The Kettu anthem, composed in honor of Kettu coffees, is the work of Seppo Äikkä from Lappeenranta . To understand the kind of dedication involved, it is probably worth telling you about Äikkä's relationship with coffee first. In practice, that is not the case: he doesn't drink coffee.
But there is no principle involved, because when negotiations began on the composition, Äikäs expressed his willingness to taste coffee for the first time in over 20 years – the last and first time he drank coffee was during his military service. Thus, the composer must be given credit even before the interview has begun.
Seppo, how often do you commission entire songs or hymns?
- Every now and then, lately it seems like about once a year. Lappeenranta's signature delicacy, hydrogen, recently turned 60, and in honor of that, I composed, wrote and arranged a hymn in praise of hydrogen.
You tasted coffee for the first time in a long time because of this anthem. Did it leave a hole in your coffee tooth, so to speak?
- I don't drink coffee at all, but I actually asked for a coffee audience specifically for the assignment, which was arranged at the Satamatie 6 café. I haven't felt like drinking coffee since then, even though the setting and ingredients were fine. It did shake me a bit when I almost drank a cup.
Why don't you drink coffee? Are there any principles behind it?
- Coffee is bad, coffee drinkers think about nothing but coffee, coffee drinkers take more breaks at work than non-drinkers, coffee grounds in the bio-waste container stink all day long, coffee leaves permanent stains on cups. I'd rather be addicted to other things.
What kind of relationship do you have with music and what can you be called besides the title of musical genius?
- I have been involved with music since I was a child, studied it until I became a professional and built my life around music. I still feel that I am at my best when working with music. Instead of the title of musical genius, I would use the term music miscellaneous worker for myself. The best title ever was a music artist in the program for a private event. My official education is music pedagogue (BA) and the official professional title is office janitor at a music institute.
Seppo Äikäs and Arttu Muukkonen watch from the screen what kind of impact Lauri Aapro has made.
You lead the Lappeenranta Teekkari Singers Choir, which performs the Kettu anthem with a music video directed by Lauri Aapro. The choir usually performs in tailcoats. Have you led choirs in fancy dress before and how did that affect the performance?
- The tailcoat and the black suit are quite a fancy dress outfit. However, the fox costume was looser and suitably warm, and therefore definitely more comfortable than the suit that was too small. The hood was inconvenient because it interfered with the visual contact with the choir members on the far edges of the field of vision.
Choral music sounds wonderful. What is your own choral background?
- I was born in February and saw a picture where, in the November before my birth, I congratulated the female singers of Lappeenranta who had reached their milestone birthdays, with the help of my mother. I found my wife at choir rehearsals and both of my children have sung – unintentionally – in the choir. I am a byproduct of choral singing.
Watch the Hymn to Kettu Coffee here:
Text: Arttu Muukkonen Photos: Nelli Rugojeva / NXM Foto