KAMA Kollektiv
KAMA Kollektiv is a quirky Amsterdam-based quartet that tells stories about love, transformation, small everyday pleasures and the mysticism of nature.
In a theatrical and mesmerising style, their music draws influences from Nordic jazz & folk, indie pop, film scores and electronic & improvised music. Charismatic bandleader and frontwoman Kirsi-Marja “Kiki” Harju enchants the audience with her eccentric singing and lyrical trumpet playing. She and the bass player Jonathan compose music for the band.
The group’s 3rd album “As If I Lived A Different Life”, released on May 10th 2024 with SONNA Records, is an escape to an imaginary world; there plastic trees create hide-outs for dragons, dreams adventurously & constantly evolve, and it feels like living a different life. Most importantly, the quest brings us to wonder what really is essential, and how to be unapologetically true to ourselves.
The band has previously released two studio albums, KOTI (Kirsi-Marja Harju/Eclipse Music, 2019) and TOIVO (BERTHOLD Records, 2021). KAMA Kollektiv has been touring excessively in the Netherlands, Germany and Finland since 2019 with good responses. In 2021 they showcased at the digital edition of Europe’s biggest jazz conference jazzahead! in Bremen, Germany.
More info: https://linktr.ee/kamakollektiv
“To be discovered urgently” – Franpi Barriaux / Citizen Jazz (FR) / 2021
“..is a unique refreshment of the European scene.” – Jan Hocek / Jazzport.cz / 2022
Kirsi-Marja Harju (tpt, voc) · Ida Alanen (p) · Jonathan Nagel (db) · Joe Korach (dr)
KMH
KMH is Kirsi-Marja Harju, Juho Myllylä and Apollonio Maiello.
The Italo-German-Finnish collaboration began in 2022 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, where they joined forces to explore new possibilities for their instruments in a trio setting: trumpet, vocals, lyre, recorders (blockflutes), piano and synths. Each of the musicians, all active also in multiple other projects internationally, have different musical backgrounds; from early music to classical, from jazz to film music, still stylistically resulting in an organic and even meditative outcome. Original compositions by all three, combined with electronics to bring out the group’s signature ambient sound, constitute the core of their dynamic repertoire. Their musical expression is rooted in Nordic melancholy, evocative melodies and atmospheric textures. KMH made a successful tour in Finland with enthusiastic responses in the summer of 2023. Next they want to concentrate on recording their music in August 2024 and releasing their debut album in 2025.
Press kit
KIKI-O
While still living in Helsinki, I formed my first own group as a leader, Kiki-O, in 2013. The band is not active anymore but here you can check out their music, written by me:
Duo Kirsi-Marja Harju & Christiaan de Jong
Multi-instumental duo playing mostly originals & improvisations.
Kirsi-Marja Harju – trumpet, vocals, lyre
Christiaan de Jong – guitar, flute