Kimmo Pohjonen Kluster

Kimmo Pohjonen
Kimmo Pohjonen, photo by Kalle Björklid
Background information
Born	(1964-08-16) August 16, 1964 (age 53)
Genres	Alternative accordion
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer
Instruments	Accordion, voice
Associated acts	KTU, Kimmo Pohjonen Kluster, K Cube
Website	KimmoPohjonen.com

Kimmo Pohjonen (born August 16, 1964) is a Finnish accordionist who is known for his avant-garde and experimental work with his custom-made electrified and modified instrument. He has released nine albums of his work and has toured Europe extensively, as well as performances in Japan and some in North America. He records and performs both solo and in collaboration with musicians and other artists, including the Kronos Quartet, and percussionist Pat Mastelotto and guitarist Trey Gunn of King Crimson. Pohjonen still lives in Finland when not on the road. He has performed with one of his daughters, Saana, who plays the drums.

Pohjonen began playing the accordion at age eight with the family's dance band. He grew up playing Finnish folk music and has called his father his first accordion hero, but says he did not really appreciate what the instrument could do until much later. After becoming interested in the accordion playing of Texas and Cajun Louisiana and of musicians such as Flaco Jimenez and Queen Ida, along with the music of bandoneon player Astor Piazzolla, he went to Buenos Aires to learn Piazzolla's tango Nuevo.

He studied folk and classical music at the Sibelius Academy, a student along with Maria Kalaniemi and Arto Järvelä of JPP, beginning his career with Järvelä shortly after graduation.

Pohjonen began his music career in the 1980s. After graduation he recorded folk music with Järvelä and part of a duo called Pinnin Pojat (the Pinni Boys) and began to write folk music. The duo released four CDs including Gogo 4. As part of the short-lived group Ottopasuuna, with Kari Reiman from Värttinä, he released two albums.