Otherworld Ensemble: Itkuja suite

Rent Romus (US): saxophones, kantele & compositions; Heikki Mike Koskinen (US): electric trumpet, kantele & compositions; Heikki Laitinen: cries, song; Otto Eskelinen: woodwinds; Eero Tikkanen: double bass; Arwi Lind: drums and percussion

Otherworld Ensemble is a joint project of Finnish jazz legend Heikki “Mike” Koskinen and Finnish-American saxophonist and composer Rent Romus. Their music stems from the tradition of Finno-Ugric mythopoetic poems, and the core of its performance is the top musicians of Finnish creative music. The inspiration for the compositions goes back to when Romus was on tour in Denmark in the mid-1990s, working with musicians who combined their own cultural traditions with African-American music. Romus realized that the music he grew up with could serve as a starting point and a vehicle for exploring his own lost heritage. The themes of “Other World” refer to a heritage found deep in the depths of the subconscious, which the band interprets from different perspectives through the lens of improvisation, traditional music and composition.

The music consists of composed and arranged themes and improvised interludes, whose sources of inspiration are Kalevala-related themes, folk songs of the northern regions, animistic elements and jazz. Instrumental arrangements vary in size from small to larger with added vocal parts, and are complemented by traditional instruments such as kantele, bells, hand-made wind instruments and flutes. The music springs from these thematic elements, fusing them

Photo: Peter B Kaars

The concert is supported by City of Helsinki, Svenska Kulturfonden, The Finnish Music Foundation and The Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Taike).