Akkajee

Photo: Risto Savolainen

Akkajee is a band of two akkas*, Meriheini Luoto & Iida Savolainen, creating string noise on the rotten roots of Finnish folk tradition. They are presumably the world’s only duo to bring together the nyckelharpa, the viola and vocals, spiced with a whole load of junk. Akkajee’s layered aesthetics will invite you to the world of frozen lakes, haunting nightmares and transcendental visions.

The Helsinki-based band has performed on many stages in Finland and abroad during their ten-year career. They have released two albums: a debut album Akkajee (2013) and a thematic album Lastenkerääjä (2021), which is centred on the mind of a child. The latest album has received excellent reviews and has been described e.g. with these words by Vital Weekly: ”This is an album to play while sitting on your own looking out of a window into the dead of night. It’s an album that makes you think the shadows are getting closer to you. It’s an album to treasure because ones like this don’t come along very often!” 

The duo’s long collaboration has taken the form of improvisation, composition, arrangement, and lyric writing. Both of them hold a M.Mus majoring in folk music from the prestigious Sibelius Academy and are active in a wide range of musical and artistic fields. Luoto is particularly known for her project called Metsänpeitto, which investigates the old beliefs about forests through minimalistic soundscapes. Savolainen is interested in various forms of the performing arts, including theatre and performance. Her other best-known bands are the traditional music girlband ENKEL and the art pop group UTU.

Iida Savolainen: viola, vocals etc.

Meriheini Luoto: nyckelharpa, vocals etc.

Photo: Valrez Collective

*Akka. A headstrong woman with a decisive attitude and a sharp tongue. (Finnish)