Jazz Finland Live

The duo Heta Halonen & Riitta Paakki will perform on the Finnish Jazz Federation’s pilot tour, giving concerts not only as public evening performances but also in care homes. The tour, which takes place in the Karelia and Savo regions, will visit Outokumpu, Kitee, Savonlinna, Kuopio, and Joensuu.

The duo of Heta Halonen & Riitta Paakki brings together two strong yet sensitive voices of Finnish jazz into a unique whole. The audience can expect an intimate and atmospheric concert experience where jazz standards, Finnish evergreens, and the duo’s own compositions and lyrics gain new dimensions.

Singer, actress, and songwriter Heta Halonen, crowned Tango Queen of 2022, is known for her versatile interpretative ability and charismatic stage presence. Her voice moves effortlessly between the worlds of jazz, tango, and musicals.

Pianist Riitta Paakki is a highly respected jazz musician, composer, and bandleader who received the Finnish Jazz Federation’s Yrjö Award in 2019. Her playing combines sensitivity with swinging rhythm, creating a profound, expressive, and interactive counterpart to Halonen’s singing.

Heta Halonen – vocals
Riitta Paakki – piano