Tommi Kitti

When Tommi Kitti begins performing, he walks to the stage like a flamenco dancer – to set the mood with improvised movement. His music is obviously not flamenco, his song isn‘t cante jondo, for he is a bluesman, whose movements are engaged in a dynamic dialogue with John Lee Hooker. “White negro,“ “the only blues-dancing Samean,“ these are only two of the terms that reflect the high regard that people have of Kitti. They may not be politically correct, but they succinctly describe the man in question.

When Kitti has performed at international festivals, it has always left people wondering why a virtuoso like him is not as world famous as one would imagine. There is only one answer to this question: Tommi Kitti is not particularly keen on fame and heavy exposure. He prefers a secluded life – so much so that when not performing he retreats to the Finnish countryside, about 100 km outside Helsinki, where he and his wife have bought two side-by-side houses, former school buildings. One of these buildings he has converted into a rehearsal studio for himself. That is where he is at the moment, creating a new choreography for the Finnish National Ballet, one that will be seen in the NOKO ...