The Kanteleen Soittajat is composed of 15 members from the Duluth, MN, Supe-rior, WI, and the surrounding area. Many of them were familiar with Finnish music because the original group started about ten years ago with members of the Järven-pää Singers playing on 5 string kanteles.
The group soon found the limitations of 5-string kantele too restrictive, and they moved on to 10 and 11-string instrument and one with 15 strings. Kanteles are made in sizes up to 39 strings, and it is the Finnish national in-strument.
The group not only enjoys each other's company, but also enjoys their Finnish heri-tage, and sharing it with those who will listen. They have played at the HjemKomst Celebration in Fargo (2009), FinnFest 2008 in Duluth, Ironwood, Michigan's Griffin Theater, Hurley, Wisconsin's Little Finland, Ironworld's Finnish Celebrations, the Sisu Festival in Embarrass, and have had numerous opportu-nities to share their music at church services, nursing homes, weddings, funerals, and other events.
They hope to put a smile on listener's faces by singing and playing traditional Fin-nish Folk songs and religious selections. They look forward to entertaining at the Summer Folk Festival at the Finn Creek Museum in New York Mills.
