Emilia Kallonen

Emilia Kallonen is a folk singer, performing artist and music pedagogist. She  received her education in North Karelia and has worked as an artist there for over twenty years. At the moment she is living and working as an artist in Tampere. In the Kyynelkanavat project she forms a pair with researcher Elina Hytönen-Ng.

As a singer, Kallonen has specialised in the old Karelian singing traditions, and lamenting is a dear and very special topic for her. As a modern lamenter and lament-instructor, she leans on tradition but is creating new as a performing artist and pedagog. 

Kallonen finds the Karelian traditions an appealing source of inspiration. She has created a variety of performances based on Karelian lamenting and rites such as traditional weddings and funerals filled with song. In 2016, she created an ethnographical musical play on Karelian weddings Kruuga – Karjalaiset lauluhäät. The project earned Kallonen the Art Prize of the local Arts Council of North Karelia. The music of this performance is still living in the repertoire of Kallonen´s vocal ensemble Loihu. Kallonen’s newest piece, KROPU – Suuret surenta-aikaset kallehilla kuusikkosijasilla, which focuses on meeting death and Karelian traditions of death, was first performed in October 2020. This piece will also be part of the 2021 Kyynelkanavat- event in Ilomantsi 2021.

Kallonen’s most prominent collaborating partner during the years has been folklorist Leena Jääskeläinen. In the autumn of 2020, they created  the Tämän ilman alla –event in Joensuu, highlighting the aesthetics and folk wisdom of Karelian traditions, in which Orthodox faith is strongly present. The event included Jääskeläinen’s textile exhibition, performances, workshops, lectures, and discussions. For the event, Kallonen also created her new concept “The lamenter is available”. The audience could come and meet Kallonen as a lamenter for discussion or to try lamenting together with her in person.