French-inspired traditional jazz – in pictures and sound

Fri 4.9. – 20:00

Showtime 20:00 @ Saltbodan. Tickets 10€

Djangomania

Jazz is celebrating 100 years in Finland this year. This is connected to the arrival of Finnish-American musicians by ship to Helsinki in 1926. Of course, this is not an exact historical or scientific date, but rather a symbolic reason to celebrate the occasion.

European jazz has taken many forms, but one important genre that is still very much alive today is the acoustic swing jazz of the Django Reinhardt tradition, popular in Belgium and France.

On Friday, 4 September 2026 at 8 pm, Café Saltbodan will host some of Finland’s finest musicians in this genre. Djangomania will perform in Loviisa with Antti Korhola, Vesa Tompuri, Kari Korpinen and Mika Huusari.

Antti Korhola is a violinist of the younger generation and a versatile performer who plays folk music, jazz and klezmer. Mika Huusari has been voted Finland’s leading jazz accordionist in various jazz polls. Vesa Tompuri has recorded examples of this musical style for Yle’s archive since the 1970s. Kari Korpinen is a mathematician who handles the bass lines with uncompromising precision and creativity.

So, as autumn begins and the evenings grow darker, Loviisa has the opportunity to enjoy traditional acoustic jazz. Tickets €10.

Djangomania:

• Antti Korhola – violin

• Mika Huusari – accordion

• Kari Korpinen – double bass

• Vesa Tompuri – guitar

---

Photo Exhibition
Traditional Jazz in Photographs from Kotka

On the same day, a photography exhibition presenting the above-mentioned musical style will open in the gallery at Café Saltbodan. The exhibition features photographs by Petteri Mussalo, Mihael Sirkka and Ari Haimi.

The photographs were mainly taken at jazz events held in and around Kotka. The exhibition is titled Kotka is Kotka and Jazz is Jazz. Alongside traditional musician portraits, the exhibition also captures audience reactions and the photographers’ own interpretations of the moods evoked by the music.

The three photographers met at concerts and decided to bring their photographs together in a joint exhibition. Petteri is from Kuopio, Mihael is originally from Serbia but has lived in Kotka for several years, and Ari is an active member of the Loviisa Camera Club.

The photography organisation Finnfoto has supported the exhibition. The Loviisa Camera Club is also involved in organising the exhibition.

The exhibition opens to the public on 4 September 2026 at 8 pm and will be open during Café Saltbodan’s opening hours throughout September.

More information:
Ari Haimi 040-5456486