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Themusic of Finland can be roughly divided intofolk music,classical and contemporary art music, and contemporary popular music.
The folk music ofFinland belongs to a broader musical tradition, common amongstBalto-Finnic people, sung in the so-calledKalevala metre. Though folk songs of the old variety became progressively rarer in western Finland, they remained common in far eastern parts of the country, mainly Savonia andKarelia. After the publication ofKalevala, this music gained popularity again. In the west, mainstreamNordic folk music traditions prevail. TheSami people of northern Finland have their own musical traditions, known asSami music. Finnish folk music has undergone aroots revival, and has become a part of popular music.
In the field of classical and contemporary art music, Finland has produced exceptional numbers of musicians and composers.
Contemporary popular music includes aheavy metal scene like other Nordic countries, as well as prominentrock andpop bands,jazz musicians,hip hop performers and makers ofdance music. ASchlager scene with bandstand dancing shows that the local variety oftango is popular.
The two major traditions of folk music in Finland areKalevala andNordic folk music orpelimanni (North Germanicspelman, "player of music").
Kalevala is older. Its most important form isrunonlaulanta ("poem singing", or chanting), traditionally performed in atrochaic tetrametre using only the first five notes on a scale. Viaalliteration, this type of singing tells stories about heroes such asVäinämöinen,Lemminkäinen, andKullervo. The songs were memorised, not written down, and performed by a soloist, or by a soloist and a chorus inantiphony. TheVantaa Chamber Choir is an example of a choir that sings such poems in modern arrangements.Traditional Finnish instruments include thekantele, which is achordophone, and was used in the 'Kalevala' by the heroVäinämöinen. More primitive instruments like thejouhikko (abowedlyre) and thesäkkipilli (Finnishbagpipe) had fallen into disuse, but are now finding new popularity in a folk revival.[1]
Värttinä is a modern group more focused onKalevala singing traditions and thekantele.
Pelimanni music is the Finnish version ofNordic folk dance music, and it istonal. It came to Finland from Central Europe viaScandinavia in the 17th century, and in the 19th century, it replaced theKalevalaic tradition.Pelimanni was generally played on thefiddle and clarinet. Later, theharmonium andaccordions were added. Common dances in thePelimanni traditions include:polka,mazurka,schottische,quadrille,waltz, andminuet.
A form of rhyming sleighride singing calledrekilaulu also became popular in the 17th century. Despite opposition from most of the churches in Finland, rekilaulu remained popular and is today a common element in pop songs.[citation needed] Since the 1920s, several popular Finnish performers have used rekilaulu as an integral part of their repertoire. Early pioneers in this field of pop rekilaulu includedArthur Kylander, while Erkki Rankaviita,Kuunkuiskaajat, and Pinnin Pojat sustained the tradition.
Early in the 20th century, the region ofKaustinen became a center of innovation forPelimanni music. Friiti Ojala and Antti Järvelä were fiddlers of the period.Konsta Jylhä and the other members of Purpuripelimannit (formed in 1946) became perhaps the most influential group of this period. Well-known Finnish folk music groups of today in the Kaustinen tradition includeJPP,Frigg (although part Norwegian), and Troka. Another important folk musician of today is theaccordionistMaria Kalaniemi.
Common instruments today include trumpets,horns, andwhistle. Important virtuosos include Leena Joutsenlahti, Teppo Repo and Virpi Forsberg.[citation needed]
In the 20th century, influences from modern music and dances such asjazz andfoxtrot led to distinctively Finnish forms of dance music, such ashumppa andjenkka.
TheSami of northern Finland, Sweden, andNorway are known for highly spiritual songs calledjoik, reminiscent of a few types ofNative American singing. The same word sometimes refers tolavlu orvuelie songs, though this is technically incorrect.Hip hop artistAmoc is noted for rapping inInari Sami, a Sami language from the area ofInari.[2]
In the 18th century, public concerts were established inTurku andErik Tulindberg wrote six famous string quartets. After Russia's 1809 annexation of Finland, the cities ofViipuri andHelsinki became cultural centers and opera became popular. The first Finnish opera was written by the German composerFredrik Pacius in 1852. Pacius also wroteMaamme/Vårt land (Our Land), Finland'snational anthem and foundedAkademiska Sångföreningen in year 1838, the oldest still active choir in Finland.
In 1874, the Society for Culture and Education(Kansanvalistusseura) was founded to provide opportunities for artistic expression, beginning with theJyväskylä festival in 1881. The festival, organized on Estonian roots, continues today. In 1883, theHelsinki University Chorus(Ylioppilaskunnan Laulajat) was founded as a Finnish-language choir amidst the mostlySwedish-speaking scene.[3] The same year conductorRobert Kajanus founded theHelsinki Philharmonic Orchestra andMartin Wegelius founded what became theSibelius Academy.
In the 1890s, Finnishnationalism based on theKalevala spread, andJean Sibelius became famous for his vocal symphonyKullervo. He received a grant to study poetry singers inKarelia and continued his rise as the first internationally prominent Finnish musician. In 1899 he composedFinlandia, which played an important role in Finnish independence. He remains one of Finland's most popular national figures and national symbol.
Alongside Sibelius, national romanticism sprouted other composers who contributed in the formation of a distinct Finnish style of music.Heino Kaski was a composer of small chamber music pieces;Erkki Melartin's output includes six symphonies;Yrjö Kilpinen composed solo songs, as well asLeevi Madetoja, andToivo Kuula. In the 1930s composers includingUuno Klami and Yrjö Kilpinen rose to popularity. Kilpinen's approach was somewhat nationalistic, whereas Klami had Karelian influences, leaning towards French models.
Finland had a lively classical music scene. Composers were supported by conductors such asMikko Franck,Esa-Pekka Salonen (also a notable composer),Jukka-Pekka Saraste,Osmo Vänskä,Susanna Mälkki,Leif Segerstam andSakari Oramo. Many Finnish singers and instrumentalists achieved international success. Among them are opera singersMartti Talvela,Karita Mattila,Matti Salminen,Soile Isokoski andTopi Lehtipuu, pianistsRalf Gothoni,Olli Mustonen,Risto Lauriala,Janne Mertanen and Paavali Jumppanen, as well as clarinettistKari Kriikku and violinistPekka Kuusisto. Practically all prominent Finnish musicians perform both classical and contemporary art music.
The opening of the newFinnish National Opera in 1993 and the newHelsingin Musiikkitalo in 2011 strengthened the position of classical and art music. The orchestra network in Finland might be proportionally the densest in the world, including 30 member orchestras of the Association of Finnish Symphony Orchestras.[4]
Aino Ackté and other opera singers founded theFinnish Opera in 1911. Ackté began a festival inSavonlinna the following year; this was the precursor of theSavonlinna Opera Festival, which launched in the 1960s, shortly before the new Finnish opera became famous in the 1970s. Leevi Madetoja's 1924Pohjalaisia, an operaticallegory about Russian oppression during previous decades, became popular during the 1920s. At roughly the same time,Aarre Merikanto composed the operaJuha to the libretto by Aino Ackté, who rejected it and asked Leevi Madetoja to compose another version instead; Merikanto's Juha was first performed after the composer's death in 1958, and became regarded as an underrated masterwork.[5]
Aulis Sallinen started a new wave of Finnish opera in the 1970s withThe Horseman andThe Red Line.The Red Line earned productions in Moscow, London, and New York City. Along with Sallinen's stage works,Joonas Kokkonen's operaThe Last Temptations contributed to that era's rise of Finnish opera music. More recent major operas by Finnish composers include among othersKaija Saariaho'sL'Amour de loin andAdriana mater as well asOlli Kortekangas'sIsän tyttö ("Daddy's Girl").
Since the 1960s, theLahti Symphony Orchestra's reputation as one of the most important Scandinavian orchestras was cemented by conductorOsmo Vänskä; this helped to cause a boom in opera's popularity during the 1980s, rescuing a form increasingly seen as archaic elsewhere. The Savonlinna Opera Festival reopened in 1967.
Martti Talvela,Karita Mattila andJorma Hynninen became international opera stars, while composers likeKalevi Aho,Olli Kortekangas,Paavo Heininen,Aulis Sallinen,Einojuhani Rautavaara,Atso Almila andIlkka Kuusisto composed successful operas.
The first wave of post-classical music in Finland came about in the 1920s with modernists Aarre Merikanto,Väinö Raitio and Sulho Ranta. However, this movement was tamed by the growing nationalistic tendency in the arts before theSecond World War.[6] In the 1940s,Erik Bergman and Joonas Kokkonen gained popularity and added technical innovations to Finnish music. A generation of Finnish composers turned to modernism, such asEinojuhani Rautavaara andUsko Meriläinen, while theneoclassical style found voice in the music ofEinar Englund.[7] The 1950s saw an increase in international attention on Finnish music and helped modernize Finnish composing.
The forming of theEars Open! society in 1977[8] turned out to be the major change in Finnish art music. From its circles emerged composers and musicians who achieved worldwide success, notably conductor-composer Esa-Pekka Salonen, and composersEero Hämeenniemi,Kaija Saariaho,Magnus Lindberg andJouni Kaipainen.[8] The earlyEars Open! society followed Central European modernism along the lines ofPierre Boulez andKarlheinz Stockhausen, but also showed interest in post-warPolish School composers such asWitold Lutoslawski.Ears Open! was followed by the forming ofAvanti! Chamber Orchestra in 1983, which offered a platform for composers and instrumentalists to introduce new works and stylistic flows in Finland.
In the 21st century, the modernist movement waned, but is still represented by composers such asVeli-Matti Puumala andLotta Wennäkoski.[9][10] Juhani Nuorvala is a rareminimalist, whileOsmo Tapio Räihälä andSebastian Fagerlund lean more towardspost-modernism.[11][12]
Performance of contemporary art music blossomed in Finland, with specialized groups includingUusinta Chamber Ensemble and Zagros. The most important stages for contemporary art music are the established festivals Time of Music inViitasaari, Musica nova Helsinki andTampere Biennale, as well as the Klang Concert Series in Helsinki.
Classical elements and mysterious soundscapes characterize the compositions of Finnish film score composerDiana Ringo. Popular singerAnna Eriksson creates experimental music and film scores.
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Iskelmä (coined directly from the German wordSchlager, meaninghit) is a traditional Finnish word for a light popular song.Georg Malmstén started his career in the 1930s. Others, such asDallapé, incorporated then-noveljazz elements. AfterWorld War II but beforerock and roll, names such asOlavi Virta orTapio Rautavaara were popular singers, andToivo Kärki andReino Helismaa were popular songwriters. Foreign musical genres such astango found domestic audiences.[13] Some of the most acclaimed Finnish chanteuses of this time period wereLaila Kinnunen,Carola,Annikki Tähti,Brita Koivunen and Vieno Kekkonen.
From the late 1960s,Irwin Goodman (a.k.a. Antti Hammarberg) combinediskelmä andprotest songs, gaining popularity with humorous tunes penned byVexi Salmi, who also wrote for other Finnish artists.Juha "Watt" Vainio was another popular songwriter, known for Finnish renditions of many international hits, but for his own songs and performing in his own right. In the 1970s, "Finnhits" compilation records of various artists continued in theiskelmä tradition. Rural-flavouredhumppa became a successful variation ofiskelmä, later parodied byEläkeläiset. Other popular Finnishiskelmä singers areKatri Helena, Danny (a.k.a.Ilkka Lipsanen),Fredi,Eino Grön,Erkki Junkkarinen,Frederik (a.k.a. Ilkka Sysimetsä),Marion Rung,Tapani Kansa,Kirka (a.k.a. Kirill Babitzin),Matti ja Teppo,Jari Sillanpää, andKikka Sirén.
The annualEurovision Song Contest is avidly followed in Finland and in 2006 Finland won with the melodic heavy rock bandLordi.
Like Finnish music in general,iskelmä is written mostly inminor keys. The melodies have a distinguishable Finnish "flavour" that is somewhat related to Russian and Italian melodies and harmonies although Scandinavian and Anglo-American influence can also be heard.
Iskelmä music is essentially dance music, and it is mostly performed on dancing stages and halls around the country. The best known and perhaps most loved and respected dance is thetango, which originated in Argentina. Notably, the annual Finnish contest foriskelmä artists is "Tangomarkkinat", meaning "The Tango Marketplace"; many of the stars of contemporaryiskelmä have won this competition and it is a major spectacle in Finland, comparable with theSanremo Music Festival in Italy.
Iskelmä is typically non-urban music and its greatest popularity is situated to the countryside and smaller cities.
Traditionallyaccordion has been the major instrument in iskelmä music and it is still played, but has in most cases been replaced by guitar,electric piano and synthesizer. These, with drums, electric bass and occasional use of saxophone form the basic instrumentation ofiskelmä.
Rock arrived in Finland in the 1950s. Founded in the 1960s,Love Records was one of the first domestic record labels dedicated toFinnish rock music, even though the label's roster also included jazz and political songs. During the late 1960s,Blues Section, a group inspired byJimi Hendrix andThe Who gained a reputation as "the first Finnish band of international quality". Another band that gained some reputation was Apollo that later featured jazz-drummerEdward Vesala. The early work had little typical Finnish "flavour" and most bands covered music by international bands.Blues Section later developed into internationally acknowledged "superband" Wigwam, featuring English singerJim Pembroke, who wrote many of their songs. Originally they also played songs with Finnish lyrics written byJukka Gustafsson such as the classical "Luulosairas".
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During the 1970s, progressive rock groupsWigwam andTasavallan Presidentti received critical acclaim in the United Kingdom, but fame evaded them.Pekka Streng was one of the pioneers of Finnish rock music via his progressive spiritual folkrock and Finnish lyrics. The 2000s experienced a Streng-renaissance and one of his songs became an international club hit. Hard-rock groupHurriganes was popular in Sweden as well as in Finland.Hector,Juice Leskinen,Dave Lindholm and many other successful artists of the 1970s sang in Finnish, which continued in later years. During the 1970s these artists birthed "suomirock".
Suomirock literally means Finnish rock music. However, its meaning is more specific, covering rock/pop music with Finnish lyrics. As a genre it started in the 1980s following thepunk rock movement. It is a form of rock music that is recognizably Finnish with Finnish lyrics. A more general and recent term is "suomipop". The boundaries between what is considered "rock" and "pop" blurred and depend upon personal preference. Traditionally iniskelmä the performers did not write their songs, while in the rock scene the singer-songwriter ruled. In the 2000s new performers such asIdols songcontest winnerAri Koivunen performed even heavy rock in theiskelmä manner, which used to be typical only iniskelmä-scene.
Thepunk movement arrived in Finland in 1977 and influenced Finnish youth culture.Pelle Miljoona was the most famous Finnish punk singer.Terveet Kädet started the hardcore punk-wave.Eppu Normaali also started during this period, (later to change its style from punk to rock/pop). At the same time, Finland had a massive movement ofElvis androckabilly fans, later parodied by Finnishlo-fi punk bandLiimanarina.
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In the 1980s, most favoured artists were punkishDingo and heavy-heartedYö (lit. 'night'), both singing their lyrics in Finnish and being fromPori.[14] In the underground,Ismo Alanko, considered by many as the foremost Finnish rock lyricist, gained a legendary status with his punkish groupsHassisen Kone andSielun Veljet.Kauko Röyhkä was another literate underground icon, leaning musically towardsVelvet Underground. The 1980s showed short international fame forpunk styleglam rock bandHanoi Rocks. Hanoi Rocks andSmack have been cited as an influence by major American bands such as Guns N' Roses and Foo Fighters.
Heavy metal was popular in Finland during the 1980s, producing groups likeStone, the latter being a fondly remembered speed metal act.Hardcore punk is also popular in Finland, including bands such asEndstand, Abduktio, I Walk the Line, andLighthouse Project.
In the early 1990s Finnish rock parody group theLeningrad Cowboys flourished. It was an international rock comedy band that grew out of the Finnish comedy bandSleepy Sleepers. Its members appeared inAki Kaurismäki's comedy filmLeningrad Cowboys Go America. They performed live at theMTV Music Awards in New York City in 1994, together with the fullRed Army Choir, performing "Sweet Home Alabama". This was the biggest TV audience for any Finnish music artist ever. Leningrad Cowboys were famous for outrageous outfits including ridiculous rock-a-billy hairdos and ultra-pointed shoes. The band remained popular in parts of Europe.
Finnish bands tend to write lyrics in English to broaden their audience. However, 1990s bands such asApulanta, Miljoonasade,Ultra Bra and the shamanic art-punk groupCMX found success with Finnish lyrics. The hard-to-define electronic country garage rock group22 Pistepirkko got excellent reviews in the Finnish rock press and reached cult status in Central Europe. Other notable Finnish cult rock groups of this era include the psychedelic bandHendrixianKingston Wall that was influenced byshamanism and genres ofelectronic dance music, and equally psychedelic but gothic, gloomy, and heavy,Mana Mana.
A band that enjoyed critical and commercial success in the 2000s isThe Rasmus. After eleven years and several domestic releases, the band gained attention in Europe. TheirDead Letters (2003) album sold 1.5 million units worldwide and garnered eight gold and five platinum album designations. The single "In the Shadows" placed on Top 10 charts in eleven countries and was the most played video onMTV Europe for 2005. The Helsinki natives released their follow-up album,Hide From The Sun, domestically in 2005, r eaching the U.S. in 2006. To promote the U.S. release, the band toured with the Welsh bandLostprophets. The albumBlack Roses was released worldwide on 29 September 2008. It was produced byDesmond Child and the first single was calledLivin' in a World Without You. The band continued in the 2020s and competed inEurovision Song Contest 2022.
Finland is known forheavy metal acts, including from thedeath metal,black metal,doom metal,folk metal,power metal, andsymphonic metal subgenres.
Finland hosts a strong underground doom metal scene more focused on the depressive mood of the genre, evoking intense grief.[15] The bands play with slow tempos and melodic tones, creating an atmosphere of darkness and melancholia.[15][16] This scene was kick-started byRigor Mortis (which, due to an older US band with the same name, changed their name to Spiritus Mortis), which originated in 1987.[17][18] Notable bands includeReverend Bizarre,[19]Minotauri,[18]Dolorian,[15]Shape of Despair,[15]Swallow the Sun,[15]Thergothon,[15]Skepticism[15] andUnholy.[20]
In the later 1990s thesymphonic metal groupApocalyptica playedMetallica cover songs as cello quartets and sold half a million records worldwide. The recently retiredTimo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus were one of Finland's most popular metal acts in the early 2000s, after leaving late 1980s – early 1990s cult bandLyijykomppania. Children's power metal bandHevisaurus became popular in Finland.
Finnish metal bands attained worldwide success within the underground metal scene. Examples of such bands includeStratovarius andSonata Arctica, andChildren of Bodom.
Nightwish is considered a pioneer of symphonic metal that mixes in power metal and gothic metal and hadTarja Turunen, a classical soprano, as its vocalist until 2005. The band received platinum and gold certifications for its albums sales in many countries and became the third best selling Finnish artist. The band was nominated for awards and took home 11 Emma-gala awards, the Echo award, the Mtv Europe music award, the World music award and the Metal Storm award. In 2000 the band participated in the Finnish qualification for theEurovision Song Contest, reaching second place.
Kotiteollisuus was one of Finland's most popular bands, producing one platinum and several gold albums and winning Emma-awards in 2003 and 2005 for best metal record ("Helvetistä itään") and best DVD ("Kotiteollisuus"), respectively.
Finnish hard rock bandLordi won the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest with a record 292 points, Finland's first-ever victory. They submitted "Hard Rock Hallelujah", and they celebrated their win with a free concert inMarket Square in Helsinki, on 26 May 2006. They broke the world record forkaraoke singing with about 80,000 voices singing "Hard Rock Hallelujah".[21] Lordi was one of the most watched competitors of the Eurovision Song Contest internationally,[22] because the band aroused positive media interest, while some foreigners accused Lordi ofsatanism.[23]
From the beginning of 2000,HIM reached greater sales and more international success than any other band to come from Finland. Going gold with their first official American releaseDark Light,[24][25] of which two singles, "Wings of a Butterfly" and "Killing Loneliness", reached number one and two, respectively, on the Finnish Singles Chart.[26][27] The former cracked the top ten in the UK.[28] Several Finnish bands have followed the lead of that band;Entwine,Lullacry, andPoisonblack are such bands.
Heavy metal groupBlind Channel finished sixth inEurovision Song Contest 2021 with their song "Dark Side".
Other well-known metal bands areAmorphis,Beherit,Impaled Nazarene,Throne of Chaos,Turisas andEnsiferum.[29]
Finland hip-hop bands emerged during the late 1990s to early 2000s. One of the first Finnish Hip Hop records with lyrics in English was recorded at Vernissa (C) Manus / (P) Johanna Kustannus 1991 by Damn The Band. Later Finland offeredNuera with MC's Skem (Henry Kaprali) and Dream (Petri Laurila) from Tampere region. Nuera's first release was in 1992. Same guys, together with DJ K2 were also behind a hip-hop based radio show on YleX. The first popular hip-hop band to break the taboo of making rap lyrics in Finnish (rapping in Finnish was not regarded as serious business because the first artists to do this in the early 1990s such asRaptori, Nikke T and Pääkköset were humorous project and were popular mostly among children) wasFintelligens arguably one of the most successful hip hop bands in Finland. Let's not forget about Ceebrolistics, their first cassette singleSping was released in 1995 their lyrics has been both in Finnish and English. Few other important popular but underground acts were MC Taakibörsta,Notkea Rotta andPaleface just to mention a few from the same era.
Today rap music is one of the major genres of Finnish pop-music and there are many artists, who have reached wide popularity. Still it can be said, that rap-scene is primarily an underground-movement. But even independent artists such as ASA with often political and critical lyrics are quite popular. ASA's "leijonaa mä metsästän"-album was the third on Finnish albumchart in 2005. Finnish rap-artists, such asPaleface with English lyrics have not attained international success. An exception to this is /breakbeat-/electro-/ hiphop-bandBomfunk MC's, who with their MCRaymond Ebanks became popular in Central Europe, as they had the most sold European hit single of 2000, "Freestyler" along withtrance music actDarude's international hit "Sandstorm".
In 2023 hip-hop artistKäärijä represented Finland at theEurovision Song Contest 2023 and placed first in the televote but second in overall.
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In the 1990s, a popular new trend was so-calledEurodance music and this style also had Finnish followers, many of which however are today quite forgotten. A couple of bands also wrote their lyrics in English, but didn't make it on the international music market. To mention few artists, there were Hausmylly,Aikakone andMovetron.
Some contemporary pop/rock singers who emerged in the 2000s, such asMaija Vilkkumaa,Sanni Kurkisuo,Jenni Vartiainen,Anssi Kela,Irina,Chisu,Anna Puu,Anna Eriksson,Hanna Pakarinen andAntti Tuisku, and pop rock groups such asScandinavian Music Group, andPMMP, are popular in Finland. They all primarily sing in Finnish, which may contribute to their relatively low international profile. Antti Tuisku has become the most popular and best-selling artist to emerge fromIdols, the Finnish version ofPop Idol.[30][31]Erika Vikman is another popular electropop singer who achieved wide recognition in Finland with her 2020 hit "Syntisten pöytä" (The Sinner's Table).Poets of the Fall is an example of a Finnish pop/rock band that sings in English.
Since the late 1990s and early 2000s, female artists have become more visible as performers and songwriters. Singer-songwriterChisu is a good example of this phenomenon penning songs that can be considered classics, along withEppu Normaali,Tuomari Nurmio.
A number ofiskelmä, rock- and pop-songs attained classic status, outlasting "hits of today". Although the differences between pop, rock andiskelmä are notable in social signification – stereotypicallyiskelmä is music for older and rural people, while rock and pop are for youth and urbanites–the boundaries between these genres are not always clear. This seems to be true especially in popular songs that are endlessly performed in original form, or rearranged into new musical idioms and dialects.
The Finnish roots revival began in the 1960s. The Ilmajoki Music Festival andKaustinen Folk Music Festival became musical centers for the country and helped revitalize traditional Finnish folk music.Runosong was revitalized by a new generation of performers, including Reijo Kela,Kimmo Pohjonen and Heikki Laitinen, who created akalevala performance art piece.
The International Folk Music Festival, established in 1968 inKaustinen. It became a major event in the popularization of Finnish folk. The 1970s saw further revival of Finnish folk music, including artists likeKonsta Jylhä,JPP andVärttinä. Jylhä and his Purppuripelimannit band did the most to popular the scene.[32]
Some non-Sami artists, includingEnigma andJan Garbarek, usedjoik and other Sami styles in their music, whileMarie Boine of Norway is probably the most internationally famous Sami star. 1996's critically acclaimedSuden Aika byTellu Turkka saw a further return ofrunosong.
The Finnish bagpipe, thesäkkipilli, though previously extinct, was revived by folk musicians such as Petri Prauda.
In the 2000s, an underground-movement of new folk music came out. Notables include artists such as Joose Keskitalo,Kuusumun Profeetta, andPaavoharju. Despite their Finnish lyrics bands have claimed international recognition. Well-known artistsJ. Karjalainen andPauli Hanhiniemi have turned to folk music.
Another new phenomenon of the 2000s is suomireggae. With Finnish lyrics and moral and spiritual content artists such as Soul-Captain Band,Kapteeni Ä-ni,Jukka Poika andRaappana have attained wider popularity.
Underground scenes of various genres are lively, while many bands and artists defy genre boundaries. A good example is underground rap artist ASA (formerly known as MC Avain), who has used folk artists as the accompanying band.
In electronic music,Jori Hulkkonen,Jimi Tenor, andPan Sonic have had underground success worldwide. Finland has given birth to international trance DJs such asDJ Orkidea, Alex Kunnari, DJ Proteus,JS16,Super8 & Tab,Yotto, andPaavo Siljamäki. Other notable Finnish artists are Mesak,Imatran Voima,Mr Velcro Fastener, EODEM,Luomo a.k.a.Vladislav Delay,Brothomstates,Lackluster,Pan Sonic,Op:l Bastards and Ovuca. Electronic music labels includeSähkö Recordings, Kahvi Records, Dum Records (run by Kimmo Rapatti a.k.a. Mono Junk) andJyväskylä'sRikos Records.
The pioneer of Finnishelectronic music isErkki Kurenniemi who built DIMI synthesizers in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Finnish undergroundpsy trance culture is mostly active in the Helsinki metro area. The Finnish style (suomisaundi) of psy trance music is known worldwide and has notable international audiences, for example in Japan and Russia. Main characters in Finnish psy trance are Mullet Mohawk, Texas Faggott and Squaremeat. The most popular Finnish electronica artist isDarude (Ville Virtanen), who gained international success with his chart-topping "Sandstorm", and the following hit albumBefore the Storm. His music is a combination of hard house and progressive trance. The Finnishhard dance scene gained some following, primarily due to Helsinki-based DJ Proteus winning the title of Best DJ at The Hard Dance Awards in 2004 and 2005. Finland has a popular and internationally recognised Freeform hardcore scene, with the FINRG label enjoying success in the UK, Australia, and more recently Canada and the United States.
In experimental electronica, noise and ambient electronic music, Finland is represented by Petri Kuljuntausta, Pink Twins, Ihokas, Rihmasto, Nemesis, Niko Skorpio, Dystopia, Ozone Player, Winterplanet, Corporate 09, Moya81, and Outer Space Alliance.
Jazz came toFinland along with American immigrants in 1926. One of the first Finnish jazz bands wasDallapé which is still active Klaus Salmi,Eugen Malmstén,Erik Lindström,Toivo Kärki,Ossi Aalto [fi] and Kauko Viitamäki were some of the first professionalFinnish jazz musicians. Jazz bands started doing dance gigs. Initially the popular genres were accordion jazz,ragtime,swing, jazzschlager andwaltz.
Finnish jazz imitated foreign models until the 1960s when a new generation started to combine American tradition and Finnish folk influences. Artists includedEsa Pethman [fi],Heikki Sarmanto,Eero Koivistoinen andHenrik Otto Donner.Edward Vesala's andParoni Paakkunainen [fi]'sSoulset [fi] band managed to succeed in international contests and festivals. The first Finnish jazz festival,Pori Jazz, launched in 1966.
In the 1970s, musicians began to mix jazz,funk andprogressive rock.Pekka Pöyry,Sakari Kukko,Pekka Pohjola,Jukka Tolonen andOlli Ahvenlahti were some of the best-known Finnish jazz musicians. Sakari Kukko'sPiirpauke played jazz that was influenced by Finnish folk music and progressive rock. The music ofWigwam andTasavallan Presidentti is usually regarded as progressive rock, but included elements ofjazz fusion. Live concerts often included long solos. TheUMO Jazz Orchestra was founded in 1975 and gave opportunity to manyFinnish jazz musicians to earn a living.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Finnish jazz became more internationally recognized.Jukka Linkola,Jukka Perko andTapani Rinne with hisRinneradio combined various musical styles.Iiro Rantala,Raalmi Eskelinen andEerik Siikasaari foundedTrio Töykeät in 1988 and the band attained worldwide interest. Other important jazz musicians from this era areSeveri Pyysalo [fi],Lenni-Kalle Taipale [fi],Verneri Pohjola, Markus Ketola andAnna-Mari Kähärä [fi].Martti "Mape" Lappalainen [fi] founded Espoo Big Band andApril Jazz festival in the 1980s.
After the 1990s, Finnish jazz evolved in different directions.Samplers were used to create more unique sounds.The Five Corners Quintet [fi],U-Street All Stars and Quintessence playednu-jazz with electronic and pop influences. Oddarrang, Dalindéo, Mopo, Teemu Viinikainen,Timo Lassy,Jukka Eskola [fi], Manuel Dunkel andMikko Innanen represent the future of Finnish jazz.
Military bands are a part of theFinnish Defence Forces. A total of thirteen military bands operate in Finland. They are relatively small in size, but are often reinforced with other local professional wind players.
A large military band consisting only of conscripts with professional conductors is called The Conscript Band of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its strength is about 60–70 musicians. It operates in Lahti and is concentrated on making marching shows and large-scale concerts.
A 3-CD box set entitled Beginner's Guide to Scandinavia was released by Nascente/Demon Music Group in May 2011. It was the first time that the various genres of Scandinavian music – pop, folk, jazz and experimental – had been combined in one release. Finnish artists includedVärttinä,Kimmo Pohjonen,Maria Kalaniemi,Vuokko Hovatta,Sanna Kurki-Suonio,Islaja andWimme.