Customer Reviews

Karelia Visa

5 star:		(10)
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It took me a while to warm up to it, since it was a bit slower and less edgy than other Hedingarna albums. But then after a few listens, I could not take it out of the player. This truly is marvelous music, with just the appropriate mix of folk and contemporary music. It gets even better when you sit down and read the words to the song. They are so touching in their simplicity, and at the same time quite funny or sad in places. I was glad to hear "the girls" back on this album, since their voices mix so melodiously, and complement "the boys'" music quite well. This is a great work of ethnomusicology, as well as of contemporary rock. I consider this to be one of my best buys of 1999. I highly recommend it.

Hedningarna is a superb act of unparalleled talent. In "Karelia Visa" Sanna Kurki-Suonio and Anita Lehtola present hyptnotic vocal performances that bring the richness, depth, and beauty of Karelian runosongs to the hungry ears of American listeners. "Karelia Visa" is a work that belongs in the collection of anyone who truly loves music. The songs "Mita Mina", "Ukkonen", and "Veli" are particularly noteworthy. Hedningarna proves that the wealth of one culture is best conveyed through the enriching process of cultural cooperation (Finnish + Swedish).

As a child, Finland was an enigma to me.The little impression I did have, suggested it to be quite bland, and the people reserved.As I grew older, the icey lands of our planet's north built in me a sub-conscious awe.Now, its well and truly in my awareness -the cold, the isolation, the constant wind, and the vast intact wilderness.This band introduced me to the people and culture of Finland (And on other albums, Sweden).The playfulness of spirit lives well in rural Finland, and this album shows it up well.
Hedningarna are usually quite aggressive, using 'scratchy' and 'drone-like' instruments.The females of the band usually sing like witches (but with perfect pitch).On this album though, all is sweet and pristine.The (acoustic)instruments are clear, and spaced apart.The female singers are playful and child-like.The melodies are quite subtle, but aluring.Hedningarna's other albums feel very Swedish, even in the presence of the Finnish elements.But this one feels like Finland.Apart from the quality of creation, and some tell-tale Hedningarna traits, this album is totally different to anything they've done before.
"Beautiful culture plays here."

I bought this disc mainly on the strength of Mettsän Tytto, which I heard on the Nordic Roots Music Sampler CD. Also, I felt that their "best of" album (which is a good starting point for new fans) was woefully lacking in tracks from this album. I wondered if Karelia Visa was worth the effort. But thankfully I took the chance -- I have never been more glad to be wrong.
The songs on this album take the listener on a wonderful nordic trip (along with the liner notes and booklet photos) that is most memorable. From the aforementioned Mettsän Tytto and other upbeat numbers like Mitä Minä and Alkusanat, to the haunting, rootsy atmospheres of Ukkonen and Viima, this album weaves a spell that is hard to resist. Every track is worth hearing. It is probably also the most accessible of the band's albums for newbies, as their earlier albums such as Trä and Kaksi! are more angular and experimental.
So if you are hesitating whether or not to get this disc, wait no more. This is a great example of nordic folk music -- with a heathen twist of course!

This is Hedningarna's "folkiest" CD yet, but it lacks none of the punch and drive of their earlier efforts. The Karelian runo singers have been lovingly and respectfully represented, and although this means a little less rock influence than some fans would prefer from the Heathens, I believe it to be their finest recording to date. Drone on, Heathens!

Firstly, let's quell the rumor that Hedningarna is mere "world music". Sure, their tunes are based largely on traditional Scandinavian folk music. But Hedningarna takes those songs to an entirely different --and entirely modern-- level. New-agey types who get off on sanitized world muzakky note-stringing (of whatever pseudo-ethnic stripe) would be completely put off by these wildly innovative heathens.

The tone ranges from downright demented grunge to soaring flights of quasi-religious ecstasy, usually all within the space of a song. Underpinned by three masterful Swedish multi-instrumentalists, the two Finnish women vocalists take the listener on a tour of heaven, hell, and everything in between. The vocalists are really the icing on the cake, sometimes sounding like nothing so much as blood-drunk harpies circling a fresh kill, sometimes like God's private chorus. Dissonance and consonance are likewise blended into an unpredictable --but always delightful-- mix.

In terms of accessibility, this particular Hedningarna album may prove more accessible than their others. Having said that, if you're intrigued by Karelia Visa but can't find it, don't hesitate to try Tra, Kaksi and Fire (for a more rock/punk sound), or Hippjokk (for a club mix-like sound). Their first album, Hedningarna, I'll leave for the world music purists.

I'm tempted to recommend this for everyone, but it will probably only appeal to the musically intrepid. But to the courageous go the greater rewards, an aphorism that certainly applies here.

One of my all-time favorites.

Lovely music from the heartland of Karelia. Good music to restore your humanity after a day at the office. Track 8, "Viima", is magnificent and haunting. An absolute must if you collect world music. Outstanding!

Hedningarna is fantastic! I was lucky enough to see them perform the material from "Karelia Visa" in Seattle. Very few people have the ability to bring an esoteric culture to the world's attention via music- and this is exactly what Hedningarna have done. Simply brilliant.

Hedningarna has brought the roots of a little-known culture into world view with this masterfully unique album. Combining passionate traditional sounds with modern expression, they carry the listener through the birch-tree and water-covered landscape of Karelia.

Karelia Visa was the first Hedningarna Cd I ever bought and is still one of my favorites. Great music, Hedningarna has a great ability to make everything they do sound so different the other stuff thats out their.