Music is a popular hobby in Finland. For this in Finland fine possibilities are created, and almost each Finn at this or that stage of his life plays a musical instrument or sings in chorus. Children and youth have a possibility to receive musical education at the municipal music schools the network of which covers almost the whole country. Music schools also give to pupils the opportunity to use expensive tools. Amateur choruses for adults function at universities, big companies, so-called national and working schools organize games for adults on different musical instruments.
Pop music, fate and heavy rock
The success of the Finnish rock music is based on system of the music schools giving all wishing possibility to learn playing musical instruments covering the whole country. At music schools pupils also participate in ensembles and orchestras.
The Finnish light music became known abroad from the beginning of 2000ths, when such groups as Rasmus (The Rasmus), HIM and Nightwish have become successful on the concert tours.
Despite it, the victory of Finland on the Eurovision in 2006 has appeared for all the big surprise because group Lordi nominee (Lordi) as the Finnish representative on the Eurovision remained a question of issue till last day. Other known Finnish groups are group of heavy rock Children of Bodom and ensemble of violoncellists Apocalyptica which members have finished the most prestigious the higher musical educational institution in the country – Academy Sibeliusa.
Musical genres
Finland is a country of heavy rock. Irrespective of weather and season of groups of metal fate always make the majority in ten the most popular groups of the country. Such popularity of heavy music speaks both for propensity of Finns to melancholy, and gloom of the Finnish woods an the long, cold and dark winter.
However, a heavy rock nevertheless it is far not a unique musical genre in Finland. Particularly, thanks to success of the group Rasmus the Finnish pop music and fate also have found appreciable popularity in the world. On musical arena of the country constantly there are new interesting names.
Outside of the basic directions
Besides thiese representatives of the basic directions, in the Finnish musical art there is a considerable quantity of bright and original representatives of various genres which are injecting new life into musical life of the country and constantly going on tours abroad.
Mieskuoro Huutajat (Chorus of Shouters)
The man’s «Chorus of Shouters» from northern city of Oulu consists of about 30 members who, according to the name, don’t sing, namely popular songs but shout. The chorus often acts at various festivals: shouting guys in suits at ties represent an exotic show in any corner of the world.
Cleaning Women
Group Cleaning Women (Cleaners) already acted with tours in Russia. The group consists of men dressed under cleaners. The number of musical instruments of the group includes, in particular, washing boards and vacuum cleaners. Among other records, the group has written down music to early Soviet silent movies, such as “Aelita” Jacob Protazanova (1924) and «The Battleship Potyomkin» Sergey Eisenstein (1925).
Leningrad Cowboys
Group Leningrad Cowboys has become a history, having acted in Helsinki on a Senatskaya Square together with Krasnoznamennym of a mansion of the Soviet army of Aleksandrov. The group which has originally begun the activity from comic representations, thanks to the comic hairdresses and sharp-nosed shoes even have been invited to gala concert of Musical Television MTV.
Eläkeläiset (Pensioners)
The group in style “hummpa” Eläkeläiset is a live, prompt chaos on the scene. Its members representing grandfathers-pensioners, sing not about sex, drugs and a rock’n’roll,but about vodka and bingo. Show onthe scene is in many respects reduced to drinking of beer and using some unpleasant words publicly. Group “Pensioners” is rather popular in Germany – probably, it makes sense to ask its German fans the reasons for that popularity.