“The repertoire of the Doina Klezmer Quartet consists of the traditional Eastern European klezmer music arranged by the band, but also of new, own Finnish and Northern influences creatively combining klezmer music composed by Sampo Lassila. In the music of Doina Klezmer otherwise distance musical elements are combined in a special and unique way. These musicians regard highly the tradition and also improvisation has a great importance in their music. Doina Klezmer was established in 1996 and after that the old Jewish music has gained quicly a whole lot of new fans in Finland and the concept of the “Finnish Klezmer” has been presented for the first time in public. Doina Klezmer has given concerts in Helsinki with their artist friends and performed at clubs and concert halls all over Finland. Of numerous festival gigs, there have to be mentioned here the Helsinki Festival, the Seinäjoki Festival and the Kuhmo and Avanti! Chamber Music Festivals. In spring 2000 a Finnish modern dance choreographer and dancer Tommi Kitti and his dance group was one of the third winners in the world´s leading dance competition Bagnolet in Paris with the music of Doina Klezmer, based on the Sampo Lassila´s composition “Mehta Shavota”. That composition can be found at the Sorja Tanz -album, which was released in 2001. It was the first Finnish klezmer album ever and published by a Swedish label Proprius. The album has been warmly welcomed by the audience and music magazines both in Finland and Sweden. The second album of Doina Klezmer, Nomada, was released in spring 2004 by the Finnish Alba records (www.alba.fi). In January 2003 the Finnish National Radio Broadcasting Company Yleisradio and Doina Klezmer prepared a radio play for six actors and actresses and four musicians, based on the Jewish folk tale and a play of S.Anski. The radio play was written and directed by Michael Baran, a dramaturge of the Finnish National Theatre. The musicians of Doina Klezmer are well known in Finland also by their other professional classical, world and jazz bands, such as the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Lahti Sinfonietta, Avanti! Chamber Orhestra, Värttinä, Markku Lepistö Company and Edward Vesala & Sound Fury.”

~ DOINA KLEZMER ~
HANNU VASARA – violin, viola
MARKKU LEPISTÖ – accordion
SAMPO LASSILA – bass
TAPANI JÄMSEN – percussions

Doina Klezmer: ”Sorja Tanz” (Proprius 2001)
“Nomada” (Alba records 2004)
Management: Jaana Kari, phone +358 – 40 701 0505
jaana@markkulepisto.com
www.doinaklezmer.com