Tell me how many Finnish bands you know, and I will tell you how integrated you are.

I have always wondered when people feel integrated into the society in which they have moved. Is it the language knowledge? Is it a broad network of friends? Is it a good ordinary life? As with many other things, being integrated is an individual feeling that no one can define for you. And my integration is progressing. How do I know? Because I have been listening to the Finnish music more than ever 🙂

I know many metal lovers do the same thing and can do it even in Chile or Germany. But to choose to listen to Finnish bands voluntarily without any previous knowledge of Finnish bands is something completely different.

It started on my way to and from work. I somehow found Suomipop radio station and the music was quite catchy. Slowly but surely I found my favourites and hummed through the unknown vocabularies. When you like the song, naturally you are curious to know what it is about. Lyrics were googled and unknown phrases became familiar. 

I wanted to sing together with BEHM: 

Hei rakas kerro mulle 

Mikä on tää tunne

Kun ei tunnu jaloissani maa

Or shouting with Haloo Helsinki: 

Beibi

Räjäytä mut tässä

Beibi

Aamuhämärässä

Beibi

Sä et tarvi mitään muuta

Jos saat suudella mun punaista suuta

We also made our own, Slovak version of a few songs. The best one is BESS’ Ram pam pam where the original is: Ja askel menee ristiin ja rastiin and we made out of it: A potom prídu hlísty a chrasty (And then will come threadworms and scabies) which sounds acoustically similar and more importantly funny. 

And is such a great feeling, when I actually catch the few lines even without searching for the lyrics like Ani & Kiki:

Te olette niin kauniita, ettekö te nää muita. Ja mä toivon taas ihmettä niin et vois tuntee kaiken sen uudestaan. Valo silmissäsi sai mut uskomaan.

Last year we also made it to 2 Finnish band concerts. The whole family favourite goes to Kuumaa, so we could not miss the opportunity to see them live. Our love for them dates back to the song Ylivoimainen, which was on the air all the time. But then we start listening to them on purpose and they are great.

Our son and my husband were the biggest fans, so Kuumaa was added to our favourites in the car and from here, there was no way back. I became a fan just after the concert when I saw them perform. How can Johannes be so talented!? The guy sings so clearly and beautifully and plays like 3 different instruments. Besides he writes the lyrics and composes music.  And not only for the band! C’mon! I envy you, because I am in the musical sense a lost case 🙂 

Another concert was Haloo Helsinki with my friend. It was fun too! We knew by heart a few lines from each song, but we were shouting there as the true Finns. The biggest shock of the concert was Finnish ladies dressed in sequined dresses, high heels and I swear, one had a boa around the neck! I have never seen anything like that at a rock concert, but obviously, this is one way how to party in Finland! Time to go shopping ladies 🙂

While it is still fun and nostalgic to scream from the full lungs the best of my favourite Slovak (and Czech) songs, it is great to have fun with Finnish songs, too! This is how I know that I am becoming more and more integrated into Finnish society. 

Now, when I meet my friends in Slovakia and we listen to music, Kuumaa and Haloo Helsinki are introduced there, too, with general comments about how cool Johannes is and that Elli is like Finnish Gwen Stefani.