Finnish music | World Music Central

Antti Paalanen - Photo by Kimmo Kansala. Paalanen playing accordion in a field.

Artist Profiles

Bellows To The Metal: Antti Paalanen’s Breathbox Revolution

(headline image: Antti Paalanen – Photo by Kimmo Kansala) Antti Paalanen, born in 1977 and raised in Southern Ostrobothnia’s pelimanni heartland, builds a roaring engine…

Hildá Länsman black and white photo - photo by Meeri Koutaniemi

Artist Profiles

Hildá Länsman’s Voice of the North

Angel Romero September 13, 2025 No Comments Finnish music Hildá Länsman joik Sami music world music

(headline image: Hildá Länsman – photo by Meeri Koutaniemi) Hildá Länsman was born in 1993 in Utsjoki, Finland. Utsjoki is Finland’s northernmost corner, where the…

Ne Lintuizet, 2022 - Photo by Tero Ahonen

Artist Profiles

Ne Lintuizet Biography

Angel Romero September 6, 2025 No Comments Finnish music folk-rock Kielo Kärkkäinen Laura Moisio Lauri Myllymäki Ne Lintuizet Pekko Käppi world music

(headline image: Ne Lintuizet – Photo by Tero Ahonen) Ne Lintuizet, a Finnish folk supergroup founded in 2024, unites four seasoned songwriters: Pekko Käppi, Laura…

Artist Profiles

Áššu Keeps the Flame of Joik Alive

Angel Romero September 6, 2025 No Comments Áššu Finnish music Sami music Ulla Pirttijärvi world fusion world music

(headline image: Áššu – photo by Oda Wenaas Torget) Áššu, whose name means Embers in Northern Sámi, is a trio that refuses to let tradition…

The album cover for Nouse Luonto – Lauluja Monimuotoisuudesta features delicate, red tree roots spreading downward against a misty green and white watercolor background

Album reviews

Raise Your Voice, Save the Wild: A Folk-Powered Ode to Finnish Biodiversity

Angel Romero July 8, 2025 No Comments Alina Järvelä Anette Åkerlund Ánnámarját Antti Paalanen Charlotta Hagfors Désirée Saarela Esko Järvelä Finnish music Iida Savolainen Juho Kivivuori Kimmo Pohjonen Kirsi Vinkki Maija Kauhanen Maria Kalaniemi Meriheini Luoto Nouse Luonto Olli Kari Oskari Lehtonen Petri Prauda Piia Kleemola Tero Hyväluoma Tommi Asplund Topi Korhonen Vesa Norilo world music

Various Artists – Nouse Luonto – Lauluja Monimuotoisuudesta (Nordic Notes / CPL-Musicgroup, 2025) Nouse Luonto (“Rise, Nature”) is a remarkable collaborative album that brings together…

The album cover for Joku Raja Rakkaudessakin by Pauanne features a folkloric illustration of a two-headed, red-toned figure—half male, half female—set against a textured, patterned backdrop. Stylized birds, hearts, and silhouettes decorate their bodies.

Album reviews

Across the Boundaries of Love: Pauanne’s “Joku Raja Rakkaudessakin”

Madison Quinn July 4, 2025 No Comments Finnish music Karelian music Pauanne world music

Pauanne – Joku Raja Rakkaudesakin (Nordic Notes / CPL-Musicgroup, 2025) As I first pressed play on a cool spring evening, the ghostly violin and kantele…

The album cover for Värttinä – Kyly features red geometric folk motifs arranged symmetrically on a dark, textured blue wood background. The band’s name and album title appear in red gothic lettering.

Charts

Värttinä Surges to the Summit of World Music Charts Europe for July 2025

World Music Central News Room July 1, 2025 No Comments accordion Ammar 808 Barbora Xu Brighde Chaimbeul Camille Saglio Danças Ocultas Elana Sasson Finland Finnish music Grecia Albán Groupa Hamid Drake jouhikko Jules Maxwell Kadialy Kouyaté kantele Karoliina Kantelinen Lassi Logrén Lina_Majid Bekkas Mandé Sila Mari Kaasinen Matthieu Saglio Matti Laitinen Mikko Hassinen Natalia Lafourcade Nguyên Lê Oktopus Rodrigo Leão Salif Keita Sofia Leao Susan Aho Urna Chahar-Tugchi Värttinä Votia world music

The album Kyly by Finnish folk stars Värttinä Secured the coveted top position of World Music Charts Europe for the month of July 2025. Kyly…

The album cover for Áššu – Luohteniegut features stylized silhouettes of reindeer and antlers in red, white, and blue, radiating outward in a circular pattern against a dark teal background. The typography is clean and centered, with the artists’ names—Ulla Pirttijärvi, Kenneth Ekornes, and Olav Torget—listed discreetly in the lower right corner.

Album reviews

Áššu Rekindles Sámi Fire on Luohtenlegut

Tyler Bennet June 30, 2025 No Comments Áššu Finnish music joik Sami music world music

Áššu – Luoteniegut (Nordic Notes / CPL-Musicgroup, 2025) Áššu, the trio led by veteran Finnish Sámi singer Ulla Pirttijärvi, intertwines traditional joik with contemporary sounds…

Teija Niku & Juha Kujanpää: Aamunkoitto cover artwork. A black and white photo of the two artists.

Album reviews

Dawn Duet: Niku and Kujanpää Break New Ground With Aamunkoitto

Angel Romero May 24, 2025 No Comments Finnish music Juha Kujanpää Teija Niku world music

Teija Niku & Juha Kujanpää – Aamunkoitto (Rockadillo Records ZENCD2197, 2025) Finnish musicians Teija Niku and Juha Kujanpää reunite on Aamunkoitto, a splendid collaborative album…

The album cover for Ivgu by Wimme + Rinne is dominated by red, black, and white. The central image resembles a symmetrical skeletal or clawed creature with elongated, flowing limbs, possibly inspired by Arctic or shamanic imagery. The background is a bold red with textured patterns, framed by black silhouettes that suggest branches, figures, or spirits. At the top, the artists' names appear in clean typography: “Wimme + Rinne,” while the album title “Ivgu” is set in a stylized serif font.

Album reviews

Yoik to the Future: Wimme + Rinne Return With Ivgu

Tyler Bennet May 6, 2025 No Comments Finnish music joik Tapani Rinne Wimme Wimme Saari world music

Wimme + Rinne – Ivgu (Rockadillo Records, 2025) After an eight-year hiatus, Sámi vocalist Wimme Saari and Finnish sound design artist Tapani Rinne reunite for…