Kadri Voorand is a well-established vocalist whose original music and expression have brought her a number of prizes and performances in Estonia as well as abroad. She has toured in many countries, including Great Britain, Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Hungary, Norway, China, Italy, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, and Uzbekistan. Her latest album “In Duo with Mihkel Mälgand” released by ACT Music received the Best Jazz Album award by the Estonian Music Awards 2020. I
n addition to many other great awards, in 2017 she received the Estonian Music Awards for The Best Female Artist of the Year and The Best Jazz Album of the Year for her album Armupurjus(Love Intoxication).
Award-winning Mihkel Mälgand is one of the most active bass players in Estonia. He has also collaborated with jazz stars like Kurt Elling, Nils Landgren, Dave Liebman etc. Mihkel Mälgand also appears as an arranger and occasional co-writer on the album “In Duo with Mihkel Mälgand”.
Kadri Voorand’s and Mihkel Mälgand’s strong sense of each other’s musical rhythm and improvisational moments result in a tight duo. The pop-like melodies are combined with virtuosic improvisations and skilled technique. They perform heartbreaking power ballads next to hip grooves, accompanied by a totally unique twist in the sound and unexpected, daring lyrics.
They have played concerts both in Estonia and abroad, including festivals such as EFG London Jazz Festival, Cheltenham Jazz Festival, Pori Jazz, Jazz Baltica, Tampere Jazz Happening, Marburg City Festival, Südtirol Jazz Festival, Bejing Nine Gates Jazz Festival.
Their latest album “In Duo with Mihkel Mälgand” was released internationally on ACT Music, February 28th, 2020.
„Powerful, challenging pop music with ambition and multifaceted artistry.“ - Downbeat
‟I was absolutely bowled over by the engaging quality of her voice, her imaginative arrangements and the wonderfully controlled energy of her delivery.” - Jazz Journal
‟Her voice flitting from purist acrobatics to electronics-filtered extremes. All of her vocal perversion is in real-time, as she resourcefully knits a construction of rhythmic repeats, or flicks on a horrific distortion effect, often snapping back into something profoundly unsettling in its depth of contrast. Meanwhile, she’s back at the piano, marrying voice and keys in a completely symbiotic existence.” - All About Jazz
“Kadri Voorand is always restlessly flying off into abstract vocal improvisation, or reciting Estonian poetry, or creating an imaginary intercom announcement. Her voice flitting from purist acrobatics to electronics-filtered extremes. All of her vocal perversion is in real-time, as she resourcefully knits a construction of rhythmic repeats, or flicks on a horrific distortion effect, often snapping back into something profoundly unsettling in its depth of contrast. Meanwhile, she’s back at the piano, marrying voice and keys in a completely symbiotic existence.” - All About Jazz