Helsinki-Cotonou Ensemble(BE/FI)

The eight-piece band Helsinki-Cotonou Ensemble blends afrobeat with traditional West African rhythms, voodoo sound, modern jazz, and funky grooves – enriched with clear influences from highlife and Weather Report-style fusion – creating an explosive, high-energy sound that’s impossible to resist! The group is a joint project by Finnish jazz guitarist Janne Halonen and Beninese percussionist and vocalist Noël Saïzonou.

Together, Halonen and Saïzonou have led the band across five continents and through six studio sessions over the past twelve years. On November 1, 2024, HCE released their sixth album: “Vive l’amour.”

This "album of love" builds on the jazz-influenced afro-soul sound of the band’s previous self-titled release, while also returning to the group's roots – the traditional rhythms of Benin. The album was recorded in Helsinki, Paris, Cotonou, and Budapest, and features guest appearances by Nigerian percussionist Jah Baba as well as the grand string section of the Budapest Art Orchestra. As always, all songs were written by Janne Halonen and Noël Saïzonou.

The story began back in 2009, when Janne traveled to Cotonou for the first time.
– I asked: Who’s the man I need to meet? Everyone pointed to Noël Saïzonou, Janne recalls.
– When we met, it felt like greeting an old friend, he says.

That encounter sparked a friendship and a deep musical collaboration. Together, they created a unique sound somewhere in the borderland between Finnish funk, voodoo rhythms, jazzy harmonies, and soulful lyrics. Over the following years, Noël made multiple trips to Finland, the two got to know each other, wrote music together, and gradually built a tight, groovy eight-piece band.

Major performances include tours in Canada, Chile, and Germany, and concerts at festivals such as Sziget Festival, Pohoda, Folk Holidays, Victoriateatern in Malmö, Pori Jazz, Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, and the ACC World Music Festival in Korea, among others. Their dynamic, high-energy live shows are guaranteed to get everyone moving!

On stage:
Noël Saïzonou – vocals and percussion
Janne Halonen – guitar and vocals
Sampo Riskilä – bass
Juha Räsänen – drums
Visa Oscar – keyboard
Mikko Pettinen – trumpet, keyboard and vocals
Joakim “Jusu” Berghäll – saxophone and vocals
Kasheshi Makena – percussion and vocals

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