"..a dazzling discovery both musical and poetic, and a universal call to remembrance and healing" -Jeff Kaliss

Crafted by Finnish-American Rent Romus and award winning Finnish composer Heikki Koskinen, the translation of itkuja (eet-koo-yaw) literally means crying, but hidden within this translation embodies deeper undercurrents of meaning. Itkuja surpasses the biopic Western acceptance of polar opposites (i.e. happy/sad, good/bad), drawing a more all-encompassing world view of the definition of existence, loss, and change. The tradition of song through lament has served as a form of community expression spanning millennia, invoking processes of healing in profound ways. This project completes the Otherworld Trilogy which includes the 2015 release of the Otheworld Cycle and the 2020 release of Manala.
PERFORMING ARTISTS
Rent Romus - alto & soprano saxophone, c-flute, king flute, voice, melodica
Heikki “Mike” Koskinen - tenor recorder, e-trumpet, kantele
Heikki Laitinen - vocals
Joshua Marshall - tenor & soprano saxophone, c-flute
Erika Oba - c-flute, Piccolo
Ann McChesney-Young - accordion
Max Judelson - Cello
Mark Clifford - vibraphone
Safa Shokrai - double bass
Cory Combs - double bass
Timothy Orr - drumset, hand drum, percussion