Customer Reviews

Iho

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Maria Kalaniemi must have learned to play the accordian before she learned to talk. Her stylings are unlike any other accordian music you have ever heard, and you will find yourself amazed with both the skill and artistry this Finnish musician applies to an instrument that many people consider quaint or even silly. No one will laugh at these recordings. The music is soulful and eerie, sometimes quite playful, and always compelling. If you like new-age violin music, popular Celtic ensembles, and electronic flutes and harps, then you must add the accordian to your list. Kalaniemi takes the accordian out of the polka circuit and into the imagination. It is accordian music for the soul, like you've never heard it.

Listening to this album always makes me feel as if I'm escaping with a caravan of gypsies. Whether upbeat or a little melancholy, every song makes me feel free. If you like world music, you should add this, or one of her other albums, to your collection to give it a Norther European flavor.

Don't pay attention to the prior review implying any connection between what this music is and "new age" pablum. This music is living stuff, lively and satisfying. The first song on this album grabs you by the ears and won't let go. There is some contemplative stuff too, but it's much more harmonically interesting than what I'd consider new-age. She's a winner.