Tangomarkkinat
Encyclopedia
The Tangomarkkinat is the world's oldest tango
festival. It is held early every July in Seinäjoki
, Finland
. As well as competitions to find the country's best tango singers, composers, and dancers, the festival features public dancing to live music provided by the best Finnish entertainers. Music for public dancing is not restricted to tango: it includes all the dance rhythms popular in Finland: but tango content must, according to the rules, be at least 40%.
. Lasse Lintala, the director of the Ilmajoki
Music Festival and his wife were in the sauna with the director of the MTV3
TV channel Tauno Äijälä and his wife Katja. Lintala was hoping to get the festival on TV. Äijälä suggested incorporating tango into the festival and perhaps a musical based on tango singer Olavi Virta
. The idea was developed for a couple of years, but Ilmajoki was not interested. Lintala travelled to Helsinki
to tell Äijälä the bad news. On the train he got into conversation with Matti Nuolivirta, the Mayor of Seinäjoki, and his deputy Risto Hakala who were keen for the festival to be held in Seinäjoki.
Seinäjoki city council approved the venture, and in January 1985 the Tango Music Advancement Association was established. Backers were Seinäjoki city council, Seinäjoki's Maila-Jussit pesäpallo
team, and the Marit and Mikot choir.
About 18,000 people took part in the first Tangomarkkinat in July 1985, and over 1½ million people watched the TV broadcast. Seinäjoki city invested 60,000 marks
. For the first three years of its existence the Tangomarkkinat was plagued by bad weather, and in 1988 it made a loss of 100,000 marks, exacerbated by the lack of success of the Olavi Virta musical, which premiered that year. In 1989 a combination of excellent weather and the immensely popular new Tango Queen Arja Koriseva
put the event back in the black. The most successful year was 1999, when attendance was a record 130,600 and the profit was 805,000 marks. President Tarja Halonen
attended the 20th Tangomarkkinat in 2004, when 34 past and present Tango Royals were gathered together for a special radio concert.
, near Turku
, where 20 semifinalists are reduced to 10. This too is televised. Since 2002 the Raisio judges have chosen 12 finalists, from whom the viewers vote for their 10 favourites. The tangos which the competitors will sing are allocated by lot.
In 2007 the final was revamped. Only 2 men and 2 women are chosen on the Friday. On Saturday each must sing one classic and one modern tango; and furthermore the two men and the two women sing a modern tango in duet. One of the modern tangos used in 2007 was Takes Two to Tango, written in English by Jari Sillanpää
for the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest
and translated into Finnish for the Tangomarkkinat.
In 2009 it was announced that only one Tango Royal, who could be a man or a woman, would be appointed. The public would be allowed to vote in both the final and the semifinal.
Dance halls and other venues book the winners of the competition months in advance, so whoever does win gets a ready booked up tour. They also get a recording contract and are expected to attend the following 3 Tangomarkkinats.
Famous tango royals include Arja Koriseva
, Jari Sillanpää
, Sauli Lehtonen
, Saija Varjus
, Eija Kantola, Mira Kunnasluoto
, Kaija Lustila
and Kaija Pohjola
. The youngest was Heidi Kyrö, aged 15, who was Tango Princess in 1993.
There is also a tango dancing competition, open to all comers. 1985 winners were Osmo and Tuula Katjos. Since 2002 there has been a separate senior section.
Other competitions which have been held at various times in the Tangomarkkinat's long history include the "Golden Stars" non-tango singing competition, a jive competition, and a Miss Tango beauty contest.
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...
festival. It is held early every July 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...
, Finland
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...
. As well as competitions to find the country's best tango singers, composers, and dancers, the festival features public dancing to live music provided by the best Finnish entertainers. Music for public dancing is not restricted to tango: it includes all the dance rhythms popular in Finland: but tango content must, according to the rules, be at least 40%.
History
The festival had its origins in a Finnish saunaSauna
A sauna is a small room or house designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these and auxiliary facilities....
. Lasse Lintala, the director of the Ilmajoki
Ilmajoki
Ilmajoki is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Southern Ostrobothnia region. The population of Ilmajoki is and the municipality covers an area of of which is inland water...
Music Festival and his wife were in the sauna with the director of the MTV3
MTV3
MTV3 is a Finnish commercial television station owned by Bonnier. It had the biggest audience share of all Finnish TV channels until Finnish Broadcasting Company’s YLE1 took the lead. The letters MTV stand for Mainos-TV , due to the channel getting its revenue from running commercials...
TV channel Tauno Äijälä and his wife Katja. Lintala was hoping to get the festival on TV. Äijälä suggested incorporating tango into the festival and perhaps a musical based on tango singer Olavi Virta
Olavi Virta
Olavi Virta was a Finnish singer, acclaimed as the king of Finnish tango. Between 1939 and 1966 he recorded almost 600 songs, many of which are classics of Finnish popular music, and appeared in many films and theatrical productions...
. The idea was developed for a couple of years, but Ilmajoki was not interested. Lintala travelled to 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...
to tell Äijälä the bad news. On the train he got into conversation with Matti Nuolivirta, the Mayor of Seinäjoki, and his deputy Risto Hakala who were keen for the festival to be held in Seinäjoki.
Seinäjoki city council approved the venture, and in January 1985 the Tango Music Advancement Association was established. Backers were Seinäjoki city council, Seinäjoki's Maila-Jussit pesäpallo
Pesäpallo
Pesäpallo is a fast-moving ball sport that is quite often referred to as the national sport of Finland and has some presence in other countries, such as Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, and Northern Ontario in Canada...
team, and the Marit and Mikot choir.
About 18,000 people took part in the first Tangomarkkinat in July 1985, and over 1½ million people watched the TV broadcast. Seinäjoki city invested 60,000 marks
Finnish mark
The Finnish markka was the currency of Finland from 1860 until 28 February 2002, when it ceased to be legal tender. The markka was replaced by the euro , which had been introduced, in cash form, on 1 January 2002....
. For the first three years of its existence the Tangomarkkinat was plagued by bad weather, and in 1988 it made a loss of 100,000 marks, exacerbated by the lack of success of the Olavi Virta musical, which premiered that year. In 1989 a combination of excellent weather and the immensely popular new Tango Queen Arja Koriseva
Arja Koriseva
Arja Sinikka Koriseva is an award-winning Finnish singer. She first came to fame as a tango singer; now her repertoire includes evergreens, Finnish pop, musical theatre, and sacred music....
put the event back in the black. The most successful year was 1999, when attendance was a record 130,600 and the profit was 805,000 marks. President Tarja Halonen
Tarja Halonen
Tarja Kaarina Halonen is the incumbent President of Finland. The first female to hold the office, Halonen had previously been a member of the parliament from 1979 to 2000 when she resigned after her election to the presidency...
attended the 20th Tangomarkkinat in 2004, when 34 past and present Tango Royals were gathered together for a special radio concert.
Tango Royals
The tango singing competition is open to both men and women. In 1985 and 1986 just one winner was chosen, and the winners in both years were men. In 1987 it was decided that a male and a female winner would be chosen. The selection process starts with heats held all over Finland. Until 1991 ten finalists (5 men and 5 women) were sent to Seinäjoki, where 2 men and 2 women were eliminated in the televised "semifinal final" on the Friday of the Tangomarkkinat. On the Saturday, on the "final final", the Tango King and Queen were chosen, the runners-up being Princes and Princesses. Since 1992 a semifinal has been held in RaisioRaisio
Raisio is a town and municipality in south-western Finland and an important junction of major roads. The town has a population of and is located in the region of Finland Proper, neighbouring the region's capital, Turku...
, near Turku
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
, where 20 semifinalists are reduced to 10. This too is televised. Since 2002 the Raisio judges have chosen 12 finalists, from whom the viewers vote for their 10 favourites. The tangos which the competitors will sing are allocated by lot.
In 2007 the final was revamped. Only 2 men and 2 women are chosen on the Friday. On Saturday each must sing one classic and one modern tango; and furthermore the two men and the two women sing a modern tango in duet. One of the modern tangos used in 2007 was Takes Two to Tango, written in English by Jari Sillanpää
Jari Sillanpää
Jari Sillanpää a Finnish singer. With over 820,000 records sold, he is the fourth-best-selling music artist and best-selling solo artist in Finland....
for the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
and translated into Finnish for the Tangomarkkinat.
In 2009 it was announced that only one Tango Royal, who could be a man or a woman, would be appointed. The public would be allowed to vote in both the final and the semifinal.
Dance halls and other venues book the winners of the competition months in advance, so whoever does win gets a ready booked up tour. They also get a recording contract and are expected to attend the following 3 Tangomarkkinats.
Famous tango royals include Arja Koriseva
Arja Koriseva
Arja Sinikka Koriseva is an award-winning Finnish singer. She first came to fame as a tango singer; now her repertoire includes evergreens, Finnish pop, musical theatre, and sacred music....
, Jari Sillanpää
Jari Sillanpää
Jari Sillanpää a Finnish singer. With over 820,000 records sold, he is the fourth-best-selling music artist and best-selling solo artist in Finland....
, Sauli Lehtonen
Sauli Lehtonen
Sauli Tapani Lehtonen was a Finnish tango singer. In 1994, he was crowned the tenth Tango King when he won a Finnish tango competition Tangomarkkinat. On 8 September 1995 Lehtonen and his father, who was driving the car, hit a moose in Sipoo...
, Saija Varjus
Saija Varjus
Saija Varjus is a Finnish popular musician. She was chosen the "Tango Queen" 1996 in the Tangomarkkinat festival in Seinäjoki. This was her second attempt: she had competed in 1993 but only reached as far as the semifinal....
, Eija Kantola, Mira Kunnasluoto
Mira Kunnasluoto
Mira Johanna Kunnasluoto born is an award-winning Finnish singer. She first came to fame as a tango singer; now her repertoire includes evergreens and Finnish pop.She is second youngest of four sisters...
, Kaija Lustila
Kaija Lustila
Kaija Lustila born is an award-winning Finnish singer. She first came to fame as a tango singer; now her repertoire includes evergreens, iskelmä and Finnish pop....
and Kaija Pohjola
Kaija Pohjola
Kaija Pohjola born is an award-winning Finnish singer. She first came to fame as a tango singer; now her repertoire includes evergreens and Finnish pop.Kaija Pohjola says of her early life:...
. The youngest was Heidi Kyrö, aged 15, who was Tango Princess in 1993.
Other competitions
From the beginning there has been a competition for the best new tango of the year. In 1985 the winner was Elämäni nainen, which is now a classic. The 2007 winners, Raju rakastaja and Onko rikos rakastaa? were given extra publicity by being included in the televised finals of the singing competition.There is also a tango dancing competition, open to all comers. 1985 winners were Osmo and Tuula Katjos. Since 2002 there has been a separate senior section.
Other competitions which have been held at various times in the Tangomarkkinat's long history include the "Golden Stars" non-tango singing competition, a jive competition, and a Miss Tango beauty contest.
Sources
- Marja Nyman, Tangokuninkaalliset, Revontuli 2002, ISBN 952-5170-27-6
- M.A. Numminen, Tango on intohimoniTango on intohimoniTango on intohimoni is a novel about Finnish tango written by M. A. Numminen. It features Virtanen, who is obsessed with the Finnish tango and is interpersed with a history of the Finnish tango.-Plot summary:...
, Schilds 1998, ISBN 951-50-0918-9