Humppaa! Uudelleentulkinta ja kiteytyminen Dallapén ja Humppa-Veikkojen sovituksissa

Abstract

Suomalaisen tanssimusiikin tyylilaji humppa syntyi 1950-luvun lopulla, kun Dallapé-orkesterin 1930-luvun foxtroteja alettiin esittää uudestaan. Humpan synty oli hiukan sattuman varassa. Vuonna 1958 radion ajanvieteohjelmassa Kankkulan kaivolla esiintynyt humppa-pumppa-orkesteri Pumppu-Veikot muodostettiin pilailumielessä vain ohjelmaa varten, mutta sen esittämä musiikki saavuttikin odotettua suuremman suosion. Näin muodostettiin Humppa-Veikot ja alkunsa sai 1980-luvun alkuun kestänyt humppamusiikin kulta-aika, jonka kuluessa sävellettiin uusia humppakappaleita vanhojen suosikkien rinnalle.

Tutkimuksessa keskitytään vertailemaan Dallapén ja Humppa-Veikkojen levytyksiä. Kierrätyksessä vanhat foxtrotit sovitettiin uudestaan ja soittotyyli muotoutui aiempaaa pelkistetymmäksi. Kyse oli musiikin kiteytymisestä: sovituksiin jätettiin vain kaikkein olennaisin. Tanssiorkesterien historian avulla tutkimuksessa selvennetään sovitusten teon periaatteita, jotka rinnastetaan vaudeville-esitysten dramaturgiaan. Nämä periaatteet löytyvät yhtä lailla Dallapén kuin Humppa-Veikkojenkin tuotannosta, mutta jälkimmäisessä tapauksessa ne ilmenevät pelkistyneemmässä muodossa.

Humppa is a style of Finnish dance hall music, which was born in the end of the 1950´s as a result of recycling. Older 1930´s foxtrots by the famous Dal-lapé orchestra were now performed again. Humppa was born partly by acci-dent in 1958 in a radio show called Kankkulan kaivolla (By the well of Kank-kula), where a band played foxtrots in humorous and parodical manner. These performances gained an unexpected success, which led to the formation of an orchestra called Humppa-Veikot. Humppa music was popular for about two decades, during which new humppa pieces were composed to widen the reper-toire of old hits.

In this thesis the history of humppa is divided into four phases. In the first phase there were the original foxtrots by Dallapé, which were local Finnish versions of this internationally popular style of dance music. The music of Dallapé was an innovation in its own time, and it succeeded in finding a wide audience. This popularity was a basis for the forthcoming revivals. The second phase in the history of humppa was the revival in the 1950´s and 60´s, in which the earlier style of music was simplified in order to adapt better to a new era. I have interpreted this revival as a reinterpretation and crystallization. Parody in humppa appeared as a slightly exaggerated style of playing and as condensed arrangements. Humppa was a fruitful combination of parody and nostalgia, as it gave to its listeners an opportunity to reflect personal and na-tional history. However, this reinterpreted style was not only looking into the past, but it was considered to be something new and refreshing.

The third phase was still another revival a decade later in the 1970?s. Dan-ce bands became smaller and they used electric instruments. Consequently, the style of live music became yet more simplified when compared to the style of the 1960?s. On the other hand, new studio technology helped to build a more detailed and complex sound on the recordings. In this third phase humppa be-came an established and even an ossified style of Finnish dance hall music. The fourth phase consists of several later appearances of humppa, in which the established position of humppa has been reinterpreted in different contexts. It is worth noting, that during the history of humppa the music has always been reinterpreted according to the era and the cultural situation. It is also interes-ting, that humppa generated both strong negative and positive emotions, en-chantment and disdain.

In this thesis humppa is analyzed with the emphasis on the comparison of the recordings by Dallapé and Humppa-Veikot. In the revival phase the old foxtrots were rearranged and the style of playing became reduced. In other words, this is chrystallization: only the essential was left in the arrangements. Basic principles of arranging are traced back to the international history of dance band arrangements, i.e. with comparison to the aesthetics of vaudeville shows. These basic principles are found in the repertoires of both Dallapé and Humppa-Veikot, but in the latter case they appear in a more reduced form.