Tuomari Nurmio is the artist name of Hannu Juhani Nurmio (b. 1950 in Helsinki

Helsinki

Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...

), a Finnish

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

 rock singer and songwriter.

Work

Since his debut album, Nurmio has been regarded as one of the most original Finnish singer-songwriters. His lyrics are filled with peculiar and arresting metaphors and expressions, some of which have made their way into the vernacular Finnish language. Especially the first four albums are now seen as classic works.

Musically the first albums draw on the traditions of American country, blues

Blues

Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...

 and roots music, combining them with new wave quirkiness and energy. The lyrics have romantic, humorous undertones, with occasional glimpses of the dark side of urban life. In the 1990s Nurmio's sound has moved towards a scratchy, rugged sound somewhat reminiscent of Tom Waits

Tom Waits

Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...

. In the 2000s he has often performed in a duo with a guitar and Markku Hillilä playing drums

Drum kit

A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

. One of his recent collaboration is that with the band Alamaailman Vasarat

Alamaailman Vasarat

Alamaailman Vasarat is a cult avant-garde Finnish group. Their music covers a wide range of styles and influences and is therefore difficult to classify; on their official website they jokingly refer to their style as being "kebab-kosher-jazz-film-traffic-punk-music." Much of their music is...

.

In 2011 Nurmio appeared as a guest singer on Finnish metal band Korpiklaani

Korpiklaani

Korpiklaani is a folk metal band from Finland who were formerly known as Shaman.-Biography:While other folk metal bands began with metal before adding folk music, Korpiklaani started with folk music before turning metal...

's album Ukon Wacka

Ukon Wacka

Ukon Wacka is the seventh album by the Finnish folk metal band Korpiklaani, released on February 4, 2011 through Nuclear Blast. The title refers to an ancient pagan sacrificial feast, dedicated to Ukko...

.

Nickname

"Tuomari" means a judge

Judge

A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...

 in Finnish. Nurmio adopted this nickname, since he has a master's degree

Master of Laws

The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...

in law and is therefore formally eligible to hold that position.

Discography

• Tuomari Nurmio & Köyhien Ystävät: Kohdusta hautaan (1979)
• Tuomari Nurmio & Viides Kolonna: Maailmanpyörä palaa! (1980)
• Lasten mehuhetki (1981)
• Valitut (compilation) (1982)
• Punainen planeetta (1982)
• Meatballs: Meet The Meatballs (1984)
• Käytettyä rakkautta (1986)
• Kuu (1988)
• Extra (compilation) (1989)
• 24 karaattia (2LP, compilation) (1990)
• Hullu puutarhuri (1992)
• Barnhill Boys: Hillbilly Spacecraft (1994)
• Karaokekuningas (1995)
• Lauluja rakastamisen vaikeudesta (compilation) (1995)
• Tanssipalatsi (1996)
• Luuta ja nahkaa (1997)
• 1999 (1999)
• Lemmenloruja (compilation) (1999)
• Tuomari Nurmio & Korkein Oikeus (2002)
• Tuomari Nurmio & Alamaailman Vasarat: Kinaporin kalifaatti (2005)
• Tuomari Nurmio & Kongontien Orkesteri: Tangomanifesti (2006)
• Judge Bone & Doc Hill: Big Bear's Gate (2008)
• Paratiisin puutarha (2010)

External links

• A comprehensive site on Nurmio