Arto Järvelä
Encyclopedia
Arto Järvelä is a Finnish fiddler
and composer
. Because of the many groups and projects he is involved in, he has been called "the busiest man in Finnish folk music
". He is primarily a violinist, but among other instruments of his are nyckelharpa
, mandolin
and kantele
. Arto Järvelä is the fourth generation of the wellknown Järvelä fiddler family, whose musical roots belong in the rural area close to the small town Kaustinen
.
As a ten year old, he started to play the drums
and bass guitar
in a family band, together with his father. He got serious on the fiddle at about 13 years of age. He played the harmonium
(pump organ) in a band of youngsters called Järvelän pikkupelimannit (the small fiddlers from the Järvelä village) until he got good enough on the fiddle to join the group as a fiddler. This group eventually became the most well known Finnish fiddler folk music group, abbreviating its name into JPP
. Besides having learned to play the traditional route, Järvelä is also trained in the Sibelius Academy
's department for folk music, where he nowadays also teaches.
Among the groups where he is or has been a member are
records can be found under the groups entry.
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. Because of the many groups and projects he is involved in, he has been called "the busiest man in Finnish folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
". He is primarily a violinist, but among other instruments of his are nyckelharpa
Nyckelharpa
A nyckelharpa , sometimes called a keyed fiddle, is a traditional Swedish musical instrument. It is a string instrument or chordophone. Its keys are attached to tangents which, when a key is depressed, serve as frets to change the pitch of the string.The nyckelharpa is similar in appearance to a...
, mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
and kantele
Kantele
A kantele or kannel is a traditional plucked string instrument of the zither family native to Finland, Estonia, and Karelia. It is related to the Russian gusli, the Latvian kokle and the Lithuanian kanklės. Together these instruments make up the family known as Baltic psalteries...
. Arto Järvelä is the fourth generation of the wellknown Järvelä fiddler family, whose musical roots belong in the rural area close to the small town Kaustinen
Kaustinen
Kaustinen is a municipality of Finland.It is part of the Central Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
.
As a ten year old, he started to play the drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
and bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
in a family band, together with his father. He got serious on the fiddle at about 13 years of age. He played the harmonium
Harmonium
A harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
(pump organ) in a band of youngsters called Järvelän pikkupelimannit (the small fiddlers from the Järvelä village) until he got good enough on the fiddle to join the group as a fiddler. This group eventually became the most well known Finnish fiddler folk music group, abbreviating its name into JPP
JPP
JPP is a group of Finnish folk musicians, mainly fiddlers, hailing from Kaustinen. The name originally meant Järvelän Pikkupelimannit, the small fiddlers of Järvelä, but today the group only uses the abbreviation JPP...
. Besides having learned to play the traditional route, Järvelä is also trained in the Sibelius Academy
Sibelius Academy
The Sibelius Academy is a university-level music school which operates in Helsinki and Kuopio, Finland. It also has an adult education centre in Järvenpää and a training centre in Seinäjoki. The Academy is the only music university in Finland. It is among the biggest European music universities...
's department for folk music, where he nowadays also teaches.
Among the groups where he is or has been a member are
- JPPJPPJPP is a group of Finnish folk musicians, mainly fiddlers, hailing from Kaustinen. The name originally meant Järvelän Pikkupelimannit, the small fiddlers of Järvelä, but today the group only uses the abbreviation JPP...
- The trio Alakotila-Järvelä-Kennemark, along with Timo AlakotilaTimo AlakotilaTimo Alakotila is a Finnish composer, arranger, and musician born July 15, 1959.Timo Alakotila's range of music styles stretches from Finnish folk music of the pelimanni style over some jazz influences to more or less Finnish style tangos, and with some extensions to classical music...
from JPP and the Swedish fiddler Hans Kennemark - Koinurit, a group playing polskas as fast as possible sometimes called Finland's answer to the Pogues
- Pinnin Pojat, Arto and Kimmo PohjonenKimmo PohjonenKimmo Pohjonen is a Finnish accordionist who is involved in a number of projects.- Uniko :Kluster meets Kronos Quartet in the Uniko project featuring music composed by Pohjonen and Samuli Kosminen, commissioned by Kronos. Concerts in Helsinki, Moscow and Molde Jazz Festival were major successes...
. The original setting, later expanded, was Kimmo on mouth harpMouth harpMouth harp may refer to:* Harmonica* Jew's harp...
and Arto on fiddle/nyckelharpa/mandolin - Helsinki Mandoliners, a mandolin trio
- Lumisudet, the Finnish-Texan fiddler Erik HokkanenErik HokkanenErik Hokkanen is a fiddler, electric guitar player, and composer living in Austin, Texas.Born into a musical family, Erik began his musical training at age four on piano. Over the following years, he learned mandolin, guitar, and string bass...
's band - Aldargaz, accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
ist Maria KalaniemiMaria KalaniemiMaria Kalaniemi is a Finnish accordionist. She was originally classically trained, but has become mostly as folk musician having played this music from childhood, besides her classical music studies, and also at the folk music department of the Sibelius Academy.Groups she is or has been involved...
s group - Niekku, one of Maria Kalaniemi's earlier bands form while students at the Sibelius Academy
- Salamakannel, kantele with rock influences
- Ampron Prunni, harmonium och nyckelharpa
- Tallari
Solo discography
Only solo records mentioned here. Titles of JPPJPP
JPP is a group of Finnish folk musicians, mainly fiddlers, hailing from Kaustinen. The name originally meant Järvelän Pikkupelimannit, the small fiddlers of Järvelä, but today the group only uses the abbreviation JPP...
records can be found under the groups entry.
- Polska Differente, 1994
- Arto Järvelä plays violin, 1999
- Far in!, 2004