Helsinki-Cotonou Ensemble
"Weather Report meets Fela, you might say. They are good enough."
This is how Rick Sanders of fRoots magazine wrote about Helsinki-Cotonou Ensemble.
HCE's story is rather unique. In january 2012 three musicians from Helsinki, Finland followed their dream and travelled to Benin, West-Africa. They hooked up with virtuoso singer/percussionist Noel Saizonou, called up the best musicians from the country's biggest city Cotonou, and so was the first edition of Helsinki-Cotonou Ensemble born.
HCE's music is all written by the band's guitarist Janne Halonen and percussionist/ lead vocalist Noel Saizonou. The writing process started as early as 2009, when Halonen first travelled to Benin to learn the traditional rhythms of Voodoo. For three years Halonen and Sazonou bounced ideas and searched for the right people for their project.
When Sazonou visited Finland in 2011, drummer Juha Raesaenen and bassist Sampo Risikilae joined the project. The quartet became the core of HCE, and it was to be strengthened with local super musicians, whether the band operated on European or African soil. The current and for now established line up of HCE is listed below.
Helsinki-Cotonou Ensemble impresses it's listener not only with intense moods and joyful yet virtuoso performances, but also with fresh and carefully crafted songwriting. As composers Sazonou and Halonen are enough far apart to make the cocktail something completely new, yet they both possess enough musicianship to complement each other's works.
A truly wicked fusion … catch them here and lets bring them to your event
Email me: , or call +44(0) 7791 699889 to book.