Visitors here, reading posts such as this, might assume I listen only to Japanese music. That’s not quite true. I listen also to Finnish music. For instance, Gjallarhorn:
And Värttinä:
And Loituma:
Here’s a tune you might recognize. Leeks are optional:
Then there’s Nightwish.
When I encountered this AMV many years ago, ((Mahou shoujo outfits are fancier and frillier nowadays, but none improve on the Sailor Moon designs.)) I immediately ordered Oceanborn. Unfortunately, the rest of the album is not instrumental. In principle, it should have been terrific: operatic vocals and symphonic metal combine surprisingly well. Tarja, however, sang in English, not Finnish, and I did not care for the lyrics.
The case of Nightwish illustrates why I seldom listen to American or British popular music any more, and when I do, I focus on instrumentals. A few songwriters can devise songs with both interesting music and well-crafted lyrics. Most can’t. When the songs are sung in a language I don’t understand, I don’t hear how lame the words are. With Värttinä and Susumu Hirasawa, I can pretend that the the lyrics are as good as the music — and perhaps they are.
Finally, a novelty featuring a pair of kanteles:
*****
Here’s a time-lapse video you might find interesting and perhaps a bit creepy: