Laulu Aika is a group of musicians with a passion for learning and singing Finnish Folk Tunes for dance. The group’s inspiration came from three members of the Finn Hall Band in 2016 and is located in Twin Cities area of Minnesota.
The formation of this group of musicians was made possible by a grant from Finlandia Foundation National that awarded us the funds a year ago. It has been a rewarding experience for Jaana Tuttila and me, Ralph Tuttila, to guide this group. They have made the magic of music for so many to now enjoy.
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The Twin Cities Nyckelharpalag (Key Fiddle Group) was formed in 1998 to practice and perform Swedish folk music. Their repertoire is drawn mostly from folk tunes in Uppland, Sweden, where the nyckelharpa tradition has its roots. Whether leading a procession, playing for dancing, performing in concert or providing focus for special events, the TC Nyckelharpalag enthusiastically carries on Swedish traditions through music. In performance members of the group wear folk-dräkt, folk costumes modeled after clothing worn on special occasions in the 19th century.
The group is based in Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota and affiliated with The American Swedish Institute. Membership is open to anyone that wishes to participate in TCNL activities on a regular basis.
Organized in 1927, the primary function of the Vasa Junior Folk Dancers club is promoting Swedish heritage and culture to children, and preserving Swedish traditions and heritage through Swedish folk dancing.
The ASI Male Chorus sings in Swedish and promotes the Swedish Choral Tradition. Members give an annual Spring Concert, perform at Midsommar, Svenskarnas Dag and many ASI events. They have also toured in Sweden and at senior living sites and civic events.
Based in Minneapolis, award-winning Finn Hall recreates the feel and sounds of the historic Finnish-American dance halls for local dancers offering waltz, polka, schottische, mazurka, tango, humppa and other dances. Along with dance venues, they also perform in concert
settings where they add listening selections for the pleasure of the audience.
Finn Hall tours throughout the mid-western United States, and occasionally to both the east and west coasts for dances and concerts. They tour internationally as well whenever possible.
Paul Dahlin, joined by family and friends, offers a concert of Swedish and Swedish-American music with plenty of time for dancing.
Paul is the founder of the ASI Spelmanslag, recipient of the prestigious 1996 National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship Award, and has mentored hundreds of fiddlers throughout his nearly 40 years of teaching and performing.
Versk Spelman began in 1999, playing in local coffee shops. They have performed in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Connecticut, and Sweden. The group is made up of fiddles, accordion and guitar.
Jenta O’ Ja (Girl and I) Char Bostrom and Art Bjorngjeld are musicians from the Twin Cities of Minnesota who have been playing together for Scandinavian dances since the early 1990s. Char has a passion for Swedish polska music and is highly sought after to provide music for dance instruction workshops. Art grew up in a musical family with roots in Norway and North Dakota, and is a long time member of LeRoy Larson’s Minnesota Scandinavian Ensemble.
Both Char and Art perform with Ole Olson’s Oldtime Orkestra (OOOO). As a duo, they play a variety of Scandinavian dance music. They love to explore the older and less well known dance forms within the Scandinavian tradition, but their performances always include a generous helping of the newer “gammaldans” tunes, waltz, polka, and schottische. If JENTA O’ JA inspires you to grab your partner and take to the dance floor, please don’t be shy. That’s really what it is all about.
Bio Coming Soon
Bio Coming Soon
Bio Coming Soon
The ASI Cloudberries, a women’s choral ensemble, promotes the Swedish Choral Tradition.
Members perform and sing in Swedish.
Kisarit Finnish American Folk Dancers, located in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, continues to promote Finnish culture in America since 1972.
