This is where you can find some "cool kantele stuff" that I've come across - as well as short reviews of other kantele players, and information on how you can order their music.

Odd Kanteles:

If you haven't seen Gerry Henkel's "odd" kanteles, you'll want to take a look at these. The horse kantele and the moose kantele belong to my granddaughters! I really love the "jawbone of a pike" kantele. It has elegant lines.

Kantele Dreams:

by The Kantele Players of Lake Erie. If you like traditional Finnish folk music played traditionally, you'll enjoy this CD by Linda and Harvey Horton, Laura Malkamaki, and John Ollila. This group has a lot of energy which spills over into their music. Their interpretation of Satavuotinen sakka was particularly interesting and I was also impressed with the way they used a bow while playing the melody of the Kalevala Song...not an easy thing to do! How To Order: Send a check for $13 to C/O The Kantele Players of Lake Erie 1075 Riverside Dr, Painesville, OH 44077 or email Kanteleplayers@musician.com

Kantele Music:

by Gerry Henkel. I like Gerry Henkel's music a lot. He's just plain fun to listen to, and he has an interesting and inventive style. According to Gerry, the tunes on this CD aren't formal compositions, but a type of improvisation. I just know that his music makes me smile. There's humor in some of his tunes, but that's not what I'm talking about. Gerry's music just puts you in a good place! All fourteen pieces on this CD were written by him. I Scratch, Therefore I Am is one of my favorites. Give him a listen...you won't regret it! How To Order: Send $10 cash, check or money order to Gerry at The Kantele Shop, 1541 Clover Valley Road, Duluth MN 55804 USA.

Keepers:

by Koivun Kaiku. How often do you buy a cassette and discover that virtually every single song was worth the purchase price? This cassette by Koivun Kaiku, is one of my all time favorites. I bought it after hearing just one song, Käin Minä Kaunista Kangasta Myöten, and I was not disappointed by the rest of the music, either. Almost 2/3 of the songs are traditional melodies. Many of them are 5-string kantele melodies. All of them are beautifully performed. I love the harmonics in this group. My only complaint is that it's not on CD. I'm afraid I'll wear my cassette out! How To Order: Write to Joyce Hakala, 865 Lenox Ave., St.Paul, MN 55119 and ask for more info. She has other cassettes, as well!

Vilhon Vintiltä (From Willie's Attic):

by Wilho Saari. Wilho Saari is one of my favorite kantele composers so I was pretty excited to learn about this CD which includes 23 of his own compositions as well as his interpretation of Kreeta Haapasalo's Mun kanteleeni. Haapasalo is Saari's great, great grandmother and it's obvious that he's inherited her ability to compose. I particularly loved his tune Koivukannel (Birchwood Harp) with its wood thumping rhythm and beautiful melody line. Saari plays a 36 string kantele on this CD which was lovely to hear, but I was even more interested in his five and ten string tunes since I'm very partial to the small kanteles. I especially liked hearing his versions of Potpourri and Sunrise since those are two of his songs that I like to play. (I found out that he plays Potpourri just a bit faster than I do!) This CD costs $15 and can be obtained from Wilho Saari at PO Box 111, Naselle, WA 98638 or FINNWARE 1116 Commercial St. Astoria, OR 97102.