Kuslapuu chose Canadian producer for personal Võro-language album

Musician Kaisa Kuslapuu said she did not feel comfortable making her personal Võro-language album with an Estonian producer, ERR’s Vikerraadio reported. She developed a strong rapport with Canadian producer Sam Gleason, and the album, “Vaŕo,” was recorded partly in Toronto.

Kuslapuu recently released the solo album, written entirely in Võro. She said writing a full-length album in the language was a challenge, though she had become close to young Võro-language activists and enjoyed speaking Võro with them. She wanted to find out what her music would sound like in the language.

Kuslapuu met Gleason through a friend’s band, Hypnosis Negative. She said the decision was not driven by concern about prejudice against Võro, but by the personal nature of the songs and the good timing. Gleason speaks neither Võro nor Estonian, she said, which allowed them to focus more on the language of the music.

The album was recorded partly in Tartu and partly in Toronto. Kuslapuu invited Gleason to Tartu, but because she could not take a full break from her job teaching at a music school, she divided her time between work and recording. With a deadline approaching and two songs still unfinished, she spent about a week recording in a Toronto basement.

Kuslapuu said she wanted the album to be more inward-looking. She has worked with the band Lonitseera for seven years and felt that she had changed during that time, adding that she wanted to explore something different.

“Vaŕo” means “shadow” in Võro, Kuslapuu said. She described the language as something that had accompanied her throughout her life, like a shadow that is always with you.