The Estonian Funk Unit, taking the stage at the Storyville Jazz Club, consists of top names in Estonian rhythm music.
The three-day music festival FinEst Funk, held for the second time, brings the hottest names and emerging stars in the funk world to both Finland and Estonia! FinEst Funk takes place at the Storyville Jazz Club in Helsinki on March 16th. In Estonia, the festivals are celebrated in Tartu on March 14th and in Tallinn on March 15th.
"We hope that concertgoers will experience real funk vibes that will stay with them for a long time. The festival undoubtedly offers a lot of discoveries for Finns, and we believe that the Estonian Funk Unit, formed specifically for FinEst Funk, will find its way into the hearts of Finnish listeners and help grow the interest of our northern friends in Estonian funk music," commented the festival's main organizer Sten Valdmaa.
The Estonian Funk Unit includes top names in Estonian rhythm music: Sofia Rubina (vocals), Artis Boriss (keyboards), Valter Soosalu (harpejji), Kristen Kütner (guitar), Janno Trump (bass), Ramuel Tafenau (drums), Jason Hunter (trumpet), Allan Kaljaste (alto saxophone), Keio Vutt (tenor saxophone), Ingvar Leerimaa (trombone), and Luiz Black (percussion).
EFU will introduce Finnish audiences to 1970s Estonian rhythm music and the production of legendary Estonian songwriters Jaan Kuman and Marju Kuut with their program "Virolaisen grooven poluilla: Kuut ja Kuman" (On the Paths of Estonian Groove: Kuut and Kuman). Kuman, who gained international success over the past decade as a trumpet player with his instrumental ensemble, had essentially two careers: first as a young artist titled "The Best Jazz Singer of the Soviet Union," and later, after fleeing to the West, as Maryn E. Coote, a producer and vocalist exploring the world of lo-fi and electronic funk music. EFU presents both sides of Kuut as a tribute to the late Estonian music icon.
FinEst Funk festival will also feature Italian funk sensation Giacomo Turra with The Funky Minutes band, as well as the domestic talent Sam Huber & We Got Soul. For more information and ticket sales, visit the festival's website: www.finestfunkfestival.com.
Photo: Ako Lehemets