Teho

Kaustinen Master Fiddlers (Finland)

Teho shake their listeners and leave them wondering how only two fiddlers can create such a comprehensive and massive thrill. The duo breaks musical boundaries and delves deep into the tradition of Kaustinen fiddle playing. This region with the municipality of Kaustinen (approx. 5,000 inhabitants in 2022) is located in Western Finland and is the main region for a great folk music tradition in which the fiddle is the most important melodic instrument. It is the fiddle (with or without the accompaniment of other instruments) that sets the beat of the dances or songs. The style, based on oral practice, is characterised by syncopated and accentuated rhythms that are easy to dance to. The distinctive style and playing techniques of Kaustinen folk have existed for over 250 years, and the musical repertoire includes several hundred melodies from the region.

in 2021, Kaustinen fiddle playing was inscribed by Unesco on the International Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The duo Teho's debut album entitled '(E2 + ε + V) × I3 = P' was nominated for the Emma Awards, known as the 'Finnish Grammy Awards', in 2018.