Women’s choir KYN performs Teosto-winning Mikko Hassinen’s compositions on 30 October at Koko Jazz Club. In concert KYN Goes Hassinen the choir will be joined by the top artists Manuel Dunkel (saxhophone), Ville Herrala (double bass) and Hassinen himself on the drums. The night will be kicked off with a discussion where Kaija Viitasalo, the conductor for KYN, and maestro Hassinen shed light on the background of the project.
If the concept is unusual on paper, what makes it even more unusual is the fact that the jazz band is not to accompany the choir but to form an organic and democratic union with the choir: indeed, the foundation of Hassinen’s compositions is dialogue between the band and the choir. The programme consists of the tree-part piece Jos mina puhuisin sinulle, based on poems of Virpi Stenlund, and five beloved Finnish folk and schlager songs, newly arranged by Mikko Hassinen.
The concert is a co-production of KYN and Koko Jazz Club and on the latter’s part a statement for the importance of ambitious artistic activity in today’s Finnish society.
KYN is an ambitious women’s choir, driven by an impulse to reform the traditional ideas of choral music. One of the best Finnish women’s choirs, KYN tests genre boundaries by including jazz and popular music into their repertoire. This marching to the beat of their own drum has made KYN stand out from other choirs. One of their latest innovations has been “ethnic jazz”, a new genre that they have developed through a number of commissioned works.
Due to their originality, KYN is a sought-after act both in Finland and abroad. In recent years the choir has been seen on stage in France and Taiwan, for instance. KYN has been successful in international competitions and reviews as well, winning, for instance, a gold medal in 2014 in the World Choir Games. KYN is conducted by Kaija Viitasalo.