Kaiku is a world music ensemble based in New York City....

“…delicate, witty, fierce and warm by turns and sometimes all at once.” - AllMusic.com

“…listening to something this beautiful, it’s easy to believe that myths are rooted in truth.” - Popmatters.com

Kaiku is a world music ensemble based in New York City, led by two Finnish vocalists – Paula Jaakkola and Jaana Kantola. Their warm and romantic voices lend themselves gracefully to the breezy, vocal pop harmonies that are sung primarily in Finnish. Although recently, vocals in English with swirls of Spanish and French can be heard on several tracks, a natural reflection of their adopted home, New York City. Kaiku’s repertoire is an eclectic array of original songs that engage and enrapture the listener’s imagination. Seductive beats ride along with resourceful collaborations of accordion, cello, piano and bass played by established New York musicians. Their music has inspired adulations and glowing reviews from, among others, Bob Bannister of Time Out New York.

Photo: Reka Nyari

Jaana and Paula founded Kaiku in the fall of 2004 as a continuation of their two year stint with a Finnish a cappella group called Akkapella. Their blend of refined talent and sheer entertainment earned them performances at established venues such as The Detroit Institute of the Arts, Celebrate Brooklyn and New York City’s Symphony Space, where they were commissioned to write music to the poems of James Joyce by the Artistic

Director, Isaiah Sheffer. Finlandia Foundation named Kaiku “National Performer of the Year” in 2006 and they were the subject of a 2007 documentary, Tosi Tarina: Kaiku New Yorkista )– which broadcast during prime time television in their native Finland. In the summer of 2008 Jaana and Paula toured Finland for a month, receiving notable attention from local media. Thanks to the sponsorship by the Council Of Arts of Finland, they will return for another tour of Finland, summer 2010.

Paula and Jaana have made Kaiku a band in constant evolution. Their journey first took root in Finnish folk with their debut album (2006). Their second release (2010) is a departure, moving towards sophisticated world pop. Kaiku fans look forward to live performances, where they know they’ll be swept up with the unexpected, be it a passage of contemplative soliloquies or a foot-bouncing, world fusion beat.

These two founders deliver an unabashed performance and easily interact with their audience, riffing off each other musically or each other’s sense of humor. Their success can be partially attributed to their distinctive personalities: Jaana Kantola is inspired by classical and Latin music and has a strong choral background having started singing at the age of 8. After moving to New York, she studied Jazz at City College of New York under teachers such as Sheila Jordan. Jaana sang with luminaries such as Barry Harris and Max Roach, and had a longstanding gig at Grace Church in Harlem.

Paula Jaakkola, on the other hand, grew up on pop rock, sang in rock bands and studied Ethnomusicology in Finland until she moved to the U.S. While in New York City, she continued her years of musical studies at the New School University in Jazz Vocals under the guidance of Reggie Workman and Jane Ira Bloom. Both Jaana and Paula released their own solo albums before devoting themselves to Kaiku. Kaiku plays regularly in New York City, and is part of the downtown/Brooklyn music scene. Kaiku is a band that truly gives its all at live shows. For a chance to attend a Kaiku show in New York City and beyond, visit them at: http://www.kaikumusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/kaiku.
album is available at http://www.cdbaby.com/ and iTunes
 
Influences:
Traditional Finnish music and poetry, jazz, pop, Brazilian music...