IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC that is placing unprecedented pressures on small musical acts that now have to contend with cancelled bookings and shuttered venues, a shared passion for the craft of music is vital for keeping creativity alive.

Alexi Laiho,lead guitarist, vocalist and founding member of the internationally renowned Finnish metal band Children of Bodom, has died. 

While the cause of death has not yet been confirmed, a press release from his record label stated that the 41-year-old, who died in his home in Helsinki, had been suffering from “long-term health issues.” 

HELSINKI’S NATIONAL GALLERY, THE ATENEUM, WILL RE-EXAMINE a valuable painting in its permanent collection after a prominent Gauguin enthusiast has claimed it to be a forgery.

Renowned American film director, producer and screenwriterFrancis Ford Coppolawill spend five days in Helsinki this month as a guest of the National Audiovisual Institute (Kavi) and the Department of Film, Television and Scenography (ELO) at Aalto University.

The award-winning director is best known for the highly-acclaimedGodfather trilogy (1972–1990). The first two films in the series are widely regarded as cinematic masterpieces and have garnered praise from critics and audiences alike.

In 1891,ancestral remains belonging to the Pueblo tribes of the Mesa Verde region began a long and unexpected journey when they were taken from their resting place in Colorado, United States. A journey which culminated in them arriving halfway across the world in Finland. 

This September, 129 years later, the ancestors took their final voyage when they were reunited with the tribes and laid to rest for the last time.