Annikki Tähti | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Born | Helsinki, Finland | 5 December 1929
Died | 19 June 2017 Vantaa, Finland | (aged 87)
Genres | Schlager |
Years active | 1953-2008 |
Labels | Scandia |
Annikki Tähti (in 1959–1978 Tähti-Tiensuu; 5 December 1929 – 19 June 2017) was a Finnish schlager singer, known for her wide repertoire ranging from waltz and tango to swing and Latin music, over a career lasting more than fifty years. [1]
Tähti's career began when a colleague arranged, behind her back, an audition with the composer and conductor George de Godzinsky in 1950. [2] After a few years working together, with de Godzinsky coaching and preparing Tähti for a singing career, she signed a deal with the newly established Scandia record label. [3]
Her breakthrough was a slow and nostalgic waltz, Muistatko Monrepos’n ( lit. 'Remember Monrepos?'): released in 1955, it was the first gold record in Finland, [2] and decades later remains the fourth- best-selling Finnish single of all time. [4] It was originally intended only as the B-side to Tähti's hit single Pieni sydän, but became much more popular and was released in its own right. [5]
Tähti followed this in quick succession with more hits, including the 1955 Balladi Olavinlinnasta ( lit. ' Olavinlinna Ballad') and the 1956 Kuningaskobra ( lit. 'King Cobra', Finnish version of Teddy Powell's 'Snake Charmer'), both of which were certified gold and are still among the best-selling Finnish singles, in 6th and 12th places, respectively. [4]
The peak of her career was in the 1950s and 1960s, fading somewhat after that, although she enjoyed a slight resurgence in the late 1970s and early 1980s. [2]
Tähti's first film appearance was in the 1953 musical comedy Two Funny Guys, performing the song Onnen sävel, which also became her first published record and therefore launched her career as a recording artist. [2]
Later she sang in Matti Kassila's 1959 short film Iskelmäkuvia, and in the 1960 musical film Iskelmäkaruselli pyörii. [6]
More than forty years later, Tähti gained a new, younger audience, [2] when she reprised her iconic Muistatko Monrepos’n in Aki Kaurismäki's 2002 film The Man Without a Past, as a Salvation Army flea market manager performing at a juhannus party for homeless people. [7] [8] [9]
She also featured in numerous TV music programmes and documentaries between 1959 and 2009. [6]
Tähti was awarded an honorary knighthood in the Order of the Lion of Finland. [1]
In 1992, she received the City of Vantaa Cultural Award for her distinguished artistic career. [10]
In 1998, she received a 'Special Emma' (Erikois-Emma) award. [11]
In 2004, Tähti was included on the Suuret suomalaiset ('Great Finns') top-100 list compiled by Yle, at number 89. She was not originally nominated by the organisers, but received enough support in the public vote to make it to the list. [12]
Originally from the Kallio district of Helsinki, [13] Tähti lived for much of her adult life in the Martinlaakso area of Vantaa. [14]
She was a private person, and in her own words "rather boring", who saw herself as a singer rather than a celebrity. [1] [12] [14]
In 2008, Tähti suffered a stroke ( cerebral infarction), after which she stopped performing and no longer appeared in public. [5]
She had been married to conductor Pentti Tiensuu (m. 1959 — div. 1978), with whom she worked for many years. [14] [13] They had one child. [5]
Tähti spent her last years largely alone in a care home, her husband and son having died earlier, and she having no siblings or other close family. [14] She died virtually destitute, despite the enduring success of her music. [1] [13] [14]