Uusikuu

On a Nordic August evening, we gather with treats to celebrate summer in a joyful atmosphere. Finnish singer Laura Ryhänen and her vintage orchestra, Uusikuu, serve up a vibrant mix of musical delights under the Northern Lights with their sixth album, Piknik (out February 2025, Nordic Notes). It’s a feast of rousing rhythms, deep emotions, romance, and drama—an ode to the exuberance of life. Finland, crowned the world’s happiest country for the seventh time, embodies happines ("onni"), subtle humor, and quirky anecdotes, but also solitude and silence. Since 2006, Uusikuu has been reviving Finnish tango with a fresh, dynamic twist. Far from the genre’s melancholic roots, their “Vintage Sounds of Finland” pay tribute to the country’s dance music from the 1930s to the 1960s, with occasional nods to the ‘70s and ‘80s. And as devoted Eurovision fans, they can’t resist weaving in playful references to the legendary contest! With their world music mix made up of fiery tangos, dreamy waltzes, cheeky jenkkas, spirited humppas, and swing, Uusikuu has always made audiences dance. Critics agree: the band was nominated for the German Eiserner Eversteiner world music award in 2022 and won “Best World Music Album” at the 2023 German Rock & Pop Awards for their fifth album Karuselli. Join Uusikuu’s musical picnic, where happiness is served in bite-sized melodies, and everyone is welcome to sing along!