Jazz Finland Live

Nana Rashid is one of the brightest rising stars on the Scandinavian jazz scene. The Danish-Zanzibari-Omani vocalist was awarded Best New Jazz Artist of the Year at the Danish Music Awards 2023 for her stunning debut album Music for Betty—a release also nominated for Best Vocal Jazz Album of the Year.

With a voice that channels the raw emotional power of Nina Simone and the elegance of Scandinavian jazz, Nana Rashid offers a strikingly original take on modern vocal jazz. Music for Betty is a deeply personal and emotionally resonant album that blends Nordic melancholy with shades of neo-soul, blues, and poetic storytelling. The title references her original song “Poor Blue Betty” — an ode to the parts of ourselves we often hide, but which ultimately make us whole.

The debut received wide critical acclaim:
“A superb debut album.” – Jazz Journal

“One of the absolute best Danish vocal jazz debut albums in several years.”
★★★★★ Gaffa DK

“A smouldering intensity… sets the tone for the entire album.”
★★★★★ Jazzwise (Editor’s Choice)

This concert is part of Better Live, a project co-financed by the European Union's Creative Europe program.

Open event

Tickets 12 €

Drummer Tomi Salesvuo's East Funk Attack is a funk band from Helsinki that has released four albums of its own. The group, which is based on tight groove and fresh expression, combines different musical influences with an energetic attitude without prejudice. Founded in 2014, EFA has spread the joy of funk by hitting concert stages both in Finland and in Central Europe.

The band's latest album, the dense nine-track album Rhythm Manifesto IV, has received widespread praise and e.g. the single Losing You rose to Spotify's New Music Friday chart when it was released.

Open event