Artist Profiles: Maria Kalaniemi

Maria Kalaniemi was born in May 1964. She has become one of the world’s most talented accordionists, not only as a technically skilled player but also as a gifted composer.

Maria’s specialty is the 5-row button accordion that she began playing at the age of eight. Her first real training was in classical music where she studied for eleven years. During these studies she developed an interest in traditional Finnish folk music and began working in that field as well, performing solo and with fiddlers. The “double life of Maria” continued until 1983 when two major breakthroughs occurred.

Maria was voted winner of the Golden Accordion, a live nationally televised accordion competition. The direct result of this was the opportunity to record her first album, featuring, as in the competition, traditional Finnish dance tunes. The album was released by the Accordion Institute of Ikaalinen.

Secondly, Maria entered Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy and joined Heikki Laitinen’s newly established Folk Music Department. Soon after entering, she finished her classical training completely and devoted all her time and energies to folk music.

Maria’s experience with Laitinen and his revolutionary approach to folk music training was a major turning point in her life and career. Her work there was extensive and all encompassing, including thorough knowledge of tradition, mastery of a chosen instrument, multi-instrumentalism, composition, theory, improvisation and performance, centered around a broad minded, adventurous and borderless attitude towards all forms of music. So, while progressing rapidly in her accordion skills, Maria also studied mandolin, violin and kantele and began composing and arranging.

Also in 1983, Maria and other Sibelius Academy Folk Music Department students formed the pioneering ensemble Niekku. An all woman group, except for JPP’s Arto Järvelä, Niekku set out and succeeded to reinvent Finnish folk music. Very experimental for their time, Niekku pushed trad Finnish folk into unexplored territories, in execution, arrangement, texture and style. The music, part traditional and part original compositions, was all acoustic and featured a wide range of traditional and contemporary instruments. Their three albums and numerous concerts at home and abroad established them as leaders of what became known as the “New Finnish Folk” movement.

Ever searching for new routes, Maria took off for France in 1989 to study for a short time with accordionist Marcel Azzola, another experience that would have a lasting effect.

The second major turning point came in 1990 at Maria’s Sibelius Academy graduation, where she began investigating the use of left hand free-bass melodies, an approach not previously attempted as free-bass playing was considered exclusive to the classical music genre. The free-bass technique Maria explored and developed opened up a whole new world of possibilities for her, in performance, composition and arrangement. She quickly, and with great intensity, set her course on this path and within two years she was a master, a position unique in Finland and perhaps the world.

Maria’s next album was a showcase for her now well-honed skills and distinctive style. Titled Maria Kalaniemi, it was released in 1992 by Olarin Musiikki of Finland, later in USA on the Xenophile label and again in 1998 on the Finlandia Innovators Series label. Accompanied by an all-star contemporary folk music cast including guitarist Olli Varis, JPP’s Arto Järvelä and Timo Alakotila on violin and piano respectively, Swedish fiddler Sven Ahlbäck and bassist Tapani Varis, Maria demonstrated her considerable talents as a player, writer and arranger. The material included traditional Finnish and Swedish tunes, polskas, tangos and original compositions, performed with striking dexterity and remarkable sensitivity. Critics ranged from very favorable to ecstatic and the resulting interest took her abroad for numerous concerts and tours, most notable of which was the 1994 Finnish Fever tour of USA, with fiddle stars JPP, which included sold out shows in Minneapolis, New York City and Chicago and a pile of rave reviews.

In 1995, Maria officially established her band, including Timo Alakotila, Arto Järvelä, Olli Varis, Tapani Varis and mandolinist Petri Hakala and named it Aldargaz, named after a tribe of skinheads residing in the Ural mountains. It was instantly a busy first year for Aldargaz who were featured performers (with JPP) at the Råfinskt Festival at Kulturhuset, Stockholm, immediately followed by a featured slot at the Out of the Cool festival in Vienna (with JPP and Värttinä), where audience and press response was, again, overwhelming.

Aldargaz released their Iho album in Finland in July 1995 and worldwide on the Ryko/Hannibal label in 1997. Featuring mostly original pieces by Maria and collaborator, pianist Timo Alakotila, Iho was a dramatic leap forward in composition, arrangement and style. An innovative expansion on Aldargaz’ folk-based music was the bold and complex yet easily accessible horn and string arrangements which accentuated the powerful melodies and propelled their music to a new level of sophistication.

As Maria’s popularity increased at home, she began collaborating with various performers and musicians from other genres, including, for example, the ethnic/jazz fusion group ZetaBoo. The domestic highlight of 1996, from a commercial standpoint, was her work as accompanist with the popular Finnish singer Katri Helena, on tour and on album. In the folk music field, as well, Maria engaged in several other outside artists and projects. Most notable is the Helsinki Melodeon Ladies quintet, formed in 1995, which includes Riitta Kossi of Värttinä, a project that continues to the present. Maria also previously worked with ex-Niekku singer Anna-Kaisa Liedes and with violinist Marianne Maans in the Swedish-Finnish music project Ramunders Döttrar.

In 1996, Maria and Aldargaz won the “Prize of Finland” award by the Minister of Education for artistic excellence. Maria is the first “folk music” artist in Finland’s history to receive this award which has been, until now, given exclusively to classical, jazz and pop musicians. The recognition for her accomplishments did not stop there: in 1997, Maria was awarded a three year artists’ grant from the Finnish state.

Also in 1996, Maria joined a project that expanded her horizons even further. The Accordion Tribe, a quintet of stylistically different accordionists from five countries, toured Europe in May, hitting eighteen cities in three weeks. The Tribe features eccentric and respected players Lars Hollmer, Guy Klucevsek, Bratko Bibic and Otto Lechner. This highly successful project included several sold out concerts and resulted in the 1998 release of an album on Germany’s Intuition label, the material of which was culled from radio and DAT recordings from the concerts. The Tribe returns to live action in May 1998 with an appearance at the International Festival Musique Actuelle in Victoriaville, Canada.

Other highlights of 1997 include two Swedish tours, the second of which was topped off by a packed house at Fasching Jazz Club in Stockholm, recorded and broadcast nationally by Swedish Radio, plus a live national television interview and rave reviews in the national press. Back at home Maria began work with popular singer/actor/flautist Vesa-Matti Loiri, playing accordion on his recent album and touring Finland in his band which also includes well-known electric guitarist Peter Lerche. This band has toured Finland twice, in 1997 and 1998.

For 1998, Maria kicked off the year with the Harmonikka accordion festival, a highly publicized and successful event in which she was both organiser and performer, along with Finnish and foreign accordionists. Maria and Aldargaz followed that with a January appearance at the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow, opening for Altan and performing before a sell-out crowd of 850 and again in a double bill with Värttinä. Response was so positive that Aldargaz were immediately invited back for 1999. February ’98 saw a return to Stockholm for the Ladies Next contemporary women’s music festival at Kulturhuset, where she performed solo and with the fabulous Melodeon Ladies. Maria and Aldargaz then joined the famous contemporary composer / electric bassist Pekka Pohjola and his group for a double bill at the SirpaleSinfonia contemporary composers’ concert series.

In April, Maria and guitarist Olli Varis joined Swedish accordionist Lars Hollmer and Finnish accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen in the new accordion project, Andetagen, doing a short tour of Sweden and Finland. In May, Aldargaz performed in Cantigas do Maio festival in Lisbon and in August, Festival Dranouter in Belgium followed by Glatt &Verkehrt festival in Krems, Austria.

In autumn 1998, Maria, Heikki Laitinen and Anna-Kaisa Liedes released their vocal improvisation CD entitled Pidot. This project, which also included a stunning performance in Järvenpää, is quite a departure for Maria and demonstrates her more experimental side as well as her excellent voice.

October: Maria & Aldargaz recorded their new album, titled Ahma, released in January 1999 by Rockadillo Records, Finland. Ahma features new original material from Maria and Timo Alakotila plus pieces by Olli and Tapani Varis. On October 31, Aldargaz performed at WOMEX Stockholm.

1999: In January, a return to Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow, in a triple accordion bill with Sharon Shannon and Karen Tweed. Release of Ahma CD on Rockadillo. Contribution to the French production of Peter and the Wolf, released by EMI France (part of the Wolf is played by Maria, Riitta Kossi and Maija Karhinen). Several concerts in Finland, performances in China, Canada, Estonia, France, a Swedish tour by Helsinki Melodeon Ladies in September and another Swedish tour by Aldargaz in October.

During 2000, Aldargaz took a rest and Maria spent time with various projects including Swedish-Finnish music group Ramunder, featuring violinist Marianne Maans and Aldargaz guitarist Olli Varis. Ramunder album was released in spring.

Aldargaz performed in USA in 2001 and the newly created Maria Kalaniemi Trio performed in Japan, Sweden, Serbia and Austria.

In 2002 a new album was reelased and Maria Kalaniemi toured Europe with the international accordion group Accordion Tribe, featuring Kalaniemi, Lars Hollmer (Sweden), Guy Klucevsek (USA), Otto Lechner (Austria) and Bratko Bibic (Slovenia). The Tribe tour and album release in 2002 were followed by a documentary film about the Tribe released in 2003.

On top of all that, Maria still finds time to teach accordion at Sibelius Academy Folk Music Department.

Discography:

Maria Kalaniemi (Olarin Musiikki, 1992)
Iho (Olarin Musiikki, 1995)
I Ramunders Fotspår, with Marianne Maans and- Olli Varis – ‎(Finlands Svenska Folkmusikinstitut, 2000)
Ahma (Rockadillo Records, 2001)
Ambra, with Timo Alakotila ‎(Amigo Musik, 2001)
Ilmajousi – Luftstråk, with Sven Ahlbäck ‎(Amigo Musik, 2001)
Finnish Tango ‎(ARC Music, 2003)
Viimeinen Maa – The Last Land ‎(Lurra Editions, 2003)
Bellow Poetry (Aito Records, 2005)
Vilda Rosor (Aito Records, 2010)
Åkerö, with Timo Alakotila ‎(Åkerö, 2011)
Under Bar Himmel – Taivasalla, with Marianne Maans, Ape Anttila ‎(Maans, 2014)
Svalan, with Eero Grundström ‎(Åkerö, 2017)