Helsinki-Cotonou Ensemble (fi/bj/tz)

As the autumn evenings cool and darken, the opening concert of the 37th Etnosoi! Festival presents HELSINKI-COTONOU ENSEMBLE. This 8-piece band delights audiences, conjuring up light, warmth and rhythmic joy.

The group gleefully mixes Afrobeat with jazz grooves and harmonies. The band's dynamic, energetic live gigs have captivated audiences around the world – and gotten them dancing. Vocalist and percussionist Noël Saïzonou and guitarist Janne Halonen have led the band to four continents in 12 years, including performances at the Montreal Jazz Festival, Sunfest, ACC World Music Festival and Mundovivo, as well as Pori Jazz, World Village and the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival in Finland. The band has also played showcase appearances at WOMEX in 2018 and Mundial Montréal in 2022.

The band has released five studio albums. This Etnosoi! performance celebrates the release of their sixth album on November 1 (Rockadillo Records).

The album was recorded at Sonic Pump Studio in Helsinki, 360 Music Factory in Paris and Africa Sound City in Cotonou, Benin. The album's lyrical theme is love in its various forms. The first single is "Chanson á Grand Popo", a love song for the village on the Benin coast where the band was founded. Musically, Helsinki-Cotonou Ensemble returns to its roots, blending traditional Beninese rhythms with Western and African-American harmonic and melodic ideas.

Noël Saïzonou – percussion, vocals
Janne Halonen – guitar, vocals
Sampo Riskilä – bass, vocals
Juha Räsänen – drums, vocals
Mikko Pettinen – trumpet, vocals
Joakim Berghäll – saxophone, vocals
Kasheshi Makena – percussion, vocal
Visa Oscar – keyboards