Ameriikan Poijat, founded in Northfield in 1990, carries on the tradition of Finnish brass band septets for modern audiences.
Transcript
This is Minnesota's Legacy, a look at the organizations and the people who have benefited from Minnesota's Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment.
Britt Aamodt: At the turn of the 20th century, Finns were the largest foreign-born group on Minnesota's Iron Range. During the day, they worked the ore pits and lumber camps, tough, dangerous work. But evenings and weekends, they gathered in parks and Finn halls, at weddings and funerals, for music
Paul Niemisto: Biwabik and Eveleth and Virginia and Ely, all of these towns had Finnish bands.
Britt Aamodt: Likely brass band septets, a uniquely Finnish musical import to the Iron Range. Paul Niemisto is the founder and conductor of Ameriikan Poijaat: Boys of America, a modern Finnish-style brass septet founded in Northfield in 1990. They play traditional repertoire.
Paul Niemisto: Social dance music of Finland in the early 20th century. That's polka, Tango, waltz. Then there's also some patriotic music of the Finns and folk songs.
Britt Aamodt: Ameriikan Poijat also commissions new songs with grants from Minnesota's Legacy Fund.
Paul Niemisto: So it enables us to think big in terms of travel within the state and enable our dreams to come true.
Minnesota's Legacy is produced by AMPERS with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Online at AMPERS dot ORG.