Chuck Lipsig penned this review.
The Kalevala is the Finnish national epic, as collected and compiled by Elias Lonnrot in the second quarter of the 19th century. In Kalevala: Dream of the Salmon Maiden, Ruth MacKenzie, who is based in the Minneapolis area but has performed extensively in Sweden and Finland, has adapted one story from the epic into a series of songs. In the story, the maiden, Aino, rejects the advances of the 900 year-old magician, Vainamoinen. When Aino’s mother fails to understand the rejection and encourages her to marry the magician, the maiden, in despair, transforms herself into a salmon. The result is a recording that is fascinating and unique (at least, in my experience), combining Finnish, Swedish, Estonian, and American traditions.
The result is far more than a curiosity. The legend recounted in the first nine (of fourteen) tracks is a very powerful story of emotional betrayal. The strongest of a fine collection of songs include “Kaikk‚ Mia,” which combines traditional Finnish words with Ms. MacKenzie’s arrangement. “Swimming on the Surface,” the daughter’s curse to her parents, is the best of the songs with English lyrics. “O My Body” is a haunting, almost frightening chant that takes the music farthest from what most Western listeners are familiar with. If there is any complaint in this section, it is that the constant anger and sense of betrayal expressed in the songs can become wearily repetitive.
Among the songs not directly inspired by the Salmon Maiden, “Give Us Room to Roar” is a exuberant call to the dance that lives up to its title. “If I Knew” is a deeply emotional love song, adapted from the Estonian tradition. Several of the tracks are of kulning, which is, according to the liner notes, Finnish songs for herding animals. Frankly, these songs are a matter of taste, although Ms. MacKenzie’s control and purity of voice are impressively displayed. On the other hand, kulning inspired background vocals provide an additional edge to “Give Us Room to Roar.”
It is difficult — and probably unwise — to describe Ms. MacKenzie’s arrangements as belonging to any particular style. There are elements from the tradition of Finland and other Baltic countries; there are also strong elements of renaissance, rock, Spanish, and jazz. Just how many of these are intended and how much are the spontaneous product of musical fusion is unclear.
Special credit goes to Marc Anderson, whose intricate percussion is far more than just keeping the beat. Kalevala: Dream of the Salmon Maiden is an impressive performance and a fascinatingly different recording.
(Omnium, 1998)
