A pop culture education in Helsinki
MANILA, Philippines - On a rainy night in April, music fans of a certain stripe — mostly creative types and post-hipsters — queued outside Kaiku, one of Helsinki’s trendiest clubs. They were there for a rather unusual DJ gig, one headlined by the president of Estonia.
Prior to the announcement of this one-night-only affair, I had never heard of Toomas Hendrik Ilves. Neither did I know much about the Estonian capital, Tallinn. All I knew is that its medieval Old Town is supposedly an achingly pretty and well-preserved UNESCO World Heritage Site, and that since it was a quick ferry ride across the Baltic Sea, it was where Finns ran to buy cheap liquor to take back home. That Thursday proved to be educational for a host of reasons.
Of Punk and Prince
President Ilves, 62, is apparently a dyed-in-the-wool muso. The Swedish-born politician grew up in the US and lived in Canada and Germany before moving to Estonia about 20 years ago. It was during his formative years in New Jersey and New York that he discovered ‘60s garage rock and ‘70s punk on his transistor radio.
Wearing a leather jacket and his trademark bow tie, the former journalist played tracks from a charity CD he curated called Teenage Wasteland - 16 Early Fave Raves of the President, a compilation of classic songs from artists such as Lesley Gore, The Beach Boys, MC5 and Roxy Music. Ilves also paid tribute to Prince, who passed away a week before, by putting on My Name is Prince, one of my all-time favorites. “Prince was one magical mother*cker,” he said to a cheering crowd.
The City Unfolds
That sold-out DJ set seems to sum up my life in Helsinki so far. Before I moved here, I assumed that I was already set in my ways, and that in terms of life experiences I already had my share of stories to tell, having lived in both North and South America and seen a bit of the rest of the world. But it was only when I let this new city be itself — not viewed through the prism of something else — that it began to unfold and reveal its own pop culture gems to me.
Helsinki may be a big city with a small population, but its arts, design and culture scene is more than thriving. The Eero Aarnio retrospective at the Design Museum, for instance, is a comprehensive showcase of the designer’s work in furniture, lamps, small objects and unique one-off pieces from the 1950s to the present.
Last autumn, I had been fortunate to have gone to an exhibition of works by the French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, considered the father of photojournalism. Its venue, the Ateneum, has in the past dedicated space to masterpieces by Auguste Rodin and in October, the museum will host the largest Amadeo Modigliani exhibition in the Nordic countries to date. Up the street from where I live is the Orion, a lovely art deco cinema that opened its doors in 1928. It screens just about everything, from the earliest examples of film history and the latest releases to classics and forgotten gems.
A Dose Of Inspiration
In terms of architecture, Finland’s capital tends to reward the curious and the patient. I live quite close to Yrjönkadun Uimahalli, or the Yrjönkatu Swimming Hall. Inaugurated in 1928, the Nordic Classicist-style marvel is the first and oldest public indoor swimming hall in Finland, and regarded by the BBC as one of the most beautiful swimming pools in the world. For Art Nouveau apartment buildings, Katajanokka, Kruununhaka and Eira are the neighborhoods to visit for a dose of inspiration.
When it comes to style, Helsinki residents are masters of quiet, functional minimalism. My co-workers, who tend to dress in head-to-toe black, generally favor neutral pieces from Acne Studios, A.P.C., Our Legacy, Norse Projects, Carhartt and Finnish label Samuji. I’ve since learned their ways. It was a pleasant surprise, therefore, to discover less restrained and more playful high fashion sportswear by the Helsinki-based designer Sasu Kauppi, whom Kanye West visited in 2014 presumably to ask for advice on his Yeezy line.
Early this week, a runway show on an actual runway at Helsinki Airport took place. “Match Made in HEL,” as it was called, featured designs by the UK’s Bora Aksu, China’s Shangguan Zhe, Denmark’s Henrik Vibskov, Sweden’s Anders Haal, Finland’s Heikki Salonen, South Korea’s Hyein Seo and Japan’s Arashi Yanagawa.
Go With The Flow
Finnish pop stars are starting to make themselves known. 15-year-old Isac Elliott performed his single What About Me for Kathie Lee and Hoda, and Robin Packalen, known professionally as Robin, is the Nordic country’s most successful pop artist at the ripe old age of 17.
The live music scene in Helsinki is also noteworthy, especially during the warmer months. It’s not unusual for acts, from truly popular ones such as 5 Seconds of Summer and Mariah Carey to slightly under-the-radar musicians such as Biffy Clyro and Selah Sue to stop by for a few performances. The biggest deal in Helsinki every summer though is Flow Festival, held in August.
The three-day event boasts a wide selection of up-and-coming and established artists from indie rock to top jazz and from underground hip-hop to top-tier electronic music, both from the Finnish and the international scene. Confirmed acts at this summer’s Flow are Sia, New Order, Massive Attack, Iggy Pop, The Last Shadow Puppets, Jamie xx, M83, Chvrches, Descendents, Four Tet, Hercules & Love Affair, Savages, Daughter, Anderson.Paak and Dua Lipa.
It may be far-fetched, but I couldn’t help but think that President Toomas Hendrik Ilves would fit right in, even just to warm up the weekend with MC5’s High School or David Bowie’s Panic In Detroit. The Estonian commander-in-chief knows his music and he’ll probably do a great job of educating those in attendance. After all, of the CD he compiled, he said: “I wanted to pick out things that I remember and like, but also show a sort of a slightly historical or pedagogical aspect to it.”
