Timo Alakotila & Johanna Juhola Duo: Amicum

Press release Kalevala Day, 28.2.2023
Timo Alakotila & Johanna Juhola Duo: Amicum
Album release 29.3.2023

“Amicum” is the new album by pianist Timo Alakotila and accordionist Johanna Juhola, which will be released 29.3.2023. The name “Amicum” is taken from an Alakotila’s composition, dedicated to the young folk violinist Veera Kuisma, and means “friend”. Timo and Johanna are delighted to present this album, some 16 years since their last release.

Johanna and Timo recall: ”Our first album focused on improvisation in a Finnish folk style. “Vapaassa tilassa”, was released in 2007, when improvised solos were still quite scarce in folk recordings. Guests on that recording were Aili Ikonen, Jouni Järvelä, Pekka Kuusisto, Roger Tallroth and Petri Hakala, and together we explored the possibilities of folk music improvisation”. This time, the duo relies on the power of only two musicians and the freedom that duet playing brings. The result is an album showing the combined virtuosic skills of the duo, with colourful melodic lines and lively, jazz-inspired rhythms.

“Amicum” features compositions by both instrumentalists, as well as traditional folk tunes, and improvisations based around them. “I originally composed quadrille “Lupa tanssia” (Permission to Dance) and schottische “Kolmiaskel” (Three steps) in 2020 for a folk-dance work by the Polskatroikka group, that aimed to dismantle the traditional gender roles of folk dance and give everyone permission to dance with whomever they want. Rauhan Polska (Polska of Peace) was written for a charity event for Ukraine called Rauhan katrilli (Peace Quadrille), organized by folk dancers and musicians in spring 2022,” explains Johanna Juhola.

Of his own compositions, Timo comments: “The tune “Vesi” (Water) is the last part of a violin concerto I originally composed for the Norwegian Ragnhild Furebotten in 2015. The famous Barokksolistene and Helge Norbakken from Norway, and Roger Tallroth from Sweden also played at the premiere in Bodø. “Ground Tangue” is a combination of two sections of the piece “Tangato Grosso”. I composed this work for the wonderful Guardia Nueva in 2009″.

The traditional tunes “Polska från Sexdrega” and “Siliavalssi”(Silia Waltz) are from Kaustinen and have been in the duo’s repertoire since the very beginning, first as teaching material, later in concerts, and now finally also on the album. The influences of the musical tradition from western Finland have also been an inspiration to graphic designer Paula Susitaival. The unique figure on the cover of the album is taken from the pocket of a regional dress from Viljakkala.

Music video Lupa tanssia (Permissin to Dance) will be released on Kalevala Day 28.2.2023. Watch the video: https://youtu.be/zbsHrOvV8K Two more videos will be released during the Spring 2023. The videos can be watched on artists’ Youtube channels. Album release concert is on the 29th of March 2023 7 pm, at Helsinki Music House Centre. The concert is part of “Folk Music at the Sibelius Academy for 40 years!” program.

Amicum ÅKERÖCD024

Lupa tanssia 3:38
Ground Tangue 4:24
Polska från Sexdrega 6:21
Amicum 6:43
Kolmiaskel 4:23
Helianthus 4:13
Vesi 3:54
Polska efter Lejsme Per 4:28
Siliavalssi 4:13
Rauhan polska 5:03

Listen the album in advance: https://on.soundcloud.com/YqvcN

Compositions: Johanna Juhola (1, 5, 6 and 10), Timo Alakotila (2, 4 and 7), trad. (3, 8 and 9). All arrangements by Timo Alakotila & Johanna Juhola.
Recorded and mixed by Joel Ward at Helsinki Music Center, 2022
Produced by Timo Alakotila and Johanna Juhola
Mastered by Jaakko Viitalähde at Virtalähde
Mastering Photos by Johanna Tirronen | Graphic design by Paula Susitaival Sibelius Academy Folk Music Recordings 182. www.uniarts.fi/siba/kansanmusiikki

Timo Alakotila is a sought-after collaborator as a musician, composer and pedagogue in different genres of music such as folk, jazz and classical. He has collaborated with top artists and orchestras both in Finland and internationally. His extensive composition projects include concerts, musical plays, music for dance performances and rich arrangements. Timo Alakotila has worked on over 250 albums as an artistic producer, musician, composer or arranger. He is also the artistic director of the Kaukas EloFolk festival. Alakotila has received widespread recognition for his work, and several awards. In 2011, he was given the title “Professor of Arts”.

Johanna Juhola has been praised as an undisciplined innovator of tango, an important reformer of accordion-playing and even a musical superhero! Juhola has released five solo albums and performs her “fantasy tango” compositions in her bands Johanna Juhola Reaktori and Trio. She has also developed a visual concert, Imaginary Friends, where Johanna is the only live performer, but a team of accompanists and fellow performers are projected alongside her on two large video screens. As a musician, Juhola crosses genre boundaries and has collaborated with top names in classical, jazz, pop and electronic music. In 2022, Juhola was awarded the NPU prize of the Nordic music composers’ organization for her compositions.

Duo Alakotila and Juhola have been playing together for over 15 years. Both teach regularly at the Sibelius Academy Helsinki, which is in fact where they originally met. Individually both musicians have performed in dozens of countries, and together the duo has performed widely both at home in Finland and other Nordic countries, and as far afield as the United Arab Emirates.

Timo Alakotila & Johanna Juhola Duo: Amicum

Timo Alakotila - Composer & musician

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