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Russian pianist wins prestigious piano competition in Helsinki

More:

Sofya Gulyak wins First Prize in Maj Lind Piano Competition

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Misc News

Diablo opening for Metallica

 

Related:

Performance Apocalyptica at Metallica concert cancelled

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Move your peppu!

{mosimage}Helsinki has lived once
more the magic of the Carnival. Brazilian flavour with a touch of Finnish
national identity: Saaaaamba!!! Who said that Finnish are cold? During the weekend
of 8-9 June, Helsinki
citizens turned their minds (and feet) back to faraway Brazil and
everybody went out to enjoy once more the parade of the
Helsinki Samba Carnival.

 

FREE! Magazine did not want to miss the chance to talk to some members of G.R.E.S.
Império do Papagaio
, the biggest Samba School in Finland, located in the
heart of Helsinki (literally… the dancers rehearse inside an old bomb shelter).

Henna
Seljänperä
, one of the Passistas (the only girls
who dance in bikini during the parade from every Samba School)
of Papagaio Samba School,
who has even danced some years ago in the Sambódromo of Rio de Janeiro, the temple of Samba dancers, explained more about the
secrets of this passionate dance:

Henna, when did
you start dancing Samba in Papagaio?

It was in 1997,
and then I danced in my first parade one year later, in 1998.

Your Samba school
is the most awarded one in the whole Finland, isn’t it?

Yes, we have won the
Finnish Samba Championship seven times in total. We won once five times in a
row, but then two years ago Tampere
Samba School
won, and we got so much energy out of it that we got top store last year, when
we were the champions again.

That was kind of a
sweet revenge…

Yeah, it was the
first time that any Samba school in Finland got the top points.

{mosimage}Which are the
requisites you have to fulfill to be given the points by the judges?

We have the same
scale as they do have in Rio de
Janeiro. We have several judges, and they are judging
conjunction, the song and the “Enredo”, which is the theme of the song. They
also judge the costumes and the overall performance.

Do you have good
relation with the other Samba schools in Finland?

Well, it is not as
tough as in Rio. We don’t go and shoot other
people from other Samba schools… Sometimes after the carnival, some of them
have had this attitude like “oh…they won again”, but in general we are one big
Samba family in Finland
and we to partying together.

This is going to
be the 17th edition of the carnival in Helsinki. Who started with the idea?

There were only four Samba schools at the beginning in Finland: Helsinki, Tampere, Turku and Lahti.  The first carnival was in Turku. Basically it was started by some crazy
Finnish people went to Rio and fell in love
with Samba.

So has it been a
thing started more by Finnish than by Brazilians living in Finland?

Yes, it has always
been very “Finnish Samba”, because we do not have so many Brazilians living
here, and those who do live here do not necessarily attend the Samba schools.

How is the general
Samba level in Finland?

Well, if you
compare to Brazilian Samba, we are far away from them. If we are thinking from
a global perspective, as far as I know, Finnish Samba carnival and Finnish “Sambistas”
are pretty well known around the world among the Samba fans. It is quite unique
in a country like Finland
that has no carnival culture itself, except for Vappu…that it is not exactly
the same…

This year you are
having a guest Samba group, Maravilha from Sweden. Is it normal that foreign
Samba groups come to dance to Helsinki
for the Carnival?

They were here
also last year. With Sweden,
we have had quite a long relation, going there for their carnival. At the
beginning they had not only carnival, but other parades there, and Finns
normally always won the competition, because we had a better level in Samba
parades. Some years some foreign groups contact us about participating in Helsinki carnival, but
usually we do not have the financial power to bring other groups from other
parts of Europe. From Sweden, is much
cheaper just to take the boat and come here.

 

{mosimage}

 

"Here is very different from Río, where many men dance Samba apart from playing"

 

How many members
do you have in Papagaio
Samba School?

Around 250 members.

Do men feel
attracted to come and learn Samba? Is it difficult to get men to dance Samba?

Well, Samba is not
only about dancing. Samba is originated from the music itself that is why
“Bateria” and music is the most important part of Samba school and then dancers
change it into movement. About dancing, it is not very common for Finnish men
(they have only three men who dance samba at the school). It is very different from
Rio, where many men dance apart from playing.

{mosimage}So dancing or
playing, there are also quite many Finnish men who love Samba. We collected the
opinion of one male member of Papagaio
Samba School,
Lauri “Laurido” Tanner, who performs as “Diretor de Tamborines”
(Director of Tambourine section) in Papagaio´s “Ala de Bateria”.

Lauri, how long
have you been playing Samba?

I have been
playing Samba since 2001.

Where did you start
it?

I started it in Tampere, in Uniäo da
Roseira Samba School
, and I also sang there. After that I moved back to Helsinki and here I
started training tambourine. Then I became the official director of the
tambourine section.

Do you dance
Samba?

I like dancing,
but usually I am in the other side, so I rarely have the chance to dance. But I
do dance. For example if I am in Rio in a good
party.

Have you been
there?

Yeah, I was two
times. I was playing in rehearsals and in a small school. Last year I was focused
on recording the carnival. I recorded a lot of material.

So how many people
are there in the "Ala de Bateria" in Papagaio?

Around 25 this
year. Not too much. In Brazil
you could have 250-300 people. The power is magnificent! In Finland we could go with all the
people from all the Samba Schools to 100 people.

So sometimes you
play all together?

Yes. This is one
of my ambitions. To have this "gatherings" organized again and go up to 100
again.

We came back to
Henna who told us some more details and anecdotes about the incoming
performance around the streets of Helsinki:


What is the theme
for the song of Papagaio
Samba School
this year?

It is "surprisingly" about Eurovision Song Contest. We tell about the history of the
contest from the beginning until nowadays.

Some years ago in Helsinki was raining cats
and dogs during the festival. How do you find motivation to dance with that
weather?

It was in 2004. I
remember it very well. Before we went to the parade that year, it was 12
degrees and pouring rain really heavily. We were feeling so down, talking to
other Passistas telling “we are not going there…” but of course we had to go
there. But then when we arrived and the music started playing, then you even
did not notice that it is raining or that it was cold weather, because you do
not feel cold dancing Samba. It is so inspiring music that you get only good
feelings. I was feeling sad for the viewers with the jackets on!

 

XVII  Helsinki Samba Carnival.  8-9 June, 2007.
More information
about the schedule in www.samba.fi
G.R.E.S. Império do Papagaio: www.papagaio.fi

Categories
Misc News

kanYe West concert moved to August

Tickets
will stay valid. Those who want their money back, can return their
tickets at Lippupalvelu offices.

Concert organizer Speed Promotion has
issued an apology, but has given no reason for the 5-week delay.

 

Official website kanYe West: kanyewest.com

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Misc News

New date for Mötley Crüe concert

Categories
Misc News

Nightwish announce first tour with Anette

The tour will start on 6 October (2007) in Tel Aviv, Israel, and
end on New Year’s Day at Helsinki‘s Jäähalli. It will span four
continents.

On the U.S. leg of the tour, which so far includes 23 dates, the
band will be joined by legendary British metal group Paradise Lost.

In Finland, Nightwish will perform eight times, starting with two concerts in Levi, Finnish Lapland, on December 8 and 9 (2007).

After a carefully orchestrated hype, the group last week (24 May,
2007) revealed the name of their new singer and released their new
single "Eva".

35-year-old Anette Olzon, formerly known as Anette Blyckert, used
to be the singer of successful Swedish melodic / adult-oriented rock
group Alyson Avenue. She replaces Tarja Turunen, who was publicly fired
from the band in the autumn of 2005.

Categories
Misc News

Shooting Lordi film under way in Oulu

Dark Floors – The Lordi Motion Picture, based on a joint idea by Lordi singer Tomi Putaansuu and the film’s Finnish director Pete Riski, will be shot in its entirety in an old industrial hall in the Finnish city.

While Putaansuu (”Mr. Lordi”) will of course play an important role, all main actors in the English language film are British.

The script was written by Pekka Lehtosaari.

The total budget of the film is 4 million euros, which makes it the most expensive Finnish horror production to date.

Filming will continue well into July. Dark Floors is scheduled to premiere in February, 2008.

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Cover story Misc

The monsters are back in town!

{mosimage}And not, this time we are not talking about Lordi…  Lovers of big cars, roaring engines and spectacular open air shows can feel happy, since Monster Mania, Monster Truck Racing European Championships, arrives near the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki the 16 June to offer tones of entertainment for adults and children.

 

Just only hearing the names of the trucks is enough to imagine the chain of destruction that they will release in the Finnish capital: Bigfoot 17, Lil Devil, Red Dragon, Swamp Thing, Monstrous and Slingshot 2004 are ready to smash all pieces of metal around them. Experienced drivers from United Kingdom will be the ones on charge to keep the “beasts” on four wheels under control inside the stadium.

 

{mosimage} 

 

 

But Monster Mania show offers much more: for starters, the Free Style MX Czech and Finnish best riders will compete to show who is the most skillful one in a show that includes 22 meters long back flips! Among the participants there are big names as Jussi Seljas, considered as maybe the best practitioner of FMX in Finland. As well, the fans can have the chance to experience almost like in real life how is to drive a real monster truck; the organization has built a special one that looks almost the same like real Monster Truck, but the engine runs on diesel fuel and the seats (10) for the passengers are located on the back of the truck. Resuming, the perfect event to spend a Saturday evening with the whole family.

 

Monster Mania: Monster Truck Racing European Championships and Freestyle MX shows will take place the 16 June near the Olympic Stadium, at Mäntymäen kenttä, Helsinki.

 

Monster Mania 2007
16 June, Mäntymäen kenttä, Helsinki
Tickets from 40 to 12 euro.
More information:

www.monstermania.fi

Categories
Misc News

New website

FREE! Magazine opens a new website. Browse around and discover it. Become a member and enjoy exclusive promotions and much more.

Categories
Albums Music

Low: Drums and Guns

That I mention Jack and Meg White's
influential duo here is not by accident. Certainly, most of the  slow, gentle and angst-ridden songs of Low
doesn't sound anything even remotely close to the sped-up,
electronica-and-distortion-washed rock of the 'Stripes (although even a direct
comparison of the music wouldn't be totally off base in songs such as “Cold,
cold night
”). But I find something in these two bands' attitude that is
essentially the same. It is the achievement of a monumental sound with
minimalist orchestration.

Minimalism in this case is not merely an
eloquent way of saying simplicity: with the combination of a handful of weird
noise samples, a soft drum pattern, an apologetic bassline and heart-breakingly
painful vocals, Low creates a rich, massive and at the same time fragile flow
of sounds, the slowness of which accentuates the importance of the small
details.

“Drums and Guns,” the eighth album of the band is probably not the record you want to
listen to before a night out. It is not easy listening – merely by its
slowness, it demands your full attention –, but you might just find yourself
captivated by its depth.

Categories
Albums Music

Natasha Bedingfield: N.B.

The best attempts on her second album, N.B.,
come close: “I wanna have your babies” is a similarly joy- and tuneful
confession of feelings, and the opening track “How do you do” also
impresses (evoking Gwen Stefani without being, alas, terribly annoying).

But the rest of the album fails to create
anything memorable. Natasha's voice is simply wasted in the uninspired
presentation of meant-to-be-r'n'b songs that sound, mostly, like a corporate
marketing plan to appeal to the American market. The whole record is coated in
the sugary icing of “smooth” drum loops and “slick” bass lines, so the result
is a radio-friendly, danceable r'n'b record, which is, by the way, utterly
boring. If not for this generic, over-produced presentation, songs like “Say
it again
” (evoking none other than the Red Hot Chili Peppers) or the
haunting “Tricky Angel” could have been great.

But as it seems, you're better off
downloading “I wanna have your babies” and “How do you do,” and hope that she
will do an acoustic performance sometime, where her voice could truly shine. That
would be amazing.

Categories
Albums Music

Gruff Rhys: Candylion

Main roles are cast to the acostic
guitars, Beatles-esque drums and Rhys' distinctively nasal and always low-key
vocals, but the essence of Candylion lies in the details, the carefully
placed samples of backward guitars, strings, harmonica riffs and weird, mellow
noises. Expect a few surprises too: 
"Lonesome Words" sounds like a melancholic tribute to
spaghetti western, the hymnical folk of "Con Carino" is
followed by Welsh-language "Gyrru gyrru gyrru," a dynamic
piece of driving soundtrack, while the title track is merely a sweet and simple
example of great songwriting. The 14-minute closing track "Skylon!"
is also worth a mention on its own: a tale of a plane hijacking, full of quiet
anxiety, that hints to what a collaboration between Thom Yorke and Bob
Dylan
would sound like.

Come to think of it, it's a bit of a
mystery how all these elements can work together. But for certain they do. And
if the result is not exactly revolutionary in any way, it is tasty indeed.

Categories
Albums Music

Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare

The prasising reviews and the soaring sales
are hardly a surprise, and the Monkeys were indeed aware of the positive
prejudice that was to welcome their next move. „We knew that whatever we do on
the second album, it will get played on the radio, so we thought we might as
well do something interesting this time,” said singer-songwriter Alex Turner
in an interview.

It is then a bit of a surprise that „Favourite
Worst Nightmare
” does not take on radically new ways; in fact, it delivers
pretty much the same of the energetic, crafty, somewhat barren and
quintessentially British rock music that was introduced on its predecessor. The
guitar and the vocals are as much a rhythm instrument here as the drums (having
said that, drummer Matt Helders' performance is jaw-droppingly amazing
throughout the album), and songs are as far from being theatrical as possible.

The slight changes in orchestration may point to new
directions for the band – if they stick to this work ethic, we'll hear it in
one year –, but if there is a major difference between their first two LPs, it
is in the general mood: this time, everything is darker, and the dominant
sentiment is no longer that of irony, it is plain anger.

And the Arctic Monkeys is still one of the best bands
around these days.

Categories
Articles Misc

Make mine a half

Remember
in one of my first columns I warned you to enjoy each day at a time and try not
to look too far into the glittering future? Well, here is another wake-up call
for those still snoozing on an airbed floating along the river of Time.
WAKE-UP! It is June, the longest day has you frozen in its headlights and after
that we are back down into the store to get the bag of winter clothes.

After
the half-time whistle is blown in a game of football and the manager has given
his stirring motivational team talk, the players (hopefully) return to the
pitch with a sense of urgency and fight for the remaining 45-minutes before
conceding a last-minute goal like my team usually does. I am your manager
giving you the dressing room talk and am reminding you that the sand in the
hourglass is vanishing one grain at a time – how philosophical.

There
are very few events in life that actually remind you that you are halfway, even
films no longer have an interval. You would probably take – here comes my
favourite subject – sex far more seriously if a buzzer went off when you were
halfway, although for some the buzz would come very, very early…prematurely
early. Ok, the buzzer would get on your nerves, but it would encourage you to
savour each of the remaining seconds with your partner.

Take
a moment to think about what has happened in your life since January. Have you
maintained your resolutions? Have you lost that excess weight? Have you taken
that dream holiday? Have you decorated the kitchen? Have you told the girl at
the local R-Kioski that you love her? Have you even defrosted the freezer or
turned the mattresses this year? Stop procrastinating!

“I’ll
do it tomorrow!” is the scourge reply of mankind and should be consigned to the
language bin of history along with “How old do you think I am, darling?”,
“Trust me, I know what I am doing!” and “Do you love me?” A bit cynical, but
how much good has ever resulted from any of those, plus we don’t have enough
time left in 2007 to have pointless arguments.

I
must hold my hands up and admit that this column was going to be written
yesterday, but I never said that I actually practice what I preach. Anyway,
please try to live each day to the full and satisfy those dreams before it is
too late – at least defrost the freezer because it will save you electricity.
Now I have to go, the buzzer just went off and my wife wants me to concentrate
for the remaining time we have left…

Categories
Articles Misc

The divine divide

For an
English thespian, the so-called graveyard
contracts
still in use in many Finnish theatres are simply beyond their
comprehension. An increasing number work as freelancers, but many theatres
still employ people on a lifetime contract: till death do us part. Sounds very
cushy, yet the reality is often far from it: a very tight schedule of
rehearsals and shows, which would squeeze the juice out of any artist.

The
philosopher Pekka Himanen talks about the Finns being suspicious about anything
new. We Finns say a definite no to anything we are not sure about – just in
case. Everything in Finland grows slowly: potatoes, blueberries, friendships,
and tolerance for anything new and different. That seems to be true of theatre
as well.

Theatre
here tends to be quite traditional: it’s good and well made, as it should be in
the land of Nokia. And it’s reliable, like the granite we stand on. Most of the
time when you go to the theatre you know exactly what you will get.

The
repertory theatres have a simple formula: they must get bums on seats. So the
shows must be accessible. They are custom made to serve busloads of middle-aged
women. There’s nothing wrong with that I suppose, it’s just a bit…blah.

There are
certainly people pushing the boundaries as well. There are companies making
theatre in odd places and others starting international groups: ambitious
enterprises with fierce artistic drive.

Helsingin
Sanomat has been criticised for the limited publicity they give to small-scale
productions. Artists are frustrated with a lack of resources. The system seems
to be stuck in the mud, like in the popular theatre game of the same name. In
the game you need someone to rescue you, so you can carry on playing.

In London,
the National Theatre rescued a financially struggling company that was doing
very experimental shows in the unused tunnels 
of the London underground. The shows still take place in this rough and
exciting location, but now the funding, and the much needed publicity, come
from the National. That way, both the experimental company and the National
reach new audiences. The two divided worlds meet: the margin and the
mainstream. And the benefits are plentiful.

The
National also hosts an outdoor festival every year, where they bring in an
array of international street theatre. Again, the old institution opens up to
the new possibilities.

I yearn for
a time when this kind of open-mindedness will rule in Finland: when the rusty
structures are crushed, and forward-looking theatre practitioners get the
opportunities they deserve. Then I’ll be excited about going to the theatre
again.