A host of Finland’s favourite artists feature the 16-piece UMO in a concert that pays homage to the legendary Finnish singer-songwriter Juice Leskinen. ”Tribute to Juice” will be heard in Helsinki, Tampere and Hämeenlinna in early May this year.
The menu will consist of Juice’s best-loved classics and archival pearls in new, cross-artistic, different and funny arrangements. The concert was premiered and televised on the Red Nose Day in last October. The crew will now reassemble for a mini-tour in South Finland.
”It is great to take our tribute concert in a slightly expanded version from the studio around Finland," says Jarkko Martikainen who recalls having been initiated into Juice by his father when only a kid.
"I remember singing Juice on the tram as a little girl and since that he and his music have been always present in my life," reminisces singer Aino Venna.
”We are very excited to revisit this programme with such a crew. UMO is an assemblage extraordinary musicians, the arrangers know exactly what they are doing and Juice’s repertory is so large that one can just pick and choose out of a great number of hits. This tour will, no doubt, be one of the highlights of the spring,” tout Martikainen and Venna.
A Tribute to Juice: UMO feat. Jonna Tervomaa, Anna Puu, Aino Venna, Jimi Tenor, Jarkko Martikainen & Paleface
Conducted by Kirmo Lintinen
Thu 5 May at 19.00 Kulttuuritalo*, Sturenkatu 4, Helsinki
Fri 6 May at 19.00 Tampere-talo**, Yliopistonkatu 55, Tampere
Sat 7 May at 19.00 Verkatehdas*, Paasikiventie 2, Hämeenlinna
Tickets (incl. service fees) 36,50 € / 32,50 € available for purchase on Ticketmaster* and Lippupiste**.
Juice Leskinen (1950-2006) was a popular Finnish singer-songwriter, lyricist, poet and voice of the people, whose impact as an interpreter of the Finnish way of life and a peculiarly Finnish mentality has been vast. His music can be encountered everywhere in Finland: on the radio, in the music class, by the campfire and on the jukebox year in year out.
UMO is a professional Finnish big band, performing new jazz and related music across the board. Contemporary music being one of UMO’s main focuses the orchestra commissions and performs new material from Finnish composers regularly. Indeed, the group is a key player in making Finnish music better known both in- and outside its country of origin; in providing a school of practical experience for promising young musicians and in enhancing the versatility of Finnish jazz culture. The members come from the top of Finnish jazz. UMO is regarded as one of the leading big bands of the world.