Ruamjai, Shared Heart

Pilgrims' songs from the Middle Ages in Ancient Catalan, music from South Africa and Thailand, popular songs from Finland… Ruamjai, a youth choir based at the University of Jyväskylä, has boldly combined music from different cultures and eras in its repertoire.

Ruamjai youth choir was established in 2000 and in the years since then it has surprised audiences with its unusual choice of works. From the outset its repertoire has been multicultural in nature and characterized by bold combinations of different musical types. Ruamjai is known for exploring not only the music of other cultures but also their customs and traditions.

"When we founded the choir we wanted our name to reflect our interest in multiculturalism. The word Ruamjai is taken from Thai and means shared heart", says Sanna Salminen, the choir's conductor. She has a good knowledge of the musical cultures of Thailand and South Africa, among others.

The choir came into being when many of the older members of Vox Aurea, which is considered to be Finland's best children's choir, wanted to carry on singing. Jyväskylä, a city of 80 choirs, could easily accommodate one more: Ruamjai.

"We have just under 30 enthusiastic members, who are aged between 16 and 25. Some are still studying, others are already at work. The choir brings us together - it's a community whose members experience a whole spectrum of emotions through the medium of music", Sanna Salminen explains.

"The appearance fees we receive go into a joint travel fund, because we don't do this for the money. Our next concert tour is planned for South Africa in the autumn of 2009."

New ways of approaching choral music

Over the years Ruamjai has performed hundreds of choral works whose roots can be traced back to different cultures and ages. The repertoire naturally includes traditional Finnish choral music and even modern popular songs. Ruamjai has worked together with South African and Thai musicians, and with many Finnish groups.

The choir's first CD - Häät - was released in 2003. It combined Ingrian and South African wedding song traditions with djembe music from West Africa. Choir members were instructed by two teachers from the pedi people of South Africa.

"It was interesting to see how there are many similarities between wedding music traditions of cultures in different parts of the world." In 2005 Ruamjai took part in the Chorus Review of the Tampere Vocal Music Festival. It performed "About people and loneliness" - a series of songs composed by Sanna Salminen which approach loneliness from four different perspectives. Ruamjai received the jury's special award for merit and was particularly commended for the bold way in which it had addressed contemporary problems like loneliness and marginalization.

"Choral music has always reflected the social situation of its own time. It can also be a powerful force that brings communities together", Sanna Salminen states. Ruamjai's musical journey has also taken it back to the Middle Ages. In medieval times, pilgrims walking the world-famous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route in northern Spain would end each day's journey with song. These songs have been compiled to form a collection known as the Llibre Vermell de Montserrat.

"We have performed the pilgrims' songs in the original languages. Yr Awen, a group which specializes in medieval music, has complemented the choir's performances."

Experiences that money cannot buy

Sanna Salminen (Phil. Lic.) is Assistant Professor of Music Pedagogy at the University of Jyväskylä's Department of Teacher Education. She started her own choral "career" at the age of three, when she began singing in a Church choir with her parents, who are both teachers. "Being part of a choir can give you experiences that money simply cannot buy. That's why we have some singers in Ruamjai who have moved elsewhere to study but still want to be involved in the community of our choir."

At the beginning of 2009 Salminen also became Artistic Director of the well-known Vox Aurea children's choir. The singers in Vox Aurea are aged 11-18 and the majority are drawn from special music classes in Jyväskylä's schools.

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RUAMJAI

- Won small mixed choir category at 2004 Young Prague International Music Festival, Czech Republic. - Received jury's special award for merit in Chorus Review of 2005 Tampere Vocal Music Festival. Grounds: defence of human dignity, bold approach, artistic excellence and accurate interpretation. - Selected Youth Choir of the Year for 2008-2009 by Finnish Broadcasting Corporation YLE. Grounds: wide-ranging repertoire, high level, and age distribution rare among Finnish choirs. - Particularly known for its interpretations of folk music from different countries and music from the Middle Ages. Also known for conductor Sanna Salminen's compositions and arrangements.

Words by Timo Sillanpää Photo by Petteri Kivimäki