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"Well, I may be an idealist, but I still believe, that music can and must be a strong way to enhance humanity in the world. "Honest" music can open new doors in minds - doors that can lead to new decisions in everyday life."

Sampo Lassila is known as a creative musician and bass player, one of the most "border-crossing" musicians in Finland. His regular work includes performing as a musician and composer in a large variety of groups and styles from etno to chamber music. Doina Klezmer, Nada, Free Okapi, Zagros , Kaski and Sinfonia Lahti are among the recently most active groups and orchestras.

Strong influences Lassila got when working with Raoul Björkenheim in the Krakatau -group and in the legendary Edward Vesala's Sound & Fury. Born in Turku, the old capital of Finland he started to play double bass at the age of fourteen. Quite early he found his way in to the lively modern jazz scene in Turku that time, playing also in many progressive and experimental rock and punk groups in Turku.

After graduating from the soloistic department of Sibelius-Academy Lassila has worked widely in Finnish music scene.
"Crossing the musical borders is an everyday situation and also a pleasing must in life for me." p>

As a composer Lassila has recently concentrated to create modern etnomusic, kind of Finnish "Ugriklezmer" . Improvisation, traditions of East-European folkmusic and fenno-shamanistic colours being the focusideas in his music.

"Contacts with composers have been an important and inspiring part of musicianship." He has premiered several chamber music compositions for double bass and has had solo concerts in Helsinki, Stockholm, Järvenpää and Kuopio. " One of the most memorable premiere was 1994 performing the premiere of Einojuhani Rautavaara's Angel of Dusk - double bass concerto (II version) in Kuhmo Chamber music festival."

In his "philharmonic" life Lassila works as a member of Sinfonia Lahti, one of the most known Sibelius -ocrhestras in the world nowdays, conducted by Jukka-Pekka Saraste. In the Gustav Mahler JO, Wien, he worked 1991.