Ilmamõtsan

Mari Kalkun released her debut album ten years ago. Since then she has performed in many parts of the world developing her music, which is inspired by her south Estonian roots, poetry and nature. At the heart of her songs is the hypnotic sound of the kannel, the Estonian version of the Finnish kantele (zither), although she plays accordion and guitar too, always with a deep sensitivity to texture and colour.

The opening song displays her pride in singing in her own language; it is gentle, dignified and utterly beautiful. And so begins a journey in which she explores friendships, hard winters, distance, legend and history. She has a real gift for narrative, and it doesn’t matter at all if you don’t understand Estonian: her sense of timing and pacing and her subtle use of dynamics all contribute to the unfolding story. ‘Linnaitk’ (City Lament) is an unexpected outpouring of sadness as a mother weeps for her daughter, who is moving away to the city. Here Kalkun's unaccompanied vocal heartbreak gives way to multi-tracked voices, like words going round and round inside her head, creating a memorable mini-drama. As a singer, writer and instrumentalist, Kalkun is a musician whose work is a jewel in the crown of the rich Estonian scene.