Reaction To 1000 Years of Finnish Pop Music and Fashion 

As a Finn, there is smth very profound within old Finnish folk music that just speaks directly to my soul.

The thing is, we have absolutely no idea how songs from 1000 years ago where sung. There was no notation and it took until the Renaissance and Baroque to have some consistency: songs before that were sung like the singer wanted, not what the "composer" wanted. Musical notation was the final key to the musical revolution that exploded the whole field of study, the complexity skyrocketed. Up until 13th century we did not even have real polyphonies, meaning that you have multiple notes at different pitches at the same time. it was unisono, "one voice" until then, afaik... everything is "afaik" before 1700s, since we literally have no clue how people sang music before that, you had to be present. It is very much the same as with written history, and everything before that is pre-history. In music, pre-history is only few hundred years ago.

Ievan Polkka is still huge in Finland, people cover it constantly. Check out Loituma - Ievan Polkka (most popular) or Korpiklaani - Ievan Polkka (Folk metal cover)

"Muistatko Monrepos'n" was not 1930's, it was recorded 1955. 'Murheellisten laulujen maa" was not 1970's, but 1982.

These examples of old Finnish folk songs pops up here and there in a one form or another. I can understand without any problem at these Finnish and Karela songs (I live at Eastern Finland) but I bet that there are Finns that might struggle with Karelia. BTW, ievan polkka (Eeva's Polkka) sounds a bit strange to my ear because the singer isn't from Savonia (most of the words of that polkka are taken from Savonia dialect of Finnish). Yes, that's a nitpicking but I want you to know (like some englishman from London tries to sing "the drunk Scotsman").

Yeah, some of the songs were in old Finnish.... like I can still understand it well but some of the words just are old.

Finnish rap scene became huge by Fintelligens 25 years ago. When they broke up Ela(stinen) continued with more melodic style (like "anna soida"). Nowadays he is making even poppish songs with rap influence. As mentioned there have been since artists like Jvg, Cheek, Sini Sabotage, Paleface.... and so many others. At this moment many youngsters like GettoMasa (f.ex. "lössi").

If you liked the Ievan polka at 6:07 I suggest to check out the whole song! For example this one by Loituma is very popular version of this: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-nbAHzYQIf40.html. Also the creator of the video, Vilma Jää, has very cool songs where she mixes old folkish style with pop/electronic music! Thanks for the video again, very interesting!

This jumps over 80´s and 90´s music. So dissappointed about that.

Finnish is a preserving language, so we can read early written Finnish with ease (it just sounds a bit funny), and we still use some loan words from other languages in the form they were adopted, when the source language has long forgotten about it and moved on and evolved new versions during the centuries. For example, Finnish words utare "udder" and marras "dead" have remained unchanged for over 2000 years. (November in Finnish is marraskuu, literally "dead month", when all life stops before winter. The top layer of skin is called marraskesi "dead skin." The tale tells it is also the month your skin sheds the top layer the most, my guess is to get winter skin! :D) A classic example of a loan word is Proto-Germanic (500 BC) kuningaz 'someone of the family, noble' nowadays in German König, English king, Swedish kung and Finnish kuningas.

Just like the Scottish have their different patterns/colours in wowen fabrics used in kilts, the fabrics of Finnish national costumes vary depending of the region. I think the most beautiful traditional national costumes come from Osthrobothnia region (Alahärmä town)-- for both men and women. The traditional costumes are all still hand made -- including all the fabrics, shoes, jewelry and knives and other accesories, so it's quite an expensive project to have a tailor made full costume. My grandmother was a bit of an enthusiast when it came to clothing. She had a costume of Alahärmä (so I'm abit biased hahah) but she also had someting less well-known dress called "Aino-puku" (Aino costume). She wore both dresses depending on occasion.

It is not surprising that "rune song" is similar to celtic music, as it is very much influenced by viking music (hence the rune).

Vilma Jää is totally cool musician and artist. Listen to her song Nouse Perkele or Jäinen neito. Strong.

Finnish rap classics: Avain - Punainen tiili: m.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-y3onZYandH4.html Steen1 - Sinisiä rappuja ja punaisia hintalappuja: m.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-w3JJFv9uVsI.html

Vilma Jää is a very talented singer whose debut album Kosto (Revenge) came out last year. Her performance in Kaija Saariaho's opera Innocence was absolutely amazing.

Some do make and have traditional costumes and they are used in celebrations, festivals and performances. Different regions, villages and persons of age and social status have their own costumes. The traditional design is also valued in jewelry and puukkos (knives), which are part of the costumes: "Kansallispukukooste 3 passthebrushchallenge", "Kansallispukukooste 5 passthebrushchallenge", "Koronakevään jenkka - Lockdown Jenkka | Kansantanssi - Finnish folk dance". Finnish contributions: "Colin Watt Letkajenkka", "Björn Weckström & Radical Forms" and "Vintage Jewelry Auction Preview Featuring "Star Wars" By Lapponia". Knife making: "Traditional Crafts of Finland - Episode 1 - Puukko Knife Making". Couple of folk songs: "Ulla Pirttijarvi - Mattharaku askai" and "Merja Soria Kylӓ Vuotti Uutta Kuuta - Finnish Folk Song".

I really love finnish rock. Leevi and the Leavings and Eppu Normaali are my favourites.

Also Finnish metal/rock has it musical roots in old folk songs and poetry.

Modernity is rotten.

Some of her own songs are amazing, she mixes that old style with modern music.

The lyrics of the first two songs were hard to understand because the style of singing was so different from normal speech and the use of some archaic words. Of course the lyrics of the third song were most difficult to understand because it was Karelian language and also the style of singing was so different from spoken language, but with some more listening it probably would be intelligible for a native Finnish speaker.

We finns understand most words of those old ones if we try really hard. 😅 Not every word. But those after 1700 we understand.

I checked her channel and she makes some great music! Modern pop with traditional style Finnish lyrics (with use of alliteration, alkusointu).

Here is full song of that Ievan Polkka: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-nbAHzYQIf40.html

Finnish rap scene is pretty big these days. There are many different types of artists, currently big ones are names like Cledos, Kube, Gettomasa, then there are more party-oriented groups like JVG, Gasellit and Mouhous (to name a few), there's grime artists like Horse Attack Sqwad and Töölön Ketterä. And then there's the "old guard" like Paleface, Asa (Avain), Don Johnson Big Band, Redrama, Fintelligens, Kapasiteettiyksikkö, Tulenkantajat, Stepa, Elastinen (Fintelligens), Skandaali, Solonen & Kosola etc. National broadcasting channel YLE made a really good documentary series (two series actually) called "Mistä sä tuut" about the history of Finnish rap scene.

Currently the biggest rap names are probably Cledos, Gettomasa, etc. but some of the more underground/og rap names are Altis, Stepa MC, Steen1, and especially ''SMC'' is legendary

I think there are huge similarities between Scottish and Finnish cultures. I think a lot of it comes from the harsh environments and the grit it takes to live there.

She did not include Kalevala tune. Its like 2000 years old Finnic music

She's really talented! Finnish music today is pretty melodic, even the tracks with a strong beat. I wonder if these old traditions still have an influence.

Old song /New cover.....ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_vt6k5DBecI.html

what comes to finnish rap music, puukkoallu is popular.

1000 years is a bit reach but I think Celtic was the genre in the early years. Not an historian but still.

all these songs are comprehensible to a Finn, but the one from Viena Karelia is the furthest from modern Finnish (because it not finnish), but it is still understandable

for hiphop : youytooble "elastinen"

Jukka Kuoppamäki: Sininen ja valkoinen: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-nkuUsrGT5q8.html Blue and White: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2gjxQHH8oco.html Blau und weiβ: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-aQIGPQ3pT5g.html

Are you from Kopenhagen

Most famous rapper is probably Cheek. Or Elastinen.

I like rap artist "asa"

Did you notice the surname of the singer? It's "JÄÄ", which means 1. "ice" and 2. "stay". It could be kind of artist name, I don't know.

Omg

You should react to Vilma Jää's (the artist performing on this video) latest album called Kosto which was just released. She combines Finnish traditional music to modern pop music. Kosto means revenge and it refers to her experiencing sexual abuse as a student. The album is very empowering for women especially. Thank you for your videos, I'm really enjoying them! 😊

Since you seem to like Nightwish i think you would also like Battle Beast!! The artists name is Noora Louhimo and she"s just incredible with her vocals! Here"s a official music video and a LIVE RAW version of them: LIVE RAW: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZQiTyBc2JKc.html Official music video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-SZzhUPe-Bck.html

She has made such a beutiful video so thank you for presenting it to me! Neverthelss, before the birth of the nation state in the late 19h C, you couldn't even talk about a single Finnish culture in any way, and you still really can't. Well, it's the same in any country - the traditional/popular music and clothing varies between different regions, doesn't it?

This reminds me, that in the early years of Nightwish.... and still, if you know to look for it, they use some ages old historical melodies. - One rock/pop scene in Finland were the times of Dingo and Yö - bands. Which came to a sort of end of an era with Hakulinen singing Parrasvalot.

To maker. Waltz: Lontoovin yössä, engl. at London night

❤ What can I say! You are so aware about so much ! You ❤So really thank you for let us to know!!! Life as it is!

Pikku G's music was my childhood tbh (the hiphop song in this)

Finnish rock in the 80s and 90s was good

that was beautiful. wasn't it?

As a person from western Finland I feel those examples of old songs very distant because they all were examples of eastern Finnish culture which is very different from the culture what we have in western Finland.

You definitely have to dive into Finnish rap scene. I recommend artists called Gettomasa, Kube and OG Ulla-Maija. Especially these songs are worth to check out: Gettomasa - Silmät Kube - Japanese drip ft. Cledos OGUM - Ratasessarit 1 ft. Midas

I've been a huge fan of hiphop my whole life aswell. Finnish rap has always had a special place in my heart just cause it's much more relatable to me. Some iconic artists that I would recommend along with some history and a song reccomendation or two from each of them. Not necessarily the best artists or songs, but all important in their own way to how Finland's hiphop scene looks right now: Avain (also known as Asa) - I would check out something from his first album "Punainen Tiili" as it is considered by MANY to be one of, if not the greatest Finnish rap album of all time. Maybe check out the title track "Punainen Tiili" or the song "Roihuvuori" Fintelligens - This group consisting of Elastinen & Iso H really catapulted Finnish rap that is actually rapped in Finnish into the mainstream, before their debut album called "Renesanssi" noone really thought you could even rap in Finnish let alone be succesfull while doing it. The group hasn't been making music for over ten years now, but both artists are still active especially Elastinen who is still topping charts with his solo stuff. I would also recommend something from their first album since you said you like 90s hiphop, maybe the song Stockholm-Helsinki which features rap in Swedish aswell. A big current artist in Finnish hiphop would be Gettomasa who is probably the biggest artist genre wide right now, he's been praised for his old school sound and lyricism which comes from his background as the former Finnish freestyle champion. I would recommend the song "Silmät" it's probably his biggest song that doesn't lean too much into pop. I would also recommend one of my personal favorites Paperi T who's been a pioneer in the more "artsy" side of Finnish rap since the early 2010s with his group Ruger Hauer aswell as his solo music. I'd check out either the song "Sä jätät jäljen" or "Surumielisen näköiset naiset" Some more artists new and old worth checking out if you're intrested in seeing more variety in styles and sounds: Ibe, JVG, Pyhimys, Lauri Haav, Kube, Costi, Gasellit, Skandaali

He he he, perse

This was really nice video. If you wanna dive in to Finnish rap a good starting point might be: JVG -Mist Sä tuut

As a Finn, I don’t know wtf this is. I like the sound of her voice but no, this is not for me.