50 years since the death of Olavi Virra

Paula Koivuniemi, Katri Helena and Seppo Hovi can be heard in the Muistojen Virta book. Pasi Liesimaa, Inka Soveri, Jussi Eskola

On July 14, it will be 50 years since Olavi Virra’s death. Hannu Ignatius Stream of Memories – new book recounts Virtra’s life, accompanied by the singer’s friends, fans and close memories. Several well-known faces from the public also have a voice in the work.

Paula Koivuniemi says that her memories of Virra go back to her childhood, when Koivuniemi lived in Seinäjoki. Virta stopped by on his concert trips to greet Koivuniemi’s musician father.

– I remember many times my father took the accordion and they started making music with Ola and his partners in the living room before continuing their journey to the performance venue.

– Virtra’s voice was and has always been very recognizable and emotional. In addition, he was a handsome and polite man. I believe many will agree that there is no other singer like Olavi Virra born in this country, Koivuniemi states.

Singer Marion Rung remembers meeting Virra for the first time when she was 10 years old in a record store owned by Virra in Helsinki. The next memory takes place at the turn of the 60s and 70s.

– We performed on the same summer stage and shared the back rooms. I remember he still had a great voice, but he was in pretty bad shape. Walked with a cane. Sat for most of the time. I don’t remember what we talked about, but the meeting has remained strongly in my mind.

Like Koivuniemi and Rung, too Seppo Hovi met Virra for the first time already in his youth. 17-year-old Hovi collaborated with Virra in the summer of 1964.

– Yes, in the eyes of the young man, it looked like an old man was singing, even though the voice sounded wonderful. Ola was only 49 years old at the time, but an image of an old man was born. After all, he had managed to do anything during his handsome career by then; plenty of recordings, appear in films and on stages.

An excited Hovi started playing the accordion and the first song was Virran Jealousy. The singer asked for D minor, but Hovi misheard and played E minor.

– Yes, Ola sang it, but I was reprimanded that the beginning was a quarter too high.

Hovi recalls that in the 60s, Virta started to get tired of his career.

– In the past, Ossi Runne, who in the 50s was the mainstay of Ola’s band, always remembered saying that Ola could separate work and leisure time, but the line blurred along the way. But the audience was always looking forward to his part.

Virtra’s career was rich in stages, he experienced great popularity as well as severe downs. The singer enjoyed women, cars, applause and alcohol. Katri Helena performed in the 60s with Virra at the same dance venue.

– Ola sat behind the curtains, a bottle next to him, then he was invited to sing. I listened in the back, amazed, how the voice still sounded in a familiar way, even though the singer was in a very fragile condition, Katri Helena recalls in the book.

He looked at the bottle on the bench with a skull and two bones drawn on it.

– When the master returned to the bench, I asked why that drawing is on the side of the bottle? The answer was that no one would take my drink.

Singer Eino Grön was a long-time friend of Virtra. At the time, Grön was named Virtra’s unofficial successor.

– After all, that friendship developed, he kind of took me in as if he were his son. As a young guy I looked up to him a lot and of course for a reason.

In the book, Grön talks about Virra’s 50th birthday, which has remained in my mind as a special memory. The men were celebrating at the Adlon restaurant.

– Ola was in a good mood and sang Angelique, put his hand in his pocket and took out a wad of money. He threw them in the air and said, “Yes, life is wonderful!” Hundreds were just floating around and I collected them from there.

Hannu Ignatius: The Stream of Memories (Aviador Kustannus) will be published on July 7.