For capn' Heikki...

[reiltear]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lNFRLrP014

[Sonetpro]

Ya gotta love the hair style and the elf shoes.

[reiltear]

This leettle veedeo has a historical significance(spelling?) also. In the late 30's Russia declared a war on Finland and the Finns kicked Russian a**.

PS My paternal grandpa was in that war on the Russian side.

[Classic Finn]

That is one of the Best Well Known Humor Bands that ever came from Finland. One of the Most Legendary as well.

For years rock music was against the law in Russia.. So that was part of the story about this band.. and the Leningrad Cowboys opened the performance for the Red Army Choir.. many years later somehow the 2 combined the music and started doing joint performances. As a friendship gesture (so the Russians think)

Its was started as more of a mockery against the Russians. There are songs such as My Way, Happy Together, Give me All Your Lovin, were deliberately directed towards the Russians as mockery. Also at the end of the concerts the Lead Singer ended it with a phrase " With Love To Russia from Finland". meaning how Finland as a small Nation kicked the Sh..out of them. As the big neighbor knows to this very day what we think of them during and after the wars that our generation had nothing to do with.

However it turned out that the Leningrad Cowboys became very well liked and enjoyed throughout Finland, Scandinavia and Europe and Russia.

There is also a great Movie that was Made in The USA named Leningrad Goes to America.

Lot of great Suthern Music and such from these guys. But you have to understand the phsycological intention of this band

Also they have appeared with the Red Army Choir many times.

yes the hair and shoes are typical Label of the Leningrad Cowboys.. Also if anyone desires you can also purchase your very own Leningrad Cowboys Shoes..

So anyone of you want to order a cd by these guys?

Heikki

[tonyj]

PLAY FREEBIRD!!!!

[Classic Finn]

As Historical Significance? yes it sure has..East meets West..With Love from the end of gun barrels. If you had been at the concerts you can feel the so called competition amongst the The Red Army Choir and The Leningrad Cowboys..

Heikki

[Nitetimes]

PLAY FREEBIRD!!!!

FREEEEEE-BIIRRDDDDDDD!!!!!!! (no lighter smiley)

[tonyj]

PLAY FREEBIRD!!!!

FREEEEEE-BIIRRDDDDDDD!!!!!!! (no lighter smiley)

Won'cha fly high Free Bird, yeaaah?! (lead guitar plays on . . .)

[FireLion]

"Gimme back my bullets" comes to mind.

[reiltear]

Heikki, thank you very much for giving some history of this band. My personal experiences with the Finnish people have been limited but very interesting and positive.

When I still lived in Russia, in the late 70's, I went to Leningrad to visit my uncle(survivor of WWII blockade and he just died last week). While there I went to the Hermitage and in the cafeteria I saw two Finnish ladies order a bottle of vodka and a salad. The vodka was gone and the salad was untouched when they left. This was an interesting experience.

Then, in 1996, when I was leaving my friend's bar(Mt Vernon, NY) at 2AM(plus or minus a few Coronas, they were out of Heinekens that night) I saw two girls huddled by a payphone on the corner. They both spoke English, but with an accent. One turned out to be Russian(just my luck...) and the other one Finnish. Both of them came to the US for about a month and a half to be summer camp councelors somewhere in Massachussets. After their "tour of duty" they went to Atlanta for the Olympic Games. Then they came to NY for a little sight-seeing. That's where their former co-councelor basically stood them up. I offered them to stay at my place, in the bedroom, while I would couch it in the living room for a few days.

To make a long story short, somehow they figured out that my b'day would be a day after they where leaving and the Finnish girl drew me a very cool birthday card(two kittens under a street light by a brick wall, kinda' like where I found them). She also made me a killer cake...

D-dat's all folks.

[Classic Finn]

Heikki, thank you very much for giving some history of this band. My personal experiences with the Finnish people have been limited but very interesting and positive.

When I still lived in Russia, in the late 70's, I went to Leningrad to visit my uncle(survivor of WWII blockade and he just died last week). While there I went to the Hermitage and in the cafeteria I saw two Finnish ladies order a bottle of vodka and a salad. The vodka was gone and the salad was untouched when they left. This was an interesting experience.

Then, in 1996, when I was leaving my friend's bar(Mt Vernon, NY) at 2AM(plus or minus a few Coronas, they were out of Heinekens that night) I saw two girls huddled by a payphone on the corner. They both spoke English, but with an accent. One turned out to be Russian(just my luck...) and the other one Finnish. Both of them came to the US for about a month and a half to be summer camp councelors somewhere in Massachussets. After their "tour of duty" they went to Atlanta for the Olympic Games. Then they came to NY for a little sight-seeing. That's where their former co-councelor basically stood them up. I offered them to stay at my place, in the bedroom, while I would couch it in the living room for a few days.

To make a long story short, somehow they figured out that my b'day would be a day after they where leaving and the Finnish girl drew me a very cool birthday card(two kittens under a street light by a brick wall, kinda' like where I found them). She also made me a killer cake...

D-dat's all folks.

Reiltear

Interesting to hear that you also had lived in the Land of the Big Bear. Leningrad. You should have taken a trip over to Finland while you were there. Its not far by any means. Back in the 70,s and even the 80,s Finns would take bus tours over to Russia due to the inexpensive Hotels, Food and of course Beer, Champagne and Vodka. The Vodka sad enough to say was the Main Course of the Meal for majority of the time.

Also many of the so called Vodka Tourists as we call or called them brought coffee, jeans, socks and other items over to sell and exchange for the local currency. Also the Russian Rupla or Ruble was not hard currency and could not be taken out of the Country so it was all spent there locally. Now for many these trips were not only for going there to get drunk but to visit the (Old Finnish Territory) that was home to many of the Old Generations that had to flee that area. With nothing more than a few possessions that they could carry.
The area that was left behind was that of Karjala or Karelia, which was beautiful and clean as well as well kept before the wars. One of the largest inland lakes was lost to the Russians also by the name of Laatokka or Latoga.
For years the Russians have told the Finnish Government that they would rent former Finland back to the Finns for farming or rebuilding. Also there has been talk about Russia giving back the territory that was taken by the Russians. Many would want it back anytime more so the Finns that were evacuated from there. Much of the Land and buildings standing today is in the same shape as it was before the war. Nothing has been done in the areas to improve it.

President Putin wouldnt even discuss the return of the Land however the famous Vodka Lover himself Boris was talking about the return many times however nothing ever developed. My opinion is that Karelia or any other parts will never be returned.

Leningrad and the cities next to the Finnish Border have a lot of Culture and Art as well as History to it. If you ever come to Finland you will see the difference in both countries, its almost as you would go thru a time warp. Russians themselves are even amazed as to how a small country such as ours has built themselves back up and placed themselves on the world map. Sad enough to say that Russia has enormous quantities of Natural Resources, Timber, Gas, Oil and Minerals however they were never taught how to develop themselves and how to use it wisely as compared to us here in Finland without the large quantities of the Natural Resources as they have and have had.

As they say here Big isnt always better. However to add to this, we as Finns past or present have what we call Sisu or Spirit to have and keep a country as we have today. And that Finnish Spirit is known worldwide.

Interesting story you have there about the Gals from Russia & Finland. It would be interesting to hear from your relatives point of view what they think of Little Finland in general.

Reiltear how,s your Russian? We get to meet them head on in the World Hockey Championships again in another month or month and a half. Thats where both sides show the Love Hate relationship towards one another once again.

Classic Finn

[Classic Finn]

For those interested here is more information on the Leningrad Cowboys.

http://www.leningradcowboys.fi/main.sit ... /view&id=6

Classic Finn