Piirpauke -

Piirpauke are a Finnish ethno-jazz/rock band that released two albums and a live disc on Love between 1975 and 1978, followed by a round of titles on Ponsi, Kerberos, and Rockadillo during the 1980s.

Members: Sakari Kukko (wind instruments, keyboards, kantele, percussion, vocals), Antti Hytti (bass), Hasse Walli (guitar), Jukka Wasama (percussion), Juha Björninen (guitar), Malang Cissokho (kora, guitar, bass, vocals), Badu Ndjay (guitar, congas, talking drum, vocals, keyboards), Pekka Nylund (guitar), T T Oksala (guitar), Rekku Rechardt (guitar), Jukka Tolonen (guitar), Ville Herrala (bass), Jorma Koivulehto (bass), Tauno Railo (bass, vocals), Ilpo Saastamoinen (bass), Olli-Pekka Wasama (bass), Tom Nekljudow (percussion), Aku Nyyssönen (percussion, vocals), Markku Ounaskari (drums), Ismaila Sané (percussion, vocals, 1989-present), Cinta Hermo (vocals, guitar, percussion), Joonas Ahonen (piano), Karri Koivukoski (violin)

Background

Piirpauke formed in September 1974 in Helsinki when saxophonist-pianist Sakari Kukko and bassist Antti Hytti assembled guitarist Hasse Walli and drummer Jukka Wasama for a jazz event at the Old Student House. The group first performed as the Kukko–Walli Quartet.

Kukko grew up in Kajaani in a musical household, where his father Pauli Kukko taught music and directed choirs. He studied piano from childhood and began classical flute at twelve. Kukko took up saxophone at sixteen and joined Kajaani Big Band. He moved to Helsinki in 1972 and studied at Sibelius Academy, with private composition lessons from Edward Vesala. At Copenhagen’s People to People festival in 1974, Kukko heard a Romanian folk ensemble and turned his attention toward European folk traditions. The same year, he traveled to India for further study with musician Mangal Sain.

Hytti grew up in a musical family in Vironlahti. He tried violin and piano in childhood, then chose double bass. From 1970 to 1974, Hytti studied double bass at Sibelius Academy under Oiva Nummelin and Olli Kosonen. He continued private instruction with bassist Tapani Tamminen.

Walli began on drums at age nine. At seventeen, he switched to lead guitar. He turned professional with Jormas in 1966 and joined Blues Section the next year. Despite injuries to his left arm in a 1969 car crash, he regained movement after a 1973 second operation. Wasama, born in Turku in 1956, was seventeen at the first quartet performance.

Kukko and Hytti brought folk material into the quartet’s free-jazz format. At Stockholm’s 1975 Alternativfestival, they adopted the name Piirpauke, a Karelian word for noise or clamor. In May, Piirpauke recorded three pieces for YLE at Liisankatu Studio in Helsinki, including “Konevitsan kirkonkellot.” The quartet appeared at Pori Jazz that summer. Atte Blom then signed Piirpauke to Love Records. In September 1975, Piirpauke recorded the self-titled debut at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki.

Discography: