Riitti music video (dir. Liisa Haapanen) is awarded as best music video in two music film festivals: Japan International Film Festival and Seoul Internation Short Film Festival. Hurja Halla is super honored! Congratulations to director & musician Liisa Haapanen, actress Heli Lyytikäinen, cinematographer Saara Karttunen and musician Janne Ojajärvi!

Hurja Halla’s song Rommi has been played on Australian radio show Global Village Worldwide Music PBS. Melbourne based radio show focuses on acoustic world music. The full show can be found here: https://www.pbsfm.org.au/program/global-village

Joensuu based newspaper Karjalainen interviewed the members of Hurja Halla. Janne Ojajärvi and Liisa Haapanen discussed about their composition methods, instrumentation and about the music video Riitti. The full article (in Finnish) can be found here: https://www.karjalainen.fi/kulttuuri/kansainv%C3%A4lisill%C3%A4-festivaaleilla-palkittu-joensuulainen-hurja-halla-duo-yhdist%C3%A4%C3%A4-kansanmusiikissa-harvinaisen-sellon-puhallinsoittimiin-n%C3%A4en-musiikin-kuvina-tunnelmina-ja-tarinoina-liisa-haapanen-sanoo

Hurja Halla’s music video Riitti (dir. Liisa Haapanen) was chosen to be part of Japan International Film Festival (October 2022 edition). The music video was screened as part of the online screening of the festival. The music video Riitti has been traveling to various music video festivals abroad. Video team: Directed, produced and edited:…

Hurja Halla is chosen to be part of Global Music Match 2022. Music Finland chose Hurja Halla to be part of this project. World largest musical collaboration amongst world and folk musicians will take place until the end of December. GMM is a network to promote artists in new territories, develop social media skills…

Swedish Music magazine Lira has published the review of Hurja Halla’s debut album Riitti. Critic Alexander Ullsten describes duo’s music with terms such as impressive virtuosity and exciting arrangements. The whole review (in Swedish) can be found here: https://www.lira.se/skivrecension/riitti/?fbclid=IwAR0ojHby1f1lgPHyo5W0Zkd5CK8sb4WBDQ1ylsKG51X6Hx0I7WGXDTWeAh8

”Riitti” on pitkäsoitto, joka halkoo suomalaiselle folk-musiikille uusia uria ulkomaille – arviossa Hurja Halla -duon debyyttialbumi. (Aleksi Parkkonen, 2.7.2022)

Hurja Halla’s cellist and composer Liisa Haapanen is also a video director. She directed a music video Riitti for Hurja Halla. Tokyo International Short Film Festival interviewed Liisa about the process of making Riitti. Check the interview here: https://www.tokyoshortfilmfest.com/post/riitti-a-conversation-with-liisa-haapanen

Hurja Halla’s music video Riitti was awarded as Best Music Video in Tokyo International Short Film Festival May 2022 edition. This was the second time when Riitti music video was awarded. In November 2021 the video was awarded as ”Best First Time Director Music Video” (Munich Music Video Awards, 2021). Congratulations the whole team:…

Hurja Halla has received great international reviews. Songlines (UK) gave four stars to Hurja Halla’s debut album Riitti on June 2022. ”It is this variety of tone and mood, often within a single composition, that makes Riitti such an absorbing listening.” -Chris Wheatley, Songlines June issue / 2022 Read the full review here: https://www.songlines.co.uk/review/riitti…

Hurja Halla’s debut album Riitti hits nro 15 place in World Music Charts Europe (May 2022). May 2022 was the second month in a row Riitti was selected to top 20 world music albums in Europe. Once a month radio world music specialists from 24 European countries select their individual top ten favourites out…

Hurja Halla’s debut album Riitti hits nro 14 place in World Music Charts Europe (April 2022). Once a month radio worldmusic specialists from 24 European countries select their individual top ten favourites out of current worldmusic releases from their playlists and mail them to Brno, Czech republic (to Berlin from 1991 to 2020). The…

The eight tracks on Finnish duo Hurja Halla’s debut album, Riitti, demonstrate that effervescent Nordic acoustic folk music, with an experimental touch, is in very good hands by young musicians keeping it relevant, vibrant and alive. Based in Joensuu, Hurja Halla consists of two consummate multi-instrumentalists, Janne Ojajärvi and Liisa Haapanen, who compose their…