Uni uni is a duo specialized in "energetic ambient and dreamy electronic pop" with archaic instruments such as the jouhikko (bowed lyre). Emerging in the Finnish folk scene in early 2023 with their debut single "Pyöriäinen", the Helsinki-based twosome consists of Ella Isotalo (violin, bowed lyre, viola, ilimba, live looping) and Mikko H. Haapoja (synths, programming, bowed lyre, vocals).

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Leija Lautamaja is a Helsinki-based artist and musician specialised in Finnish and Nordic folk music, playing diatonic melodeon and reed organ. She is known from bands such as Enkel and Moontwins (a duo with famed alternative rocker P-K Keränen from 22-Pistepirkko). Lautamaja stepped into the scene as a solo artist in 2024 with her singer-songwriter debut album, the indie rock leaning "Sydän tuli piilosta".

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Päivi Hirvonen is a Helsinki based musician and composer – violin, voice and bowed lyre as her instruments. During her career as professional musician she has played music from folk and popular to classical and performed both solo and with different ensembles and bands touring in Finland and abroad. Päivi’s debut solo album “Alku – The Beginning” was released in 2018 by Nordic Notes. It was followed by "Kallio" (2022), which pushed Hirvonen's international and domestic career further.

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The solo project of composer and musician Petra Poutanen plays folk music with a modern twist using techniques of Scandinavian and Finno-Ugrian folk singing as well as throat singing. Her solo debut “Pyhä Veri Vuotaa” released in 2022 takes influence from around the world and has been described as a layered entity with acrobatic vocals and a rich sounds world.

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Venla llona Blom is a multi-award-winning vocalist, composer and beatboxer from Finland. She has toured around the world with her internationally acclaimed band Tuuletar and worked as a soloist in various projects with big bands, symphony orchestras and choirs. Blom is specialised in extended vocal techniques, vocal percussions and traditional singing styles deriving from Scandinavian and Slavic folk music and also trained as a classical singer. Venla Ilona Blom’s debut solo album “Nevrak” is slated for release in September 2024.

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Maco Oey is a Finnish pop/rock musician with Indonesian and Ingrian heritage. He has worked actively in the Finnish music scene a projects such as Semmarit and with his own groups Maco ja Tuksa and Maco Band. His solo career began in 2011 with the release of the album "Pari suhdetta". Maco received a nomination at the 2021 Emma Awards for his album "Siistii!". On his 2024 album "Inkerin laulu", he collaborates with Finnish folk music greats Maija Kauhanen, Pekko Käppi and Johanna Juhola.

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Legendary Finnish musician, singer and songwriter Pentti Rasinkangas has made children's songs as a profession and performed for children for 40 years. His songs have humor, wistfulness and also matter. Rasinkangas himself states that he does't make children's music, but "music for people who like children's music". His music has a very strong folk and world music influence.

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Ever since Sväng was established, traditional tunes from Finland and other countries have been a part of its repertoire alongside original compositions. After years of playing and touring together and releasing 8 albums, the band released "In Trad We Trust" in 2020, their first album featuring only Finnish traditional music. It pays homage to Finnish folk music in its various forms: the ancient runo-singing tradition, kantele and jouhikko playing, a huge diversity of vocal styles and the instrumental virtuosity of the younger pelimanni music tradition.

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Eve Crazy & Mar Yo is a duo that combines Senegalese rap, Finno-Ugric folk aesthetics, and the melodic world of the Finnish Kantele instrument – a meeting of two continents, cultures and societies, urban and traditional, and universal femininity. The Finnish half of the duo is Marjo "Mar Yo" Smolander, a kantele artist and also the other half of the duo Zäpämmät. The other half, Senegal-based rapper Eve Crazy, also has a solo career with several single releases out.

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Saija Penttilä (born 1994) is a Finnish musician whose main instrument is the double bass. Saija's main musical genres are folk music and pop, and despite her young age, she has more than ten years of career in different bands behind her. Penttilä's debut solo album "Kylillä kuultua: Musiikkia Miehikkälän kyliltä" (2024) is comprised of her own compositions, which draw influences from traditional Finnish polkas, jenkas, waltzes and folk ballads. In addition to folk music, Penttilä's musical history includes everything from indie pop to traditional dance music.

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Folk group Alterne consist of Ida Marie Jessen from Denmark, Belgian violinist Oscar Beerten and Estonian accordionist Maimu Jõgeda. They met through their studies at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland. Since then, they developed a unique musical portrait that fuses elements from folk music, pop, and ambient genres. Alterne seeks to combine influences from traditional music with modern songwriting and Danish lyrics, reflecting emotions such as doubts, longing, hope and dreams.

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The young musicians of Polenta, Aino Kinnunen, Mikko Malmivaara, Veera Kuisma, Olli Sippola come armed with one acoustic guitar and three fiddles. Their instrumental nordic folk evokes visions of endless summer days, midnight sun and glistening lakes. Polenta's debut full-length "Kaustinen Turbo" was released in 2021 and it was followed by new music in 2023.

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Heikki Ruokangas is a jazz/avant-garde guitarist and composer from Oulu. His musical expression is formed by the dialogue between melody and noise, moving from delicate moods to almost violent avant-garde demolition. Ruokangas has performed in Denmark, Estonia, Sweden and Italy in addition to his home country, and his music has been released in the UK, the United States and Germany. Ruokanka's active lineups currently include e.g. duo with accordionist Anne-Mari Kanniainen, Finnish-Danish Heikki Ruokangas’ Remote Control and his solo guitar project.

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Timo Alakotila is one of Finland’s busiest, most versatile and most in-demand musicians, as composer, arranger, pianist and harmonium player in folk, classical, jazz and pop fields. His career began as harmonium player and founder member of the fiddle group JPP, who quickly established themselves as the best and most innovative fiddle music group in Finland. On his first solo album Alakotila's sole instrument is piano.

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Käärmeenpääntallaajat came to life in 2023 as a side project of Suistamon Sähkö and Palomylly, combining music with dance and theatre (and featuring high school students as actors!). With Reetta-Kaisa Iles and Anne-Mari Kivimäki as main choreographers and composers, Käärmeenpääntallaajat is dubbed as "a joint effort of carefully and precisely selected indie musicians and freelance dancers, that hits the audience with familiar riffs and dance moves from the concert stages and deepens the experience through visuals and storytelling". The project's three studio tracks were released on Folk Extreme label compilation "Highlights 2023".

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BFP (fka Bergå Folk Project) is a group formed by professional folk musicians Aili Järvelä, Iida Savolainen, Esko Grundström and Topi Korhonen. They perform the folk song arrangements by the one Luciano Berio well known in the field of classical music. The group seeks out to bring the folk songs that inspired Berio back to their roots with new, innovative arrangements. The group’s international repertoire sung in 8 languages and played with 12 different instruments presents a variety of world and folk music styles. Bergå Folk Project released their debut album in 2022, which was awarded with "Etno-Emma" – the award for the year's best Finnish world/folk music album in 2023.

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Nooli consists of harmonica player Aino Kinnunen and violinist Oona Sinkko. They founded the group in Kaustinen in 2017 out of the joy of playing and passion for folk music, with virtuoso melodies and rich harmonies as the raw materials in their music. From the very beginning, the young musicians composed their own music, ultimatel forming the base to the duo's debut album, "Kesä ei lopu koskaan" (2019). Nooli is already a household name at many Finnish folk music festivals, and the duo has also been selected as a showcase band both in Folkelarm, Norway and at the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival in Finland. In 2022, the duo's original violinist Oona Sinkko was replaced by Aino Kinnunen.

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On their debut album “Welcome Our Future”, Afrojazz Quintet, founded and led by artist-musician Alvar Gullichsen, seamlessly combines genres and pushes boundaries. The band's roots in lie jazz, afrofunk, afrobeat and psychedelic rock, creating a sophisticated and multifaceted sound. Afrojazz Quintet – a sextet in real life – is comprised of Antero Priha, Julius Heikkilä, Akim Color, Alvar Gullichsen, Daniel Iiskola and Oscar Karlsson. The album features also Charlotta Kerbs on vocals and Jimi Tenor on tenor saxophone and flute.

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Slack Bird is a punk folk band as well as the solo vehicle for singer-songwriter Dave Klas. During their existence, Slack Bird has toured abroad with various lineups, the most active of which has been the duo version with accordionist Susanna Leppänen and Klas. Thus far, Slack Bird has released three albums: "Let's Start Wearing Capes" (2016), "Aleta Au" (2018) and "Hämärään" (2021).

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There's no one quite like Johanna Juhola; nimble-fingered accordion virtuoso and multi-faceted composer, she blazes her own colourful trail, breezing blithely across style borders and genre barriers with a captivating mix of musical excellence and engaging charm. Her compositions blend the parallel worlds of Argentinian and Finnish tango, following the latter's path into the melancholic soul of Finnish folk, emerging into the sunlight with uplifting flirtations with pop music and innovative excursions into electronica.

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Arja Kastinen is a Finnish kantele player specialized in ancient kantele instruments, the old playing technique and improvisation. She has released five solo albums + three duo albums and one trio album with different artists. The second collaboration album with the world flutist Peter Phippen was be released on May 2020, under the name "Forest of a Thousand Songs".

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The singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Vilma Jää mixes hundreds of years old stories with today’s electronic music. She combines the ancient instruments such as kantele and harmonium with synthetic beats. She is also known from her breakthrough role in Innocence, an international success opera by Kaija Saariaho.

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Minsku Tammela is a storyteller and singer-songwriter with a bluesy voice making Nordic folk with mythical stories in sumptuous layers of organic sound. Tammela's debut solo album Valkoinen hevonen (”White Horse”) (2023), introduces Finnish traditional instruments like kantele and jouhikko (bowed lyre) and brings together a group of top musicians and producers. The music explores the relationship between human and nature.

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In Lapua-Uusi-Guinea’s music the traditions of folk music are essential, yet being blended with aesthetics of pop, jazz and world music. They have released their debut album Virittää in 2021. The band is formed by Anna Kinnunen (violin and vocals), Oona Yliperttula (violin), Jenna Hiipakka (accordion), Santeri Kaipiainen (piano and vocals), Aapo Nieminen (guitar and mandolin) and Veli-Matti Silanterä (double bass).

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After meeting and jamming at the Nordtrad conference, Ragnhild Knudsen (Norway) and Pauliina Syrjälä (Finland) formed their duo in 2015. The musicians were inspired by the unique soundscape of the Norwegian hardingfele (Hardanger fiddle) and the Finnish kantele together, with the rich and shimmering layer of overtones. Through musical encounters and hours of exploration, Ragnhild and Pauliina have created their own musical duo world based on friendship, interaction and improvisation, but also an interesting combination of elements emerging from Finnish and Norwegian folk music traditions.

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The folk music group Johanna Lönngren & Rie plays Finnish-Swedish folk music. The group's repertoire consists of both traditional songs and Johanna Lönngren's own compositions. Rie's arrangements of the songs are danceable and playful and give the songs new modern tones. The band consists of the musicians Johanna Lönngren on violin, Martin Nybacka on guitar, Egon Veevo on double bass and Valter Söderbacka on percussion.

Vilma Talvitie is a singer, composer-lyricist and multi-instrumentalist who creates bridges between pop, global and folk music. In her music, Finnish folk aesthetics and acoustic instruments (piano, accordion, strings) exist in harmony with electronic beats and catchy pop melodies. Having lived in several different countries and continents – Europe, South America and Asia – the nomadic lifestyle has left a distinctive mark on Talvitie's music.

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VIMMA is a young art-pop ensemble from Helsinki combining Nordic folk with progressive rock. As a 9 piece mini-orchestra VIMMA is able to create a massive sound with specific arrangements while also leaving space for artistic interpretation and improvisation.

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Estonian-English duo, formed in Finland, Eva Väljaots & Robbie Sherratt write and perform music rooted in their respective folklores. Their music, both modern and tradition-sensitive, combines kannel, fiddle, and vocals in a colorful, rich and enchanting way. Sharing an affinity for improvisation and spontaneity, the duo’s communication and companionship captivates the ears eager to float and the toes yearning to dance. Their debut album was described by David Auckland, FATEA Magazine as "a distinguished and innovative collection, filled with delicate surprises and rhythmic delights."

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A progressive folk five-piece (with violin, bass, drums, vocals and bass) formed in 2014, that promises to deliver “passionate visions and dramatic melodies”. Grown out of the Otsrobothnian soil, the band’s roots are strong but they also have a need to explore with i.e. tango rhythms and some Nordic-style jazz. Songwriter Jessica Riippa’s lyrics on their latest album “Dirty Work” are sung in her native Swedish as well as English.

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JPP is a group of Finnish folk musicians from Kaustinen. The group still uses the Kaustinen traditional settings with fiddles, harmonium and double bass, although their arrangements are more advanced than those of earlier generations of traditional musicians in the area. The group's repertoire consists of traditional tunes, as well as newly-composed music in old-style dance rhythms – polskas, waltzes, schottisches, etc. – as well as some Finnish-style tangos, and some jazz and bluegrass influences too. Järvelän Pikkupelimannit began in the early 1980s as an offshoot of the group Järvelän Pelimannit, which consisted mainly of older musicians (in Finnish pelimanni) from the village of Järvelä.

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Jenni Venäläinen is a versatile kantele player and singer specialised in the Karelian kantele tradition and improvisation. In her project Melkutus Party, the old dancing tunes played by kantele are transformed into modern dancing party tunes with EDM influences. Venäläinen has graduated from Arts University Sibelius Academy in 2019 and has performed in i.e. Nordic and Baltic countries. Her most active ensembles are Aoide and Tikkursby. Numerous possibilities, tones of sounds and playing techniques in kantele inspire her to create her own musical sound.

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The roots of singer-songwriter Niina Annika's music rest in primal and emotional tones, rhythms that hypnotize and strike with a gentle force. Traces of folk, global music and blues can be found in the music, inspired by nature and its symbolism. Niina Annika’s debut album "Kalliota vasten" was released in September 2023.

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Many were surprised when 22-Pistepirkko's PK Keränen – one of Finland's most respected rock musicians – joined together with Leija Lautamaja, a Helsinki-based artist and musician specialised in Finnish and Nordic folk music. On the duo’s new Moontwins project Keränen's stomp blues and piano ballads meet Lautamaja's melodeon playing.

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