Leírás
Flamingo, Nordic, Folk, World, Tango, Easy Listening, Swing, Pop, CD kiadvány, 2020-as album.
In November 2019 it is 20 years from when Finnish singer Laura Ryhänen and her musician colleagues played Finnish tango in Germany for the first time. What was intended as a one-off show, developed unexpectedly into a long-term involvement in the genre. Since 2006, Laura has been touring Europe with her current band Uusikuu (New Moon) providing a fresh perspective to old Finnish dance music. Uusikuu’s fourth CD „Flamingo” is released in October 2019 on German world music label Nordic Notes.
Uusikuu bows respectfully and admiringly to the heroes of Nordic dance music from the 1930s to the 1960s. Back in the day, dance evenings were filled by music influenced by various genres from jazz and swing to folk, tango, humppa and waltz. Uusikuu lovingly polishes these old diamonds until they shine like new again. The band’s approach can be summarised as “semi-romantic vintage dance music”, the spirit of which is in giving a 21st century makeover to the songs without cutting their roots or erasing their charming period features.
The band always plays with a twinkle in their eyes, but beware! We are talking about Finns here – and the old Finnish wisdom has it that one should never have too much fun. “If the sun always shines bright in your life, you won’t see the beautiful stars anymore”. The darker shades, melancholy, nostalgia, and longing, are also needed in order to reveal the whole range of life’s emotions. And a bit of “kaiho” (longing) is always around the corner. Kaiho is a Finnish expression for melancholy and nostalgic memories. You can long for a person, an experience or a place that is far away or in the past – in fact, you might not have even met them, visited the place or experienced that emotion yet. Nevertheless, you can still feel the kaiho.
The mixture of melancholy tangos, dreamy swings, raucous humppas, cheeky jenkkas, and romantic waltzes in Uusikuu’s repertoire takes the audience into a world full of emotions and, of course, wanderlust. In addition to the jewels of yesteryear, Uusikuu’s own original compositions bring the old tradition to the 21st century. The front lady Laura Ryhänen, with her serene and ironic stories about the of Nordic life, offers the audience an escape from their everyday lives for a moment and, after experiencing a Uusikuu evening, they go home with a dreamy smile.
Uusikuu has always actively sought opportunities to collaborate with other artists and genres.
In addition to film and theatre projects in Germany, Finland and the UK and numerous performances at various venues and festivals (among others Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Bardentreffen Festival in Nuremberg, Mittelrhein Music Festival, Ulmer Frühling Festival, Scandinavia Show in London, Helsinki Music Centre, Salzhaus in Winterthur and Internationale Kulturbörse Freiburg), the next major crossover project for the band is a collaboration with Württembergische Philharmonie Orchestra and conductor Atso Almila in 2020.
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