Aino & Miihkali

Playful and imaginative music with kantele, guitar/banjo and voices.
Aino & Miihkali is a Finnish duo, with roots in North Karelia. Their progressive folk jazz is inspired by Nordic nature and mythology, and it combines Scandinavian sounds and influences from around the world.

The rhythmic frames of their music are often created with inventive kantele percussions and loop pedal. They are colored with chiming strings, vocal harmonies and improvisation - sometimes with precision and sometimes with broader strokes heedless of the guide lines. The picturesque songs are commenting and making vivid observations of the world.

Aino is Finland’s foremost progressive kantele player known for her work with Uniruukki. She has explored rhythmic kantele playing, and has established her unique voice both as a composer and an artist. On the new album "Aino & Miihkali" she found her voice as a singer as well. On this album she sings in three different languages, Finnish, Swedish and English. She’s already performed in Japan, Ghana, Senegal, Kyrgyzstan and around Europe.

Miihkali’s virtuosic guitar work has echoes from jazz, blues and even bluegrass banjo that are melted into each other elegantly. Some of the excellence in his fingerstyle playing can be credited to his educational background, which include studies in the world famous Berklee College of Music. On the other hand he’s been striving for a sound of his own and on the duos album you can hear it more clearly than ever.