Tapani Kansa
Encyclopedia
Aarne Tapani Kansa is a Finnish singer.
, translated into Finnish
. Tapani Kansa had established a career in singing at a very young age. He had started studying singing in the Kotka
music academy in the middle 1960s. His colourful performance style brought him lots of work on the TV. His early hit songs include Kuljen taas kotiinpäin ("I am walking home again"), Eloise and Käymme yhdessä ain ("We will always go together"). In 1976, Tapani Kansa achieved great success with his songs R-A-K-A-S ("D-E-A-R"), Hafanana and Melina. The next year he released the album Mistä rakkaus alkoi ("Where did the love start"), which presented a more pop music
style Tapani Kansa: The album contains a Finnish version of Elton John
's song Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word - in Finnish Anteeksi on vaikea pyytää ("It is hard to apologise").
The 1970s brought rock and roll
and show music to Kansa's concerts. Hits of the time included Rokkivaari Hotanen ("Hotanen, the rocking grandpa", translated from Daddy Cool
by Darts) and Kalajoen hiekat ("The sands of Kalajoki
", translated from California Dreamin'
by The Mamas & the Papas
). Veikko Nieminen brought a more sociological aspect to the lyrics in connection with the new age.
Tapani Kansa also studied singing at the Sibelius Academy
from 1974 to 1978, and in the late 1970s, he enlarged his repertoire: The album Moment Musical (1978) was made in co-operation with Heikki Sarmanto
, who arranged a musical version of Eino Leino
's lyrics into the album. Another artist on the album was Maija Hapuoja. In 1987, Kansa recorded the classic Hopeinen Kuu ("Silver Moon") and the album Betonimylläri, containing poetry by Lauri Viita
. 1988 brought Oskari Merikannon kauneimmat laulut. The album Kultaniityt (1994 introduced, among some translated songs, also Tapani Kansa as a songwriter. On the album Päivä jolloin rakastat ("The day you love", 1999), Kansa interpreted Argentinian
tango
s, while Valaistu ikkuna ("The lit window") included Finnish film
songs. The album Salaisuudessain ("In my secret", 2002) was a return to the pop music style, and a new direction came in autumn 2004, when Tapani Kansa interpreted Tapio Rautavaara
's songs on the album Tapsa ja Rautavaara.
In 2002, Tapani Kansa appeared in the Pojat group formed by Danny
and Markku Aro
, performing hit songs by the artists from the 1960s.
In 2006, Kansa released the album Kulkumies ("The traveller"), which he wrote the lyrics to and co-arranged the melodies with Kassu Halonen. In the same year, Kansa was nominated for the Iskelmä-Finlandia prize.
Tapani Kansa has written and arranged his own works. He has also appeared on theatre
and operettes and acted on TV. In 1987, Kansa was awarded the Erikois-Emma prize.
Tapani Kansa had a long relationship with author-journalist Nina af Enehjelm. They have two children together.
Career
Tapani Kansa made his first record deal in 1967 and had a breakthrough the next year, with his version of the hit song DelilahDelilah (1968 song)
"Delilah" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Tom Jones in 1968. It was written by Barry Mason, with music by Les Reed.-Success:It reached No 1 in the charts of several countries including Germany and Switzerland. It reached No 2 in the British charts in March 1968 and was the sixth best selling...
, translated into Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
. Tapani Kansa had established a career in singing at a very young age. He had started studying singing in the Kotka
Kotka
Kotka is a town and municipality of Finland. Its former name is Rochensalm.Kotka is located on the coast of the Gulf of Finland at the mouth of Kymi River and it is part of the Kymenlaakso region in southern Finland. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water....
music academy in the middle 1960s. His colourful performance style brought him lots of work on the TV. His early hit songs include Kuljen taas kotiinpäin ("I am walking home again"), Eloise and Käymme yhdessä ain ("We will always go together"). In 1976, Tapani Kansa achieved great success with his songs R-A-K-A-S ("D-E-A-R"), Hafanana and Melina. The next year he released the album Mistä rakkaus alkoi ("Where did the love start"), which presented a more pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
style Tapani Kansa: The album contains a Finnish version of Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's song Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word - in Finnish Anteeksi on vaikea pyytää ("It is hard to apologise").
The 1970s brought rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
and show music to Kansa's concerts. Hits of the time included Rokkivaari Hotanen ("Hotanen, the rocking grandpa", translated from Daddy Cool
Daddy Cool (The Rays song)
"Daddy Cool" was a song by US doo-wop group, The Rays and was released on Cameo Records as the B-side of their 1957 single "Silhouettes". It became a #3 hit on the Billboard Pop singles chart. The song was written by Bob Crewe and Frank Slay, who had also written the A-side, "Silhouettes"...
by Darts) and Kalajoen hiekat ("The sands of Kalajoki
Kalajoki
Kalajoki is a town and municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
", translated from California Dreamin'
California Dreamin'
"California Dreamin is a popular song by The Mamas & the Papas, first released in 1965. The song is #89 in Rolling Stones list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time...
by The Mamas & the Papas
The Mamas & the Papas
The Mamas & the Papas were a Canadian/American vocal group of the 1960s . The group recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968 with a short reunion in 1971, releasing five albums and 11 Top 40 hit singles...
). Veikko Nieminen brought a more sociological aspect to the lyrics in connection with the new age.
Tapani Kansa also studied singing at the Sibelius Academy
Sibelius Academy
The Sibelius Academy is a university-level music school which operates in Helsinki and Kuopio, Finland. It also has an adult education centre in Järvenpää and a training centre in Seinäjoki. The Academy is the only music university in Finland. It is among the biggest European music universities...
from 1974 to 1978, and in the late 1970s, he enlarged his repertoire: The album Moment Musical (1978) was made in co-operation with Heikki Sarmanto
Heikki Sarmanto
Heikki Veli Uolevi Sarmanto is a Finnish jazz pianist and composer.Sarmanto started playing jazz in the 1960s. He studied first at the Sibelius Academy and later in Berklee College of Music in Boston...
, who arranged a musical version of Eino Leino
Eino Leino
Eino Leino was a Finnish poet and journalist and is considered one of the pioneers of Finnish poetry. His poems combine modern and Finnish folk elements. The style of much of his work is like the Kalevala and folk songs. Nature, love, and despair are frequent themes in Leino's work...
's lyrics into the album. Another artist on the album was Maija Hapuoja. In 1987, Kansa recorded the classic Hopeinen Kuu ("Silver Moon") and the album Betonimylläri, containing poetry by Lauri Viita
Lauri Viita
Lauri Viita was a poet hailing from the Pispala district of Tampere, Finland.- Selected works : * Betonimylläri * Kukunor * Moreeni...
. 1988 brought Oskari Merikannon kauneimmat laulut. The album Kultaniityt (1994 introduced, among some translated songs, also Tapani Kansa as a songwriter. On the album Päivä jolloin rakastat ("The day you love", 1999), Kansa interpreted Argentinian
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
tango
Tango music
Tango is a style of ballroom dance music in 2/4 or 4/4 time that originated among European immigrant populations of Argentina and Uruguay . It is traditionally played by a sextet, known as the orquesta típica, which includes two violins, piano, double bass, and two bandoneons...
s, while Valaistu ikkuna ("The lit window") included Finnish film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
songs. The album Salaisuudessain ("In my secret", 2002) was a return to the pop music style, and a new direction came in autumn 2004, when Tapani Kansa interpreted Tapio Rautavaara
Tapio Rautavaara
Kaj Tapio Rautavaara was a Finnish athlete, singer and movie actor.-Early life:...
's songs on the album Tapsa ja Rautavaara.
In 2002, Tapani Kansa appeared in the Pojat group formed by Danny
Ilkka Lipsanen
Ilkka Johannes Lipsanen , also known as Danny, is a Finnish singer and guitarist. He started his career with the band Islanders who released a couple of singles, among them Danny's first recording which was in English: East Virginia by Joan Baez in 1964...
and Markku Aro
Markku Aro
Markku Aro , born as Markku Tuomas Puputti , is a Finnish singer who performed on Eurovision contest in 1971 in Ireland with the pop-duo Koivistolaiset. They appeared with the song "Tie uuteen päivään"...
, performing hit songs by the artists from the 1960s.
In 2006, Kansa released the album Kulkumies ("The traveller"), which he wrote the lyrics to and co-arranged the melodies with Kassu Halonen. In the same year, Kansa was nominated for the Iskelmä-Finlandia prize.
Tapani Kansa has written and arranged his own works. He has also appeared on theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
and operettes and acted on TV. In 1987, Kansa was awarded the Erikois-Emma prize.
Tapani Kansa had a long relationship with author-journalist Nina af Enehjelm. They have two children together.
External links
- Official site
- Tapani Kansa at Pomus.net
- Tapani Kansa's 20th century song works at the Finnish Recording Archive
- Tapani Kansa's 20th century conducting works at the Finnish Recording Archive
- Tapani Kansa's 20th century lyrical works at the Finnish Recording Archive
- YLE / Elävä arkisto: Tapani Kansa Jatkoajassa
- Interview with Tapani Kansa, in the 1970s (RealAudio file)
- Tapani Kansa at Last.fm