Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät

Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät (Finnish for Pertti Kurikka's name day), also known as PKN, is a Finnish punk rock band, formed in 2009 in a charity workshop for adults with developmental disabilities. They are the main focus of the Finnish documentary film The Punk Syndrome. In 2015, they qualified for the finals of Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu, which they later won; they represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 but got knocked out in the semi-final.

History

Formation (2004-2012)

Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät began in a workshop run by Lyhty, a charity for adults with developmental disabilities. In 2004, Pertti Kurikka, the future guitarist of the band, met organizer Kalle Pajamaa of Lyhty.^[1] Pajamaa, who remains manager of the band today, noticed Kurikka's potential and sought to establish a band based upon him.^[2] They worked on the band's formation over the next five years,^[1] and in 2009 the band made its debut.^[2]

In 2009, Finnish director Pekka Karjalainen sought music performed by people with disabilities for the film Vähän kunnioitusta,^[3] which tells the story of a young girl with a learning disability aspiring to live an independent and normal life.^[1] Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät is featured in the film with their first-ever demo: "Kallioon!".^[1][4] The song became a hit, and the band soon discovered that they had a following outside the circle of disabled people.^[3]

In 2012, their fame grew as they were the main subject of The Punk Syndrome, a Finnish documentary film. The documentary, depicting the band's story from its outset to their first European tour, earned them a following in Scandinavia and Germany.^[5]

2014: Charity concert with Mr. Lordi

In 2014, the band performed in a charity concert with Mr. Lordi of the Finnish rock band, Lordi. The charity concert was held in Rovaniemi on 23 May 2014 for benefit of the mentally-disabled community of Mozambique and the Lapland Metkat Association.^[6] Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät's bold and unusual take on Eurovision has been compared to that of Lordi, Finland's 2006 Eurovision entry and the winner of that year's contest.^[7]

2015: Eurovision Song Contest 2015

The band entered Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu, Finland's national selection for Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with the song "Aina mun pitää".^[8] They entered the contest in order to raise awareness for people with Down's Syndrome.^[9] On 7 February 2015, the band was one of the three acts from the first-semi finals to advance to the finals.^[10] On 28 February 2015, the band won Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2015, thereby becoming Finland's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria in May 2015.^[11] PKN was the first punk band to compete in Eurovision.^[12]

PKN's Eurovision bid was noticed by the international media and covered, for instance, by the BBC,^[12][13] The Guardian,^[14] VICE^[5] and the Associated Press.^[15]

Posti issued a PKN stamp on 11 May 2015, eight days before the first Eurovision semi-final in Vienna.^[16]

Members

The band has four members: guitarist Pertti Kurikka, vocalist Kari Aalto, bassist Sami Helle and Toni Välitalo on drums.

Pertti Kurikka

Pertti Kurikka (born 26. December 1956 in Vihti)^[17] is the band's guitarist. He writes the music for the band and also some of the lyrics.^[18] He has released a spoken word cassette^[19] and a book^[20] of horror stories under the pseudonym Kalevi Helvetti. He also edits a zine called "Kotipäivä" ("Home Day").^[21]

Kurikka has been listening to punk for 30 years, but also listens to many other music genres ranging from classical to schlager and disco to children's music.^[22] He visits church regularly and plans to retire and stop playing music when he turns 60.^[22] He can also play the street organ.^[18]

Kari Aalto

Kari Aalto (born 25. May 1976 in Tampere)^[23][24] is the singer of the band and also writes most of their lyrics. He is a school friend of Kurikka.^[25] He has his own talk show on Finnish local radio station Bassoradio.^[26] He can play drums, bass and keyboards.^[25] He loves motorcycles, American cars, women and alcohol.^[27][28] He listens to 1950's and 1960's rock, psychobilly, rockabilly, surf, doowop and also rap, heavy metal and folk.^[24][27] He does not listen to punk in his spare time, as nowadays it is his profession.^[24]

Sami Helle

Sami Helle (born 1973)^[29][30] plays bass in the band and also sings background vocals. As a child he lived in Boston, New York City, Paris and Antibes, so he can speak fluent English.^[17] He is politically active as a member of the Finnish Central Party^[31] and also as activist of Me itse, an organization of disabled people.^[32] He wishes to become a municipal councillor of Helsinki and later a member of the parliament.^[33]

Toni Välitalo

Toni Välitalo (born 1982 or 1983)^[30] is the drummer and also the youngest member of the band.^[34] He started playing drums at the age of six.^[35] In addition to punk, he plays other genres such as jenkka, blues and mazurka.^[35] His favourite music is Finnish schlager.^[36]

Kalle Pajamaa

Disability director Kalle Pajamaa (born 1978) is the band's concert manager and arranges the songs for the band. He is affectionately called the fifth member of the band.^[37]

Discography

Compilation albums

Extended plays

Singles

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät.

• Official website
• Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2015 page (Finnish)
• English article about the band in Finnish Broadcast Company's news page
• Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät discography at Discogs

Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest
Participation 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Artists 1960s Laila Kinnunen Marion Rung Laila Halme Lasse Mårtenson Viktor Klimenko Ann Christine Fredi Kristina Hautala Jarkko & Laura 1970s 1970 Markku Aro & Koivistolaiset Päivi Paunu & Kim Floor Marion Rung Carita Pihasoittajat Fredi & Ystävät Monica Aspelund Seija Simola Katri Helena 1980s Vesa-Matti Loiri Riki Sorsa Kojo Ami Aspelund Kirka Sonja Lumme Kari Kuivalainen Vicky Rosti & Boulevard Boulevard Anneli Saaristo 1990s Beat Kaija Kärkinen Pave Maijanen Katri Helena CatCat 1995 Jasmine 1997 Edea 1999 2000s Nina Åström 2001 Laura 2003 Jari Sillanpää Geir Rönning Lordi Hanna Pakarinen Teräsbetoni Waldo's People 2010s Kuunkuiskaajat Paradise Oskar Pernilla Karlsson Krista Siegfrids Softengine Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät Sandhja
Songs 1960s "Valoa ikkunassa" "Tipi-tii" "Muistojeni laulu" "Laiskotellen" "Aurinko laskee länteen" "Playboy" "Varjoon - suojaan" "Kun kello käy" "Kuin silloin ennen" 1970s 1970 "Tie uuteen päivään" "Muistathan" "Tom Tom Tom" "Keep Me Warm" "Old Man Fiddle" "Pump-Pump" "Lapponia" "Anna rakkaudelle tilaisuus" "Katson sineen taivaan" 1980s "Huilumies" "Reggae OK" "Nuku pommiin" "Fantasiaa" "Hengaillaan" "Eläköön elämä" "Never The End" "Sata salamaa" "Nauravat silmät muistetaan" "La dolce vita" 1990s "Fri?" "Yamma, yamma" "Tule luo" "Bye Bye Baby" 1995 "Niin kaunis on taivas" 1997 "Aava" 1999 2000s "A Little Bit" 2001 "Addicted To You" 2003 "Takes 2 To Tango" "Why?" "Hard Rock Hallelujah" "Leave Me Alone" "Missä miehet ratsastaa" "Lose Control" 2010s "Työlki ellää" "Da Da Dam" "När jag blundar" "Marry Me" "Something Better" "Aina mun pitää" "Sing It Away"
(Note: Entries scored out are when Finland did not compete)