Accordion artist Maria Kalaniemi has created together with Pekko Käppi, the jouhikko (bowed lyre) artist an exceptional artistic work based on a poem from the Kalevala. The result is rune singing in Swedish, telling a story that captures the inexplicable, emotionally stirring power of music. The album is a magical journey where powerful harmonies, delicate melodies, and resonant church bells intertwine. The album was released digitally on New Year’s Day and as a CD on the 9th of January 2026. It received immediate critical acclaim upon its arrival on streaming platforms.

Over the course of a career spanning more than 40 years, Maria Kalaniemi has redefined perceptions of the accordion and the music performed on it. She is known for her exceptional sensitivity as a performing artist and for her highly developed virtuosity and mastery of the instrument. As a soloist and ensemble musician, Kalaniemi has performed extensively around the world through her domestic and international projects, appearing in venues ranging from concert halls in Vienna and festival halls in Tokyo to a manor hall in Espoo, Finland. Her award-winning repertoire highlights the Swedish-speaking Finnish musical heritage, alongside a substantial body of her own compositions. In 2018, Maria Kalaniemi was awarded the Finnish State Prize for Music and was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.

Pekko Käppi has specialized not only in the thousand-year-old tradition of the jouhikko, but also in the most obscure and dust-covered margins of archaic, unwritten vocal traditions. His raw and stripped-down performances have silenced audiences both in Finland and on international stages. A sense of Finnish voodoo and primordial, archaic force works its
irresistible magic throughout his music.

Maria Kalaniemi – accordion, vocals
Pekko Käppi – jouhikko, vocals