|  |  |  |  |  |  | | | | | | Bio of the Artist | The roots of the TERVAKELLO-orchestra name, which can be
freely translated as "Tar-Bell", trace back to a wooden
instrument that was traditionally sounded before the lighting
of a tar-burning pit in the Finnish forests. The bell was used as
an alarm signal, as well as to inform the nearby villagers on
the ongoing tar burning process.
The creation of Tervakello in the spring of 2002, was the
result of a long-nourished idea of an ethno-primitive orchestra.
The desire to make music concentrating around percussion
instruments was strong in the men's minds, and the basic
elements for its fulfilment passed through scrupulous
preparatory work in the nightlife of Turku. With the Udu-
drums resonating as the basis of their music, Tervakello group
members conjure up a shamanistic sound-landscape by
surrounding the drum beat with a variety of acoustic wind
instruments, rain sticks, shakers, kalimba etc. Nowdays also
analogue synthesizer and a sampler are used. The singular
atmosphere created by the music is mainly based on
improvisations upon a basic tuner structure.
Tervakello's first album, produced and recorded by Teho
Majamäki and Heikki Savolainen, was released on May 7,
2004. It was recorded some 110 meters underground at the
Tytyri Mine Museum in Lohja (Finland). The recording
captures with excellenge Tervakello's musical landscape
combining it smoothly with the distinctly audible mine
surroundings, the dropping water and the occasional rocks
crashing down into the abyss darkness.
Music Mosaic, which is a division of the Australian
company Music a la Carte, licensed the title called
Engelstreftir into their compilation album called Fire
Drums.
Since its formation Tervakello has participated with its
music in numerous events: in the annual Medieval Market
Festivals of Turku, the Kaustinen (Finland) Folk Music
Festival, in making sound scenes for theatrical and dance
performances, as well as for animations. And of course its
own individual concerts have tuned up and refined the
music world of Tervakello.
The orchestra member and ceramist-potter Ville Matti
Simonen has long experience in creating and producing
hand-made musical instruments such as Udu-drums,
ceramic ocarina flutes and shakers. Consequently, the
basic instruments of Tervakello are tailor-made by him for
the orchestra.
In the summer of 2006 our member Pekka Korte had to
leave the orchestra. Tervakello soon found a new member
Jesse Juup and he brought the analogue synthesizer and
the sampler into the musical landscape of Tervakello.
The principal members and instruments of the orchestra:
Esa Nikula udu, rain stick
Ville Matti Simonen udu, natural bark flute
Santeri Väyrynen udu, recorder
Jonne Nikula shaker, kalimba
Jesse Juup analogue synthesizer
Henrik Wakonen udu, shaman drum | | |
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