Thanks for following my journey! 😍

The past months have flown by, and I’m excited to share some recent highlights with you. Let’s start with the freshest news and work our way back!

🌟 Estonian Song and Dance Celebration – a soloist moment to remember!

Did you know that the legendary Estonian Song and Dance Celebration (Laulu- ja tantsupidu) also includes a folk music concert?

This year, on July 4th, during the XXVIII Song and XXI Dance Celebration "Iseoma", I had the honour of performing as a soloist with the grand folk music orchestra, playing Koidu Ahk’s beautiful composition Tiivasirutus.

Huge thanks to Helin Pihlap, the artistic director of the folk music concert, for inviting me. What an unforgettable experience and true privilege! 💛

The concert was broadcast live on Estonian national television, and you can rewatch it here!

📷 Photo by Ken Mürk – find more photos on kultuur.err.ee.

🌿 Summer Solstice at Käesalu Art Centre

On June 21st, the longest day of the year, I played my new album release concert during the Käesalu Art Centre’s (Käesalu Kunstikeskus) summer solstice festivites! You can read more about the centre’s events, exhibitions, and workshops on their website.

The day was filled with beautiful activities:
🌸 A flower crown workshop led by Pirjo Vaarmaa
🎶 My concert featuring music from Nordic Reflections
💃 Estonian folk dance workshop with my dear friend Kärt Tambet
🎨 An exhibition by Lili Lind (@lililindartgallery)
🍲 Delicious food prepared by Christel Ilves

Biggest thanks to my sister Minna Varik, the curator and owner of Käesalu Art Centre, for organizing this wonderful event! And heartfelt thanks to the amazing team: Miina, Betti, Karl-Rasmus, and Jin.

📷 Photos by Betti Nora Raasman (21.06.2025)

💿 New Release: HOSTIKKA – "aikaa" is out now!

I met the fantastic bass player Saija Hostikka during my exchange studies at the Sibelius Academy in 2018 where we were attending the same ensmeble class. I was studying in Sweden, Denmark and when I returned to Finland to continue my master’s there, Saija invited me to join her band — and I’m so glad she did! 🥰

HOSTIKKA is a six-piece group blending folk, jazz, and pop, and you can really hear all those influences in our music 🎶 Two of my personal favourite pieces from our debut album are Kelo and Leijonanharja. Coincidentally I play solos in both of those pieces! o! 🤣🎧 Listen to "aikaa" on your favourite streaming platform – or contact me or Saija to get a physical copy (a great gift too)! Follow @hostikkaband on social media to stay updated!

🌊 Looking ahead 🗓️ Upcoming concerts & collaborations

• Now – 18.07: I am performing in a folk-pop dance show by Uppsar, on a cruise between Tallinn and Stockholm! More info on Tallink’s website.

• 19.07: Nordic Reflections album release concert at Helsinki Music Centre’s Summer Terrace Series 🇫🇮 17 o’clock, for free! More info by clicking here! 🎶 The Helsinki concert on July 19th is close to my heart as it takes place on the terrace of Helsinki Music Centre, the city’s largest concert venue and part of the Sibelius Academy – where my album journey began 🧡 Nordic Reflections is part of the Sibelius Academy Folk Music Department’s recording series, which meant I had the opportunity to record it in their professional studio for free! A huge thank-you to the department for their support!

• 22.07: HOSTIKKA album release concert at Superterrassi, Helsinki 🇫🇮

• 27.07: Nordic Reflections main stage concert at Viljandi Folk Music Festival 🇪🇪 🎶 The Viljandi Folkperformance on Sunday, July 27th at I Kirsimägi is my first ever outdoor main stage solo concert – a big step for me! Super excited!

📀 Reviews – Nordic Reflections in the media

I'm thrilled to share that Nordic Reflections received a review in Songlines Magazine – one of the world’s most respected world music publications! 😍

📖 Issue #210, May 2025, p. 59
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars by Tony Gillam, who called the album “a varied and satisfying experience”.

Being featured in Songlines is a milestone for me — just being seen in those pages feels so special. Thank you, Tony!

🇸🇪 From Sweden: Lira Folk Music Magazine Review: The Swedish folk music magazine Lira also wrote a beautiful review, featured in their summer issue. Here's a translated excerpt from the review by a fellow graduate of the Nordic Master in Folk Music master’s degree, Ronja Grafström:

“With the accordion as her primary voice, Maimu Jõgeda draws the listener into a strange, timeless, and gentle folk soundscape in her solo album Nordic Reflections.”

“The music explores the search, questioning, and discovery of ‘home’ – both as a physical place and an inner state of mind.”

“The third and eleventh tracks, traditional Estonian melodies, fit beautifully into the album’s resonant and longing atmosphere.”

“Maimu’s singing and use of stompbox add richness, depth, and resonance to the album as a whole.”

I'm deeply thankful for these kind and thoughtful reflections 🥰 ❤️

💌 Stay connected

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Thanks a lot for following along! Your support means a lot to me 😊 If you know someone who might enjoy this journey too, feel free to forward this newsletter or invite them to sign up.

With much warmth,

Maimu

📷 Photo by Gerli Raadik from a rehearsal with Uppsar in May 2025