Rauli Somerjoki
Encyclopedia
Rauli "Badding" Somerjoki (born as Rauli Aarre Tapani Somerjoki) (30 August 1947, Somero
- 14 January 1987, Helsinki
)
was a Finnish rock
singer. His records were published on such labels as Love Records
. His nickname Badding is derived from Paddington Bear
.
Badding's most famous songs include "Fiilaten ja höyläten", "Paratiisi", "Bensaa suonissa", "Ikkunaprinsessa", "Tähdet, tähdet" and "Laivat".
Badding was born in Somero into a family of five children. He founded his first band, The Five Yes in 1963 and also worked in the group Suomen Talvisota 1939-1940
. Together with M. A. Numminen
, he caused some scandal with provocative songs like "Mitä nuoren aviomiehen tulee muistaa" and "Jenkka ulkosynnyttimistä".
Badding started his solo career in 1970. He competed in the Syksyn sävel song contest with "Ja rokki soi" written by Matti ja Teppo.
During his later career, Somerjoki worked with Agents
. His last gig took place in Seinäjoki
on 28 December 1986. During the fall, he had suffered many bouts of bronchitis
, and in January 1987 he died in Helsinki of alcohol-related ailments. He was only 39 years of age.
Aki Kaurismäki
has used Somerjoki's music in his films and published a biography of Somerjoki titled Badding: Rauli Somerjoen elämä ja laulut (1996) written by Heikki Metsämäki and Juha Miettinen. Somerjoki also appeared in the film The Worthless by Mika Kaurismäki
in 1982.
In 2000 Markku Pölönen
directed the film Badding, starring Janne Reinikainen
about Somerjoki's life. It is available on DVD, bundled with Pölönen's Onnen maa, a romantic comedy about Finnish tango
.
Several compilation albums and a tribute album have been also released.
Somero
Somero is a municipality of Finland, located in the province of Western Finland and part of the Finland Proper region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . Somero is unilingually Finnish....
- 14 January 1987, 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...
)
was a Finnish rock
Finnish rock
Finnish rock refers to rock music made in Finland. The initial rock and roll boom of the 1950s was preceded by a long tradition of popular culture...
singer. His records were published on such labels as 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....
. His nickname Badding is derived from Paddington Bear
Paddington Bear
Paddington Bear is a fictional character in children's literature. He appeared on 13 October 1958 and was subsequently featured in several books, most recently in 2008, written by Michael Bond and first illustrated by Peggy Fortnum....
.
Badding's most famous songs include "Fiilaten ja höyläten", "Paratiisi", "Bensaa suonissa", "Ikkunaprinsessa", "Tähdet, tähdet" and "Laivat".
Badding was born in Somero into a family of five children. He founded his first band, The Five Yes in 1963 and also worked in the group 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...
. Together with M. A. Numminen
M. A. Numminen
Mauri Antero Numminen is a Finnish artist, who has worked in several different fields of music and culture.In the 1960s M.A...
, he caused some scandal with provocative songs like "Mitä nuoren aviomiehen tulee muistaa" and "Jenkka ulkosynnyttimistä".
Badding started his solo career in 1970. He competed in the Syksyn sävel song contest with "Ja rokki soi" written by Matti ja Teppo.
During his later career, Somerjoki worked with Agents
Agents (band)
Agents is a Finnish band formed in 1979, playing rautalanka, schlager and rock'n'roll music. The head figure and musical director of the band is solo guitarist Esa Pulliainen.-Founding of Agents:...
. His last gig took place in Seinäjoki
Seinäjoki
Seinäjoki is a city located in Southern Ostrobothnia, Finland. Seinäjoki originated around the Östermyra bruk iron and gunpowder factories founded in 1798. Seinäjoki became a municipality in 1868, market town in 1931 and town in 1960...
on 28 December 1986. During the fall, he had suffered many bouts of bronchitis
Bronchitis
Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the large bronchi in the lungs that is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks. Characteristic symptoms include cough, sputum production, and shortness of breath and wheezing related to the obstruction of the inflamed airways...
, and in January 1987 he died in Helsinki of alcohol-related ailments. He was only 39 years of age.
Aki Kaurismäki
Aki Kaurismäki
-Career:After studying Media Studies at the University of Tampere, Aki Kaurismäki started his career as a co-director in the films of his elder brother Mika Kaurismäki. His debut as an independent director was Crime and Punishment , Dostoyevsky's famous crime story set in modern-day Helsinki...
has used Somerjoki's music in his films and published a biography of Somerjoki titled Badding: Rauli Somerjoen elämä ja laulut (1996) written by Heikki Metsämäki and Juha Miettinen. Somerjoki also appeared in the film The Worthless by Mika Kaurismäki
Mika Kaurismäki
Mika Juhani Kaurismäki is a Finnish film director.He is the elder brother of Aki Kaurismäki, and the father of Maria Kaurismäki who graduated from Tampere School of Art and Media in 2008 with her movie Sideline.Mika Kaurismäki has lived in Brazil since approximately 1992 and has made several...
in 1982.
In 2000 Markku Pölönen
Markku Pölönen
Markku Pölönen is a Finnish film director, screenwriter, editor and owner of film production company Suomen Filmiteollisuus...
directed the film Badding, starring Janne Reinikainen
Janne Reinikainen
Janne Reinikainen is a Finnish football player currently playing for Mikkelin Palloilijat.-References:*...
about Somerjoki's life. It is available on DVD, bundled with Pölönen's Onnen maa, a romantic comedy about Finnish tango
Finnish tango
Finnish tango is an established variation of the Argentine tango and one of the most enduring and popular music forms in Finland. Brought to Europe in the 1910s by travelling musicians, Finns began to take up the form and write their own tangos in the 1930s...
.
Studio albums
- Synnyin rokkaamaan (1971)
- Näin käy rock & roll (1974)
- Sydän lämpöä täys (1975)
- Rakkaudella – Raulilta (1982) / Sävel rakkauden (1986) / Bussi Somerolle (2001)
- Ikkunaprinsessa (1982)
- Tähdet, tähdet (1983)
- Laivat (1985)
Several compilation albums and a tribute album have been also released.
See also
- Heikki Metsämäki and Juha Miettinen: Badding: Rauli Somerjoen elämä ja laulut. Sputnik, 1996. ISBN 951-97431-0-3.
- List of best-selling music artists in Finland