The House of Culture Helsinki hosts the epic party that features some of Finland’s foremost artists from Kingston Wall Left Overs, Rinneradio and Melrose to Giant Robot, Emma Salokoski and Brothers Von Hertzen.
A veritable pioneer of DJ culture in Finland, DJ Bunuel (Måns Strömberg) has been a proponent of good music at bars and restaurants and on the radio since the 1970s. He is known for his complete absorption in each live gig and, at times, very philosophical approach to playing records. “I regard this not as a party to celebrate me or my career but Finnish music and the work that DJs do in this country,” Bunuel says. “Not everyone understands how creative and challenging this job can be. Anything but pushing the button.”
Bunuel has always been driven by a child-like enthusiasm for music and discovering new. Moving like a chameleon between different genres, this artist does not see music through pigeonholing – the whole that we call music is not composed of different genres but different songs. All music was born when someone clapped their hands or knocked a tree trunk, the rest is mere continuum.
This same open-mindedness extends to his career. In addition to being a DJ and a musician, Bunuel is a well-known radio and TV host, event producer and restaurateur. He has played records in various settings, such as private events, underground clubs and as the tour DJ for the legendary Finnish rock band, Hurriganes. Since the 1990s he has collaborated with a number of famous Finnish artists, including Men’s Choir Huutajat, Pekka Kuusisto, Avanti, Timo Lassy, Kingston Wall, XL and Mikkeli Symphony Orchestra.
“Bunuel is definitely one of the fathers behind Helsinki’s aura as we know it today. He has contributed to the city and its cultural atmosphere in various ways, most importantly through music, his curiosity and will to bring people together. Bunuel is an interesting figure and artist whose charm defies genre and age categories,” says Mikko Leisti, the founder of festival Art Goes Kapakka and the managing director of Pluto Finland.
Kohti Valoa 40 Years Takes over the Helsinki House of Culture on 21 October
The House of Culture will play house to a very special party on 21 October featuring many musicians and bands that have become important for Bunuel over the years. This epic 5-hour concert will see more than 30 artists take the stage.
“We had to stop listing acts when we ran out of paper. What all the performers have in common is that I have a very personal relationship to each of them. They have either inspired or taught me, or their music has helped me through tough times,” Bunuel says. “I want to put together a unique whole: a concert that resembles a radio show.”
In addition to musical treats, there will be a two-course menu by Sami Tallberg, a well-known specialist of wild herbs, on offer for those interested. After the concert, the party will continue at the club venue Alakulttuuritalo with selected DJs entertaining the audience until 4am.
“Bunuel is one of the most defining DJ figures of his generation. His pioneering work both live and on the radio as a partisan of jazz and other urban African-American sounds has definitely shaped younger generations’ taste in music. This sort of groundwork has surely paved the way for such musical phenomena as Flow Festival and Radio Helsinki.” - Timo Lassy, saxophonist
Helsinki House of Culture; After-party at Alakulttuuritalo & Kitchen (Sturenkatu 4, 00510 Helsinki)
Artists, concert: Bossapoika, Cool Sheiks, Don Johnson Big Band, Emma Salokoski & Jarmo Saari, Eternal Erection, Fat Beat Sound System, Giant Robot, Hannu Leidén (Havana Black), Hell of a Band, Iro Haarla & Aniida Vesala, Jo Buddy’s Trio Riot, Jone Takamäki, Jukka Eskola, Jukka Orma, Jukka Perko, Kalle Salonen, Kari Tapiiri, Kepa Salmirinne (Zero Nine), Kim Lönnholm, Kingston Wall Left Overs, Marzi Nyman, Melrose, Paleface, Pietarin Spektaakkeli, Rinneradio, Slow Hill, Spigu, Super Janne, Timo Lassy, Tuomo Prättälä, Valtteri Laurell Pöyhönen, Veljekset Von Hertzen, XL, Yona.
DJs, after-party: VG+Slow, Alimo, Dijcka, Borzin, Bunuel, Magic Sam, Lord Fatty, Mikke Stenberg, Gorgeous Georg, Didier + Anonymous.
Tickets: 35-64 €, After-party 10-12 €, available on Tiketti, www.tiketti.fi, tel. 0600-1-1616.
DJ Bunuel (Måns Strömberg)
Måns Strömberg’s first DJ gig was at the disco of the school sports club in 1977. His career on the radio began in 1984 on YLE’s (Finnish Broadcasting Company’s) Swedish radio and he has hosted jazz shows on YLE for almost two decades. His popular show Kohti valoa has run on Radio Helsinki since 2009. Strömberg has been known as Bunuel since the late 80s when he started working on the Helsinki-based Radio Ettan. The nickname was originally given by Ari Aaltonen, the brother of Remu Aaltonen, the frontman of Hurriganes. Bunuel has also worked on TV, on MTV3 and as the host of Finland’s official Top 40 music programme. He is also a pioneering sound engineer for restaurants, having planned the background music for Restaurant Mecca and for the Palace chain in the 00s. Bunuel is the first awardee of the Helsinki hauskemmaksi (Make Helsinki Happier) prize, granted by Art Goes Kapakka. He has also received the Radio Prize from YLE Svenska and the Funky Awards from the Funky Amigos. He was one of the founders and shareholders of Bar Mary, which operated in Porvoo for 14 years.