The Finnish Heritage Society presents an encore of Grammy Considered Itkuja Suite, invocations on lament a deep and rich exploration of the healing music of Finnish Nordic lament and life affirming elements of jazz. Crafted by Emmy award winning Finnish-American saxophonist Rent Romus and Finnish Jazz Legend and composer Heikki Koskinen, Itkuja will be performed by Romus’ Life’s Blood Ensemble. Also performing will be Elihu Knowles’ Aaron Space Cosmic Orchestra, a multilayered large ensemble project exploring the syntheses of acoustic and electronic as part of the FHS monthly Cultural Performance series at the Berkeley Finnish Hall.
The tradition of song through lament has served as a form of community expression spanning millennia, invoking processes of healing in profound ways. The Finnish word itkuja (eet-koo-yaw) literally means crying, but hidden within this translation embodies deeper undercurrents of meaning. Itkuja surpasses the biopic Western acceptance of polar opposites drawing a more all-encompassing world view of the definition of existence, loss, and change.
Storytelling has a profound effect on Romus’ musical endeavors. The first of many experimental musical theatrical presentations began in the late 1990s, creating a series of works inspired by Edgar Allen Poe, Philip K Dick, and Frank Herbert. After reading multiple versions of the Finnish National Epic, the Kalevala, he discovered that music based on interpretations of his cultural heritage could serve as a path towards a deeper understanding.
The Aaron Space Cosmic Orchestra is a large jazz ensemble led by Berkeley, California-based producer/composer/multi-instrumentalist Eli Knowles. Born in Brooklyn, NY but primarily raised in Berkeley, California, Knowles is also the bandleader and lead vocalist for one of the most creative and energetic bands on the Bay Area scene, Aaron Space & His Terrestrial Underlings. The Aaron Space Cosmic Orchestra was created in Portland during his time at Reed College and became during this time an outlet for Knowles' more explicitly jazz-oriented ideas. They will perform music from his debut release “Night 0n Earth as well as new originals.