Kenni Holmen and Yohannes Tona, bandmates in Cory Wong’s touring group, will headline an incredible weekend of music on Feb. 6-7 at Berlin. Alongside their monster band, they’ll apply their unique, high-energy, funky jazz style to songs you know and their own originals. Expect fun stories and unexpected musical twists!

Band Members:
Yohannes Tona - Bass/Compositions
Kenni Holmen - Saxophone/Compositions
Steven Hobert - Keys
Steve Jennings - Drums
Geoff LeCrone - Guitar

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Yohannes Tona was born in Awassa, a vibrant city in southern Ethiopia where he taught himself how to play the guitar by watching his parents’ choir rehearsals. After gaining national recognition in the Ethiopian church scene, he moved to the capital, Addis, to pursue musical education at Yared Music School. This was followed by a scholarship to his dream school, Berklee College of Music in Boston. He spent nearly two productive years at Berklee before landing the role of music director at an Ethiopian Evangelical church in St. Paul, where he would settle and start a family.

Since the early 2000s, Tona has built himself a name as a band leader and a sideman, performing along some legendary Minneapolis artists and international musicians. Such names include Cory Wong, Dr. Mambo’s Combo, Nachito Herrera, Jef Lee Johnson, The Sounds of Blackness, and The Steeles. While grateful for the incredible experience of playing big stages with such great names, Tona believes he is also responsible for sharing his original music—music that reflects his Ethiopian/African roots and the American experience—with the world.

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Kenni Holmen is one of the most active recording and touring musicians from the Twin Cities area. He has performed with Prince, Cory Wong, Michael Bolton, Celine Dion, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett, T.C. Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Doc Severinsen, the Minnesota Orchestra, and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, just to name a few. Holmen has recorded with Janet Jackson, Rod Stewart, Prince, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Cory Wong, The Fearless Flyers, Ben Sidran, Babyface, Mandy Moore, and more. He has toured throughout the world since 1992.