Selma Savolainen & Toomas Keski-Säntti: Horror Vacui
Festival Jazzycolors
Concert on 4 December at 8 pm

Finnish singer-songwriter Selma Savolainen has established herself as one of the most unique vocalists on the Nordic jazz and improvised music scene. With her album Horror Vacui, produced as a sextet and released by the British label Wirlwind Records, the young artist, has created an unclassifiable opus imbued with a dreamlike and hypnotic atmosphere of high tension, awarded Finnish jazz album of 2024.

For this French premiere in December 2025, she performs a duo with pianist Toomas Keski-Säntti, a seasoned artist of the new Finnish generation who gained recognition within the legendary quartet OK:KO and who has immersed himself in Selma Savolainen’s music over the course of numerous concerts. The duo delivers a stripped-down, almost spectral version of the Horror Vacui repertoire, with striking expressive power. Selma Savolainen’s original compositions are joined by Kurt Weill’s “Speak Low” and Billy Strayhorn’s “A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing.”

This concert is part of Jazzycolors, a festival organised by FICEP (Forum des Instituts Culturels Étrangers à Paris). Selma Savolainen & Toomas Keski-Säntti will also perform on Sunday, December 7 at the Shed in Reims, at the invitation of Jazzus.

Selma Savolainen voice
Toomas Keski-Säntti piano

Limited number of seats → book your tickets here.

 

The younger generation of jazz (in the broad sense) has a lot to offer. Among them, singer Selma Savolainen (1993) is a fine example who should interest curious listeners, always on the lookout for a musical gem. Horror Vacui, terror of the void in the literal sense, agoraphobia in psychology, sets the tone and is one of those records that one hesitates to categorize (which is usually a good sign). Capable of great leaps, the singer’s voice soars above the instrumentation without losing itself.

Yves Dorison – Culture Jazz

 

Kurt Weill’s aesthetic comes to life in a transformed “Speak Low,” and the reinterpretation of Billy Strayhorn’s gem “A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing” overflows with delectable grace. Beyond these markers, the album takes twisted paths, survival emerging from the singer’s vocal depths.

Mario Boroni – Citizen Jazz

 

Artistic direction by Charles Gil, Helsinki-based tour producer and founder of Vapaat äänet agency.

In collaboration with: