Kaisa Kuslapuu releases her first full-length Võro solo album

Singer-songwriter Kaisa Kuslapuu released her first full-length solo album in Võro, titled “Vaŕo”, on Friday, ERR reported. The album, made with Canadian producer and multi-instrumentalist Sam Gleason, blends indie and pop music.

Although Võro is Kuslapuu’s second mother tongue, writing songs in the language was a new creative challenge. She said she was searching for her songwriting voice in Võro and exploring how her Võro identity connected with her personal emotional world.

“I was looking for my voice in Võro and for points of connection between Võro courage and my softer side. ‘Vaŕo’ is, in a way, a reconciliation between those two sides. I also wanted to show that Võro is a living language with a place in contemporary pop music,” Kuslapuu said.

She described creating songs in Võro as a conscious cultural and political choice, saying she did not want music in the language to be associated only with folk music or treated as niche music for Võro-speaking listeners.

Kuslapuu wrote the album’s songs. Alongside her own lyrics, it features works by Raimond Kolga and Kauksi Ülle. Gleason handled recording and production, with additional recordings by Mattias Tirmaste and Marcus Ellervee. Peeter Salmela mastered the album, Merike Paberits designed it and Ken Mürk took the photographs.

Kuslapuu will present the album in November in Võru, Tallinn and Tartu.