Dumari and Spuget & Blosarit – Tuomari Nurmio’s songs about war and dictatorship Salonen-Gustavson-Gröhn

Event Introduction

Tuomari Nurmio is one of the most influential singers and songwriters in Finnish rock music. The character of Tuomari Nurmio, who began his career in 1979, is full of paradoxes: A high-brow pub musician, perfectionist and bohemian, a boy from the streets of Kallio with a Master of Laws, an expert in Helsinki slang who is equally at home among the knife fighters of Ostrobothnia. He is an original and primal expert of the blues guitar, who can also sing schlagers and tango in front of a big band. Tuomari can be the harsh judge Dumari but also provide words of comfort and love with his songs.

During his career, Tuomari Nurmio has also written several songs about the cruelties of war and dictatorship. As Vladimir Putin’s Russia began the war of aggression against Ukraine, performing these songs started to feel regrettably topical. At this special Huvila night, Dumari opens his songbook at war and dictatorship and performs these heavy songs together with his Spuget band, fortified by the Blosarit brass section.

In addition to Dumari himself, Spuget consists of Make Hillilä on drums, Mitja Tuurala on double bass and Miikka Paatelainen on guitar. Blosarit is Juho Viljanen on trombone and tuba, Janne Toivonen on trumpet and Antti Hynninen on saxophone.

The evening begins with Hammond organ artist Kalle Salonen taking to the Huvila stage with a three-Hammond ensemble. Playing the Hammonds with Salonen are two veteran musicians: Jukka Gustavson of Wigwam fame and Pekka Gröhn from J. Karjalainen’s band. Together they form a new ensemble entitled Salonen-Gustavson-Gröhn. The trio will be accompanied by Salonen’s trusted brass masters Antero Priha and Panu Syrjänen as well as drummer-producer Hannu Pikkarainen. The event promises a new range of groovy rhythm music with a massive organ sound.

In his new project, Salonen realises his dream and composes commissioned new music for three Hammond organs. “It sure is an impressive thing to put three Hammond organs together and on stage at Helsinki Festival. There’s a bit of historical feeling there. And one of the other great things about it is that now no one is going to come tell me to turn the volume down or stop playing that damn Hammond!”, Salonen remarks.

The composition is a commissioned work that Salonen is realising in the new OAF Academy art programme. Helping realise Salonen’s dream is veteran music producer and multi-instrumentalist Hannu Pikkarainen, who also works as a mentor for Salonen’s composition work. “Kalle may have some songs ready, and we will then rework them together – while others will be composed in a more collaborative manner from the start. Composition work is like casting nets in the water and then hauling them up… taking a look together at what we’ve got and then recording it. We are now writing music for three Hammond organs for the first time ever, and that will set a lot of limits but also provide a lot of liberties.”

More information:

Doors: 17.30
Salonen-Gustavson-Gröhn: 19.00
Dumari and Spuget & Blosarit: 20.30

Age limit: 18

Categories

Huvila

Map

Accessibility

-Disabled access: Ramped access at main entrance. Box office fully accessible.
-Disabled toilet (please note that the toilet is not fitted with an alarm).
-Wheelchair seating/event: 4 (more seating may be available depending on the nature of the show). Accompanying assistant addmitted without extra charge.
-Induction loop.
-Grounded outlet available in the seating area.