Petri Hervanto - the Tango King of Finland 1999
Petri Hervanto from Turku was awarded the title of the Tango King of Finland 1999 in the Tango Market festival of Seinäjoki in July. The new King is by no means new to performing; he has performed with various dance bands since 1986. The most recent band is called Hecuma. Before Petri Hervanto was chosen the Tango King, he worked as a warehouse manager.
The history of the Tango Market festival
The festival originated from the romantic idea of combining a serene summer night with typically Finnish tango. The first Tango Market festival in 1985 attracted some 18,000 visitors; in 1998 the number of tango enthusiasts was almost 120,000. The festival has grown into one of the largest summer events in Finland.
The Tango Market festival has had a major impact on Finnish light music. Several new talents have reached stardom by participating in the tango contest. The contest for composers and lyric writers of tango produces a great number of new tangos every year; perhaps even evergreens.
The Tango Market festival has raised the Finnish tango culture back to the popular and visible status it formerly had. In addition to its popularity among the dancing crowd, it has also attracted the attention of researchers; Finnish tango has been the object of multidisciplinary examination. Thus the Tango Market festival has done its part in restoring the quality of and respect for Finnish popular culture.
The Tango Market festival has carried the message of Finnish tango even abroad. The small Ostrobothnian town of Seinäjoki has received visitors from all over Europe and even from North America; visitors who have witnessed the Finns' passion for tango with awe and admiration. Foreign media have published several articles, reports and documentaries on the Tango Market festival.
www.tangomarkkinat.fi/If you have Real Audio installed, you can listen to some tangos from these pages
