Anne-Mari Kivimäki EnsembleFI

Anne-Mari Kivimäki is one of Finland's most innovative contemporary folk music composers and performers. She won Artist of the Year at Finland's inaugural Etnogala in 2017, and her album Lakkautettu kylä has earned critical acclaim, receiving five-star concert reviews and awards in both Germany and Finland. Her music features a hypnotic pulse and draws inspiration from traditional Karelian culture, stories, and melodies. For her ensemble, Kivimäki has gathered musicians who performed on her successful album. According to Folk Alliance International USA in 2020, her band's performance stood out for its rhythm-focused approach, with all three instrumentalists creating an incredibly intense beat that transformed into a wild, elemental sound that captivated the audience.