Tsuumi, not yet very known in the Netherlands, though some might know it by now. Some years ago a Finnish friend brought me the album Avoin Kenntä as a syntymapaivalahja (birthday-present). He bought it in this pub where Tsuumi performed, while he actually was waiting on the bus… strange how things can go. Since I have this album, it's still one of my favourite after all this time. And finally I got the chance to see them live, which is worth travelling for! For those who have plans to go to Finland this year: Folk-festival Kaustinen is on their agenda. Nicely recommended.The same counts for their new album Hotas.

Tsuumi is:
Pilvi Talvitie - paino and harmonium
Tommi Asplund - fiddle
Hannu Kella - accordion
Esko Järvelä - fiddle, viola and additional sounds
Pilvi Talvitie - piano and harmonium
Jani Kivelä - acoustic and electric guitars, cittern
Joakim Berghäll - sax and additional percussion
Tarmo Anttila - double bass
Jussi Nikula - drums and percussion

It's about 22 degrees with a Finnish blue sky on Eerikinkatu and an enthusiastic Tommi is sitting with Sanne and me at a coffee table. Inside the cafe they show the ice-hockey game Suomi-Venäjä (Finland-Russia).

How did it al began?

It began with the dance group, 10 years ago. They had 4 persons playing music for them and we found more members later on. After a while we started to make more out of the musical parts, becoming more focused on the band instead of the dance group. Actually we like to keep it this way. Back then we switched with band members and there were much changes before we made Hotas. Roger Tallroth is the producer of this one and is also playing in the band called Väsen. Really great band!

How was the music developed?

Hannu Kella, our accordion player, is the original composer of the band. When they start with the dance group, Hannu was the musical leader of the band and started to compose. The others followed also afterwards and now it is like it is. But so, originally the music comes from Hannu.

You didn't have a record deal so far as I know, but what about this new Hotas album?

We have a record deal now, with Aito records. They are not so big, but they are good. Founded by Pekka Lehti, who has played in Värttinä.  This is actually our 5th album. The first one is Tsuumi Sound System and after that came some other stuff before we got Avoin Kenntä. Unfortunately these albums are sold out (Lonneke was asking where she could get this old stuff and explains how she got the Avoin Kenntä album, which isn't easy to get as well. Tommi says it is available in this one place called Digelius. (Helsinki) The website of the dance group will have information as well.

Was the band started as a sort of project with a not-knowing-where-it-will-end-up or was it something to really go for from the beginning?

Well, as I’ve said, it began with the dance group and we thought it would be nice to have this music on cd. To let the people listen to it.

The dance group, how are you working together?

It's different because it also depends on choreographers, composers also, different kinds of people who are involved.
Sometimes we work separately and compose our own stuff by really writing it on paper or sometimes we are together and improvise.
As for playing live; they are not involved in our concerts but we are in theirs.

Did you all studied at Sibelius-akademia? (which is a big thing though!) Since every great Finnish musician studied there, it has a sort of magic to us down here. How was it like?

No, we didn't studied all at Sybelius, just some (is counting) 4 of us. Me included, but I was in the youth department of folk music. Right now I’m studying classical in Sweden, where I lived. Now I moved back to Helsinki a couple of months ago, but I’m travelling much. There are also some who are studying in the rock and jazz department, but on a different school in Helsinki. So we have a rather big scale of different kinds of music.

Lonneke: It shows off. On Avoin Kenntä at least, there were different styles used, that's one of the main reasons I like it so much.

Tommi: Yes, well on that one we used a lot of other guest musicians as well. On this new album (Hotas) it's just us. I feel it's more 'one line' , this album. And that's what I really like and also the fact that it's now really our album.

When did you start performing? And did you have a lot of gigs so far?

A little bit hard question, because there were so much changes…Let's see; We started performing since the group was founded. It hasn't been so active the first years, but now we are trying having band gigs more and more. For now, with the release of the album, we don't have an agent. So it's a bit hard to arrange any gigs, but we like and want to. (Right now they found an agent!)

Lonneke: It would be strange if it doesn't work out. The quality of your music is high and you really can do live what is on the album. (Which is not always the case. Some bands are horrible live. Some voices too...)

Also abroad? What are the future-plans when it comes to this?

We have played in the United Emirates of Arabia.

Lonneke & Sanne: WHAT???

Tommi laughs… “Heheh… yeah, that was a little weird."

Sanne: Did you get invited then?

Tommi: Yes… They translated the Kalevala in Arabian.

Lonneke & Sanne: WHAT??? (we really have to write an article about that.)

Tommi: Well, not the whole thing… (of course we didn't hear that: we were like "Wow that so cool. Yeah, we are going to write an article, yeah yeah, interesting, woohoo.") But anyway, that’s how come we got to play there as the first country to play abroad. The dance group has been playing in Sweden and Russia.

Sanne: But then they just played with the cd or…

Tommi: Just a few musicians, different songs.

Lonneke: What about the future plans? When it comes to performing?

Tommi: We are signed to make this happen, we try to make the best out of it.

Lonneke tells about the Trad-It folk-festival in Groningen and how that will suit Tsuumi.

Tommi: Well, the thing is that we are a large band, so it can be expensive and therefore it would be good to do a sort of tour.

We talk about this for a while, bring up some ideas or how it could be realized…

The new album sounds a bit different then the last one. Could you tell us something about it?

The thing is that we are a steady group right now, as I told you, only we were playing on the album. Avoin Kenntä had guest musicians. So that's the biggest change.

Sanne: Did you know, when you started to create the new album what you wanted? Like "We are going to do it like this and want to have this involved etc" ?

Tommi: Yes, we decided we wanted to have tunes only for the band (normally it must be well suited to the dance group of course). Avoin Kenntä was mainly the production that we did and we changed it a bit/re-new it. So, the idea was to have something more for us this time.

Lonneke:I consider your music as original. But …I might be still unknown in the Finnish folk-department. What do you think?

Tommi:I would also say we are quit original, because we have so much musicians from different fields. Classical, jazz, folk, rock…together that's great.

We talked a bit about Tommi's -he calls it 'moving personality" because I consider him as a Folk-musician (which is meant as a compliment) while he is doing classical at the moment. Of course we didn't see him play in this string-quartet; he did before and in an orchestra. Modern music even. Might be different…

Do you rehearse a lot and how do you rehearse?

For this album we rehearsed a lot! Rehearse, making arrangements, till you know exactly what you are doing. But to me it's more arranging than rehearsing. Actually, we do both at the same time, all together.

Where do you see yourself in future as Tsuumi?

I hope we have lots of gigs and tours! Yes! Some of us are also teaching to make a living. It's hard for a musician to really live from only playing music. Though, even we should have a lot of gigs and tours, it maybe will be not enough to provide us during the whole year.

Any favourite song you always play in a show?

All the new tunes. But also a few old ones. My personal favourite song is the opening song from Hotas.

Sanne asks why this title is in Swedish…Tommi says this is basically the only title in Swedish. It's about exercising/gym in Sweden: . "The composer of this song wanted to dedicate this song to my gym…"(then a hard laugh follows from all of us).

Lonneke her favourite song comes from Avoin Kenntä and is called Sylissä; "in your arms".

What is the hardest part about your music?

Lonneke explains the difficulties she has with playing some songs on cello…
 
I can just answer for myself and I don't consider it hard to play, it just a matter of remembering for me. It would be more difficult for our drummer, he has to remember a lot really.

Any guest-musicians?
(also this question is already answered)

Not right now. We want to concentrate on the band in total.

Some other creative ideas to do with the music? It would do good in for example an Aki Kaurismäki-movie…

Yes, well they asked Hannu one time if he also did/does film music. This person was a bit interested in that so who knows… maybe one day.

How is life in Finland for you these days?

I think it's not easy being a musician anywhere I guess…but these scholarships are good, the channels are there. But you have to stay active and connect.

Any philosophies in your music? Something we 'Europeans' might not get?

No, not really. We just like to play, no deeper philosophy.

Sanne: Do you think your music represents a typical Finnish sound? Or more like folk in general?

(This music can't be more Finnish actually, but let's hear what Tommi has to say.)

Tommi: It represents Finnish music. It's Finnish music with Finnish people, no matter where the influences come from.

Summer is almost there. Any festivals to play?

Tommi: in Finland?

Anywhere…

Tommi: Now we play at one small festival this summer, in the neighborhood. We were late with bookings and I had no time to call and stuff. We even don't have an agent who does it for us. We are still searching. Not many people would be good for that job in folk music (Nowadays-one week later- they've found one!)

There was one person who also did Värttinä and more. Record companies seem to take booking agents as well. Then it would be possible for us to do more but we don't know yet.

Hopefully we can here more about Tsuumi in Netherlands as well. Can you say something about the distribution part/ availability in Netherlands or anywhere in future?

Hotas is going to release abroad as well, but I don’t know when or where. We should ask our record company, they have the connections to the Benelux for example. I hope it will be available everywhere.

Sanne: Nowadays, folk music is rather big in Finland, it seems to us. And nice festivals...easy to get on one of those stages?
Tommi: The thing is that festivals are not so very rich, at least not here in Finland, and we are with many people, so that's expensive. And us beeing a rather big band (8 persons),that's expensive too.

It would be better to book tours in a matter of speaking. It's also a bit stupid to play one gig somewhere and go back home and the next day fly to somewhere else to do the same…too expensive, too much time..
Of course there are also festivals with lots of money, so for that one gig in here will be just fine.

We are talking some more about those festivals. Tokyo for example and other Finnish bands, the Eurovision… and it seems that Finland is going to win their semi-final of ice hockey against Russia.

The sun is shining, not even one cloud in the sky. Coffee and cigarettes on Eerikenkatu. Unfortunately, Moskova-bar is closed at 2 in the afternoon…but I got a look inside. It’s really Aki Kaurismäki-like…maybe next time…

Kiitos Tommi. It was an honour and very nice to meet. Their gig was awesome too.

And have a great summer to you all!

More information:
www.tsuumisounssystem.com
www.tsuumi.com
www.aitorecords.com