TANSSIVA KARHU

Tanssiva Karhu biography
Tanssiva Karhu is a six-member psychedelic folk-pop group founded in 2013 in Helsinki, Finland. Songwriting bassist Jarmo Vähähaka and guitarist Toni Pietilä created the basis of the band's organic sound in a summer cottage where they recorded a bunch of demos. Gradually the influences from the British and American folk pop from the sixties were refined, as the line-up grew into a psychedelically nuanced band crafting its live performance. Right from the start Vähähaka thought of flute as an essential ingredient, and the flute-playing multi-instrumentalist Tinji Vuori was the crucial final addition to the line-up.

Also the lyrics have a lot of weight in the music of Tanssiva Karhu. Vocalist Jenna-Marie Laine interprets mostly Vähähaka's lyrics where romantic images meet both every-day humour and darker themes such as mental health problems. The debut album Luonnossa was released in 2023. The band started work on the second album in late 2024, eager to seek new paths.

Tanssiva karhu - 'dancing bear' in Finnish - is not like one held captive in a circus, prancing around and wearing a silly hat. This bear dances free in the wild swirling twigs and pine cones, leading you on an exciting journey full of joy, sadness and love.

(Bio co-written by Tanssiva Karhu and Matti)