This past week, we have been cruising the snowy roads of Finland in a tiny retro bus to concerts in Helsinki, Salo, Seinäjoki, Riihimäki and Kotka.
The tour has reached the stage where days and places merge into a merry-go-round and it gets progressively harder to remember where we were yesterday and where we’ll land today. Fortunately, we are kept up to date with this very important knowledge on a daily basis by our lovely tour manager Charles Gil (Vapaat Äänet), who organises the Borders tour in Finland, Estonia and Latvia. Thanks to him, we are fed, rested, in the right place at the right time, and sometimes even a quick snow fight fits into the itinerary!
Sure enough, I am forced to keep my memory fresh while touring thanks to this blog, so here is a summary of our concerts in Finland so far. The venues have all been super nice and welcoming, it has been lovely to chat and spend some time with the organizers before and after the concerts.
On Thursday the 21st of November we gave two concerts in Vuotalo, Helsinki: the first one for enthusiastic and curious elementary school children at lunchtime, the second a public concert in the evening.
On Friday the 22nd of November we gave two concerts in Salo, at the local gymnasium, organised by Salo Jazz. The school looked very hip and modern! In the afternoon, we played for the youngsters and discussed music creation with them, and in the evening we gave yet another public concert.
On Saturday the 23rd of November we made a long drive to Seinäjoki to perform at the local jazz club Jazzoikoon. I have to say that this concert was particularly magical for me and the band – we felt great on stage and the audience was so engaged. It was a total delight! The evening ended with a marvelous dinner at concert organiser Marita Nyrhinen’s art-filled home.
Sunday’s concert was also a special one, taking place at the cosy Ö Talo in Riihimäki. The host of the venue was exceptionally welcoming and the audience was so into the music that some even danced!
On Monday, we performed in the legendary harbour bar jazz club in the town of Kotka. There was a lovely crowd and the concert was a mood.
The tour continues and today we are on our way east, to Outokumpu. While killing time on the long bus ride, I’ll tell you about the next “Borders” programme lyrics that were written at the end of September 2023 in Mehikoorma, Põlvamaa, during a writing residency. These lyrics are more closely related to our special concert in Põlva on December 3 together with the chamber choir Collegium Musicale: as the concert is part of the main programme of the Tartu 2024 Capital of Culture, I wanted to write some lyrics inspired by Põlvamaa as a border county. To do this, I set off for three days to Mehikoorma, a tiny fishing village on lake Lämmijärv (the narrowest part of Lake Peipsi-Pihkva), from where the Russian shore seems almost a swimming distance away.
Mehikoorma has been a place where Russians and Estonians have naturally had everyday relations, where fishermen from both sides of the lake meet and do business. In Mehikoorma, I was able to gaze across the lake, observe local life, learn about the history of the fishing village and reflect on the past and future of the place. Inspired by the nature of Põlvamaa, the fishing villages, lake Lämmijärv, driving along the historical Postitee (“mail road”), the Karilatsi Open Air Museum and the last summery days of the year, two texts in Estonian were born: “Lämmijärve kaldal” and “Kadunud rändaja”.
The first lyrics written in Mehikoorma are titled “Lämmijärve kaldal” (“On the Shore of Lämmijärv”) , and combine descriptions of the lake and Mehikoorma’s landscape with reflections on what life might be like for a child on the other side.
In the sweaty Indian summer
a man dries a moose hide.
The empire seems dormant,
Across the lake only a boy smiles at me.
“Kadunud rändaja” (“The Lost Wanderer”) is the story of a man who has travelled to the other side of the lake in search of better opportunities and his meaning. The words reflect the pain of self-discovery and the hope that, on his return, loved ones will still be there, waiting.
They counted your footsteps,
But only until the lake,
You left, turned your back,
never looked back,
No one heard,
When you cried from the other side,
Only mother’s soft hands were still holding on,
To a piece of broken rope.
It’s very exciting that already in a week the highlight of the tour, our special concert in Põlva on December 3 with Collegium Musicale, will take place. If you have the chance, don’t miss it! But before that, we still have some concerts left in Finland as well as a concert for my hometown audience in Tallinn at Jazzkaar’s Jõulujazz. Jõulujazz will also include a surprise, which I will ruin for you now – the incredible trumpetist Verneri Pohjola will feature on two of our songs!
“Borders” next adventures:
26.11/ Kardibi, Outokumpu
27.11/ Jazzkerho 76, Joensuu
28.11/ Kulttuurikellari, Savonlinna
30.11/ Kumu, Tallinn: Jazzkaar, Jõulujazz
3.12/ Põlva Cultural Centre: “Borders” with Collegium Musicale chamber choir (Tartu 2024)
Talk to you again soon!
