Saha is one of Finland's great promoters and musicians. He has worked with all the best artists in Finland and has championed both a revival of the tradition and an innovative atmosphere. His primary instrument is the kantele, a zither/harp that is at the heart of the Finnish musical soul. On Mahla (sap) he plays ancient horse-hair versions and modern concert editions, joined by some of the best musicians in Finland: Kimmo Pohjonen, Heikki Laitinen, Arto Järvelä, Timo Myllykangas, Sanna Kurki-Suonio, Ville Kangas, Hasse Walli, Aija Purtinen on vocals, Andrew Cronshaw and Matti Mäkelä. Produced by Andrew Cronshaw.

Listen to "Cow dance" and "Song of a mating bird"

Saha himself displays everything from traditional solo improvisations to new textural roles for the kantele amidst the different musical idioms chosen. The set is chiefly instrumental with four songs interspersed, including Sibelius' "Finlandia" hymn. The idioms comprise unadorned folk to popular jazz and mildly spacier derivations of each. Most memorable here is the vital, uncomfortable beauty of the title song and its erotic whisper vocal effects that evoke the irresistible forces of desire, as embodied in the sap metaphor. Least memorable is the thinly recorded jazz funk drum kit in "Parre Henke." Urban clinker aside, there is much here to prove the love Saha and his compatriots have for topics like the "Riverside Grove," "Cow Dance," or the "Song of a Mating Bird." - Steve Taylor, RootsWorld

More music from the Finland

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