Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Finnish Music and Dance and Food

December 11 Second Sunday Features Finnish Music
and Dance and Food

The December 11 Second Sunday Folk Dance, at
Fortune Lake Camp in Crystal Falls, promises to be a
very exciting event for everyone who likes Finnish
music. The special guest band “Kaivama” will team
with “White Water” for a concert and dance. Finnish-
American musicians Sara Pajunen and Jonathan
Rundman form the folk duo “Kaivama.” They grew
up in Northwoods cultures of long winters, lakeside
saunas, rugged terrain, and solitude. The landscapes
of their childhoods echo in the music of their new self-
titled debut album. Alternately ancient and modern
Finnish influences reveal themselves in the
“Kaivama” sound: danceable rhythms, joyous
melodies, icy whispers, sleek construction, primal
drones, and poppy hooks all interplay as Pajunen
and Rundman explore the music of their ancestors.
The duo has tapped into an unforeseen demand for
fresh, energetic music rooted in the Finnish-American
experience. Sara Pajunen’s skills as a violinist have
earned her degrees from the University of Minnesota
and the Helsinki Conservatory in Finland. Multi-
instrumentalist Jonathan Rundman has toured the
US and Europe as a troubadour songwriter,
collecting raves from publications such as Paste,
Billboard, and The New York Times.
The White Water band will be made up of Dean and
Bette Premo with Emma, Carrie and Susan
Dlutkowski. Violinists Emma and Carrie are long-
time members of the U.P. classical music scene and
for the last four years they have been frequent
performers with White Water along with their
mother Susan on piano. The White Water dance
ensemble will feature the music of Konsta Jylhä, a
folk-virtuoso who made the traditional “pelimanni-
style” folk music a Finnish cultural phenomenon.
Kaivama will join White Water for the special dance
music for waltz, polka, schottische and two-step
styles of dance.

The event will be held at Fortune Lake Lutheran
Camp located between Iron River and Crystal Falls
(in Iron County, Michigan), 2 miles west of Crystal
Falls on US-2. Turn south on Bible Camp Road and
drive for less than a quarter mile. Turn right on
Fortune Lake Camp Road and drive just a short
distance. The Second Sunday Folk Dance series is the
largest, longest running event of its kind. Activities
begin at 4PM Central Time on December 11 with a
concert by White Water and Kaivama, followed by
Finnish polkas, waltzes and schottisches played for
dancing. We will also be serving some Finnish desserts
and coffee during the dance. Bring your favorite ethnic
treats to share at the “dessert potluck” table. The
entertainment lasts until 7 PM. Admission for those
over 15 is $7 and children 15 and under are admitted
free. For more information about the folk event call
906-822-7889 or visit

http://www.white-water-associates.com/second.htm.

COME JOIN US FOR THIS VERY SPECIAL COMMUNITY EVENT !

Bill Vajk

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