And I'll rise up for a drink. Ethnomusicologists or students of Finnish or of gypsy life will find this collection of emotionally-charged songs indispensable. Sari and Mari Kaasinen are among the best-known singers of folk songs in Finland. In fact, it's a Christmas celebration, and the mood is appropriately contemplative and reverent. The solo voices are absolutely beautiful, bell-clear but with a brassy edge.
Vocal harmonies are rare, but what's there is exquisite, evoking complex emotions of melancholy joy.
From their own band, the sisters brought along Pekka Lehti on bass and Riita Potinoja on accordion. Karelia is one of the bands that pioneered the modernization of Finnish folk music. This highly enjoyable album would be right at home in the collections of most Eurofolk fans. Although occasionally their free-jazz impulses get the upper hand and turn to aimless noodling, their music is for the most part melodically rooted in Karelian traditions, and improvisational passages are kept within reasonable distance from those roots. The album begins with a pair of frisky dance tunes, played with sparkle and enthusiasm.