Kari Tapio (Born Kari Jalkenen)
November 22, 1945 – December 7, 2010
Kari Tapio was an extremely popular Finnish singer who launched his career some forty years ago. He performed a style of music called “schlager” which is basically pop balladry. Mounting his career during the ’60s, Tapio first performed with Jami & The Noisemakers and ER Quartet. He released his first solo record in 1972. In 1976, he scored his first hit single, “Laula Kanssain” (Sing With Me). He continued releasing hit records as recently as 2008 when his “Valaise Yo” finished 2nd in the Eurovision Song Contest. Much of his music was heavily influenced by American country & western. In fact, he even made Finnish language recordings of songs by Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, and Waylon Jennings. Kari Tapio suffered a fatal heart attack on December 7, 2010. He was 65.