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Sardinian National Anthem • with Elena Ledda & Mauro Palmas

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Sardinian National Anthem • with Elena Ledda & Mauro Palmas

My first trip to Italy kicked off on the island of Sardinia where I met Elena Ledda and Mauro Palmas, two of the most respected musicians in traditional Sardinian music.

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Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy

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Immediately after landing in Genoa, Italy, I boarded a ferry and headed south to the island of Sardinia. My home base would be the small town of Pula, not far outside the capital of Cagliari. I ventured into the city for my first collaboration with soprano Elena Ledda and mandola player Mauro Palmas.

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Hutsul Warrior Song for Ukraine • with Nikolaj, Marian, Martin & Michal

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Hutsul Warrior Song for Ukraine • with Nikolaj, Marian, Martin & Michal

While in the Czech Republic a few months after Russia invaded Ukraine, a group of musicians from different cultures within the Carpathian Mountains (Valach from the Czech side and Hutsul from the Ukrainian) came together to play a Hutsul warrior song for Ukraine.

Covid Mashup • with Antti Järvelä, Esko Järvelä & Maija Pokela

Covid Mashup • with Antti Järvelä, Esko Järvelä & Maija Pokela

Here’s a Finnish/American musical mashup of traditional tunes from my final Otherlands collaboration of this first year. Lockdowns hit hard around the world while I was in Finland and the gigging landscape changed in a big way. Testing the waters with Antti Järvelä (guitar), Esko Järvelä (fiddle), and Maija Pokela (kantele, voice).

Love Song From Kauhava • with Maija Pokela & Antti Järvelä

Love Song From Kauhava • with Maija Pokela & Antti Järvelä

After a couple weeks in Kaustinen, I hit the country roads and headed southwest to Härmä. There I spent the afternoon with a great vocalist and kantele player, Maija Pokela, and guitarist Antti Järvelä on a rare happy love song from the region.

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Kaustinen area, Finland (Spring)

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As we entered our second month of coronavirus lockdown near Kaustinen, Finland, the days became brighter and signs of spring were around. Hikes continued, folks started to cautiously meet and make music, and I started to take the odd country road just to see where it may lead.