Trio Niskalaukaus also celebrates their legendary Rajaportti album this month.
The Caustic Folk Music Festival is currently underway. Also included is the trio known as the nose man of Neckshot Timo Rautiainen.
Rautiainen says in an interview with Iltalehti that folk music plays in his heart in addition to heavier pedaling. Rautiainen performs in Kaustine Ville Ojanen and with partners.
– I would be there even if I didn’t perform. This is because there is always a good mood at Kaustinen’s festivals, it is in a way a big village party, where there is an immediate and happy atmosphere.
Glory on the skin
Rautiainen’s passion for folk music was ignited more than ten years ago. The matter became even more concrete in 2012, when a Jyväskylä resident bought himself a year’s folk music studies at Kaustinen as a fiftieth birthday gift.
– We released an acoustic folk record with Ville in March, which we are now celebrating in Kausti with other musicians, the bassist of Trio Niskalaukaus is also included Nils Ursin.
– Folk music can be played together by old men walking with a stick and young people walking in baggy pants, so it’s really easy to find a common tune.
Respect for folk music can also be seen in Rautiainen’s right arm, which has a tattoo of the legendary player who died in 1984 Konsta Jylhä picture.
– The tattoo is a tribute to Jylhä and at the same time to folk music. On my other arm is the singer of The Dubliners Luke Kellywho is also my big role model.
The Konsta Jylhä tattoo adorns Timo Rautiainen’s hand. Tom Olli
A career milestone
Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus tour the stages in the summer. At least at Helsinki’s Tavastia club and Turku’s Knotfest, the band plays all the songs from the legendary Rajaportti album that came out in 2002. Rautiainen would not necessarily be a professional musician today without the tremendous success brought by Rajaporti, which includes, among other things, the Surupuku song.
– I could very well have gone on different routes. Thinking about it now, of course, it’s impossible to say which path I would have chosen. However, it is clear that the success brought by Rajaporti ensured my continuation in music.
– I also would not have believed for a moment while making Rajaportti that the album would sell almost 60,000 copies, its songs would be played on different channels and the band would get a total of four Emma statues from it.
Rajaportti got its name from a public sauna located in Tampere, the setting of which had impressed Rautiainen. The album photos were also taken on the boards of the same sauna. However, Rautiainen ensured one thing.
– I wasn’t photographed on the rafts, my self-esteem at the time couldn’t take it, the man grins.
Although Rajaportti blew up the sky, according to Rautiainen, success did not go to his head.
– Three children and the experiences I gained in my work as a special education teacher kept my feet firmly on the ground, so success did not go to my head.
– I would say that at first there was rather a little panic, it was a strange feeling to notice my own music playing a little everywhere.
At the same time, Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus paved the way for many other bands playing Finnish-language heavy music. Rautiainen takes a modest approach to the matter.
– I’m not going to judge which bands were born thanks to our influence. It is still certainly true that we made it easier for the bands in this direction after being the first to ski the open piste.
Increase tolerance
Trio Niskalaukaus, which went on hiatus in 2004, made a comeback in 2017. In the same year, the Songs from Finland -album, from which the song “Suomi hundred years” especially came into the spotlight. At the same time, Rautiainen got into the teeth of certain parties and also received death threats.
– Still, I didn’t even think of filing a criminal complaint, because I didn’t take the threats seriously in this context, although the record company checked things more closely. I would still hope that people remember that it’s not a good idea to write anything when you’re drunk.
– It was a pity that some people completely misunderstood the message of the song, feeling that I was against the motherland. This is not really the issue, the message of the song is that we should be tolerant towards fellow human beings.
Timo Rautiainen’s great popularity on the music front came as a surprise at one time. However, the feet have remained on the ground. Jenni Gästgivar
Rautiainen says that the current time, for example due to the war in Ukraine, is very current even when thinking about the song.
– People have been forced to flee the war from there. After all, this has also happened in the history of Finland. One can only hope that this would not happen again.
– It would also be much more useful to think about what could be done sensibly to improve things, instead of waving “Painukaa vittuun” signs on the streets.
Otherwise, while thinking about the difference between 2004 and now Trio Niskalaukaus, Rautainen bursts into laughter.
– The embarrassing composition has turned into a tragic one. Nowadays, the stick is no longer pressed, the upright guitar is sometimes played with the stomach upright.
The band is characterized by playing in black knee breeches.
– It has become a habit. We’ve also sometimes talked about playing a gig in all white, so you never know.
Important family
Rautiainen’s summer is otherwise filled with spending time with family, which also includes two grandchildren. Papa’s music has still not hit the next generation more, at least not yet.
– After all, the younger one of them said after hearing my song on the car radio that papa sings, Rautiainen smiles.
Pappa-Rautiainen has also been able to show her grandchildren her crafting skills.
– I made a cardboard car for someone using a hot glue gun, which you could hang on your shoulders with braces and kind of go inside the car yourself. Naturally, there were also lights in the men’s game, Rautiainen gets excited.
Thinking about the future, Rautiainen lists health as his biggest wish.
– I will turn sixty next year, so health is even more important. I was reminded of this a few years ago when I hurt my leg. That’s when my hamstring came off my kneecap. The injury eventually required two surgeries and a long recovery period.
– Regarding music, I hope that the gigs will continue. For me, every booked gig is always equally important, even if it is played solo in a phone booth.