The sound of the Jouhiorkesteri – The Horse Hair Orchestra – has been described as “A quartet of horsehair strung Finnish bowed lyres, sounding like a swarm of huskily raspy fiddles […], but with a slithering, edgy pitching. ” Some have been puzzled by how the sound of the quartet ranges from a big string orchestra to an intimate chamber group, from a sweaty corner dance joint all the way to the otherworldly, unpredictable and timeless proto-sounds of the universe.
Jouhiorkesteri was founded in the beginning of the third millenium and the members span three generations of players. Jouhiorkesteri is devoted to the drone music traditions of Northern Europe. It’s members are all well established Finnish folk musicians. Jouhiorkesteri’s debut album “Nikodemus” was released in 2008.
Nikodemus
1. Pitkä matka kulkiessa / Long Way to Go (Feodor Pratshu)
The tune was played by Feodor Pratshu, and it was recordet to fonogram by A.O.Väisänen in 1916.
2. Minä minä poiga nuori / I’m a Drinking, Singing Lad (Feodor Pratshu) & Jocul barbatesc (trad.)
The first part of the song is from Feodor Pratshu. The second part (4) is a sung dance tune “Jocul barbatesc” from the village of Pátrova in the county of Márámaros in North-Western Romania. The tune – sung by Iliana and Nica Ardelean – was recorded to wax cylinder by Bela Bartók in 1913.
3. Flicka lilla/ A singing-game from the Swedish-speaking parts of Finland (trad. / M. Maans)
This song-game was recorted by Ann-Mari Häggman in 1971, when she met Anna Andersson and Aina Aho in the village of ähtävä.
4. Rackulbacka (Marianne Maans)
Rackulbacka is a sunny hill site in the village of ähtävä.
5. Kesälahti 1854 (Nikodemus Hirvonen)
Karl Collan transcribed these four dance tunes in Kesälahti 1854, from Nikodemus Hirvonen.
6. Voi minuu poloine poiga/ Alas Me Poor Lad (Feodor Pratshu/ M. Maans)
The tune was played by Feodor Pratshu and it was recordet to fonogram by A.O.Väisänen in 1916. The last part of the song is composed by Marianne.
7. Ormsö (Hans Renqvist)
Two melodies played to Otto Andersson in 1903, by Hans Renqvist in Ormsö, Estonia.
8. Ruffis lördagspolska / Ruffis saturdaypolska (Marianne Maans)
A favourite tune of the black labrador Ruffi.
9. Tiijäni, tiijäni midä tiijän / I Know What I Know? (Feodor Pratshu)
A song from Feodor Pratshu.
10. Adam hade sju söner/ Adam Had Seven Sons (trad.)
A song-game from Pojo in the Swedish-speaking part of Finland.
Ilkka Heinonen: jouhikko (1, 2, 3, 6 ) bass jouhikko (2, 4, 10) vocals (2, 9, 10)
Pekko Käppi: jouhikko (1, 2, 4-10) pyngyr (3) vocals (2, 5, 6, 9, 10)
Marianne Maans: jouhikko( 2, 3, 5-10) esseharpa (4) vocals (3, 5, 8, 9,10)
Rauno Nieminen: jouhikko (2, 4-10) willow flute (3) jaw harp (4) vocals (9,10)
Arranged by Jouhiorkesteri except (1) by Heinonen & Käppi
Recorded, mixed & mastered by Taito Hoffrén
Recorded in Kanteleen ääniä http://ka.fi/ka/studios, Kantele 2007
Produced by Jouhiorkesteri & Taito Hoffrén
Graphic design by Tero Vesterinen
Photos by AJ Savolainen
Translations by Horst Bernhardt & Girilal Baars
Foreword by Seppo Sillanpää
Instruments made by Marianne Maans & Rauno Nieminen
c & p Kanteleen ääniä 2008