The diversity of urban culture in Helsinki will be highlighted at its finest and most rhythmic celebration of the year on the 7th of July between 14-22 hs at Elephantasy – Funky Family Picnic. Free entry and no age limit! The idyllic Alppipuisto park next to the Linnanmäki amusement park will be our playground this summer for already the tenth time in a row. To honor that, Elephantasy will be entertaining you on two live stages, as well as in the later evening between 22-04 hs at the club of legendary Kulttuuritalo (Sturenkatu 4, downstairs) just around the corner (tickets 10/12€, age limit: 18 yrs).
Lovely laidback atmosphere and programme full of diverse experiences create the perfect environment for people and cultures to meet and interact at Elephantasy. The whole shebang will include inspiring rhythm music with different vibes, world street food treats, circus, children’s programme and exuberant feelings.
You are allowed to bring your own picnic treats along, but we warmly recommend adding up some specialties from the street food vendors, who are happy to offer you a tasty selection of dishes to buy.
The entrance to the day event in Alppipuisto is free of charge and there is no age limit.
The Evening Party will be starring Finnish folk/reggae artist Puppa J with his new live band Rytmi-Rengit (feat. Joonas Hauveli) and celebrated in the atmoshperic downstairs club of Kultsa (Kulttuuritalo). Age limit is 18 years. Buy your advance tickets (10/12 €) from Tiketti or Holvi! (Tickets at door according to availability, price: 12 €).
Elephantasy is part of Alppipuiston kesä event series and is being funded by City of Helsinki.
EVENING PARTY @ KULTTUURITALO CLUB, Sturenkatu 4.
Tickets: 10 / 12 € advance from Tiketti or Holvi!
Nobody can beat this year the main act of Elephantasy! If you cannot believe it, ask anyone who understands Finnish.
Among many other things Lyömättömät are, according to them, the world’s best band. These phenomenal Finnish freestyle champions have been going around the country with a show some people call the most energetic live show in Finland. It includes gripping hip hop, top-notch beatbox, and by far the best freestyle sessions you can hope for. Trio consists of the double beat box champion Kosola, the most clever and entertaining lyricist Solonen and last but not least the musical genius DJ Xmies, who is behind such artists as Juno and Paleface.
In addition to clubs, festivals and sports halls, the unbeatable Lyömättömät have been hyping up the crowd in kindergartens, schools, youth centers as well as on birthdays, or even business parties. So they basically are able to adapt anywhere!
The Funky Sound Foundation is a grounded 9-piece superfunk orchestra from Helsinki. Relentless grooves will take you back to where the origins of rhythm exist. Foundation just released their second album Don’t Be Afraid Of What Is Easy. A solid mix of dusty funk grooves, soul and urban Helsinki slang.
Imagine yourself in a washing machine with James Brown and a rhino. Bite a chili pepper on a winter morning. That’s what it’s made off!
The African roots meet modern soukous in the sounds of Liwata’s Afro Review. Their music has charmed local etno fans already in many occasions just like last year on Fest Afrika Festival in Tampere. Based on Congolese rumba, guitar-ridden soukous was born in the Pool Malebo district in the 1960’s and inspired genres like highlife and makossa. But it’s equally as lovely and inspiring to hear it the same sound with some modern twist in the multicultural Helsinki, where multi-instrumentalist Marie-Alphonse Liwata lives and creates. What could be better in the warmth of Alppipuisto!
In Finland, Liwata has gained experience since 1980’s with the legend Hasse Walli as well as side by side with another local African musical pioneer Ismaila Sané known from bands like Piirpauke and Galaxy. Besides his musical explorations the cultural activist has been working also as teacher of African architecture in Tampere University of Technology. So the man truly knows his heritage and even much more.
Roast Burn Big Band is an all-star group consisting of young lions of the Finnish jazz scene. The repertoire of the band includes mostly very fast and burning big band tunes, but also new clever arrangements of old classic songs.
Roast Burn Big Band was born in December 2017, when young Finnish trombone player named Aarni Häkkinen thought of gathering the great young talents together. The musicians come from different backgrounds, but they all have one thing in common: They love jazz and especially big band music. Now these young lions are ready to bring their music to you!
Moria is a fresh singer-songwriter full of energetic passion and strong emotions, which meet her Finnish-Fijian roots in a way that will surely touch you in a beautiful way. Her name refers to black abyss and she is fascinated of meeting the black realism instead of running away from it. Prepare for some deep moments.
Her debut EP was released in February 2018 on Eclipse Music label from Tampere.
KillaBeatMaker (Hilder Brando Osorno), is a DJ/Producer/MC/beatboxer/singer from Medellín, Colombia. He is known as the frontman of urban Colombian band Radiocaliente and as a Latin Grammy nominated audio recorder and a producer of urban latin music. Besides deejaying, this beat wizard will be also playing venezuelan cuatro as well as rap and sing. We are honored to have him on stage at Elephantasy during his visit to Finland!
Becky Wave, Bomstikidi and Mirage will be making a special collaboration show at Elephantasy. Raised in Lappeenranta and based in Tampere, Becky Wave finds the inspiration to her rhymes from the life she is living. Espoo-born Bomstikidi has found his home nowadays in Helsinki and focuses on storytelling art of rap. When it comes to the style of Mirage, you will definitely love it if you are into old school rap when the lyrics still had a lot of meaning.
All three of them are currently working on their upcoming albums, so you can bet that you will hear brand new material from them in Alppipuisto.
Cuarteto Guajeo plays traditional Son cubano music, which is strong and timeless dance music and was inspiring later on salsa. Three members of the band might be already familiar to you from Septeto Son founded in 1982. It is led by tresero Tero Toivanen, who has earlier led bands in the 1990’s in Santiago de Cuba and includes the voice of guitarist-vocalist Alexander Bravo from the same area. Rhythm section consists of bassist Mikko Hyttinen (Septeto Son) and conguero Jani Lehtioksa (Son de Cuba).
Feel the heat and rhythm of Cuba in its original form with Cuarteto Guajeo!