Since 1991 Marianne Haggblom and Kim Hansson, both from Geta in northern Aland, have played together under the name of Kim & Marianne. The folk song duo has hosted their own concerts in Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as performed at festivals, schools, etc in Canada, USA and the Faroe Islands.
In 1994 Kim and Marianne set up the festival Geta poesi och visa (”The Geta Poetry and Folksong Festival”) and have since continued to play an important role in the organisation of the festival. The festival is a significant annual event in the cultural landscape of the middle Baltic archipelago.
In 1997 the duo, together with Kjell Frisk, released the CD ”Under haggarna” (”Under the bird cherries”), featuring Jarl Hemmer’s poems with original music co-written by Kim and Marianne. In 2010 they issued their CD ”Tidens brus” containing folk songs from the Aland Islands.
Folk music from further afield is also a passion of the duo’s, in particular Irish folk music, shanties and other roots music. Through exploring this passion, they have rediscovered a treasure trove of folk songs closer to home waiting to be restored to their former glory.
In 2015 they initiated Baltic Shanty Festival, the world ś most easter- and northerly festival of its kind.
Tidens Brus 