Ten groups advanced to the finals of the 15th Konsta Jylhä Competition, held in conjunction with the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival. The theme of this year’s competition is ballads, and groups of 2 to 4 members were eligible to participate.
“The ballad, or narrative song, proved to be a delightfully popular theme for the Konsta Jylhä Competition. A total of 16 groups submitted sample recordings of their performances. From these, the jury selected 10 to advance to the semifinals in the preliminary round. The selection was difficult because the overall level was excellent and the approaches to traditional, arranged, or original ballads were incredibly diverse. “A high-quality and captivating competition is coming to Pelimannitalo once again,” sums up Hannu Saha, chair of the preliminary round jury.
The finalists are:
Cienna & Saana (Helsinki)
Emmi Rajala & Verna Kylmänen (Helsinki)
Freija (Lahti)
Itälänsi (Jyväskylä)
Kamala Kamele (Lohja)
Kassos! (Kaustinen)
Katriina Loisa & Kuolon Kielet (Helsinki)
Keino (Kangasala)
Lammassaari/Janka-Murros (Kuopio)
Uusi Aika (Helsinki)
The competition’s semifinals will be held at Pelimannitalo on Monday, July 13, starting at 7:00 p.m., and the finals, featuring six competitors, will take place on Tuesday, July 14, starting at 4:00 p.m. A total of €6,000 in prize money will be awarded in the competition. The Konsta Jylhä Competition is organized by the Institute of Folk Music and Pelimannitalo.
Additional information:
Henna Leisiö, producer
Tel. 044-5245693, henna.leisio@gmail.com
Photo: The 2025 winners Erkki Virkkala and Iikka Huntus, photo Risto Savolainen/Kaustinen Folk Music Festival