But only a part. Their energy, and their willingness to laugh in the face of tradition, is an important change in any folk culture. Folkkarit is trying to prove that it doesn't have to be so serious that you can't smile. They show that folk music doesn't have to always be the same. You can have fun, and make good music.
Folk music is a small but growing part of the youth culture of Finland.
The young bands are proliferating, and each is trying to find its own sound in what is becoming a crowded field. The band's line-up featured some very renowned Finnish rock musicians, so that helped younger audiences feel right at home. They have passed on the rock and roll trappings of their more famous neighbors, and have followed Kalaniemi's path of careful dynamics and rich acoustics, adding their voices to the mix in a subtle, yet powerful new folk. On the other side of the country in Pirkkala, another accordionist is also looking to add to the sound of Suomi with the band Spontaani Vire. The innovations are inevitably coming from outside, as well.