In January 2024, it was 100 years since the birth of kantele artist Martti Pokela. To celebrate the remarkable musical legacy of their grandfather, three third-generation descendants have joined forces to form the trio Tuulentei. The music of Tuulentei features arrangements of Pokela’s compositions by Soila, Jyri, and Petteri Sariola, as well as the trio’s own new works. Thanks to modern technology, the siblings can perform together with Martti Pokela using his original recordings in the concert.

“Being able to still make music—and even improvise, to live in the moment—with Martti has been an unbelievable journey that’s opened up layers and roots of my own musicianship. My sense of time has shifted,” says Soila Sariola.
“Martti’s colorful and moving life story is full of twists and turns that are present in his music. Letting go, longing, wonder, humor, and laughter all come through in his playing. His stories were a huge inspiration for my new compositions and lyrics,” says Jyri Sariola.
“Martti’s unique playing style and passionate approach to music are central to who I am as a musician. I’ll never forget how deeply he respected me as a child—as a young guitarist—and how he encouraged me to compose my own pieces, to draw them from the top of my mind,” says Petteri Sariola.

Soila Sariola: vocals, harmonium
Petteri Sariola: guitar, vocals
Jyri Sariola: drums, percussion, vocals, backing tracks
(Martti Pokela: kanteles, jouhikko)