Helsinki Times

He’s back!

AFTER Brüno failed to tickle our funny bones in quite the same manner as his previous smash hit Borat, it seemed that British actor/comedian Sacha Baron Cohen was once again turning his hand towards more serious acting, last being seen in Martin Scorsese’s Hugo earlier this year. However, there’s no need for the lauded thespian approach this week, as Baron Cohen returns to the big screen this week hoping to create some comedic waves as The Dictator.

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Man about town

OFFERING a glimpse of a lesser-known side of Helsinki, Hans von Schantz’s Enter Helsinki is on display until 31 July at The Finnish Museum of Photography.

Inviting visitors on a journey from the city’s outskirts to the downtown area, the images traverse their way through a rubbish dump, wastelands, industrial areas and sleepy suburbs. Capturing objects that aren’t traditionally found in city guidebooks, Schantz seeks to use the landscapes to embody a particular state of mind, and portray the atmosphere permeating a scene and its human presence.

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The Ozzman cometh, yet again

OFFERING some small consolation for metal fans after the news that the full original Black Sabbath line-up will now no longer be touring together as was announced last year, Ozzy Osbourne makes his way to Finland once again for another gig.

Supported by Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler and longtime Ozzy band member Zakk Wilde, the concert may disappoint those who had been hoping to witness the original lineup on stage. Plans for reuniting the quartet were scuppered when it was declared that drummer Bill Ward would not be taking part, and then guitarist Tony Iommi was ruled out of all but three dates this year due to his battle with lymphoma.

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50 years of hits

CELEBRATING an illustrious career that has spanned 50 years and consists of over 100 million album sales and five Grammy Awards, American singer Dionne Warwick comes to town on 20 May for a performance at Helsinki Music Centre.

Born in New Jersey, Warwick found fame in the 1960s after starting out as a backing singer and being discovered by Burt Bacharach. Making waves with a number of singles written by Bacharach and Hal David such as Walk On By, Say a Little Prayer and Do You Know the Way to San Jose, Warwick entered the ‘70s as a genuine superstar.

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Stepping out of the shadows

Bringing the combined talents of Johnny Depp and Tim Burton together once again after the booming box office haul of their last collaborative effort Alice in Wonderland peaked at around USD 1 billion worldwide, this week’s Dark Shadows promises more of the same. That is: great visuals, inventive characters, memorable set pieces, cheeky humour and imagination running wild.

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New times for Koko

CHANCES are, not many readers have managed to ferret out the old Koko Jazz Club at its location on the corner of Pitkäsilta, but take my word for it – it was the ultimate in intimacy. The club shared its premises with the theatre group of the same name, and the watchword was basic, brass-tacks quality with no frills, and certainly no lame portraits of American jazz icons looking down from the walls.

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Ihana Helsinki!

Commencing this year, the Ihana Helsinki festival is planned to become an annual explosion of flowers and events returning to the city every spring. Ihana Helsinki was launched in downtown Helsinki yesterday on 9 May and it will run until 13 May.

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Cooperation and creativity

PIXELACHE Helsinki, a transdisciplinary platform for experimental art, design, research and activism, will be organised this Friday and Saturday, 11 and 12 May.

Camp Pixelache opens on with a keynote speech by Vinay Gupta, a specialist on infrastructure theory and geopolitical risks who is best known for developing the open-source emergency shelter Hexayurt. Gupta argues that the shifting balance of power between the state and corporations is a huge part of the problems our democracies face in responding to issues like climate change, and claims that the answer lies in effective cooperation, which is the fundamental mode of the 21st century.

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The head and heart of the city

NEATLY encapsulating the story of Helsinki from when Tsar Alexander I declared it the capital of the newly created Grand Duchy of Finland on 8 April 1812, up until the present day, Head and Heart (Pää ja sydän) is currently on display at Virka Gallery.

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Shuffling back into the spotlight

IN an era of the comeback and reunion tour, it comes as no surprise that The Lemonheads, those hands-in-the-pockets indie hipsters of the mid-90s, are now well and truly back together. Well, sort of, with lead singer Evan Dando reviving the band backed by different members for this most recent incarnation.

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