Finnish trio Sole Azul rips tango out by the roots and plants it in the Nordic frozen soil. Drawing on the stylistics of jazz and contemporary classical music, and the practice of free improvisation, the group gives voice to grand emotions through both tango-inspired originals and new arrangements of existing tangos. Sonny Rollins, Charlie Haden and Pink Floyd are as much a source of inspiration for them as Aki Kaurismäki's films or the most beautiful Finnish landscapes.

Despite its rich tradition, for accordionist Harri Kuusijärvi tango symbolized the kind of conventional accordion music he wanted to stay away from. But after his instruments were stolen during a tour in Azul, Argentina, he returned home to find himself at the piano, writing tangos – the very style he had tried to avoid. Soon he filled a whole show with these tango-inspired compositions together with Pauli and Eero, and their adventure hasn't ended since.

"Tango has deep roots in Finland too. After World War II, Finnish tango became a massive cultural phenomenon, beloved by the whole country. While Finnish tango doesn’t have much in common with its Argentine counterpart, it’s still woven into our national identity. Through Sole Azul, we get to explore that part of Finnish DNA – and in a way, get a little payback for that day in Azul. You can steal our instruments, but we’ll take the tango", says Kuusijärvi. "The name Sole Azul has nothing to do with the sun, as some might think. In my hometown, Sole is a word used to evoke a carefree, easygoing attitude – something like a Hakuna Matata spirit. So 'Nevermind Azul', or something like that."