Cute, absurd and evil. HALA is exploring a diverse, theatrical and audible interplay based on the fairytale-like compositions of vocalist Helene Matthia, with Arno Bakker on sousaphone, Jorrit Westerhof on guitar and Gerri Jäger on drums.

The band was formed in 2017 in the basement of Atelier “Il sole in cantina”, Cantina Records in Groningen, which is known for its experimental journeys. They have released three EP’s: “Hala” (2018) and “Blueberry Ink” (2019) and “How Do You Do” (2022).

The music’s genre is various: from progressive rock, avant-pop and (free) improvisation to avant-garde, jazz and cabaret. You hear influences from artists such as Neneh Cherry, Frank Zappa and Acoustic Ladyland. A few highlights of their performances were Jazzfestival Karlsruhe 2018, ZomerJazzFietsTour 2019 and Limmitationes Festival 2022.