M. A. Numminen
Encyclopedia
Mauri Antero Numminen is a Finnish
artist, who has worked in several different fields of music and culture.
In the 1960s M.A. Numminen was known particularly as an avantgarde, underground
artist, stirring controversy with such songs as Nuoren aviomiehen on syytä muistaa ("What a young husband should remember"; the lyrics of the song were taken directly from a guide to newly married couples, and included advice on foreplay) and Naiseni kanssa eduskuntatalon puistossa ("With my woman at the parliament house's park"). He was also a member of the band Suomen Talvisota 1939-1940
. In his early days Numminen often tried to provoke people. Here he succeeded well, for example by his interpretations of Franz Schubert
's lieds, sung with his own idiosyncratically creaking voice, or managing to create a scandal at the Jyväskylän kesä festival of Jyväskylä
in 1966 with his song lyrics taken from the sex guide. Numminen also composed music to the writings of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein
. M.A. Numminen founded in 1966 with Pekka Gronow the record label Eteenpäin! ("Forward!"), which released Numminen's own music. Later on Numminen's records were published under the umbrella of the legendary Finnish label Love Records
.
Additionally, M.A. Numminen has been one of the unsung pioneers of Finnish electronic music
, known for his collaborations with the composer and inventor Erkki Kurenniemi
who built for Numminen a "singing machine" with which Numminen participated in a singing contest in 1964, and in the late 60s the electronic instrument Sähkökvartetti ("Electric Quartet"), the performance of which wreaked havoc in a youth festival in Sofia, Bulgaria
. Sähkökvartetti can be heard on Numminen's track 'Kaukana väijyy ystäviä' (1968).
In 1970 M.A. Numminen founded with the pianist Jani Uhlenius a jazz
band called Uusrahvaanomainen Jatsiorkesteri ("Neo-Vulgar Jazz Orchestra"),
which is still in existence; taking its cues from the 1920s-1940s jazz, swing
, foxtrot
, etc. Now retired from the band are the members Aaro Kurkela and Kalevi Viitamäki. The current line-up consists alongside Numminen and Uhlenius also of the accordion player Pedro Hietanen, the fiddler Jari Lappalainen and the bassist Heikki "Häkä" Virtanen.
In 1970s M.A. Numminen became a popular favourite with his children's songs in the 1973 film Herra Huu - Jestapa Jepulis, Penikat Sipuliks, where he also played the main role, and in the 1977 TV series Jänikset maailmankartalle, where he played a hare. At the same time Numminen also gained success in Sweden
with his song 'Gummiboll' (Numminen's Finnish version of this was called 'Kumipallona luokses pompin ain'): Numminen has recorded Swedish versions of many of his songs. He has also made several songs in English, German and Esperanto
.
Lately M.A. Numminen has made a return to electronic music and modern club sound. In 2003 Numminen started M.A.N. Scratch Band featuring his long-time collaborator Pedro Hietanen with young jazz musicians Olavi Uusivirta, Lasse Lindgren and DJ Santeri Vuosara (also known as DJ Sane). The duo M.A. Numminen & DJ Sane was started in 2004.
M.A. Numminen has appeared on Radio Suomi since 1984 together with playwright Juha Siltanen on their night show Yömyöhä. In 1986 he published a book called Baarien mies ("The Man of the Bars") on Finnish keskiolut lager culture, for which he visited 350 bars around Finland. The book had a considerable role in the birth of 1980s keskiolut beer culture in Finland.
M.A. Numminen has taken part in over 30 films, either as an actor, scriptwriter, composer or cinematographer.
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...
artist, who has worked in several different fields of music and culture.
In the 1960s M.A. Numminen was known particularly as an avantgarde, underground
Underground art
Underground art, as with underground music and underground film, is a term that seeks to describe art forms that are aloof to the mainstream art world, are illegal, taboo, unconventional, rebellious or revolutionary...
artist, stirring controversy with such songs as Nuoren aviomiehen on syytä muistaa ("What a young husband should remember"; the lyrics of the song were taken directly from a guide to newly married couples, and included advice on foreplay) and Naiseni kanssa eduskuntatalon puistossa ("With my woman at the parliament house's park"). He was also a member of the band Suomen Talvisota 1939-1940
Suomen Talvisota 1939-1940
Suomen Talvisota 1939-1940 was a provocative Finnish rock band in the years 1969 and 1970. Their only album is called Underground-Rock. Lyrics for the band were provided under pseudonyms by M.A. Numminen and the Turku poets Markku Into and Jarkko Laine...
. In his early days Numminen often tried to provoke people. Here he succeeded well, for example by his interpretations of Franz Schubert
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
's lieds, sung with his own idiosyncratically creaking voice, or managing to create a scandal at the Jyväskylän kesä festival of Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä is the capital of Central Finland and the largest city on the Finnish Lakeland, north-east of Tampere and north of Helsinki, on northern coast of lake Päijänne. The city has been continuously one of the most rapidly growing cities in Finland since World War II. The city is surrounded...
in 1966 with his song lyrics taken from the sex guide. Numminen also composed music to the writings of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein
Ludwig Wittgenstein
Ludwig Josef Johann Wittgenstein was an Austrian philosopher who worked primarily in logic, the philosophy of mathematics, the philosophy of mind, and the philosophy of language. He was professor in philosophy at the University of Cambridge from 1939 until 1947...
. M.A. Numminen founded in 1966 with Pekka Gronow the record label Eteenpäin! ("Forward!"), which released Numminen's own music. Later on Numminen's records were published under the umbrella of the legendary Finnish label Love Records
Love Records
Love Records was a record label from Finland, which released 384 LPs, 253 C-cassettes, 347 singles and 24 EPs. They were a pioneering label in Finnish rock music but also released jazz, political songs, ethnic music and so on....
.
Additionally, M.A. Numminen has been one of the unsung pioneers of Finnish electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, known for his collaborations with the composer and inventor Erkki Kurenniemi
Erkki Kurenniemi
Erkki Kurenniemi is a Finnish designer, philosopher and artist, best known for his electronic music compositions and the electronic instruments he has designed. He is considered one of the leading early pioneers of electronic music in Finland...
who built for Numminen a "singing machine" with which Numminen participated in a singing contest in 1964, and in the late 60s the electronic instrument Sähkökvartetti ("Electric Quartet"), the performance of which wreaked havoc in a youth festival in Sofia, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. Sähkökvartetti can be heard on Numminen's track 'Kaukana väijyy ystäviä' (1968).
In 1970 M.A. Numminen founded with the pianist Jani Uhlenius a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
band called Uusrahvaanomainen Jatsiorkesteri ("Neo-Vulgar Jazz Orchestra"),
which is still in existence; taking its cues from the 1920s-1940s jazz, swing
Swing (genre)
Swing music, also known as swing jazz or simply swing, is a form of jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and became a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States...
, foxtrot
Foxtrot (Dance)
The foxtrot is a smooth progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor. It is danced to big band music, and the feeling is one of elegance and sophistication...
, etc. Now retired from the band are the members Aaro Kurkela and Kalevi Viitamäki. The current line-up consists alongside Numminen and Uhlenius also of the accordion player Pedro Hietanen, the fiddler Jari Lappalainen and the bassist Heikki "Häkä" Virtanen.
In 1970s M.A. Numminen became a popular favourite with his children's songs in the 1973 film Herra Huu - Jestapa Jepulis, Penikat Sipuliks, where he also played the main role, and in the 1977 TV series Jänikset maailmankartalle, where he played a hare. At the same time Numminen also gained success in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
with his song 'Gummiboll' (Numminen's Finnish version of this was called 'Kumipallona luokses pompin ain'): Numminen has recorded Swedish versions of many of his songs. He has also made several songs in English, German and Esperanto
Esperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
.
Lately M.A. Numminen has made a return to electronic music and modern club sound. In 2003 Numminen started M.A.N. Scratch Band featuring his long-time collaborator Pedro Hietanen with young jazz musicians Olavi Uusivirta, Lasse Lindgren and DJ Santeri Vuosara (also known as DJ Sane). The duo M.A. Numminen & DJ Sane was started in 2004.
M.A. Numminen has appeared on Radio Suomi since 1984 together with playwright Juha Siltanen on their night show Yömyöhä. In 1986 he published a book called Baarien mies ("The Man of the Bars") on Finnish keskiolut lager culture, for which he visited 350 bars around Finland. The book had a considerable role in the birth of 1980s keskiolut beer culture in Finland.
Compilations discography
- Uudet lastenlaulut 1 (1974)
- M.A. Nummisen suosituimmat (1974)
- M.A. Nummisen 60-luku (1985)
- Den flygande mannen (EMI 1985)
- Klassikot - Ne Parhaat (Castle Finland 1990)
- Den eviga årgången - M.A. Numminens bästa (Amigo 1990)
- Suosituimmat lastenlaulut (EMI 1998)
- Kiusankappaleita 1: 1966-70 (Siboney Records 2000)
- Kiusankappaleita 2: 1973-88 (Siboney 2001)
- Kiusankappaleita 3: 1989-2001 (Siboney 2001)
- Dägä Dägä Finnwelten (Trikont 2001)
- Valtava Jänis – Gommin ja Pommin kaikki seikkailut (EMI 2002)
- Suomihuiput – lastenlaulut (EMI 2005)
- M.A. Numminen sings Wittgenstein (Zweitausendeins EFA SP 142 2003)