Projects
Kadi Vija Key Project
A great deal is left unsung, the audience has to know how to listen between the lines,” deduced vocalist Kadi Vija (b. 1985) ten years ago in her first thesis, in which she compared American jazz singers from two eras especially as improvisers. Those who have heard Vija in different contexts, as part of an ensemble and on record, already know that she, a musician and composer up to the times, walks a similar path: a little is a lot, or at least more than a lot.
Vija, who earned a master’s degree from Sibelius Academy in 2018, favourably stands out in another regard as well: she intentionally veers away from the role of singer and acts, in her own ensembles at least, mainly as an instrumental vocal improviser, a vocal artist. In other words, she is literally a musician in equal measure as the rest of them – not someone who is accompanied nor a soloist and not even, while occasionally composing and writing for the ensemble, its figurehead.
In Vija’s own Kadi Vija Key Project, this instinctive instrumental role of the human voice is further accentuated and augmented by an exceptional instrumentation: bass clarinet, electric guitar and drums. Is a song still a song though if it has no words?
Kadi Vija – vocals
Tuomo Dahlblom – guitar
Max Zenger – bass clarinet
Tuomas Timonen – drums
Kadi Vija Trio / Charles Carlman Trio
Charles Carlman Trio is a band formed in 2016 by three young jazz musicians who perform both their own compositions and songs from the United States and Brazil.
The band's streamlined line-up gives room for a tiny, deeply touching expression. Kadi Vija's velvety voice and minimalist expressive power, combined with Juuso Rinta's strong bass work and Héctor Lepe's playful, stylish guitar, will take the listener to warm landscapes.
The band's own production is influenced by the rhythms, poetry and visual arts of Latin America. The band recorded jazz standards and trio's own compositions for the drum-free ensemble at Kiikala Church in July 2019.
Charles Carlman Trio has established itself in the Helsinki jazz circles with its monthly club at GLO Hotel Art. In addition to regular club activities, they have performed e.g. at Korpo Sea Jazz Festival, Feel Helsinki and Southeast Estonia.
The members of the trio have studied at the jazz department of Sibelius Academy and each is an active musician in the Finnish jazz scene.
Kadi Vija - vocals
Hector Lepe - guitar
Juuso Rinta - double bass
Kadi Vija Jazz Quartet
Kadi Vija - vocals
Tuomo Uusitalo - piano
Juuso Rinta - bass
Ville Luukkonen - drums
Arttu Takalo & Kadi Vija
Duo plays Arttu Takalo's compositions to the text of beautiful Finnish poets. The repertoire includes also the instrumental music, where there is two instruments: vibraphone and voice.
Arttu Takalo - vibraphone
Kadi Vija - vocal
Kadi Vija ja Seppo Kantonen: Tuokiokuvia
The duo performs Seppo Kantonen's previously unperformed small-scale atmospheric pieces. Some of the songs were composed for Kadi Vija and the older songs find their new form in the duo's treatment. Kadi's instrument-like voice is easy to admire and it enables the use of many surprising melodies. With the singer being this strong, Seppo can come into his own with his harmonies.
Kadi Quartet
Kadi Quartet strives to bring forth their outlook on what a jazz quartet can be in the 21st century. Rather than solely bathing in the spotlight, in addition to her own adventurous improvisations, Kadi Vija also redefines the role of a jazz singer by creating backgrounds for the other soloists. By combining the catchiness of pop-music, free improvised music and everything in between, Kadi Quartet makes a strong statement of what jazz is today.
In september 2012 the band was invited to record for Jatzofrenia, a program by the Finnish Broadcasting Company, introducing young promising acts in the Finnish jazz scene. In 2013 Kadi Quartet won the Finnish Young Nordic Jazz Comets competition and performed at a showcase event held at an annual meeting of the Europen Jazz Network in Trondheim, Norway. Previously the group has performed for example at the Pori Jazz Festival, JazzEspa Festival and the Estonian Talve Jazz festival.
In the fall of 2013 the ensemble’s career took yet another leap forward, when contemporary saxophone legend Greg Osby took them under his wing by signing them for his Inner Circle Music record label. In Finland the debut album saw daylight on April 11th through Eclipse Music record label.
In January 2014 Kadi Quartet was on tour supported by the Finnish Jazz Federation in six cities across Finland, and in July they performed at The European Jazz Competition finals in Rotterdam, Holland.
Kadi Vija - vocals
Mikael Myrskog - piano
Pasi Toivanen - bass
Tomi Saikkonen - drums