Rock shaman with percussion genius
Having performed on the main stage of Ilosaarirock who knows how many times, Ismo Alanko truly knows how to captivate his audience. Saturday evening Ismo Alanko Teholla performed a set of new and old hits with ease and intensity for the exhilirated festival crowd.
The interestingly fresh Ismo Alanko Teholla, following Alanko’s previous ensembles, has toured Finland for a couple of years. Since Alanko is undoubtedly Finland’s most charismatic rock shaman, it’s not easy to find a musician that would provide a matchinmg half for the two-man-team. However, the percussion artist Teho Majamäki has proved to be such a find. Teholla gigs sound like at least ten musicians were doing their best on the stage. According to the versatile sounds he conjures up with his percussions, Majamäki seems to have at least five hands and four feet, and play some instruments even with his head.
Blanco Spirituals, released earlier this year, is the duo’s first recording together. Following the album’s release, Alanko and Majamäki toured concert halls, where they had the opportunity to play intensively, sensitively and artistically. Big festival gigs outdoors are different already in the size of the audience, and consequently the song choices appear to be in the form “something for everyone”. However, Saturday’s set list wasn’t just a hit parade without surprises. The two men’s lively and joyous playing guaranteed that even the old songs were renewed in form to make them sound as fresh as the delicious pieces of the new album.
Text: Salla Brunou
Pic: Mikael Wänskä
Translation: Hanna Laaksonen