Felix Zenger

Last summer in Pori N.E.R.D.’s Pharrell Williams called Finland’s only professional beatboxer on stage to do his thing. Williams had fell for it via YouTube, where Zenger is very popular. For a good reason: just by his mouth he can play a whole band. Drums, bass, guitar, you name it. The catch is, it’s really musical, not just a gimmick, as you can hear on his debut album Won’t Say A Thing.

Now 24, Felix started out with classical piano studies, but he changed it mitway to beatboxing. Zenger finished them recently. He heard a lot of jazz at home through his father, who is the dean of a music school and teaches guitar. Having got into hip-hop via beatboxing, he has since performed with many of Finland’s best rappers, like Paleface, Asa and Don Johnson Big Band, whose Kari Saarilahti produced Zenger’s record. Felix has also shared the stage with country singer Kari Tapio, the Rajaton ensemble and violin maestro Pekka Kuusisto, and was a member of piano virtuoso Iiro Rantala’s New Trio with guitarist Marzi Nyman.