This week, Nordic Folk Alliance's annual showcase festival and conference will take place in Uppsala, Sweden, with several Finnish acts on the billing. As the largest gathering of the folk music industry and community in the Nordic countries, the festival creates a platform for rising stars in the genre to work across the Nordic market and even further afield.

Taking place between April 3 and 5 in Uppsala, Sweden, Nordic Folk Alliance is the largest annual meeting place for the Nordic folk community and the industry surrounding it. Yearly, Nordic Folk Alliance attracts delegates from across the globe.

The official showcase program of the event will this year feature Finnish acts Kasvu and Melkutus Party. The Sámi performer chosen for the event this year is Áššu, and in addition, Finnish Johanna Juhola (pictured above) will perform together with Swedish violinist Lena Jonsson in her duo Lena Jonsson & Johanna Juhola.

Nordic Folk Alliance’s Official Showcases are jury-selected featuring both emerging artists and established touring legends. The event also includes a conference touching a variety of topics concerning the folk music realm.

The curated showcases feature touring and export-ready artists, representing a diverse array of folk genres including Nordic folk, global roots, americana, indie folk, indigenous music, traditional, singer-songwriter, spoken word, and every imaginable fusion.

See all the showcase acts at Nordic Folk Alliance's website.

The Nordic Folk Alliance event is organized by Riksförbundet för Folkmusik och Dans in cooperation with Nomex, the network of Nordic music export organizations.

Get to know the Finnish artists

Kasvu

The music of Kasvu is inspired by the diversity of Finnish nature and our fraying relationship with our environment. Traditional and contemporary folk songs, cinematic soundscapes, ancient folk poetry and contemporary lyrics blend beautifully with the warm and compelling sound of acoustic folk instruments.

Melkutus Party

In Melkutus Party, the old Karelian dancing tunes played by kantele are combined with electronic soundscapes and beats The trio creates a captivating live performance where the tunes move from upbeat party to the darker side of life and back to joy. Stories of old players and mysteries deepen the experience. Jenni Venäläinen (kantele, vocals), Janne Storm (live electronics, synth, cetara) and Tatu Viitala (electronic percussion) bring energy, skill, and party to the stage. Melkutus Party album (Nordic Notes, 2023) has received international radio play, five and four-star reviews, and has toured in Finland and in the US (2024).

Áššu

Áššu, is a higly vibrant trio known for their music inspired by traditional joiks of the Northern Sami style. Ulla Pirttijärvi, a renowned figure in the Sami music scene, has made her mark in Finland, Sweden, and Norway. Kenneth Ekornes and Olav Torget have established themselves as seasoned and innovative musicians in the jazz and world music scene, collaborating with artists like Mari Boine, Solo Cissokho, Karl Seglem, Kristin Asbjørnsen, Hildegunn Øiseth, Jon Balke, and more.

Áššu, meaning “Embers,” is performing traditional joiks and original compositions by Ulla Pirttijärvi-Länsman arranged in the group. Olav has extensive experience in West Africa, while Kenneth has his musical education from Brazil. This geographical axis forms the cornerstone of Áššu’s musical direction, encompassing everything from primal rhythms to ambient soundscapes. Ulla resides in Northern Finland, near the Norwegian border, and Kenneth and Olav are based in Oslo, Norway.

In 2019, Áššu’s debut album ‘Áššu’ garnered considerable acclaim in the international world music community. It was awarded the quarterly best world music album by ‘Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik’ and was listed in the top ten of ‘Songlines’ ‘The most important Sámi albums’. Additionally, one of their songs was featured on British Airways’ in-flight playlists, a notable accomplishment. Anticipation is building for their new album, set to release in February 2025.

Lena Jonsson & Johanna Juhola

Lena Jonsson & Johanna Juhola is a super duo of a Finnish accordion star and Swedish fiddle icon. They blend folk music from both countries with their own compositions to create a fresh and airy mix, spiced up with improvisation. Both musicians have long international careers as soloists and composers of their own music. In this duo they let their creativity and playfulness meet.

Johanna Juhola has been hailed as an undisciplined innovator in the tango genre, a world music icon, and a major reformist in the field of accordion music. Johanna's highly original output and collaborative work with top names from the classical, jazz, and even electronic music scene as well as with contemporary dance and circus artists has sealed her reputation as a groundbreaking and genre-transcending visionary. Johanna has created her own music style called fantasy tango and in 2022 she won the Nordic Composer’s Award - the NPU Prize for her work as a composer.

Lena Jonsson’s ability to balance a deep knowledge of traditional Swedish folk music with innovative artistic sensibilities, sparkling joy of life and a charisma of a rock-star have made her one Sweden’s most visionary musicians. She has created a unique style inspired by traditional Swedish music as well as rock, pop and american old-time and bluegrass traditions. She has been awarded with Swedish Grammis and Manifest prize, and artist of the year 2022.