Aitara

Studio album by Värttinä

Released

1994

Recorded

Finnvox-Studio, Helsinki Sept 1994

Genre

Finnish folk music

Length

41:40

Label

Mipu Music

Producer

Janne Haavisto

Värttinä chronology

Seleniko
(1992)

Aitara
(1994)

Kokko
(1996)

Aitara is Värttinä's 5th album, released in 1994 in Finland. In 1995, it was released by King Records in Japan, Music & Words in Benelux, and Xenophile Records in the United States, where it spent five weeks at #1 on the CMJ World Music charts. In 2003, it was re-released in Finland by BMG, and has been re-released in the U.S. by NorthSide.

Aitara was named "Best Contemporary World Music Album" by the National Association of Independent Record Distributors.

For their second video, Värttinä used "Yötulet" from this album.

Track listing

"Katariina" – 2:14
"Tumala" – 3:28
"Maamo" ("Mother") – 3:59
"Niin mie mieltynen" ("The Beloved") – 4:02
"Mie tahon tanssia" ("I Want To Dance") – 3:05
"Tammi" ("The Oak") – 4:04
"Pirsta" ("Silver") – 2:33
"Outona omilla mailla" ("A Stranger In My Own Land") – 3:27
"Travuska" – 4:52
"Yötulet" ("The Night Fire") – 3:04
"Kannunkaataja" ("The Tippler") – 3:59
"Aitara" – 2:49

Personnel

Värttinä

Mari Kaasinen – vocals
Sari Kaasinen – vocals
Kirsi Kähkönen – vocals
Sirpa Reiman – vocals
Janne Lappalainen – bouzouki, reeds, whistles
Pekka Lehti – string bass, Hammond organ
Riitta Potinoja – 5-row accordion, Hammond organ
Kari Reiman – violin, kantele, cimbalom
Antto Varilo – guitars, cümbüs tanbur

Guest

Anssi Nykänen – Aitara-drums

Singles

Tumala, Travuska

A single containing "Tumala" and "Travuska" was released by Mipu Music in Finland in 1994.

Mie Tahon Tanssia, Kannunkaataja

In 1995, a single containing "Mie Tahon Tanssia" and "Kannunkaataja" was released in Finland by Mipu Music.

Yötulet

In 1996, a single containing "Tuulilta Tuleva" and "Kokko" from the album Kokko and "Yötulet" from this album was released by Nonesuch in Australia.