Kirke Karja Quartet, Kadri Voorand & Mihkel Mälgand, and Heavy Beauty performed at the opening concert of Tampere Jazz Happening called “Spotlight on Estonia”. In a review, published in Aamulehti, Jussi Niemi evaluated the Estonian jazz concert to be a multidimensional experience and stronger than the Swedish and Norwegian jazz concert evenings of previous years: “The groups were smoother, wilder, and more free.” The concert was held in the framework of the Jazz Estonia and Jazzkaar project “Jazz Present to Europe”.
Tampere Jazz Happening is one of the oldest Jazz festivals in Finland, this year’s festival was the 36th time it was held, and it has also just been awarded with the European Jazz Network Award. Tampere Jazz Happening devoted the opening night or 2 November to Estonian jazz music with Kirke Karja Quartet, Kadri Voorand & Mihkel Mälgand Duo, and Heavy Beauty on the festival stage. The concert was held in the framework of the Jazz Estonia and Jazzkaar project “Jazz Present to Europe” and with the support of Enterprise Estonia Tourism Development Centre, Estonia 100, the Ministry of Culture, and the Estonian Embassy in Helsinki.
The concert that took place in the framework of Events Abroad of Estonia 100 and the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union brought a full house of local audience and several dozens of foreign journalists to the concert club. The album stand was crowded due to the music fans’ interest in the Estonian jazz, the rally for autographs lasted for hours after the concert, and the Estonian jazz was widely reported in the media.
News before the concert:
- Sotaan ja neuvostoaikaan katkennut jazz on nyt Virossa vapauden vertauskuva – Helsinkin Sanomat
- What’s Happening, Kadri Voorand? – Tampere Jazz Happening
- It’s Happening: Spotlight on Estonia – Tampere Jazz Happening
- Nyt on jazzissakin naisten aika: Kuule, miten Tampere Jazz Happeningin artistit soittavat ja laulavat – Aamulehti
- Tampere näyttää taas missä mennään: Sveitsi, Viro ja Tunisia loistavat viikonlopun Jazz Happeningissä – Helsinkin Sanomat
- Sotaan ja neuvostoaikaan katkennut jazz on nyt Virossa vapauden vertauskuva – Helsinkin Sanomat
- Viron jazz hakee paikkaansa – Helsinkin Sanomat
News after the concert:
- Estisk åpning i Tampere – Salt-Peanuts (Norway)
- Virolaisten räjähtävä Happening-avaus nosti riman korkealle – Aamulehti
- Tampere Jazz Happening käynnistyi virolaisvoimin – Jazzrytmit
- Yle Uutiset Pirkanmaa
- Tampere Jazz Happening 2017 – jazzové nádeje z Estónska – skjazz.sk
Photo gallery can be found on Tampere Jazz Happening webpage, Postimees and Jazz Estonia FB page.