Viola Turpeinen

::::::VIOLA TURPEINEN (1909-1957)::::::

Champion-born accordionist Viola Turpeinen became known as the "Hanuriprinsessa" - the Accordion Princess. During the years 1928-1938 and 1946-1954, she cut no less than 89 sides for the Columbia, Victor and Standard labels.

-COLUMBIA-

Viola's first recordings were the four that she and violinist John Rosendahl made for Columbia Records during a single session on January 11, 1928. Almost immediately after making them, she moved to Victor.

HAMARA SOTTIISI b/w HOLLOLAN POLKKA (Columbia 3074-F; 1928)

KULKURIN SERENADI b/w VANHANMANN SOTTIISI (Columbia 3077-F; 1928)

-VICTOR-

[JR] = with John Rosendahl, violin; [JR&SP] = with John Rosendahl on violin and Sylvia Polso on second accordion; [WS&WB] = with William Syrjala (Viola's husband) on cornet and/or guitar, and Werner Birch on piano.

EMMAN VALSSI [JR] b/w KAUHAVAN POLKKA [JR] (Victor 3-80587; 1928 - later reissued as V-4100)

PENTILLAN VALSSI [JR] b/w JUKAN SOTTIISI [JR] (Victor 3-80634; 1928)

VIOLAN POLKKA [JR] b/w JAAHYVAISVALSSI [JR] (Victor 3-80790; 1928)

HYMY HUULILLA-MASURKA [JR] b/w JALASJARVEN POLKKA [accordion solo] (Victor V-4005; 1928 - later reissued as V-4177)

VIOLON MASURKA [solo] b/w IHANNE VALSSI [solo] (Victor V-4008; 1928)

HANURIMARSSI [JR] b/w PAASSKYS VALSSI [JR] (Victor V-4025; 1928)

IHANA MAA-MASURKKA [JR] b/w KAUSTISEN POLKKA [JR] (Victor V-4034; 1929)

SUOMI-SOTTIISI [JR] b/w ILOINEN-POLKKA [JR] (Victor V-4043; 1929)

SOITTAN POLKKA [solo] b/w MUSTALAISEN SOTTIISI [JR] (Victor V-4048; 1929)

VIULUPOLKKA [JR] b/w TAHTI VALSSI [JR] (Victor V-4051; 1929)

MERELLA-VALSSI [JR&SP] b/w MIKKELIN POLKKA [JR&SP] (Victor V-4112; 1931 - later reissued as V-4155)

KAIKUJA TANSSISALISTA [JR&SP] b/w ILLOISET PAIVAT [JP&SP] (Victor V-4114; 1931)

NEUVOJA NAIMATTOMILLE [JR&SP] b/w non-Viola B-side (Victor V-4117; 1931)

SURUN KAIHO YO - VALSSI [WS&WB] b/w HEI STOP - SOTTIISI [WS&WB] (Victor V-4145; 1934 - later reissued as V-4168)

PEUKALO - POLKKA [WS&WB] b/w TIP TOP - HAMBO [WS&WB] (Victor V-4147; 1934)

AHVENANMAAN - SOTTIISI [WS&WB] b/w ASIKKALAN POLKKA [WS&WB] (Victor V-4149; 1934) BS-83321

UNELMA-VALSSI [accordion solo, and vocal by Viola] b/w KAHDEN VENHEESSA - JENKA [accordion solo] (Victor V-4175; 1938)

Many of these sides would later be re-reissued after RCA acquired Victor; there are also believed to be four unreleased Turpeinen sides in the RCA vaults.

-STANDARD-

Standard Records was originally a Victor subsidiary, until Titos Demetriadas, former head of Victor's international records department, bought the label in 1945. He proceeded to sign many former Victor international artists to the label, including Viola Turpeinen.

CLAP HANDS - POLKA b/w CORVETTE - HAMBO (Standard F-5002; 1946)

LEA SCHOTTISCHE b/w ECHOES OF THE BARN DANCE (Standard F-5004; 1946)

LET'S GO - Polka b/w SUMMER EVENING - Waltz (Kesaillan Valssi) (Standard F-5005; 1946)

OLEANA - Polka b/w NIKOLINA - Hambo (Standard F-5006; 1946)

ANNIVERSARY SONG (Danube Waves - Waltz) b/w ALL MY LOVE (Dolores - Waltz) (Standard F-5025; 1947)

SHAKE YOUR FINGERS - Polka b/wNEW YEAR'S HAMBO (Standard F-5027; 1947)

TANNERI WALTZ (Kulkurin Valssi - Instrumental) b/w HARLEM - Schottische (Standard F-5029; 1947)

SINUA MINA KAIPAAN - Valssi b/w KULKURIN VALSSI [Vocal overdub of "Tanneri Waltz" above] (Standard F-5034; 1947)

SCANDINAVIAN FOLK DANCE b/w GOOD TIME - Polka (HYVAN AJAN - Polkka) (Standard F-5037; 1947)

JOULOYO, JOULOYO (Silent Night) (Viola Turpeinen, vocal) b/w JOULUAULU (Christmas Song) (Viola Turpeinen, vocal) (Standard F-5039; 1948)

TANSSIN OLGAN KANSSA (William Syrjala, vocal) b/w MUSTALAINEN (Gypsy) (Viola Turpeinen, vocal) (Standard F-5043; 1949)

KAUHAVA BRAWL - Polka (Kauhava Tappelu-Polka) b/w JANIE'S POLKA (Standard F-5044; 1949)

EVERYBODY'S WALTZ b/w TOGETHER POLKA (Standard F-5047; 1949)

SAUNASSA - Sottiisi (William Syrjala, vocal) b/wSINNULE RAKKAIN SAVEL SOI - Valssi (Viola Turpeinen, vocal) (Standard F-5052; 1949)

WOODS OF FINLAND - Waltz (Life In The Woods Of Finland) b/w WORKING BEE - Polka (Talkoopolkka) (Standard F-5054; 1950)

LAPSUUDEN TOVERILLE (Childhood Companion) (V. Turpeinen, vocal) b/wKYNTTILAIDEN SYNTTYESSA (Lamplightin' Time In The Valley) (Standard F-5055; 1949)

VINGELSKA - Schottische b/wULLA'S HAMBO (Standard F-5062; 1950)

SVEN'S HAMBO b/w HEINA AIKA - Polka (Haytime- Polka) (Standard F-5067; 1950)

JOLLY FELLOW - Polka (VEKKULI - Polka) b/wFINNISH SCHOTTISCHE MEDLEY (Standard F-5071; 1950)

ON THE BRIDGE IN MOONLIGHT (Kuun Virran Sillalla - Valssi) (V.T., vocal) b/w NOT SINGLE ANYMORE (Meinasin Meinasin Olla - Jenkka) (V.T., vocal) (Standard F-5076; 1953)

IT'S RAINING AND SNOWING (Saata Vetta, Saata Lunta-Jenkka) b/w ELLEN - Polka (Eevan Polkka) 1953 (Standard F-5077; 1953)

CARLA'S WALTZ b/wFINNISH-SWEDISH SCHOTTISCHE (Standard F-5079; 1953)

ILLALA (Tula Tullalla - Jenkka) (Viola Turpeinen, vocal) b/w TAHTI JA MERIPOIKA - Valssi (Standard F-5081; 1953)

TAIKA YO - Valssi (Magic - Waltz) KULLALLEIN MINA KAFFIA KEITAN (Cooking Coffee For My Sweetheart) (V.T., vocal) (Standard F-5086; 1954)

SAARIJARVEN WALTZ (Saarijarven Liisa) b/w TWO ROW ACCORDION - Polka 1953 (Standard F-5088; 1953)

MEILLA EI TAALLA OLE - Valssi b/w SYDAMESTANI RAKASTAN - Schottische (Standard F-5089; 1954)

All of the above Standard recordings, except "Vingelska," "Kuun Virran Syllalla" and "Meinasin Meinasin Olla," were later re-issued on five LPs by the Colonial Record Company.

All of Viola's released recordings, and some "bonus tracks," are now available on four CDs put out by Artie Music, a Finnish record company. This website sells these CDs, but be warned - most of the text is in Finnish: http://www.fiftyrecords.com/kauppa/index.html

Viola Turpeinen died in Florida in 1957, after battling breast cancer.

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