Katariin Raska (jaw harp), Leanne Barbo (kannel), and Natali Ponetajev (diatonic accordion) take you back a century to a dance evening in Western Estonia, where head-spinning polkas and labajalgs reigned. The trio was brought together by the music of old-time village musician Jaan Rand (1879-1944), who lived in Kirbla in Western Estonia. They have launched a double-album titled “Push-Pull, with Oven Fork and Poker” (“Lükata-tõmmata, hargiga-roobiga”, 2023) with archival recordings played by Jaan Rand alongside their interpretations of the same tunes. The music of Kirbla trio represents traditional playing style, yet sounding contemporary in its repetitive motives and minimalist nature, offering a playful ground for dancers to forget the passage of time and enjoy the music as a process. Kirbla trio received the Estonian folk music award Etnokulp 2024 in the category of “Best Authentic Folk Music of the Year”.
Katariin Raska – jaw harp
Leanne Barbo – kannel
Natali Ponetajev – diatonic accordion
Kirbla trio on Bandcamp: https://katariinraska.bandcamp.com/album/cd2-l-kata-t-mmata-hargiga-roobiga-push-pull-with-oven-fork-and-poker
Photo: Karoliina Kreintaal