One of Finland's more prominent and progressively minded folk music singers, Anna-Kaisa Liedes has been an integral part of the development of the modern experimental folk music scene for over twenty years. Besides Finno-Ugrian song tradition, Anna-Kaisa Liedes specializes in voice improvisation. She has been performing worldwide as a solo artist and with groups such as Niekku and MeNaiset, and has composed and performed music for film and theatre. Liedes has recorded several albums both solo and with different ensembles. Her first solo CD "Oi Miksi" was internationally re-released by Riverboat Records 1994. The music of Anna-Kaisa Liedes and the Utua group has its roots deep in the Finnish-Carelian-Ingrian folk song tradition. Liedes combines traditional verses with contemporary musical idiom, giving them a fresh and personal touch. Inspired by the eternal themes of traditional poetry – love, disappointment, passion, and the odd interlacement of love and hatred, she paints her epic interpretations with subtle tones and expressive vowel colours. The musicians of the Utua group come from the Finnish folk music and jazz scenes. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.