Finn Martin

Finn Martin is a unique saxophone player. His wide variety of skills has made him a well known all rounded musician in the European Art & Culture scene. Finn borrows influences from his nomadic life of world travel and infuses this with classical jazz saxophone to produce a sound complete unique and enchanting. Finn’s amazing ability to communicate with the audience on an intimate level all over the world has won him critical acclaim.

Finn Martin was born in Sweden in 1961 to an Irish mother and Swedish father. After his training in Classical Studies in Switzerland and Stockholm, he moved to the World Music Metropole of Paris where he, for over 20 years, worked as a session musician and sideman for a variety of art and cultural projects. During his stay in Paris he also worked as an actor.

Finn has collaborated with the greatest names in the World Music Scene: Salif Keita, Manu Dibango, Mory Kante, Angelique Kidjo, Cheb Mamy Idrissa Diop, Ray Lema, The Bulgarian Voices of Prof. Stefanor, Lokua Kanza, ONB, Rachid Bahri, Maria Glen, Rosanna & Zelia, Ruben Gonzales and Bogdan Rankovic.

In addition, he has played in the most renown jazz festivals in the world: Montreux, North Sea, Newport, Moers, New Orleans and Nizza.

His intensive traveling has enhanced rich cultural encounters that feed his deep wish of better communication and understanding between people of different countries & spiritual beliefs. Finn Martin speaks five languages fluently: English, Swedish, German, French and Spanish and has intermediate understanding of eight more languages.

In his lyrics he uses West African, Ancient Indian and onomatopoeia – a vocal sound shaping technique widely used in African singing. His musical philosophy towards singing is that understanding the intention of what is sung is more important than understanding the actual word. His personal aim is to share a universal understanding of music with the audience through intimate performance interaction. Finn believes being blessed with the gift of music is a responsibility to the world community at large to use music to help make the world a better place. 

Various encounters with artistes from other art forms like acrobatics, dance, literature, theatre and painting have given different forms of expression in his productions.  A famous example of this ability to blend seemingly incongruous art forms is his heart-stopping show Vertigo.

In Vertigo, Finn seamlessly blends intimate jazz saxophone while abseiling down skyscrapers. Not one to refuse a challenge, Finn has also performed Vertigo on cliff faces – an awe inspiring visual effect. Finn generates media buzz where ever he performs Vertigo.

Finn Martin is an artist who sees inspiration in everyday life and is ready to pick up his saxophone and play on the spur of the moment, any place, any time.

URL: Finn-Martin-Music.com