”This music is clearly made for dancing – but in what way? That is for the listener to decide: one can dance Finnish and Karelian folk dances with their familiar steps to this music or listen to the metal sounds and make a mosh pit out of it.”
– Tove Djupsjöbacka / Finnish Music Quarterly
Emilia Lajunen (Nyckelharpa), Petri Prauda (Finnish Bagpipes), Santte Salonen (Soprano Saxophone), Patrik Fält (Drums) & Jani Snellman (Electric Bass). Photo by Tiia Öhman.
Immortal Tradition (2022) is a collection of dances that were fashionable in the 1800s; such as polka, mazurka and maanitus, that have now in true spirit of the 21st century evolved into massive festival thunder. Explosive elements have been borrowed from the metal tradition of today, whereas the melodies drew their inspiration from dance repertoires that were present, and partly still are, in the Finnish and Border Karelian regions.
About the band
Ritva Nero is a relatively new band on the Finnish music scene, formed in 2017. The music of the band could be described as Party Metal Folk. Lead instruments played in the band are Soprano Saxophone, Finnish Bagpipes and Nyckelharpa, complimented by a rock style Bass and metal music style Drums. Folk dance tunes are cleverly combined with the metal tradition of our time in a contemporary manner.
Ritva Nero has performed on several major stages at European folk music festivals: Kaustinen Folk Music Festival (FI), Haapavesi Folk Music Festival (FI), Nordischer Klang (GER), Korrö Festival (SWE), Guinness Irish Festival (CH) and Sommelo (FI). Since 2021 Ritva Nero has had a collaboration with Bafe´s Factory, a ground breaking Finnish record label. Ritva Nero’s debut album Immortal Tradition out in January 2022.
