小简介    
玛丽亚·卡拉涅米 Maria Kalaniemi
    芬兰手风琴女将玛丽亚·卡拉涅米出生于1964年，八岁起便学习五排键手风琴。长大后进入西贝柳斯音乐学院，她很幸运。她是西贝流士音乐学院「民谣音乐学系」创系的第一届学生，拜在HeikkiLaitinen的门下。HeikkiLaitinen鼓励学生采集传统民谣作品，从传统中去创新，尤其侧重民谣体系里的即兴精神。
    玛丽亚·卡拉涅米在西贝柳斯音乐学院的民谣学系就读十年，刚开始学习古典手风琴，而后修习曼陀林、小提琴、kantele筝，然后学习作曲、理论作曲、即兴与演出。并在1983年夺得芬兰的「手风琴金奖」（GoldenAccordion），顺利迈入唱片录音生涯。
    玛丽亚·卡拉涅米的手风琴演奏风格迥异于我们一般听到的民谣手风琴，节奏来自民谣，但旋律来自古典音乐与一点点的摇滚，中期的作品更出现大量的爵士即兴。她最为人称道之处是发明了所谓的「自由贝斯」（free-bass）技巧。
    一般手风琴演奏，左手是按圆钮（stud），右手是按琴键盘。只用圆钮演奏的手风琴，称之为buttonaccordion，结合圆钮与琴键盘者称之为pianoaccordion。演奏pianoaccordion时，乐手用左手按下部份按钮演奏单音，另外一些按钮则是事先设定好的和弦。如果只演奏单音，而不使用和弦，则称之为free-bass。
    玛丽亚·卡拉涅米用free-bass的手法演奏旋律，让她的作曲与编曲都空间大为开展。此外，她巧妙利用风箱，而非死命拉开阖上，使得演奏风格有种耐听的静谧情味。
    玛丽亚·卡拉涅米在1983年组了一支纯女子的民谣乐队Niekku，将芬兰民谣推进前所未见的领域。她们的作品一半是传统民谣、一半是新创作曲，全部使用原音乐器。连续出版三张唱片，成为「芬兰新民谣运动」的领导团体。
    1995年，她另组了Aldargaz乐团，多数作品由玛丽亚·卡拉涅米与钢琴手TimoAlakotila合写。在1996年夺得芬兰教育部颁发的「芬兰奖」（PrizeofFinland），这个奖项一向颁给古典音乐、
    爵士乐与流行乐界歌手，玛丽亚·卡拉涅米是第一个得到此奖的民谣乐手。1996年，她又组了一支AccordionTribe五重奏，是来自五个国家、五支不一样的手风琴，展开十八个国家的巡回演出。
    目前，玛丽亚·卡拉涅米任教于西贝柳斯音乐学院。
by Craig Harris
Maria Kalaniemi trained as a classical accordion player for 11 years, but her greatest musical success has come through her mastery of the folk traditions of Finland. In addition to three memorable solo albums, Kalaniemi has been essential to recordings and performances by such top-ranked Finnish folk groups as Niekku, Aldargaz, the Helsinki Melodeon Ladies Quintet, and Zeta Bop.
Playing the five-row button accordion from the age of eight, Kalaniemi has had an illustrious career. As the winner of the prestigious Golden Accordion award, she recorded her debut album, Kultaisen Harmonikan Voittaja, in 1983. Released by the Accordion Institute of Ikaalinen, the album showcased Kalaniemi's talents for interpreting traditional Finnish dance tunes. Enrolling in the Folk Music department of the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Kalaniemi continued to strengthen her musical skills. In addition to studying traditional music, she took classes in music theory, improvisation, and performance. While the accordion remained her prime instrument, she learned to play mandolin, violin, and kantele, a zither-like instrument. Together with other students, Kalaniemi formed a band, Niekku. An all-woman group, with the exception of violinist Arto Jarvela, later of JPP, Niekku brought a contemporary vision to the traditional music of Finland and became leaders of the New Finnish Folk movement.
Although she briefly studied with accordionist Marcel Azzola in France, Kalamieni returned to complete her studies at the Sibelius Academy. Graduating in 1990, she began experimenting with the classical-oriented technique of using her left hand to create free-bass melodies. Taking two years to master, the technique provided new composition, arrangement, and performance possibilities.
Kalamieni released her first album as a professional musician, a self-titled collection of traditional Finnish and Swedish folk tunes, polkas, tangos, and original compositions, on the Finnish Olarin Musiikii label in 1992. The album was subsequently reissued in the United States on the Xenophile label and, later, on the Finlandia Innovators Series label.
Along with JPP, Kalamieni toured the United States with the Finnish Fever tour in 1994. The following year, she formed a new band, Aldargaz, with Arto Jarvela and pianist Timo Alakotila of JPP, mandolinist Petri Hakla, guitarist Olli Varis, and bassist Tapani Varis. The group's debut album, Iho, released in Finland in July 1995, was reissued by Ryko/Hannibal two years later. In 1996, the band became the first folk group to receive the Prize of Finland, awarded by the Minister of Education for "excellence in music." Aldargaz released their second album, Ahma, in January 1999. At the same time, Kalamieni began collaborating with a wide variety of musicians including ethnic/jazz fusion band Zeta Bob and Finnish vocalist Katri Helena. Together with Riitta Kossi of Varttina she formed the Helsinki Melodeon Ladies Quintet. In 1996 she became one of five accordionists from five different countries to comprise the Accordion Tribe.
Kalamieni remained busy in 1997. In addition to receiving a three-year artist's grant from the Finnish state, she toured Sweden twice and collaborated with singer/actor/flautist Vesa-Matti Loiri, playing on his album Rurja and touring Finland as a member of his band. The following year, she organized and performed at the Harmonikka Accordion Festival and continued to explore an eclectic range of musical settings. Together with Olli Varis, she formed a group, Andetagen, with accordionists Lars Hollmer and Kimmo Pohjonen, and recorded a vocal improvisation album, Pidot, with Heikki Laitinen and Anna-Kaisa Liedes. In January 1999, Kalamieni performed at the Celtic Connection Festival in Glasgow, along with Sharon Shannon in Ireland and Karen Tweed in England. The same year, she participated in a French production of Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf." 2001 saw the release of her Northside album, Ahma.