Thanks for providing us with this information - not well-known even to Finnish-Americans who had parents/grandparents who enjoyed the Finn dances 1920s-early 1950s. I am a Finnish-American accordionist (since 1958) who was fortunate enough to have learned about those lively years at 125th and 5th Avenuses - from Viola Turpeinen's husband - William "Bill" Syrjala, as well as from active 5th Ave. members such as Richard and Helvi Impola. Back in the early 1930s, a great tragedy happened as many members of this Hall and others such as the hall in Brooklyn - decided to move to the Soviet Union - having heard propaganda re. the worker's paradise being described in the leftist-leaning Socialist papers then circulated in New York City. Several Columbia/Victor recording artists [Leo Kauppi and his wife; Katri Lammi and husband Jukka Ahti, to name a few] unfortunately "bought" into the lies, moving to the Soviet Union. Possibly, the Great Depression and the severe decline in opportunities to record for the major record companies - played a factor in some recording artists believing that better opportunities were possible in the U.S.S.R. Sadly, of the four names listed above - only Katri Lammi survived the late 1930s Purges - although she was never the same years afterwards.
Thank you for your comment. I am quite jealous; talking with Mr. Syrjälä must have been a great experience. Sadly, many of those big stars passed away before academics got interested in them, so interviews with especially record artists are rare. I was planning to do more videos on this topic, e. g. on some other famous halls and individual musicians, but I haven't had the time yet.
@@mattiasakemalm1412 Thanks. Although already a researcher, I was unprepared for my one-and-only meeting with "Bill" Syrjala as I had come to FL on my honeymoon, Oct. 1983. Had a hard time just convincing my new wife to detour from Disney World over to Lake Worth - much less to bring oral history-recording tape recorders, etc. My big thrill was how enthusiastic Bill was once he learned that I was playing Finnish dance music on the exact same Excelsior 1935 model she used from 1935-1953 - for dances and recordings. He put out a "call" among the Finn Hall group for someone to bring in an accordion for me to play at a dance - with Bill on drums, violin and trumpet. [Would have been the memory of my life!]. Alas - it was not to be as no one had an accordion [the hall was using a donated Hammond electric organ which did not really belong with the old music (in my opinion). I do have 2-3 color photos to remember the event - some of the old timers at the hall were getting a "kick" out of my hardly concealed "idol worship." Wish I had been able to better document this occasion.
Thanks for providing us with this information - not well-known even to Finnish-Americans who had parents/grandparents who enjoyed the Finn dances 1920s-early 1950s. I am a Finnish-American accordionist (since 1958) who was fortunate enough to have learned about those lively years at 125th and 5th Avenuses - from Viola Turpeinen's husband - William "Bill" Syrjala, as well as from active 5th Ave. members such as Richard and Helvi Impola. Back in the early 1930s, a great tragedy happened as many members of this Hall and others such as the hall in Brooklyn - decided to move to the Soviet Union - having heard propaganda re. the worker's paradise being described in the leftist-leaning Socialist papers then circulated in New York City. Several Columbia/Victor recording artists [Leo Kauppi and his wife; Katri Lammi and husband Jukka Ahti, to name a few] unfortunately "bought" into the lies, moving to the Soviet Union. Possibly, the Great Depression and the severe decline in opportunities to record for the major record companies - played a factor in some recording artists believing that better opportunities were possible in the U.S.S.R. Sadly, of the four names listed above - only Katri Lammi survived the late 1930s Purges - although she was never the same years afterwards.
Thank you for your comment. I am quite jealous; talking with Mr. Syrjälä must have been a great experience. Sadly, many of those big stars passed away before academics got interested in them, so interviews with especially record artists are rare. I was planning to do more videos on this topic, e. g. on some other famous halls and individual musicians, but I haven't had the time yet.
@@mattiasakemalm1412 Thanks. Although already a researcher, I was unprepared for my one-and-only meeting with "Bill" Syrjala as I had come to FL on my honeymoon, Oct. 1983. Had a hard time just convincing my new wife to detour from Disney World over to Lake Worth - much less to bring oral history-recording tape recorders, etc. My big thrill was how enthusiastic Bill was once he learned that I was playing Finnish dance music on the exact same Excelsior 1935 model she used from 1935-1953 - for dances and recordings. He put out a "call" among the Finn Hall group for someone to bring in an accordion for me to play at a dance - with Bill on drums, violin and trumpet. [Would have been the memory of my life!]. Alas - it was not to be as no one had an accordion [the hall was using a donated Hammond electric organ which did not really belong with the old music (in my opinion). I do have 2-3 color photos to remember the event - some of the old timers at the hall were getting a "kick" out of my hardly concealed "idol worship." Wish I had been able to better document this occasion.