Artists

Cätlin Mägi, a talented and highly respected traditional musician, a leading exponent of the Estonian bagpipe and flautist, singer and musicologist. In fact she's also a lecturer in traditional music at Tallin University in Estonia.

In her solo program Cätlin has a brand new approach uniting the “voices” of about fifty Jew’s harps—all a little different, yet the same.
Not only does Cätlin master different kinds of Jew’s harps to perfection, but she has the ability to change effortlessly between the instruments while performing a song. These constant and quick changes create an impression of there being a whole orchestra playing, when in fact, it is Cätlin all alone.

Her novel technique gives the rather monotonous Jew’s harp a more diverse, multidimensional and modern sound. She also uses technology and live electronics to further personalise and enhance the harmonies of her array Jew’s harps. And then, there is Cätlin’s very own vocal – the voice of her heart – that joins these musical elements together and offers her audience a deeply touching, harmonious and holistic experience.

Cätlin sees this as a joyful way to emphasise and celebrate the beauty in diversity and introduce Estonian traditional music to an international audience.

Cätlin Mägi has performed at numerous festivals in Estonia and abroad. In 2018, she released a debut album called “Mu pill parmupill”—“My Harp, My Heart” in English—which was the best traditional music album of the year at the Etnokulbid awards. The album also received nominations for the Best Song, the Best Artist and the Musician of the Year at the Etnokulbid awards in 2018.

«You might expect that the Jew’s harp might be a little … well … samey. Not this one. She uses electronic manipulation of her voice and Jew’s harps to bring out the essence of Estonian folk song and its distinctive narrow-compass melodies.» (FROOTS, Andrew Cronshaw)

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