Nani

Nani is the debut album from Finnish folk musician and researcher Emmi Kujanpää. An avid enthusiast of Finnish and Bulgarian traditional singing for some time, Kujanpää founded the vocal group, Finno-Balkan Voices following her studies in Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second largest city. On Nani, she continues to forge musical connections between these two regions with help from the Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares Vocal Academy choir – the new generation of Bulgaria's famous vocal ensemble. It's an interesting combination that gives birth to some moments of real chemistry. The album begins with the graceful a capella piece, ‘Ogrejalo Slantse – Vouta Vouta’. It has a feeling of fullness and simplicity, which is replicated on the title-track and on one or two others. Unfortunately, there are also some fairly random and unnecessary moments. As Nani progresses, an assortment of instruments – trumpet, Finnish kantele, harmonium, morin khuur, not to mention Tuvan throat singing – enter the fray, before we return to the core vocal ingredients on ‘Valkean Yön Joiku – Yoik of a White Night’. In my opinion, less would have been more. That said, Nani is still a stirring debut that opens up new possibilities between Finnish and Bulgarian music.