Pauliina Lerche "Tulikatriili"

  / kantelar   Pauliina Lerche is one of the many Finnish folk musicians who have their roots in the small North Karelian village of Rääkkylä near the Russian border. Her musical career began in the original line-up of the most famous of the folk bands stemming from this small village, Värttinä, but she had early on found the musical direction she wanted to pursue. Studies at the Folk Music Department of the Sibelius Academy only served to strengthen this musical vision and after graduating in 2002, she has quickly become one of the most personal ambassadors of Finnish folk music on the world music scene. Pauliina is a multi-instrumentalist whose instruments include accordion, violin, kantele, deltar and her own voice. She composes, arranges and writes lyrics for her own material in which she combines her solid background in the Karelian tradition with influences from both world and popular music.