Duo Emilia Lajunen & Suvi Oskala have been selected to the Official Showcase at WOMEX 2019 in Tampere. WOMEX World Music Expo announced the first sixteen showcase acts today, and more announcements will follow later on in the summer.

Emilia Lajunen and Suvi Oskala search for inspiring fiddle tunes from the archives and make them their own. Both had a long musical experience and various traditional music projects under their belts even before starting the duo in 2010. Now they will have a significant opportunity: a concert in front of the most distinguished gatekeepers of the scene from all over the globe. 

”Getting selected as an Official Showcase artist at WOMEX is enormously exciting and we’re bubbling with anticipation and joy! It’ll be really interesting to see what the event looks like to a showcase artist and of course also how the event settles to the Finnish climate in Tampere!” says Suvi Oskala.

In addition to their interest in ancient tradition, they also strive for inventive use of their instruments: not just standard violins but five-string violins which include an extra lower string. Their repertoire consists of traditional Finnish fiddle tunes, arranged with a twist, as well as commissioned works by top-notch names of the folk music scene, such as Mikael Marin of the legendary Swedish folk band Väsen and Finnish accordion virtuoso Johanna Juhola. Piilokisa, the second album by Duo Emilia Lajunen & Suvi Oskala, was released on the German label Nordic Notes last year.

This year marks the momentous 25th-anniversary edition of WOMEX World Music Expo, taking place in Tampere, Finland between 23–27 October. The first sixteen artists announced by Piranha Arts, the organisers of WOMEX, already represent twenty-two different countries on stage, confirming an extensive range of musical styles. Music Finland is this year’s strategic partner at the event, and will for example produce the opening concert focusing on Finnish music.

More info on this year's WOMEX programme will follow throughout the summer on Music Finland's website and womex.com.