Flok + Friends

Flok, who won the amplified music category in the Contest for Vocal Ensembles in 2023, is the next big name in Finnish a cappella. Formed by six professional musicians, Flok brings together traditional a cappella and a modern pop sound. Their repertoire includes original songs as well as inventive arrangements of classics. At this concert, Flok shares the stage with Kasheshi Makena and Ali Saad.

Tanzanian-Finnish Kasheshi Makena is a multi-instrumentalist, dancer and composer. He is the last member to officially join the Helsinki-Cotonou Ensemble in 2019, after working with the band for several years. Makena leads his own musical groups Kasheshi Makena & The Bhutula Band, Musase Quintet and Makena Trio. He is a member of the improvisational vocal ensemble AITO Collective and the Shameless Shongololo Band. Makena teaches in the Global Music programme at the Sibelius Academy.

Ali Saad is an Iraqi musician born into a large musical family in Baghdad. Many of his family members have been famous and respected musicians in the Arab world. He learned singing techniques from his uncles and sings both classical Tarab and pop music. In 2019, he went on to study Arabic singing and maqam theory in Cairo. Saad is currently working in Finland as a musician, composer and sound designer. He has worked on dance performances at the Finnish National Theatre and performed in concert with many different ensembles. In 2021, he graduated from the Pop & Jazz Conservatorio in Helsinki, with a focus on combining musical traditions and techniques and making music that bridges cultures and has the potential to create something truly unique.

Note: Standing room only.