Alpo “Apeli” Halinen has died at the age of 87.
Apeli Halinen, Heikki Kahila, Aarre Elo, Jukka Virtanen and Jani Uhlenius formed the song and instrumental ensemble Songilo in 1974. YLE / information department
Musician and television performer Alpo Halinen was born on July 22, 1934 in Kuusankoski.
In the 1970s, he hosted YLE’s music programs, including the Finnish Eurovision Song Contest 1973 and 1975.
Halinen was a founding member of the song and instrumental ensemble Songilo together with Aarre Elon, Jani Uhlenius and Jukka Virtanen with. The lineup also joined Heikki Kahila.
Halinen worked as the City of Espoo’s cultural secretary, in the Ministry of Labor and in the cultural organizations of the social democratic labor movement.
A book about Songilo was published in 2012. Pictured from left to right: Alpo Halinen, Heikki Kahila, Aarre Elo, Jukka Virtanen and Jani Uhlenius. Kari Pekonen
Halinen died on May 11th. The personal death report prepared by his spouse was published in Helsingin Sanomat on Sunday, June 5.
– 55 years ago we put our skis in the same bag. After that, our lives were both uphill and really downhill. The last downhill was calculated on 6.5. In Levi, the announcement reads.
– Now I am speechless, so I quote Matti Pellonpää: “There are moments that require Jallu”.
Apeli Hali was remembered in Helsingin Sanomat on 5 June.