative style that holds a lot of respect for traditional while seeking to be true to not only her Finnish roots but her new environs in California." - CF

See more music from Finland

The artist writes in Kantele.com:
Finding A Purpose In Five Strings (1997)

When I came to this country eight years ago with my husband, daughter and musical instruments, I was prepared for a life that would be very different from what I knew in Finland. I had studied Finnish folk music in Sibelius Academy and was convinced that here in San Diego I would never find an audience for the music that I loved so much.

The first year in this country was the most difficult. I didn't belong here, and felt I had no purpose in this community. That is when I turned to the kantele and ancient Finnish music. It was the music that brought me the "home away from home," a sense of being part of an invisible chain of women, the ones who came before me and told their story through these songs. I soon started to share my songs with other people, first with Finnish-American, then with American audiences. I realized that even American people loved these ancient songs, they always told me that the melodies sounded so strangely familiar and soothing, even they knew they never had heard them before.

I decided to start teaching kantele and Finnish folk music for both Finnish-Americans and Americans. In 1991 I began teaching kantele in the Finnish community of San Diego and in 1992 at San Diego State University (SDSU).

At San Diego State University I first taught non-music majors, then in 1993 music majors as well. The music majors were so enthusiastic about Finnish music that we decided to form a professional ensemble called Suddenly Finnish. The group performed Finnish music for mostly American audiences around California. Our most important performance was in Washington D.C. in 1996; a concert for Smithsonian Institution at the Embassy of Finland.

You can read the full article here

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