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Coming from the land of the Kalevala, an ancient land of forests, lakes, small villages and epic songs, the Karelian Folk Music Ensemble is a trio from Petrozavodsk, in the Russian Republic of Karelia. Karelia is a region that encompasses both sides of the Finnish/Russian border and the ensemble's music is an exciting and interesting mix of Finnish, Russian and Karelian cultures. Their music ranges from the ancient epic songs accompanied by Finnish harps to a capella Russian village songs, from old shepherd melodies on wooden flutes and trumpet to Finnish dances on accordions, and from scythe accompaniment to church bells. Instruments played by the trio include 5,10, and 32-string kanteles (finnish-karelian harp ), jouhikko (karelian bowed lyre), wooden wind instruments ( diatonic flutes, overtone flutes, goat's horn, birch barked trumpet, and Estonian bag-pipes), Russian and German button accordions, mandolin, bass, scythe and horse bells, plus three strong v
