admin, Author at Villa Karo

As black as night

elo192016

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elo192016

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huhti222015

We wanna dance

I’m sure I don’t have to remind you that we have a whole lot of worries in Finland and Europe at this time. A little positive energy shouldn’t be too much to ask for.

The Beninese-Finnish jazz group Helsinki-Cotonou Ensemble (HCE) has been eagerly expected to tour in Finland and Europe to deliver us a truckload of groove again this summer in support of their award winning and highly praised sophomore album Fire, Sweat and Pastis.

But our hopes were dashed. Why?

The Embassy of the Netherlands in Benin, who is tasked with handling visa applications for the Beninese planning to travel to Finland, refused to grant a visa to 37-year old Noël Saizonou, musical frontman of the group. Hence, we’re gonna miss this.

Helsinki_Cotonou_Ensemble-3 — Photo: Sami Mannerheimo

Noël is a percussion virtuoso, multi-instrumentalist, dancer, singer, composer and one-in-a-million talent. For over ten years he’s been performing in Finland and Benin with a bunch of Finnish and Beninese frontline musicians such as saxophonist Eero Koivistoinen. He’s been starring in Dance Theatre ERI’s productions. He’s been teaching future Masters of Music in Sibelius Academy. Just google the guy. He’s all over the place.

Beside his upcoming tour dates with HCE, he was to perform as soloist for the Finnish jazz institution, UMO Jazz Orchestra, alongside his HCE sidekick, guitarist Janne Halonen. He was also booked to teach at the Academy again among other artistic ventures.

Noël’s visa track record is clean. So the question is:

What does it take for an African professional such as Noël Saizonou to prove his worth to the bouncers at the gates of the EU? He shouldn’t even have to be a highly talented person to get here. He’s got work here to be done. Besides, Noël isn’t the only person now losing his job and income. This concerns the rest of the band, too, and compromises their status as the most influential current Finnish world music act.

And the right wing populists say that getting to Finland is too easy for foreigners. Yeah, right…

However, Noël will be shortly filing another visa demand again backed with invitation letters and documents from Janne Halonen and the Finnish-African cultural centre Villa Karo.

But you can help, too. Spread this message. It is a way to say that we won’t tolerate this. Show your support to Noël and HCE. Why?

Because #wewannadance. And there sure as hell is nothing wrong with that.

Miikka Pörsti

Writer and friend of Noël’s

elo242014

Thank you, Florent!

ILOMANTSI. I’m afraid I have some disappointing news. The first ever world champion of bear sculpting isn’t traveling back to Benin now that the competition is over. Florent’s workmanship was largely appreciated – both by the jury and the public – but the jury decided to give the first prize to a Finnish chainsaw sculptor who demonstrated astonishing skill in describing the movement of the bear in a statue.

The first three prizes were awarded to:

1) Esko Heikura, Finland, 1500 euros

2) Erkki Rytkönen, Finland, 1000 euros

3) Silver Treiman, Estonia, a set of protective workwear

Congratulations, winners!

Ms Helka Ketonen, member of the Jury, and cultural director of MSL gave thanks to Florent’s original idea about a hibernating bear and African perception of the Finnish national animal. Florent’s concentration and working technique also earned thanks, said madame la directrice.

Florent is leaving Finland in a couple of days with lots of new contacts in his phonebook and a few new skills in his pocket. “I’ll start using a chainsaw in my work. It’s very interesting. I’m also happy about all the new contacts I have”, he told VK reporters on the way back from Ilomantsi. He is looking forward to continue sharing with his European peers via Internet.

And what does Florent think about Finland? ”The trees is Finnish forests are very straight and growing in clear lines”, he says. ”It’s like Finnish people. Everything is straight and well organized, things have their own places.”

Along with new sculpting skills and contacts, Florent is bringing back home an experience of Finland. Here, up north, the air is fresh and working outside is very consuming. For this reason, one of Florent’s new experiences includes munkkikahvit, coffee&donut, a Finnish institution almost as important as the hot sauna. With the help of munkkikahvit, skill and artistic vision he finished his work and built a long-lasting Beninese monument in Ilomantsi. Florent’s Le Rêve Puissant will be displayed there every summer for years to come.

Tekijä: admin

As black as night