Reaching Rento Stage’s first performer on Sunday requires plenty of effort and mental fortitude from many festival goers as well as this web press representative. Making my way past the Main Stage I immediately regret missing the first few minutes of the show when I recognize the notes belonging to the song Pilvet liikkuu, minä en from Yona’s debut album of the same name Half-running to the beach I come upon a stage where the early risers are bearing witness to the performance of Ilosaarirock’s sweetest being.
Flirting and prancing on the stage in her mint-green dress, the brightly singing Yona is perfect. Charming. Delightful. Lovely. Delicate. I could come up with 50 more of these, if somebody asked me to. I just feel like running up onto the stage and hugging that wonderful woman! The hems of her skirt fluttering in the air she entices the audience (consisting mainly of early picnic goers and fans of incredibly beautiful music) with her cooing and urges everyone to sing along with her. For one song she brings forward her guitarist/mandolinist/banjoist Lefa for an acoustic number and much rejoicing ensues.
Liikkuvat Pilvet, the band accompanying Yona, comprises of at least seven musicians (that I could count) and their instruments look to be of the classical sort to a layman’s eye. They are classically beautiful, in any case. Beautiful is also the word to describe the music they produce. At times it feels like we are enjoying a concert of a full symphony orchestra. Yona encourages her string quartet to ”play with such feeling that your nostrils vibrate.” How extremely adorable!
During the gig the artist seems to switch constantly from genre to genre and back again. In the beginning there is delicate cooing, which then transforms into jazz-like improv and comes to its end in reggae. During the jazz phase Heidi and Aini from the string quartet stand up from behind their instruments and join the main vocalist in an insanely magnificent scat-athon. De-bob-de-bob-de-bobdy-bob indeed, I can definitely say I’ve never enjoyed jazz as much as I did this day. For the reggae finish, Yona is joined on stage by Puppa J and they hug each other as brother and sister throughout the joint-number. The band’s music feels oddly familiar even if you’ve never heard it before. Perhaps it manages to reach something deep within you, something from your childhood, maybe?
The audience is swimming and dancing, the sun is shining and the smell of delicious food is in the air. This Sunday afternoon manages to disguise itself as a summer morning and the atmosphere is completely tranquil. ”I have an announcement to make,” Yona says in the middle of the gig. ”I’m in love! And I hope you are too!” We are indeed. With you, Yona.
Text: Veera Konsti
Photo: Jarno Parkkinen
Translation: Jyrki Laitinen
