The new Sanna Kurki-Suonio CD Huria was rush-released in her home market Finland in time for Christmas, and will be available elsewhere in Europe in January 2008. Westpark Music in Cologne will release it for Germany-Austria-Switzerland, and Rockadillo’s distributers like Proper Music in the U.K. have already confirmed release dates.

In some ways Huria can been seen as a follow-up to Sanna Kurki-Suonio & Riitta Huttunen’s album Kainuu (2004) as many of the traditional songs are again 100 years old tunes from Finland’s north-eastern Kainuu region. But where Kainuu was pure folklore, Huria sounds like contemporary acoustic folk or World music. There are also some great original tunes by the band members, most notably maybe the very catchy Matkalla. The new CD was produced very tastefully by Tapani Rinne of electro jazz band RinneRadio and he kept the sound minimalistic and true to the roots. Huria is acoustic and organic, but somehow it sounds very modern, too. It is worth noting that Tapani Rinne was also the producer behind Kimmo Pohjonen’s and Wimme’s breakthrough albums a few years ago.

Sanna Kurki-Suonio is a unique talent, a singer who understands the rich tradition of her instrument but who is also interested in exploring contemporary styles and techniques. Sanna is internationally best known for her career with Swedish folk rock band Hedningarna. She sang and played on and composed for Hedningarna's three most successful albums, Kaksi (1992), Trä (1994) and Karelia Visa (1999), and performed with the band all over the world for more than eight years. Sanna's first solo album Musta was released internationally in 1998 and got excellent reviews. After her solo album she toured USA and Europe with Swedish viola player Magnus Stinnerbom, composed the Kalevala 150th Anniversary concert with Finnish rock star A.W. Yrjänä and sang on recordings by a.o. Pekka Lehti, Transjoik, Frode Fjellheim and Tapiola Chamber Choir.

Riitta Huttunen graduated from the folk music department of Sibelius Academy in 1995. She also studied koto playing in Japan and West-Javanese music and dance in Indonesia. She has worked as a kantele player in many folk music and kantele ensembles since 1985 and has performed in Russia, Germany, Japan, Indonesia, USA, Hungary, Mexico and Greece. Riitta researched and edited the book Kainuun laulukirja (Songbook from Kainuu) in 2001, which gave Sanna the inspiration for their duo as well as for the Kainuu recording.

Jari Lappalainen is a multi-instrumentalist, based in Joensuu, North Carelia. He specializes in percussion, but also plays many string instruments. For the album as well as on stage he uses many interesting pieces of kitchenware for percussion. Jari also plays with the band Folkswagen and he writes and plays music for many theater productions. When he hooked up with Sanna and Riitta in early 2006, the Sanna Kurki-Suonio Trio was born.

Huria is already getting fantastic reviews in Finland. Here are some excerpts from Finland’s leading newspapers:  

"Huria by Sanna Kurki-Suonio and her trio is an album of strong songs and a strong singer. The motional register of the voice reveals a range of nuances that is rich and approaches the listener, without a need to emphasize the skills of the singer with extreme forms of expression. On the contrary, the journey takes, at its best, inward and towards the core, deep into the story… These are humble folk songs, but the epithet ‘merely’ can be forgotten. The alliance of old and new is seamless.” –Pirkko Kotirinta, Helsingin Sanomat, Helsinki, November 10, 2007

"Sanna Kurki-Suonio hits with a versatile album. Rooted into tradition, Huria stretches into many directions but keeps its style. The album, created with Riitta Huttunen, Jari Lappalainen and Tapani Rinne, rocks and rattles at times like the best of them: The vagabond girl (Tyttö kulkija) and On the road (Matkalla) are exactly the kind of songs that folk music needs to increase its audience. " – Markku Makkonen, Aamulehti / Valo, Tampere, November 9, 2007

" The former Hedningarna singer Sanna Kurki-Suonio returns with aplomb on her third solo album. Huria focuses on folk tradition, especially street ballads from Kainuu, but the renditions are contemporary.. . Amazing soundscape with references to primitive ethnomusic as well as meditative ambient music. Minimalist accompaniment, hypnotic performances and moving lyrics unite into a magnificent whole: the songs come close and make you ponder on the relativity of time and experiences. "

– Matti Komulainen, Turun Sanomat / Viikkoliite, Turku, November 14, 2007

More information: Rockadillo Records, Ilmarinkatu 12 A 2, 33500 Tampere, Finland

Tel. +358-3-213 1260, fax. +358-3-213 1297
records@rockadillo.fi www.rockadillo.fi www.sannakurkisuonio.com