Mari Kalkun
A voice that seems to speak to us from the heart of the Estonian forest, Mari Kalkun’s music is at once of a place and deeply personal. Rooted in ancient Estonian and Võru traditions, and played on a variety of instruments including kannel, her music—for those of us with ears and hearts open—resonates deep within us to touch our spirits, our souls, even when the language is strange to us. Songs and musical arrangements that are sparse and stripped down allow emotions to surface, and the song breath and reveal itself as something organic and real. Hers is an intimate music—born of Baltic winter forests and icy landscapes— and yet there is renewal, hope and celebration to be heard. Mari Kalkun’s music has a timeless quality and unhurried sense of time and space.
Mari Kalkun is an internationally acclaimed artist who in 2023 released her new solo album ‘Stories of Stonia’ (by Real World Records) co-produced with Sam Lee. She has presented her new album already in 20 countries around the world. The album ties together ancient myths, runo songs and contemporary poetry written in one of the oldest languages in the world - Võro. The album has reached much acclaim internationally (Transglobal World Music Chart nr 1; TOP 10 by European World Music Chart, 5 star review by Financial Times, Songlines Best New Albums etc).
Mari Kalkun has released eight albums in Estonia, Europe and Japan. She has worked as a soloist in projects with acclaimed orchestras and choirs. Mari has toured through Europe and Japan, had concerts in Canada, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, US.
