Tallinn Music Week • Estonia
Lääne-Harju County • Estonia
Salmistu village, Harju County • Estonia
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View allKalkun’s singing is at the heart of things; joyous and lamenting by turns, but always poised and melodious, her poeticism apparent even without translation. A magical creation.
Mari Kalkun is one of the major contributors to the Estonian folk revival. Originally coming from Võru (south-eastern part of the country), the songwriter has been celebrating the misty landscapes and traditional music of her native land. Her compositions are sonic love letters, written in the language of kannel (Estonian plucked string instrument) and heartfelt singing.
Mari Kalkun plays material from her forthcoming album Stories of Stonia, which points at a transition from the pure genre of runo songs to psych-folk and krautrock. One of the most evocative songs, myth-inspired Golden Woman, builds up with a keyboard wash and thunderous sound of zither bringing to mind the intro to Ash Ra Tempel’s eponymous album.
