Under the Northern Skies

Thank you for this extraordinary journey.

I never dreamed of creating Kalevala-inspired music. For many years, my artistic path was about reshaping the kantele through pop and crossover worlds. And yet, this project quietly drew me in — and refused to let go. Looking back now, I know we are standing at the beginning of something new. And the path already travelled has been remarkable.

The seeds of this album were planted years ago in a small concert hall in Kitee, Finland, where a handful of my Kalevala-themed compositions were first performed. Among them were Lemminkäisen äiti (Mother of Lemminkäinen) and Tule kanssain (Come along with me). Those songs stayed with me. Over time, they became part of my repertoire whenever there was a space for Finnish mythology and ancient stories to be heard.

In early 2024, the idea was modest: to create a small EP in honour of the 190th anniversary of the Kalevala. But ideas have a life of their own. With the encouragement of collaborators and the right conversations at the right moments, the project expanded — from an EP into music videos, from videos into a short film shot in Kainuu, and from there into a full album and an audiovisual concert production.

At its heart, this album tells the story of one of the Kalevala’s most iconic heroes: Lemminkäinen. A restless, passionate and fearless figure, he moves between love and war, pride and vulnerability. His journey takes him from heroic quests to tragic downfall — and ultimately to rebirth through his mother’s unwavering devotion. In many ways, his story is timeless: it is about recklessness and longing, loss and redemption, and the deep human need to belong.

What began as something intimate grew into a collective vision. An extraordinary number of passionate people joined the journey — musicians, filmmakers, sponsors, municipalities and companies who believed in the idea. Their courage and support made this possible. I am deeply grateful for their trust and commitment.

The short film Under the Northern Skies has since travelled far beyond Finland, receiving international recognition and awards, and bringing both the film and this music to audiences in New York, California, Scotland, Croatia and beyond. The response has been humbling.

Ironically, after years of consciously distancing myself from tradition, I found myself returning to the roots of the kantele — not as nostalgia, but as renewal. The music on this album draws from Kalevala-inspired texts, incantation-like melodic language and the ancient tonal colours of Finnish tradition, while carrying the rhythmic clarity shaped by my pop background.

This album is not an ending. It is a beginning.

Under the northern skies, something continues to grow.

— Ida Elina