A peculiar album title! "Toisjalkainen," translated as "The Different-Footed," is the third full-length album by the Finnish duo Emilia Lajonen & Suvi Oskala. The two extensively awarded musicians impress with their powerful performance and unique interpretations of traditional melodies and new commissioned compositions.
The folk duo once again delves into the rich historical repertoire of fiddlers from central Finland. The title track "Toisjalkainen" refers to the nickname adopted by the legendary fiddler and tailor Akseli Raatikainen himself. Legend has it that Raatikainen was once run over by a fiddler from Kaustinen in the town of Kokkola, resulting in the unfortunate loss of one leg. "One can only hope that it was an unintentional accident and not the result of a botched fiddler rivalry," the musicians write.
The lively album melodies come from established historical Finnish music collections and also include exciting discoveries from Emilia's recent extensive research in central Finnish music archives. "When searching for new pieces, we play through them and try to feel which musical spirit resonates with us. Often, new arrangements come together as if by themselves when a melody simply falls into place. In other cases, it can take years until we find the right perspective on the music. The best moments are when we're working on an arrangement, the sounds of the violins intertwine, and the flow of the music begins to carry us forward," describe the musicians about their creative process.
