Jaakko Teppo

Jaakko Teppo was a popular Finnish folk artist, troubadour, and satirist who entered the larger public consciousness in the early '80s. He won the "couplet singing" (a type of traditional humorous music) Finnish championship in 1978 and 1979 and followed up with a succession of humorous albums. Finland has had a long tradition of novelty songs, and Teppo is but one example of the popularity of an old-fashioned yet humorous look at one's fellow countrymen. His first record, 1980's Ruikonperän Multakurkku, was an instant sensation. (The title, Mud-Throat of Ruikonperä, is a play...