News

This year, the international global music showcase festival WOMEX will take place in Tampere, Finland, where two Estonian ensembles, Kass-Talsi-Minn and OOPUS, will perform on the Nordic Stage. In addition, the festival will feature the ensemble Baltic Sisters, formed at WOMEX 2022, representing Baltic music traditions, with Estonian member Marion Selgall.

The Northern Connections stage will host nine artists, offering a rich cultural journey through Nordic music: from contemporary cross-cultural interpretations of Nordic cultures to reflections of Baltic musical heritage, while also connecting with Inuit culture from the northwest corners of Canada.

Kass-Talsi-Minn is a unique trio of mandolin, double bass, and viola, enhanced by vocals. The trio creates Nordic minimalism enriched with electroacoustic soundscapes and modern arrangements. The ensemble is led by renowned musician Peedu Kass, with mandolinist Villu Talsi and violist Simone Minn. Together, they weave jazz and folk music into a fresh, cohesive whole.OOPUS was formed seven years ago by Mari Meentalo (Estonian bagpipe, vocals, jaw harp, loopers) and Johannes Ahun (analog synthesizers, sound engineering), driven by their shared passion for folk music and electronic dance music. OOPUS’ sound blends old runo songs and folk instruments, enhanced with analog synthesizers, with original compositions. Joining the musicians on stage is dancer Raho Aadla, and the light and visual designs are created by Aleksander Sprohgis.

Estonian Performances on the Northern Connections Stage:

• The Baltic Sisters: Thursday, October 23, 23:15–00:00
• OOPUS: Friday, October 24, 00:45–01:30
• Kass-Talsi-Minn: Saturday, October 25, 21:45–22:30

Also performing on the stage are Finnish accordion virtuoso Antti Paalanen, the Lithuanian group Sutartronica interpreting polyphonic folk songs, AySay blending Danish and Turkish heritage, and Hildá Länsman & Tuomas Norvio, whose collaborative work combines Sámi joiks and modern electronics. This year, Canada will also present artists on the Nordic Stage, including Kazdoura, who fuses Arabic traditional melodies with contemporary styles, and PIQSIQ’s music is enriched with traditional throat singing improvisations.

For the first time, Estonia will be represented at the Nordic-Baltic joint area, where eight countries—Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland—are collaborating. Jointly, they will organise professional meetings and networking events for the music sector. Additionally, a reception for Estonia will be held in cooperation with the Estonian Embassy in Helsinki and Tallinn Music Week.

WOMEX (Worldwide Music Expo) is the world’s largest global music conference, attracting around 3,000 music industry professionals (including nearly 300 performers) from over 100 countries each year. The event includes a trade fair, panel discussions, a film program, and showcase concerts, making it the leading global meeting point and collaboration platform for the world music industry. The Nordic regional stage was first introduced at WOMEX 2009 in Copenhagen.

The Estonian artists are presented and the Baltic joint stand area is coordinated by the music export office and development centre Music Estonia. Partners include the Estonian Traditional Music Centre, Tallinn Music Week, the Estonian Embassy in Helsinki, the Latvian Music Information Centre, the Lithuanian Music Information Centre, and the Nordic music export offices: Music Finland, Export Music Sweden, Music Norway, TEMPI, and Iceland Music.