Oct 23, 2015

Johanna Telander performed at Caffe Vivaldi on October 21st together with her husband Christopher on guitar, Tina Lama on base, and Ryan Engelbert on drums. Amanda Yachechak sang background vocals. Johanna is a Finnish-born singer-songwriter who accompanies herself on the piano. She has taken a “mommy-break” after the birth of her daughter in June, and clearly enjoyed being back on stage. Her music with original lyrics touch on the usual themes of love and other emotions but she also has songs about the coming of spring and summer; as she said in an introduction, for Finns these themes are so important she probably has about 60 songs devoted to the theme!

Despite the cast being thrown together on short notice, all the players worked in sync to produce a rhythmic, vigorous performance with many catchy, but not too simplistic tunes. A tender, melodious song called Sielunpeili, reflecting on the sleeping child in front of her, was written and performed in Finnish just for this occasion.

From left to right: Tina Lama, Christopher Telander, Amanda Yachechak, and Johanna Melander.

The unfortunate accidental double-booking shortened the performance, but the place and the intimate ambience is a true trait of Greenwich Village, and for the owner, Ishrat, receiving these players is truly a labor of love. We hope to continue offering Finnish talent in this setting from time to time but it is worth visiting any night of the week and weekend brunchtime to hear other New York musicians. See www.caffevivaldi.com for more info about the venue and www.johannatelander.com to read more about the artist.