Kaipu toured Norrbotten and Oulu with Kven heritage at the centre
In late February 2026, Arctic Pulse and Norrbotten World presented Kaipu as a cross-border tour with concerts in Haparanda, Piteå, Tärendö and Oulu. The tour brought the production to audiences in both Sweden and Finland and concluded in Oulu with a concert organised by Oulu Music Festival. The Oulu stop was part of the Arctic Pulse Producers Network programme in the city and was also included in the Oulu2026 cultural programme.
Led by Arve Henriksen and produced by Nordnorsk Jazzsenter, Kaipu is rooted in Kven cultural heritage. The music is built on reworked Kven songs, hymns, texts, rhymes and melodies, brought into a contemporary sound world shaped by jazz, electronics and improvisation.
For Arctic Pulse, the tour showed how minority-related repertoire can travel across borders and reach new audiences in the North. It was also a way of connecting public concerts with a wider professional context, as the Oulu performance functioned both as a public event and as a showcase during Producers Network week.