Puuluup

Two Estonian musicians, ancient bowed lyres, electronic wizardry, and a wonderfully eccentric sense of humor. You've never heard anything quite like Puuluup!

What happens when you take a centuries-old folk instrument, add electronic loops and effects, a dash of punk attitude, hypnotic rhythms, and two wildly inventive musicians? You get Puuluup, the internationally acclaimed Estonian duo that's turning traditional folk music completely on its head.

Formed in 2014, Puuluup features Ramo Teder and Marko Veisson, two musicians who have built an extraordinary sound around the hiiu kannel, a traditional bowed lyre with roots in Estonia's coastal communities. But don't expect a conventional folk concert. Armed with their ancient instruments, looping pedals, and an endless supply of imagination, these two transform simple bowed strings into richly layered soundscapes that can be haunting, hilarious, hypnotic, and downright danceable.

Their music defies easy description. Imagine ancient Nordic folk melodies colliding with electronic beats, experimental pop, underground rock, and a touch of Monty Python-style absurdity. One moment they're creating dark, cinematic atmospheres; the next, they're building irresistible grooves from squeaks, scrapes, rhythmic knocks, and unexpected vocal harmonies. It's music that feels simultaneously centuries old and entirely new.

Puuluup has taken this wonderfully unconventional approach to audiences around the world, performing across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. In 2024, they joined forces with Estonian hip-hop group 5MIINUST to represent Estonia at the Eurovision Song Contest, reaching the grand final and introducing millions of viewers to their singular musical universe. The collaboration also produced the album Kannatused ehk külakiigel pole stopperit.

Their own recordings, including Süüta mu lumi (2018) and Viimane suusataja (2021), reveal the duo's boundless curiosity and playful approach to musical tradition. Teder, also known for his solo project Pastacas, brings a background in experimental music, while Veisson, an anthropologist as well as a musician, adds another layer of curiosity about culture, history, and sound.

Despite their international success, the duo describes its mission with characteristic modesty: to show just how many unexpected things can be done with the humble hiiu kannel.

Puuluup is more than a concert. It's a wildly entertaining musical adventure filled with inventive sounds, infectious rhythms, deadpan humor, and the sheer joy of discovery. Whether you're a devoted folk music fan or someone who loves the wonderfully unexpected, this is a show you won't soon forget.

And where better to experience this remarkable meeting of ancient tradition and modern imagination than in the intimate listening room at Caffè Lena?

SAMPLE SONG

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