Traditional music of Karelia is a form of music performed among Karelian people. It has been less influenced by germanic elements than traditional Finnish music, which is why many Finnish musicians and other creators have used it as source of inspiration. Like other Baltic Finnic people Karelians have performed rune singing. Unlike Finland and like the neighboring Ingrian music of Russia, however, Karelia is also home to musical

lament A lament or lamentation is a passionate expression of grief, often in music, poetry, or song form. The grief is most often born of regret, or mourning. Laments can also be expressed in a verbal manner in which participants lament about something ...

s. The

kantele A kantele () or kannel () is a traditional Finnish and Karelian plucked string instrument (chordophone) belonging to the south east Baltic box zither family known as the Baltic psaltery along with Estonian kannel, Latvian kokles, Lithuania ...

is a popular instrument in Karelia as well as throughout Finland. Karelian folk music continues to be performed by groups like the Karelian Folk Music Ensemble, who sing in Finnish, Russian and Karelian, and have toured across Europe and the United States. Bands performing in traditional styles include, among others, Burlakat and Myllärit. The popular Finnish folk group

Värttinä Värttinä (, meaning " spindle") is a Finnish folk music band that started as a project by Sari and Mari Kaasinen in 1983 in the village of Rääkkylä, in Karelia, the southeastern region of Finland. Many transformations have taken place in t ...

has recorded a number of songs based on Karelian melodies.

References

Karelia Culture of the Republic of Karelia Arctic music Indigenous music {{music-stub