Part of the music Foundation JAPA, Erik Lindström Fund has bestowed its annual grant upon drummer Sami Nummela this year. The prize sum of 2500 euros is directed to support Nummela in his studies in the United States.
Drummer Sami Nummela (b. 1990) has graduated from the Pop and Jazz Conservatory in spring 2014 and is currently a student at the Jazz Department of the Sibelius Academy. The up-and-coming jazz artist has been taught by, among others, Nappi Ikonen, Teppo Mäkynen, John Riley and Jukkis Uotila, and he has performed with the following acts and artists: Grantstand Quartet, JASS Quartet, Teemu Åkerblom Quartet, Mikko Sarvanne Hip Company, Johan Bowman Trio, Olli Ahvenlahti, Eero Koivistoinen, Timo Lassy and Marten Van Der Grinten. Having gained experience as a composer, leader and sideman alike, Nummela’s projects mainly fall within the field of jazz but he has been involved in those of experimental music as well.
A part of the Finnish Pop Jazz and Pop Archive, Erik Lindström Fund aims at supporting Finnish jazz musicians in their studies primarily abroad. The initial capital was donated by Erik Lindström and it is accumulated with donations.
Erik Lindström turned 93 years on 29 May 2015. He has made an extensive career as an artist, composer and producer. Lindström’s repertory constitutes of approximately 500 schlager songs and a host of big band works. Some of his pieces have been immensely successful in Finland and he is also the very first winner of a gold record in the history of Finnish music. A member of numerous different outfits both on stage and in studio, Lindström masters the bass, the vibraphone and the piano. In addition to his career as an artist, Lindström co-ran the record label, Finndisc, with Rolf Kronqvist between the years 1963-71. The label discovered such artists as Irwin Goodman, Juha Vainio and Martti Innanen who were later to became household names.
The Finnish Jazz and Pop Archive collects, preserves and offers access to data and information related to Finnish popular music. The collected material spans 540 shelf metres, and its core is composed of recordings, tapes, videos, photographs, interviews, sheet music, manuscripts, music magazines and books, contracts and letters donated by various music associations and private persons. JAPA stores also plenty of unreleased material, including 7200 hours of unique, unpublished music recordings. The archive is a home for a notable portion of Finnish music and cultural heritage.
Further information on JAPA on www.musiikkiarkisto.fi