Sharad Shakya Group | Django Collective Helsinki – Jazz-Espa

Jazz-Espa is a rare treat even on an international level: this number of free concerts by such high-level artists in the heart of a city can’t be found anywhere else!

The festival features 17 jazz acts, both experimental styles and traditional sounds.

Saturday 5 August 2023

13.00 | Sharad Shakya Group
Led by guitarist Sharad Shakya, the Sharad Shakya Group is a jazz ensemble founded in 2012 during Sharad’s time as a student at the Pop & Jazz Conservatory. The group’s debut album Kathmasinki was released in 2018. Sharad Shakya Group plays improvised guitar music in the jazz tradition, showing profound respect towards the US-born genre, its conventions and culture. At the same time, the ensemble is willing to cross borders and to combine different musical styles, reshaping them into jazz. Regardless of the musical genre or style, Sharad has always considered improvisation to be an important part of his music. Through the music he plays together with his ensemble, he wishes to convey different emotions to his listeners.

Sharad Shakya – guitar, Kasper Halttunen – drums, Mikael Saastamoinen – bass

14.30 | Django Collective Helsinki
Founded in 2011, Django Collective Helsinki is an acoustic swing ensemble whose core members are all seasoned professional musicians. Led by Aki Hauru, the ensemble has been a real tonic for the Finnish cultural scene for more than a decade, their earthy feel-good gypsy swing calling back to the style of 1920s-1950s Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli. In addition, the group performs original compositions where tradition is mixed with a more recent jazz expression in a fresh and innovative way. As well as steadily building their public profile, the ensemble has been determined to make a contribution towards a more positive urban live music culture.

Laura Airola – viulu, Aki Hauru – kitara, Kalle Outila – kitara, Otto Porkkala – kitara, Juuso Rinta - kontrabasso