Kantele

The kantele is a Finnish instrument rooted in the 2000 year old tales of the Kalevala, the national epic of Finland. Slightly less than two decades ago, people in Maine had very little, if any, exposure to Finnish music.  Some may have been familiar with Sibelius and a few Maine Finns may have grown up with lively tunes played on the accordion and fiddle.  Essentially however, Finnish music, particularly folk music, was limited to a very small number of communities in which there was an active Finnish-American population.  Since that time, wonderful things have happened.  Not one, but two, well-established kantele groups have been started in Maine.  The Maine Kantele Institute attracted participants from all over the United States and Canada in 2003, 2004, and 2008.  The kantele is now a part of the general music curriculum at Greely Middle School in Cumberland, Maine - ensuring that hundreds of children each year learn about the instrument and the culture of Finland.  The kantele has become a permanent part of the culture in many Maine communities.

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We would like to be a resource for the Finnish kantele here in Maine and beyond - sharing information, links, music, and people. High up on the wish-list is a return of the Maine Kantele Institute on a semi-annual basis.

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Please check back as we cultivate this page!