NORDIC NOIR IN FLAMENCO FORM

IN Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin’s WORks, Finnish contemporary art meets the Andalusian tradition – on the terms of the former. The group's works are characterized by roughness, beauty and carnival of movement and music.

NEWS

Compañia Kaari & Roni Martin goes ROOTS

Compañia Kaari & Roni Martin goes ROOTS is a musical melting pot, where Arab, Jewish, and Romani music meets contemporary flamenco rhythms and Finnish jouhiko. The work goes deep into the roots of flamenco while renewing it and fusing it.

Flamenco dancer, choreographer Kaari Martin and composer, musician Roni Martin are renowned pioneers and influencers of contemporary flamenco. Both are pioneering artists in their own right, whose joint Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin, which focuses on contemporary flamenco, is a success story.

The internationally respected Compañía has won several awards for its original and innovative performances. In the art of Kaari and Roni Martin, contemporary art combines with tradition with a bold expression that appeals to a wide variety of audiences. They question classic operating models and open-mindedly tackle different topics and forms of collaboration, which, for example, the works KILL Carmen, Anna Karenina and La Familia show brilliantly.

On stage:
Pekko Käppi – singer, voc.
Roni Martin – piano, guitar, voc.
Kaari Martin – dance, voc.
Ali Saad - vocals

Tuesday, 03.12.2024 | 18:30 | Aleksanteri Teatteri, Helsinki
Duration of the show: about 60 min.
Tickets €38 / €29 / €19

Note! Reserve group tickets and wheelchair spaces at the Aleksanteri theater, tel. (09) 676 980.

OPEN CALL FOR A YOUNG FLAMENCO DANCE ARTIST

The first Helsinki Flamenco Bienal 2025 is calling for a young dance artist to perform in the Dance House Helsinki in April 2025. The call is open until the 1st of August 2024 and it is open for all nationalities. The Helsinki Flamenco Bienal is organized by Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin.

About the Helsinki Flamenco Bienal

Helsinki Flamenco Bienal (www.helsinkiflamencobienal.fi) is a new international art festival. The festival to be held in Helsinki in the spring of 2025 will present flamenco performances in its most contemporary form without forgetting its past. The program also includes films, panel discussions, and club nights. During the festival, flamenco enthusiasts and professionals can also enjoy workshops by top international performers.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for an innovative flamenco piece by a young (up to 35 years old) professional dance artist. The proposed piece can be a premiere or an already existing work. Our interest is in rather intimate pieces with a personal point of view. It can be experimental, political or surrealistic, and it can combine traditions. Be wild and surprise us! 

The festival will provide accommodation, per diem, a fee of €1200 per person and cover travel up to €350 per person (max 5 people in the team).

Full guidelines and application format, in English and Spanish, at www.helsinkiflamencobienal.fi

BLOOD WEDDING

The collaboration between Helsinki City Theater and Compañía Kaari & Roni Martini's, Blood Wedding premiered on January 24, 2024 in Studio Pasila. The dance piece is loosely based on Federico García Lorca's play Bodas de Sangre.

"Lorca, Dali and Buñuel created a surrealist art together, whose images crystallized the present time and which already foreshadowed the nightmares to come, into which the group disintegrated and Lorca drowned. In the spirit of Lorca, we wake up from a dream and see images that are common to all of us and reveal to us what daylight hides." -Kahiluoto, Martin & Martin.

“The Blood Wedding on the Pasila stage of the Helsinki City Theater is a gift to all those suffering from world pain, struggling with themselves. Its physical presence, human faith and life force helps you to endure.”

”Sometimes the visuals are almost cinematic, but still not two-dimensional, but rather carnal variations on the theme of the Blood Wedding. It’s a great solution. And how great are the solos and the group scenes that are built for every performer on stage. Flamenco remains the attitude, small hints in costumes that blur gender boundaries, and many pieces of the movement language of the resistance.” Helsingin Sanomat, 25 January 2024

“Helsinki Dance Company and Compañia Kaari & Roni Martin’s Blood Wedding at The Helsinki City Theater’s studio in Pasila is simply a blood-stopping performance.”

”Blood Wedding is a tough and violent piece that fits the current world situation almost as a matter of course. It doesn’t push itself, but it doesn’t leave you alone either. And in my opinion, it’s one of the best performances by either group.” Demokraatti, 25.1.2024

"The premiere of the Blood Wedding made me think that a similar exposure to the art of dance should be possible all over Finland." Helsingin Sanomat, 26 January 2024

FINLAND AWARD FOR KAARI AND RONI MARTIN

Kaari and Roni Martin were awarded with the Finland Award granted by the Ministry of Education and Culture on the following grounds:

Flamenco dancer, choreographer Kaari Martin and composer, musician Roni Martin are renowned pioneers and influencers of contemporary flamenco. Both are pioneering artists in their own right, whose joint Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin, which focuses on contemporary flamenco, is a success story. The internationally respected Compañia has won several awards for its original and innovative performances.

In the art of Kaari and Roni Martin, contemporary art combines tradition with a bold expression that appeals to a wide variety of audiences. They question classic operating models and open-mindedly tackle different topics and forms of collaboration, which the works Kill Carmen, Anna Karenina and La Familia show perfectly.

All in all, there were nine award recipients in 2023, and the Minister of Science and Culture Sari Multala decided on them. 

-In my opinion, the recipients of the Finland Award form a very rich view of Finnish art and culture. Your work in art and culture is characterised by both a strong, unbending assertiveness and the desire and ability to bring art very close to us, its experiencers. It is precisely because of this dialogue that your work is particularly important this year, in this time of the world, Multala said in the press release.

Congratulations to all the winners!

RONI MARTIN’S NEW MUSIC VIDEO- LASISIA SANOJA

Musician and composer Roni Martin has released a music video for his song “Lasisia Sanoja”. This is the first video release from his album of the same name, which features compositions by Martin for dance. The wonderful and expressive dancer Angela Aldebs can be seen in the video alongside Martin. The video was filmed and edited by Emilia Annala.

The video brings Anna's theme -originally composed for Anna Karenina’s production- into modern times, with a tense, stagnant, and lingering atmosphere

-Anna is a prisoner in her own life. In these modern times, Anna's battles are fought in a drowning world, which is torn apart by turmoil and empty rhetoric, Martin describes.

The video also showcases Martin's signature use of symbolism. On the plates of the characters, who dine in silence on the breakwater, you can spot eggs, which hold significance in Jewish tradition as a symbol of the cycle of life, loss, and hope.

Roni Martin's "Lasisia Sanoja" album is a masterful blend of rich musical traditions, featuring a diverse range of genres such as funk, soul, Balkan music, and political song movement. The album gathers a bunch of top musicians: Mamba Assefa, Erno Haukkala, Mauri Kuokkanen, Pekko Käppi, Samppa Leino, Max Lilja, Erikka Maalismaa, Teho Majamäki, Sanna Salmenkallio, and Dimitri Tolonen.

The album's compositions were originally created by the artist group Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin for Anna Karenina, Uotinen goes Kekkonen and Kirjeitä saaresta productions.

BERGMAN – WHISPERS AND CRIES OFFERS A WONDERFUL CAST WITH SPANISH REINFORCEMENTS

Bergman – Whispers and Cries by Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin will be seen at Valssaamo, Kaapelitehdas, from September 29 to October 6, 2022.

In its second season, the work's cast offers a real celebration of movement and interpretation: the cast includes, among others, the pioneer of Finnish contemporary dance Jyrki Karttunen, the internationally awarded flamenco artist Kaari Martin, the expressive contemporary dancer Angela Aldebs and acclaimed Spanish dancers Mariana Collado and Carlos Chamorro.

With this work, Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin once again took hold of the classic. The work encapsulates how, for Bergman, the meaning of life is in life itself - and above all in its simplest human gesture, touch. In the group's interpretation, the dance of life is accompanied by the harpsichord, whose playing progresses like the tooth of time, regardless of the person.

CAST:
Thu 29.9. at 17: Kaari Martin – Jyrki Karttunen – Angela Aldebs
Thu 29.9. at 19: Kaari Martin – Carlos Chamorro – Angela Aldebs
Fri 30.9. at 17: Kaari Martin – Jyrki Karttunen – Angela Aldebs
Fri 30.9. at 19: Kaari Martin – Carlos Chamorro – Angela Aldebs
Sat 1.10. at 5 p.m.: Mariana Collado – Carlos Chamorro – Angela Aldebs
Sat 1.10. at 19: Mariana Collado – Jyrki Karttunen – Angela Aldebs
Sun 2.10. at 2 p.m.: Mariana Collado – Jyrki Karttunen – Angela Aldebs
Sun 2.10. at 16: Mariana Collado - Carlos Chamorro - Angela Aldebs
Wed 5.10. at 5 p.m.: Kaari Martin – Carlos Chamorro – Mariana Collado
Wed 5.10. at 19: Angela Aldebs – Carlos Chamorro – Mariana Collado
Thu 6.10. at 5 p.m.: Kaari Martin – Carlos Chamorro – Mariana Collado
Thu 6.10. at 19: Kaari Martin – Carlos Chamorro – Mariana Collado

Performances 29.9.–9.10.2022 at Valssaamo, Kaapelitehtas. Tickets 34/24 €, Ticketmaster

UOTINEN GOES KEKKONEN RETURNS TO TAMMINIEMI MUSEUM IN SEPTEMBER

He built peace and united the East and the West, he kissed Brezhnev and dreamed of a North without Nuclear Weapons, he guaranteed Friendship, Cooperation and Aid, he smoothed the radicals into softness and the extremists into silence. He invited everyone to the big OSCE party! Kekkonen, the President of Love!

Uotinen Goes Kekkonen returns in the fall with eight performances. Dramaturg Atro Kahiluoto, choreographer Kaari Martin and composer Roni Martin leading the way, the work that offers an alternative guide to the Tamminiemi museum where Kekkonen lived for 25 years. Kekkonen's interpreter is dancer Jorma Uotinen. The work is produced in cooperation with the National Museum of Finland.

"Excellent!" Tove Djupsjöbacka, Hufvudstadsbladet 8 March 2020

Performances at the Tamminiemi museum 31 August–10 September 2022. Tickets €42/€32, Ticketmaster

Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin participates in two charity galas - Dance Gala to help Ukrainian children

On Saturday 19th of March Kielo Dance Company and Alexander Theatre are organizing a dance gala to help the children in Ukraine. The ticket sales will be donated to Unicef´s emergency aid to Ukraine. The gala will be held at 7 p.m.  in Alexander Theatre. The duration of the gala will be approximately 2 hours 15 minutes (inclunding the intermission 25 minutes).

Other performers at the Gala include Kielo Dance Company, Valtteri Raekallio Co, Tero Saarinen Co, Sofia Ruija, Minna Tervamäki ja Anni Jokimies, Sami ja Jutta Helenius, Ballet Finland, Kansallisbaletin tanssijat Michal Krčmář ja Tiina Myllymäki, Império do Papagaio, Anastasia Trizna, Jack Traylen ja Nina Hyvärinen ja Adam Gordon Herd. Gaalan juontavat Katerina Torp (finnish) ja Maria Beseghi (english).

Ticket sales: Lippu.fi and Alexander Theater. 

Ticket information: The funds raised at the gala will be given to Unisef to help the children of Ukraine. When aquiring the tickets you can determine the amount you wish to donate by choosing the  ticket pricing.

More info of the fundraising: https://www.unicef.fi/tue-tyotamme/ukraina/

Pro Dance Gala 2022: For Dance! 
On Sunday 27th of march 2022 the annual Pro Dance Gala will be held at the Alexander's Theatre to raise funds to support dance artists. Performers include dancers of the Finnish National Ballet and other dance professionals plus young upcomers. The funds raised at the gala will be used fully to support the Foundation to give grants for the dancers.The evening is organized by the Pro Dance Foundation.
Tickets: Alexander Theatre's ticket sales call 09 676 980, aleksanterinteatteri.fi or www.lippu.fi.

PORTTITEATTERI & COMPAÑÍA KAARI & RONI MARTIN 

9.–12.5.2022 at 5pm and 7pm, Tanssin talo / Pannuhalli 
Total duration 50 min (no break)

In the documentary multi-art work of Porttiteatteri and Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin, the personal experiences of the performers appear on the stage as multifaceted and unapologetic. Flamenco – which in the work is above all synonymous with a passionate attitude and looking at life eye to eye – pulsates around everything. Top Spanish musicians, guitarist Juan Antonio Suárez Cano and singer Victor Carrasco carry the work forward along with violinist Sanna Salmenkallio and musician-composer Roni Martin. 

"I know there is no straight road 
No straight road in this world 
Only a giant labyrinth 
Of intersecting crossroads" 
– Federico García Lorca

Porttiteatteri is a community theatre for prisoners in the process of being released and released founded in 2015, and a community of professional artists and performers with a criminal background that is unique in Finland. The theatre implements exceptional and new kind of theatre in co-operation with theatres in Helsinki. www.porttiteatteri.fi  

“Porttiteatteri performances in themselves increase understanding of our common reality. At the same time, their deep impact is based on the disarming commitment of the performers who put their own life choices into play and on the ethos that fights for the general humanity of the whole method." -Tuomas Rantanen, VOIMA 20.5.2019 
 

Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin is an international group of artists in whose works Finnish contemporary art meets the Andalusian tradition – on the terms of the former. The group's works are characterized by roughness, beauty and carnival of movement and music. www.compania.fi  

"When you step out of the performance, you feel like you have seen and experienced something you will not come across right away." -Annikki Alku, Demokraatti 8.6.2018
 

Workgroup: Porttiteatteri, Tuija Minkkinen, Sanna Salmenkallio, Juan Antonio Suárez Cano, Victor Carrasco, Roni Martin, Kaari Martin, Atro Kahiluoto, Eppu Helle, Jukka Huitila
Production: Porttiteatteri, Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin
Thank you: Arts Promotion Centre Finland, City of Helsinki, Kone Foundation, Finnish Cultural Foundation, Ministry of Education and Culture

Bergman – Cries and whispers 3.–12.12.2021

Imagination and reality, past and present, fold into a multi-layered weave in the house of life and death.  

"All värk var borta. De människor som jag håller mest av i världen var hos mig. Jag kunde höra dem småprata runt omkring mig. Jag kände närvaron av deras kroppar, värmen av deras händer. Jag ville hålla fast ögonblicket och tänkte: Det här är ju i alla fall lycka. Jag kan inte önska någonting bättre."  -Agneta, in the film Cries and whispers by Ingmar Bergman

Compañía Kaari’s & Roni Martin’s work is based on Ingmar Bergman’s film Cries and whispers, in which the basic questions of life and death are drawn sharply against the limitations of life. For Bergman, the purpose of life is in life itself, and above all in its simplest human gesture - touch. In the group’s interpretation, the dance of life is accompanied by a harpsichord, the playing of which proceeds like the test of time, regardless of the person.   

Performers: Eppu Helle, Jukka Huitila, Atro Kahiluoto, Jyrki Karttunen, Heidi Lehtoranta, Kaari Martin, Elina Mustonen, Sanna Salmenkallio

Music & arrangements: Roni Martin
Interlude II: Domenico Scarlatti, Sonata K.183

Dramaturgy: Atro Kahiluoto

Choreography: Kaari Martin & company

Costume Design: Erika Turunen

Costume sewing: Taru Hahle, Ilkka Salakari, Johanna Vehmas

Light design and scenography: Jukka Huitila

Make-up: Kaisu Hölttä

The duration of the performance is approximately 60 min.

Safely in the theatre

• The performance auditorium is constructed in such a way that all spectators have a safety distance to adjacent spectators.  

• We strongly recommend the use of face masks. Both masks and hand disinfectant are available in the lobby.

• Please postpone the date of your ticket if you are ill or if there are people with corona disease in your immediate circle. In case of illness, you can also transfer the ticket to the second screening of the work, which will be seen in October 2022.

Tickets: ticketmaster.fi

The performance is presented by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Limited, London, on behalf of the Ingmar Bergman Foundation. www.ingmarbergman.se

Uotinen Goes Kekkonen premiere in Tamminiemi 5.3.2020

He built peace and connected east and west, he kissed Brezhnev and dreamt Nuclear weapons-free Nordic, he guaranteed Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, ironed radicals soft, extremists languid. He invited everybody to a big CSCE party! He disarmed, and he undressed women, men in sauna – Kekkonen, The President of Love! 

The work in premiere 5.3.2020 by Compañía Kaari & Roni Martinin, Uotinen Goes Kekkonen offers an alternative guided tour in Tamminiemi museum. The guides in the footsteps of Kekkonen´s ghost are dramaturgist Atro Kahiluoto, choreographer Kaari Martin and composer Roni Martin. Dancer Jorma Uotinen interprets Kekkonen.  

The inspiration for the work was Kaari Martin´s childhood, in which Kekkonen was always present.  

– My entire childhood was just one big lecture about Kekkonen. My Dad loved Kekkonen. My own standpoint to Kekkonen is still strongly colored by this admiration, tells Kaari Martin. 

– It is a unique opportunity to prepare a show in Tamminiemi museum, the home of Kekkonen. 

Co-producer of the show is The National Museum of Finland.

– It is important for us in the National Museum of Finland to have this work in Tamminiemi, especially as year 2020 it will be 120 years since Kekkonen´s birth. In honor of the celebration we want to offer the audience a possibility to dive into UKK´s head by means of arts, in an authentic environment. In our museums, we want to have modern activities with different cooperation partners, and this way to reach interesting, new types of visitors. Uotinen goes Kekkonen is an excellent example of this, says Mikko Teräsvirta, the new intendant of Finnish National Museum. 

Tamminiemi, the venue of Uotinen Goes Kekkonen is a member of the museum family of the National Museum of Finland, and it has been a home of three presidents – Ryti, Mannerheim and Kekkonen. The building was completed year 1904. Tamminiemi has been a museum since 1987 and its interior has been furnished according to the era of its longest-term resident, Urho Kekkonen. 

UOTINEN GOES KEKKONEN

On the stage:

Kekkonen: Jorma Uotinen  
Spiritualist, the leading ghost tracker: Atro Kahiluoto
Researcher of shaman sciences, an acknowledged psychic: Roni Martin
Decoy, specialist of weak signals: Kaari Martin

Team:

Directors: Atro Kahiluoto, Kaari Martin, Roni Martin
Music: Roni Martin
Choreography: Kaari Martin ja Jorma Uotinen
Lights: Jukka Huitila
Costume design: Erika Turunen
Costume making Ateljee Hurma: Johanna Vehmas, Taru Hahle ja Ilkka Salakari
Make-up: Kaisu Hölttä
Properties: Karoliina Koiso-Kanttila
Producer: Virpi Kurkihovi
Marketing and PR: Minna Korpimies
Finnish National Museum: Noora Huumo, Ville Nikunen, Sanna Paakkanen,
Saara Pouru, Heidi Roth ja Mikko Teräsvirta
Production: Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin

Shows and tickets: Tamminiemi museum 5.–26.3.2020. Liput 10–42 €, Kansallismuseo 

SEE THE TRAILER

Anna Karenina By COMPAÑÍA KAARI & RONI MARTIN in helsinki in february

Anna Karenina performances are at the Telakka event venue in Hernesaari, Helsinki. The tickets are available now in Ticketmaster, link below.

Tickets:

7th of February at 19.00 TICKETS
9th of February at 19.00 TICKETS

Anna Karenina at Tapahtumakeskus Telakka 7th February 2020 19:00 and 9th February 2020 19:00.
Tickets 35/25 €, Ticketmaster.fi

Kill Carmen by Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin will be performed as a special version for Etnogaala in Tavastia Club on 9th January 2020! Warmly welcome!

Tickets:
https://www.tiketti.fi/tapahtumat#q=etnogaala

Kaari martin and ismo eskelinen at Riihimäki Summer concerts

On 5.-6.6. Kaari Martin will perform the works of classical Spanish composers at Riihimäki Summer Concerts with the guitarist Ismo Eskelinen. The guitar virtuoso Eskelinen is one of the most internationally successful musicians in Finland, and his latest performances have been, among others, as the guest soloist of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, a soloist of Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie during their tour in Germany and performances in significant music festivals in New York and Dresden. Martin and Eskelinen have performed together before, for example, at the Tampere Chamber Music Festival 2018.

More info:
www.riihimaenkesakonsertit.fi

Kill carmen goes to russia

KILL Carmen travels to Petrozavodsk. The work will be performed twice at The Musical Theatre of the Republic of Karelia on 12.6. as a part of the international Nord Dance Festival on 8.-16.6. The theatre is one of the biggest theatres in Petrozavodsk and it has, for example, plenty of ballet and opera in its programme. In addition to touring in Finland, KILL Carmen that premiered in 2015 has been performed in Spain and Mexico, and it has been a hit among the audience and the reviewers.

More info:
www.facebook.com/pg/musicaltheatrekarelia/posts/
mrteatr.ru/eng/
www.visitpetrozavodsk.ru/en/places_and_events/places1/theaters/the_musical_theatre_of_the_republic_of_karelia/

Spanish dancers mariana collado and carlos chamorro to kuopio

Mariana Collado and Carlos Chamorro, the trusted dancers of the group, will perform at the 50 year gala of the Kuopio Dance Festival on 14.6. and 15.6. They will be accompanied by the new generation Spanish musicians, the violinist Víctor Guadiana, the guitarist José Almarcha and the singer Loreto de Diego. The artists will perform both traditional and modern flamenco. The festival 2019 is also the last festival of the artist and the artistic director Jorma Uotinen who dances also in Anna Karenina of Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin.

More info:
www.kuopiodancefestival.fi/50v-juhlagaala

COMPAÑÍA KAARI & RONI MARTIN continues with the Art testers project

The artist group Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin is once again part of Art Testers project of the Finnish Cultural Foundation and the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland. This time the testers get to see the Anna Karenina performances at the Telakka event venue in Hernesaari, Helsinki. A special kind of pre and after parties have been planned for the young people. During these parties, the artists of Anna Karenina visit schools during November 2019 and January 2020. The performances take place in February 2020 and audiences outside Art Testers have an opportunity to see the performance on Friday 7.2 and Sunday 9.2.

Tickets:
7th of February at 19.00 TICKETS
9th of February at 19.00 TICKETS

The Art Testers offers quality art experiences for all eighth-graders in Finland during the last term year of the project 2019-2020. The participation percent of the term year that starts in August is 99%, which means that almost all upper comprehensive schools in Finland participate. 55 art experiences from different parts of Finland have been chosen as the visiting destinations. ” Art testing has indicated that it is needed. Surprisingly many of the tough guy acting eighth-graders have said that they have experienced something unforgettable” explains Antti Arjava, Secretary General of the Finnish Cultural Foundation.

More info
www.compania.fi
www.taidetestaajat.fi

Taidetestaajat is made possible by: Finnish Cultural Foundation / Swedish Cultural Foundation / Children´s Culture Association

The Spectacular flamenco singer carmen linares concert on the big stage of the kuopio city theatre in april

Carmen Linares visits the Kuopio City Theatre 10.-11.4.

The living legend of flamenco singing, Carmen Linares, arrives at Kuopio on 10.4. to the premiere of the House of Bernarda Alba, a play by the Spanish national poet, Federico García Lorca. Before the play there will be an artist meeting with Linares, the director of the play Anne Rautiainen, the choreographer Kaari Martin and the Spanish top pianist Pablo Suárez. The meeting will be held in the upper foyer of the theatre and it will be interpreted in Finnish. You can ask questions from the performers in Finnish, English and Spanish. The next day after the premiere, 11.4. at 19.00, Linares and Suárez will play a concert at the Minna stage of Kuopio. They will be joined by Linares' daughter, actress Lucía Espín who lives and works in London, and Kaari Martin, a Finnish flamenco dancer and choreographer who is internationally known for her modern adaptations of flamenco.

The poems of Lorca that are both sung and recited and accompanied by the piano and dance will be heard at the Carmen meets Federico concert. The fresh arrangements of the composer-musician Roni Martin that were made for the House of Bernarda Alba will be a part of the performance. The poems of the performance will be reflected on the stage also in Finnish and the lyrics will be available in the programme booklet.

The living legend of flamenco singing and the master of cante jondo style, Carmen Linares, has performed all over the world in all the most important arenas performing both traditional flamenco and with several symphony and chamber music orchestras, and has gathered praising reviews everywhere she has visited. She was, for example, the first flamenco singer that performed with the New York Philharmonic. In Finland, Linares has performed at Tampere Flamenco Festival and Helsinki Festival among others. Linares has been held in high regard due to her unique, powerful voice since she released her first recording at the age of 18. Her career has spanned 50 years already and she is one of the most internationally well-known flamenco artists. Linares is said to be one of the most authentic artists of modern flamenco. Her sound is intensive and clean but she has not become tied up in purism.

Linares has performed the works of many Spanish poets, e.g., the national poet of Spain, Federico García Lorca whose texts she has also recorded. Linares' records Canciones Populares Antiguas with the lyrics of Lorca's poems and La mujer en el cante that includes interpretations of the different styles of female flamenco singers are the master pieces of the history of flamenco, and they have influenced several generations of flamenco artists both in Spain and the rest of the world. Linares says she is a feminist and particularly proud of the fact that she has been able to be the pioneer for the young generation of female singers.

“Carmen Linares’ flamenco intensity, its alchemy of passion...rose to furious, desperate timeless invocations of lost love.” – The New York Times

KUOPIO CITY THEATER

LIPPU.FI

COMPAÑÍA KAARI & RONI MARTIN IS tourING and teaches courses around finland in march

Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin is active in four different cities

Thursday 21.3. Kaari Martin dances El Amor Brujo by the Spanish composer Manuel de Falla and the works of Väinö Raitio, a Finnish modernist from the beginning of the 20th century as the soloist for the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra with the conductor Jutta Seppinen at the Kuopio Music Centre.

”I have danced El Amor Brujo before but I always make a new version of it depending on the make-up of the orchestra and instrumentation. The works of Raitio are rhythmic and passionate and as if they were created for dance, and they remind me of Picasso, Dali and others,” Kaari Martin describes.

The bold KILL Carmen by Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin will be seen at the Oulu Music Festival at Oulu Areena twice on Saturday 23.3.

On Thursday 21.3. The dancer of the group, Mariana Collado, together with Roni Martin and the trumpeter Antero Priha will perform at a home concert as a part of the Oulu Music Festival. A splendid chamber music ensemble Meta4 will also play at the same event.

Flamenco association Palo Nuevo together with the Oulu Music Festival, Jojo – Oulu Dance Centre and Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin will organise a dance course of Mariana Collado in Tanssikeskus Citydance on 22.-23.3. Mariana will continue from Oulu to Jyväskylä where she will teach an advanced level flamenco students on 24.-26.3.

In March, Kaari and Roni Martin can be seen performing also in Helsinki, e.g., in the election events of the members of Parliament of the Greens of Finland, Outi Alanko-Kahiluoto and Pekka Haavisto. Accompanying them will be the musician, the violinist-composer Sanna Salmenkallio and the Arabic music artist, Iraqi singer Ali Saad.

Compañia kaari & roni martin to collaborate with the flamenco singer carmen linares, the director anne rautiainen and the kuopio city theatre

The flamenco legend Carmen Linares will sing Roni Martin's arrangements for the Kuopio City Theatre play, the House of Bernarda Alba

The singer Carmen Linares is one of the most well-known flamenco artists and the master of the cante jondo style of flamenco. Linares has been held in high regard due to her unique and powerful voice since she released her first recording at the age of 18. Linares is said to be one of the most authentic artists of modern flamenco. Her sound is intensive and clean but she has not become tied up in purism.

Carmen Linares has performed the works of many Spanish poets, e.g., the national poet of Spain, Federico García Lorca whose texts she has also recorded. Linares' records Canciones Populares Antiguas with the lyrics of Lorca's poems and La mujer en el cante that includes interpretations of the different styles of female flamenco singers are the master pieces of the history of flamenco, and they have influenced several generations of flamenco artists both in Spain and the rest of the world. Linares says she is a feminist and particularly proud of the fact that she has been able to be the pioneer for the young generation of female singers.

The director of the House of Bernarda Alba, Anne Rautiainen, has had Linares' album, Canciones Populares Antiguas, among her favourite albums for the past 25 years.

”It is a dream come true to have the voice of Linares' as a part of this performance”, Rautiainen says. ”To me, she is the one whose voice has led me to get acquainted with the poems of Lorca and flamenco. When I heard the raw versions of the recordings made for Kuopio for the first time, I got both goose bumps and tears in my eyes – the arrangements are really exceptional and Carmen's voice, if that is possible, is even more impressive than 25 years ago.”

The five poems of Lorca has been newly arranged by the composer, musician Roni Martin who together with Kaari Martin leads their own international group, Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin. Martin visited Madrid at the end of the year to record the new versions of the songs with Carmen and the top pianist Pablo Suárez.

”The versions of Carmen Linares from 1994 are iconic and have had a tremendous effect on how flamenco is thought about and done these days. This is the reason why when rearranging the songs I wanted to examine them from a completely new angle, and also their use in the play, the House of Bernarda Alba, gave me the opportunity to do so. That is why I ended up composing all the interludes of the poems anew,” Roni Martin says. ”I wanted to create the conditions of a live performance as accurately as possible in the studio, and the songs in the recordings are heard just as Linares and Pablo Suárez performed them live. I think you can hear this wonderfully in the final result.”

”The music of Linares has had a huge impact on the whole generation of flamenco artists also here in Finland.”, Kaari Martin, the choreographer of the House of Bernarda Alba, says. ”My first real flamenco choreography was Linares' Zorongo Gitano for a choreography competition in Kajaani in 1996 and I won the first ever prize in my life”, Martin laughs. ”It is quite appropriate that the captain of the whole project, director Anne Rautiainen, has listened to this particular album while preparing herself for the work.”

Multipercussionist Teho Majamäki will be in charge of the live music parts that alternate with the recordings of Linares. He will also play the role of Bernarda's mother, Maria Josefa.

Federico García Lorca: The House of Bernarda Alba on the big stage of the Kuopio City Theatre, the premiere 10.4.

www.kuopionkaupunginteatteri.fi/bernardaalbantalo

Versatile spring of gigs on the way

During the spring, Kaari Martin performs as a soloist and participates as a panelist in several classical music festival such as the Tampere Chamber Music Festival and as a soloist of the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra. The bold KILL Carmen of the group will be seen at the Oulu Music Festival at the Oulu Areena. The dancer of the group, Mariana Collado, together with Roni Martin and the trumpeter Antero Priha will perform at a home concert that is part of the Oulu Music Festival. A splendid chamber music ensemble Meta4 will play at the same event. The programme of the Oulu Music Festival will be introduced also in Helsinki at the G-Livelab Club where the Martins perform with the artistic director of the Oulu Music Festival, Jaakko Kuusisto. Other performers of the evening are the pianists Heini Kärkkäinen and Iiro Rantala. On 10.4.2019, the House of Bernarda Alba that is based on the play of Federico García Lorca, the national poet of Spain, will premiere at the big stage of the Kuopio City Theatre. The House of Bernarda Alba is directed by Anne Rautiainen and choreographed by Kaari Martin. The rehearsals of the two upcoming works of the group will start in May, and also many other interesting things will be happening this year - stay tuned!

More information about the upcoming spring performances:

1.2. As a guest, G-Livelab, Helsinki with Kaari and Roni Martin, Jaakko Kuusisto, Iiro Rantala and Heini Kärkkäinen

21.3. Chamber Music Concert at Kempele with Mariana Collado. Roni Martin, Antero Priha and Meta4

23.3. Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin: KILL Carmen, Oulu Areena 

21.3. Flamenco! Kaari Martin as a solist for the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, conductor Jutta Seppinen. Kuopio Music Center

10.4.-18.5. Kuopio City Theater´s House of Bernarda Alba, dir. Anne Rautiainen, chor. Kaari Martin

Kaari martin was awarded the choreographer of the year 2019!

The reasoning of the Ethnogala jury: The Choreographer of the Year addresses the language of her dance form with a unique and special style. Over the years, a whole dance culture has turned into a multilayered performance art in the hands of this artist. The recipient of the award is often described with the words: wild, unpredictable, elegant, anarchistic and sophisticated. In the hands of this internationally renowned artist, the Scandinavian coolness and the Nordic design language intertwine with the sizzling warm dance heritage of Andalusia. The Finnish flamenco art has become an international concept in the wake of the groundbreaking scenic work of this dancer-choreographer. Ladies and gentlemen, more than two decades of magnificent dance art à la the Choreographer of the Year: Kaari Martin.”

The year of compañia Kaari & roni martin has had an eventful beginning

Compañia Kaari & Roni Martin started the year 2019 before it even begun: Roni Martin travelled to Madrid in 31.12. to record with the legend of flamenco singing, Carmen Linares and the pianist Pablo Suárez and on week 2, the Martins took part in Together on the crest of the folk wave events:

10.1. Kaari Martin is nominated for the Choreographer of the Year award at the Etnogala that takes place at the Tavastia club in Helsinki. The first-class performances and the presentation of the awards take turns in two different stages. Yle will livestream the gala in Yle Areena and it will be broadcasted live at Yle Radio 1. The programmes can be watched and listened at Yle Areena also outside Finland.

Ethnogala 2017 recording: areena.yle.fi/1-4274960
More Information:  www.etnogaala.fi

11.1. Kaari Martin participates in the FolkForum seminar at the Helsinki Music Centre. At 12.45.-13.15 Kaari Martin talks about her experiences in working at international environments from the perspective of both export and leading a multicultural team. At 13.45-14.45 Martin participates in the panel discussion of The future of advancing the export of folk dance. The discussion is moderated by Henna Salo from Music Finland and the other panelists are: Reetta-Kaisa Iles, Sanna Rekola from Dance Info Finland, Tuomas Mikkola and Janne Halonen.
The seminar programme can be found here: www.kansanmusiikkikansantanssi.fi/folkforum 

11.-12.1.  Kaari and Roni Martin perform at the Folklandia cruise in Silja Europa. 134 ensembles that consist of the top names of folk music and folk dance from 10 different countries will be seen on the cruise. The Folklandia cruise will play and dance for 22 hours offering a whole package of folk euphoria for 3000 cruise guests.
More information: www.folklandia.fi

We will inform about the other upcoming performances of Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin later - stay tuned!

Anna karenina's performances in St. petersburg were exceptionally well received

The adaptation of Anna Karenina that is based on Leo Tolstoy's novel premiered in March 2018. All the performances have been sold out, and the reviews have been excellent– also in St. Petersburg.
”We were prepared for a crushing or at least an extremely critical reception. Instead, the people in St. Petersburg welcomed us with open arms”, Kaari and Roni Martin say.
More Anna Karenina performances will be seen in 2020 at the latest!

”The Dance Macabre at the end of the performance is being danced so prickly and with such a blasphemous drive that the anecdotes of the calm and composed nature of the Finns can be thrown into a garbage bin.” -Kommersant

wonderfully received anna karenina at the autumn festivals

Compañia Kaari & Roni Martin's Anna Karenina will be seen at the Tampere Theatre Festival, at the OuDance Festival in Oulu, and at the Time of Dance Festival in Jyväskylä. All the performances of Anna Karenina, that premiered in March, were sold out and wonderfully received by the audience.

”The return of Uotinen to the stage was grand.” - Helsingin Sanomat

”Instead of a classical interpretation, Anna Karenina shows the demolition of classical roles and their deep analysis in the present time.” - Helsingin Sanomat

The three extra performances in June took place at the Pannuhalli of the Cable Factory where the group wanted to visit before the construction of the Dance House Helsinki starts.

”Powerful, packed and glorious. An experience with a capital E from the very first minutes. Possibly the most impressive and fantastic dance performance of the spring.” - Demokraatti

You can check Anna Karenina Facebook feedback here.

Anna Karenina performances Autumn 2018:
8.8. Tampere Theater Festival, Tampere – buy tickets
15.9. OuDance Festival, Oulu – buy tickets
29.9. Time of Dance Festival, Jyväskylä – buy tickets

Kill carmen travels to pori and hämeenlinna

Internationally praised KILL Carmen embarks on a tour with a total of 20 shows in 27.9.-5.10. This firework of dance, music and theatre that gathered the most contradictory feedback in the Finnish Cultural Foundation and the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland's Art Testers' project for school children will be performed to new eighth-graders at the Pori Theatre and at Verkatehdas in Hämeenlinna. At the same time, KILL Carmen will be a guest performance in both theatres with open evening performances for the general public.

Excerpts from the Art Testers feedback:
”It was out of the ordinary and exciting. It inspired to do art more boldly and to let yourself be swept away by art”
”shit”
”sexual”
”Quite a confusing performance. Dancing was very skillful, and it was fun to see how the performers included the audience.”
”The experience was quite cool and maybe a little distressing”
”I was befuddled by the half-naked man and whatever it was that he was doing on the stage.”
”It was annoying that that Carmen person did not die”
”Modern”
”Goddamn it was dirty”
”Awesome”
”Really good. A little different from what I was used to but it surprised me nicely. Unusual and colourful.”
”The choreography was quite peculiar, but the dancing was unbelievably amazing.”
”The experience was really wonderful. I wouldn't have wanted the performance to end so soon. I admire the talent of the performers.”
”The performance was interesting and different as well as cleverly done. You could see that people had put their time and work into it. I liked it very much!”
”Really weird and awful”
”Insane”
”Really juicy”
”Two words: I need therapy.”

Performances open to public:
27.9. Pori Theater – buy tickets
30.9. Verkatehdas, Hämeenlinna – buy tickets

ON A STRING – a quartet of four strong women

The duet of Minna Tervamäki and Kaari Martin, On a String - an interpretation of the Sibelius Violin Concerto, has expanded into a quartet: for a few years now, the work has been performed with the violinist Minna Pensola and the pianist Heini Kärkkäinen. Pensola is known, for example, from the brilliant Meta4 string quartet and Kärkkäinen is one of the most international classical pianists in Finland. The last time On a String was performed was at the Black & White Theatre Festival in Imatra during the summer, and it will be seen again in the autumn in the programme of the Lahti International Sibelius Festival among others. Due to popular demand, this is the second time the work will be performed in Lahti.

4.9. Helsinki University Opening 2018-2019
9.9. Sibelius Festival, Lahti More info at https://www.sinfonialahti.fi/sibelius-festival/?lang=en

More Anna Karenina and KILL Carmen performances added to the calendar! Check here!

EXTRA PERFORMANCES ADDED FOR ANNA KARENINA ON 6TH, 7TH AND 8TH OF JUNE in pannuhalli at cable factory! TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE NOW! BE FAST!

Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin’s adaptation of Anna Karenina to premiere soon with Jorma Uotinen as Count Karenin

 Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin’s premiere production Anna Karenina can be seen at Cirko’s studio Maneesi from 22 March to 2 April 2018. The company breaks down the conventions of performing arts by, for example, having the audience sit at the table with the performers. Anna’s husband, Count Karenin, is played by Jorma Uotinen, who will be doing his first dancing role in a long time.

Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin’s Anna Karenina is an adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's classic novel. The main focus is on the love triangle between Anna, her husband Karenin, and Count Vronsky. At the same time, the timeless piece serves as a commentary on the modern world.

In Tolstoy’s novel, both Anna and her lover Vronsky seek escape in love. Anna is prepared to take on the world for love, but rather than making her feel alive, love takes life away from her, says dramatist Atro Kahiluoto.

The piece extends this theme, exploring the many things we humans find escape in. The world of Anna Karenina was very much about living on the razor's edge: things were spiralling fast towards the revolution and the First World War. History repeats itself, and the Last Supper we see in the opening scene continues all the way through. The doomsday clock has never been closer to midnight, but people choose escapism and the orchestra continues to play until the very end, says Kaari Martin, choreographer and one of Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin’s two artistic directors.

Strong stage presence and musical fusion.

The roles of Anna Karenina and Count Vronsky are played by Mariana Collado and Carlos Chamorro, the company’s Spanish go-to dancers. Count Karenin is played by Jorma Uotinen.

 Mariana and Carlos both have huge versatility of expression and a strong stage presence. They are unfazed by nothing on stage. For the role of Count Karenin, we needed to find someone who could hold his own against the Spanish duo – this was to make sure all three main characters measured up against each other. Only a seasoned, unique artist like Jorma Uotinen could fill these boots, explains Martin.

As with every piece, the music is written by Roni Martin. His compositions are key to the company’s unique expression. The music for Anna Karenina mixes flamenco with Tom Waits -inspired elements and Brechtesque echoes to form a hypnotic entity which, together with the performers, takes the audience on a journey into a warped world that is characteristic to the company’s works.
 

WELCOME TO COUNT KARENIN’S BALL!

Why is all this done? We will all be put to our graves, and there will be nothing left of us. And it will be the same with me. Why? -ANNA KARENINA

Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin is pleased to invite You to share a dinner at Count Karenin’s festive table! A doomsday orchestra plays the last waltz under the gleam of crystal chandeliers. Ice sculptures melt away on trays. A bear dances. Love will not be our saving grace.

On stage: 
Mariana Collado, Carlos Chamorro, Jorma Uotinen, Erno Haukkala, Roni Martin, Sanna Salmenkallio, Eppu Helle, Miguel Kolliander, Jukka Huitila
Choreography: Kaari Martin together whit dancers
Music: Roni Martin
Dramaturgy: Atro Kahiluoto
Direction: Martin-Martin-Kahiluoto
Light design and scenography: Jukka Huitila
Costume design: Erika Turunen
Make up and hair: Kaisu Hölttä
Photography: Janne Mikkilä
Livesound: Eppu Helle
Stagemanager: Miguel Kolliander
Costume production: Johanna Vehmas ja Ilkka Salakari, Atelje Hurma
Production: Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin

 Tickets: Helsinki / Cirko, Suvilahti 22.3–2.4.2018. Tickets: 25-39 €, ticketmaster.fi.
You can also buy tickets that include bus transport from the Senate Square to Suvilahti and back.

More info: Minna Korpimies, tel. +358 50 387 7325, minna(at)urbanessence.fi

 “The artists in Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin are phenomenal in their ability to take inspiration from the classics and use this inspiration to create an artistic universe that is all their own. This comes from having a thorough knowledge of the traditions, a keen sense of history, impeccable technical skills, and a creative approach to doing things. A piece with a distinctive voice, and free from conventions.”-TS

Looking ahead to a spring of intense touring

It will be a busy start to the year for Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin. The March premiere for Anna Karenina is just around the corner, and February will see the company give a number of performances of their piece Of the World. Kaari Martin will be touring with artist group Hämärän tanssit, and she will also take to stage together with star dancer Minna Tervamäki at the Tampere Chamber Music festival. In 2017, Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin yet again broke its previous attendance record, with a total of 13,812 spectators. The upcoming Anna Karenina premiere will also mark the 16th anniversary for the company. “We’ve been so swamped with work the past few years that we didn’t celebrate our 10- and 15-year landmarks”, Kaari Martin laughs.

Saarikoski two ways

February will see Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin give a whopping 17 performances of their piece Of the World, which is based on poems written by Pentti Saarikoski. All performances will be staged at different schools in the town of Hollola. Premiered in 2004 at Helsinki Festival, Of the World is one of the company’s most frequently performed works. This tour is part of the programme of Konserttikeskus (Concert Centre Finland). Kaari Martin will also be in the line-up for another piece based around Saarikoski’s poems. In Hämärän tanssit, the Finnish poet’s last collection of poems is used to create a multi-disciplinary work of art, mixing dance, music, acting, DJing, sound, lighting and documentary video footage – and it’s all done live, here and now.

3.2. Vuotalo, tickets: lippu.fi 
9.2. Oulun kaupunginteatteri, tickets: ticketmaster.fi
23.2.Teatteri Vantaa, tickets: netticket.fi