The Place of Folk Music

Cultural Heritage Process and Experience of Place in the Pelimanni house of Kaustinen

Authors

• Heidi Henriikka Mäkelä Helsingin yliopisto https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5372-9290
• Outi Valo https://orcid.org/0009-0007-8650-3053
• Hannu Linkola https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7398-5352

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30666/elore.161087

Keywords:

Kansanmusiikki, paikkakokemus, kulttuuriperintöprosessi, Kaustinen, Pelimannitalo, Auktorisoiva kulttuuriperintödiskurssi

Abstract

The article discusses the Pelimannitalo in Kaustinen, an Ostrobothnian farmhouse that was moved from Veteli to the centre of Kaustinen in 1974. Built in the early 19th century and known as Aapintupa, the house was previously used as a residential building, although it was rebuilt in Kaustinen as a concert and event venue, which is how it continues to function today. The article analyses the heritage process of Pelimannitalo, the experiences associated with it, and its integration into the so-called authorised heritage discourse related to folk music. The case is analysed through archive material and the researchers' own fieldwork.

In the article, we argue that the heritage process related to the Pelimannitalo is complex and contradictory, and that the authorised heritage discourse is strongly reflected in the experience of the place. We discuss how some of the residents of Kaustinen did not initially want the Pelimannitalo in the centre of Kaustinen in the 1970s, as it meant demolishing the older Youth Association House, which was important to the community. However, invoking national and regional cultural heritage values, people in positions of authority in the locality pushed the relocation project through. In this article, we refer to this process as a forced place experience.

After the house was built, both locals and outsiders adopted the authorised heritage discourse, which is still reflected in how the place is experienced and interpreted. We describe this with the concept of heritigising place experience. During the 2020s, the cultural heritage process has been reinforced by, among other things, the inclusion of Kaustinen fiddle playing on the UNESCO list (2021). The article shows that the heritage discourse on folk music has been created for a long time and often intentionally, and that this is reflected in the places and experiences that are perceived as characteristic of folk music.