Reino & The Rhinos
Is he a singjay? Is he a movie star? No, he's Reino Nordin, and he's both! Not too often you see such an effortless transition from in front of the movie cameras to behind the microphone, but Reino Nordin has always been able to pick out the best of both worlds, and to a startling success. And hey, a word of solace for you there who, having read this far, are already grinding your teeth: Reino & The Rhinos is not the usual story of a pretty filmstar turning into a half-decent pop star with a nameless backing band looking more than slightly bored in the background. Instead, Reino Nordin has been a familiar face in the Finnish reggae circles for ages now, and the Rhinos consist of virtuosos of the first order that have second jobs in bands such as Soul Captain Band, Dashing Waves and Giant Robot – many a familiar name to those who have been to Ilosaarirock Festival before.
The band's last year's debut Tähän tyyliin was even a bit of a surprise for those who had been following Reino's career before, as besides reggae it also embraced traditional soul, r'n'b, bossa nova, Latin rhythms and much more. The mood is sometimes heart-achingly fragile and emotional, sometimes strictly political, but the pachydermic party keeps the caravan going without tarnishing their thick skins with too much soppiness or preaching.
Greetings from the frontline of Finnish soul brought to you tonight by the one and only Reino & The Rhinos! Ladies and gentlemen, hippopotamuses and elephants, let's dance!
