“Drops” (Bafe’s Factory, 2015)
Vilma Timonen Quartet is releasing their third album, Drops later this month. This superb ensemble from Finland fuses Finnish folk music with global music elements. What characterizes the sound of the band is the mesmerizing sound of the ancient kantele (a zither found In Finland, Estonia and Karelia) with a variable number of strings) and the gorgeous vocals of Vilma Timonen.
The group describes itself as a fusion band and indeed they perform a fusion of various musical elements ad traditions. However, this is not the jazz fusion where musicians play extensive improvised solos. Instead, the pieces are highly structured and melodic with a focus on the pristine voice and the kantele.
In some pieces, the quartet uses multiple vocals, creating wonderful polyphonic effects. In addition to being the lead vocalist, Vilma Timonen is also the kantele player and she takes the musical instrument into new dimensions, away from the traditional style, delivering spellbinding performances.
The repertoire includes all original compositions by Vilma Timonen, Jaakko Kämäräinen and Tuomas Timonen with some traditional lyrics.
The lineup on Drops includes Vilma Timonen on Kantele and vocals; Jaakko Kämäräinen on bass and vocals; Topi Korhonen on guitar, trumpet, mandolin and vocals; and Tuomas Timonen on percussion and vocals.
Finland is a relatively small country that produces an astonishing amount of excellent recordings rooted in its folk traditions. Vilma Timonen Quartet’s previous recording, Forward, won of the most prestigious awards in Finland. Drops is a beautifully crafted album that deserves special attention from the international world music community.
Purchase Drops in North America
Purchase Drops in Europe
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
