Kivimäki, Anne-Mari - Kotiin LP

EAN 1988469802634

Anne-Mari Kivimäki combines hypnotic accordion trance with wishful and impassioned music on her

new album Kotiin (Homeward). In addition to some of Finland’s finest musicians, the guests include

Polish-Ukrainian band DagaDana as well as Estonian duo Puuluup, who created a big buzz at

Eurovision Song Contest 2024. For the new album Anne-Mari Kivimäki traveled with her accordion to

new, inspiring locations for songwriting and collaborations with other musicians. Kotiin was recorded

without any overdubs with amazing musicians in a.o. The Old Town atmosphere of Tallinn, Estonia,

in enchanting Reykjavik, Iceland, as well as close home in an old loghouse in Pispala neighbourhood

in Tampere, Finland.

–I strongly feel that the benefits of live in the studio recording method can be heard as warmth,

power and nice kind of roughness in the joyous interplay and groove of the musicians, Anne-

Mari says.

–When making music, the sound of the instruments is important to me. Kantele and jouhikko (a

traditional bowed lyre) combined to the sound and rhythms of accordion create an unique

mindset and landscape of soul.

The stories of Niikkana ja Muistellen were found in old notebooks (1944–1945), that Anne-Mari

received from her grandmother. A 19 years old relative had written his memories of war time in

Niikkana village in Valamo island on Laatokka lake, Karelia. Based on these notebooks,

Kivimäki edited the book Kotiin – Muistoja ja lauluja, published in Summer 2024 in connection to

the opening of the exhibition Kotiin – Karjalan kaikuja ja kuvia in Lahti Historical Museum.

The album concludes with a commissioned work by Kivimäki, Ilon wirsi, interpreted and sung

here solo by Taito Hoffrén, its artistic producer. Anne-Mari Kivimäki dedicates the album to

Hoffrén, who passed away in October 2024 after a long illness.