Satumaa

The Satumaa is the quintessential Finnish tango. It was written by Unto Mononen, and published in 1955. The most famous recording is probably the one made by Reijo Taipale in 1962. Satumaa roughly translates to "The Fairytale Land". The lyrics tell a story of a distant land beyond the sea - a happy paradise - however, the narrator can only reach it in his thoughts. The song has been recorded countless times, mainly by male Finnish tango singers.

The most unlikely artist performing it on record is perhaps Frank Zappa, who played it as a request at a live show recorded in Helsinki in 1974. It was released on "You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 2" (although, since Frank Zappa cannot speak Finnish, the results are largely incomprehensible).

ee also

*Finnish tango