Kreeta Haapasalo

Kreeta Haapasalo, or Kantele-Kreeta (13 November 1813 – 29 March 1893[1]), was a Finnish kantele-player, singer and folk musician.

As a 13-year-old Haapasalo moved in with her sister and husband where she helped with the farm work; she stayed with them five years.

Kreeta Järvilä was married 24 June 1837 (in full attire with a large crown) to farmer's son Joonas Tanelinpoika Huntus, (Jonas Danielsson Wirkkala), born 13 April 1814 in Kaustinen, died 20 May 1890 at Varkaus.

As newlyweds, the young couple stayed in Joonas' home, but after a short time they got a little croft near his parents.

They went to Luoma farm the following year, and in 1850 the family moved to Haapasalo, to the side of the village that borders on Halsua, the crown residence.

At one house Captain Langenskjöld encouraged her to give a concert in Helsinki and gave her a letter of recommendation.

People showed genuine and pure kindness as Haapasalo was so new and overwhelming that from 1853 the media of that time could not be more attentive.

In the newspapers of the time one can gather many accounts of the singing and kantele playing at the appearances of the Ostrobothnian farmer's wife.

Kantele Haapasalo's songs, which she always sang, accompanied her for 40 years in the homes, in schools, at large and small festivals, at concerts, at agricultural shows, at restaurants and at markets.

She married at Leppävirta and Haapasalo and Joonas with the children Matti and Matilda moved to a rented house in Varkaus.

The most well-known picture of her is one by Arvid Liljelund in Tuusula - a painted portrait where Haapasalo stands at a window singing and playing as one of her small grandsons sits and listens.

Aleksis Kivi mentioned her in his poem Anjanpellon markkivat: "Vaimo vakaa Pohjanmaalta soitti kanteleella lempiäll."