Collaboration between Elina Brotherus and Maria Kalaniemi resulted in a mixture of pictures and music.
Photographer, video artist Elina Brotherus and accordionist Maria Kalaniemi widened their former friendship to a new video project and released Tango trousers – music videos DVD.
Elina Brotherus worked in Mänttä in September 2014 invited by Serlachius-museum. Brotherus explains: "I sat in a local train on my way form Tampere to Vilppula. I got bored listening to the noise of other passengers and started to listen to music randomly from my computer. I looked at the dull, passing autumn landscape and suddenly my head was filled by Maria’s music. The sound and picture matched perfectly. I understood that here would be the common project that we had tried to find a form and content to for a long time.”
The material that Elina filmed in Mänttä was formed into eight separate videos, where the nature and landscape in relation to human being have a very important role. Maria composed entirely new music. The final result is like a photo album with sound and motions or illustrated CD. The strongly meditative character and technique to mix the sound of the accordion and human voice in Maria’s music coalesced naturally to the videos.
The guest on the DVD is musician Eero Grundström, who took part also in arranging, recording and mixing. This project is meant to live in concert halls and galleries also in the future.
Elina Brotherus is an acknowledged photographer and video artist. Her works have been seen widely in international exhibitions. One of the most essential subject for Brotherus has been to handle the relationship between human being and nature. She is often seen as a model in her works. Brotherus lives and works in Finland and France.
Maria Kalaniemi is one of Finland's leading contemporary accordionists. Technically brilliant as a player, and adept at improvisation, she is also a very powerful, intuitive and sensitive composer, with pieces that stylistically touch numerous areas but feature her own personality as the driving force. Melody is the meaning and with Maria, listeners are sure to feel her message deeply.
Eero Grundström is a multitalented musician, composer, harmonium and harmonica player. Grundström performs in many groups, like the famous harmonica band Sväng.
The project is supported by Serlachius-museum, AVEK.
Interview: Elina Brotherus 040 7361937 Maria Kalaniemi 040 5539199
More information: Minna-Mari Roms 050 4135013
DVD subscriptions: elina.brotherus(at)gmail.com maria.kalaniemi(at)gmail.com
