Tango fever, Finnish style

Every year in the Finnish town of Seinäjoki, thousands take to the streets for a five-day festival of dance and music, all in the name of tango. Katie Gregory visited this year’s Tangomarkkinat to find out how this notoriously reserved nation came to fall in love with the flamboyant foreigner in the first place

Dancing Finnish tango certainly isn’t as easy as it looks. I had (wrongly) assumed that my previous experience of its far more ostentatious Argentine predecessor would stand me in good stead for my lesson with Klaus Blomqvist, son to Åke – one of Finnish tango’s most important figures – and a well-respected dance teacher. In fact, the nuances of the Finnish version take some getting used to, and, as with any social dance, there is of course the first hurdle to overcome: whether you like it or not, you are required to nestle up to your partner, and in the case of Finnish tango, it gets pretty cosy.
This of course is all part of the fun if the two of you happen to be in love/lust, as demonstrated by Klaus and his very pretty girlfriend. If, however, you are relatively new acquaintances, and suffer from an acute case of British reserve, the results are less effective. How then, did the Finns – not such distant relatives from the Brits in terms of sweeping personality stereotypes – ever come to embrace the tango, not merely in a literal sense, but as a huge part of their national identity?
The answer lies somewhere amongst the crowds at the annual Seinäjoki Tango Festival (or Tangomarkkinat), who gather on Tango Street, a stone’s throw from the Åke Blomqvist dance studio where I found myself learning the ropes with my fellow-novice partner. The first noticeable difference to the Argentine style is the hold. Although there’s pressure inwards from both dancers, there’s no pronounced inward-lean, and instead the stance is more upright, with body contact equally pressured from chest down to thigh – where the point of leading and following stems from. The steps are based on a basic “slow, slow, quick quick” rhythm, and with no crossed steps or flicks, on the whole it’s far subtler, although no less intimate. As Klaus squeezed us closer together, his demonstrative thrusting action – while off-putting – made it clear what it was he was looking for. Essentially, and in keeping with its original gaucho forefathers’ intentions, Finnish tango is a useful method of finding a lady.

Tango dance was first introduced in Finland around 1913, and its popularity there has since peaked and troughed as it has done worldwide. However, while elsewhere in Europe it was superseded by more fashionable newcomers, the Finns largely shunned these, having found an affinity with the melancholic aspect of tango music. While this has remained a fundamental element of the sound today, the Finns have their own very distinct style, with no bandoneon, and with most songs played in a minor key.
The pinnacle of Seinäjoki’s Tango Festival is a tango singing contest, which, three years on from the festival’s inception in 1984, was opened up to both male and female vocalists, and offers winners the chance to be crowned Tango King and Queen. On the Friday night of my visit, the faces of ten semi-finalists grinned out from flyers and TV screens around the town, before the qualifying trials were broadcast on MTV3. The following day I spoke to the two male entrants who’d been selected for the grand final that evening.
“It’s a very emotional experience – you’re often close to tears yourself” explained 22-year-old Antti Ahopelto, whose face I recognised from the front page of the morning’s local paper, and who I was later informed was the public’s favourite. “Although they’re not all sad tangos – some are happy, too” added Antti’s fellow fresh-faced rival, Henri Stenroth. Indeed, the atmosphere around the town is far from melancholic, thanks to a potent mixture of high spirits as well as those of the alcoholic variety. The set-up is more formal at the Halla Atria, a large sports arena a short bus ride away, which had been transformed into a dance hall and venue for the Nordic Tango Championships. Surveying the talent, I spotted Johanna and Frans Karki, and instantly recognised them as winners of the 2005 Snow Tango championships in Tampere.
“You can be a good dancer technically and dance your steps right, but if you don’t show your inner feelings, it’s not the same,” explained Johanna of her success. Having initially danced ballroom and Latin American as a little girl, like many, she turned her hand to tango later on.
“Finns are very shy people,” explained Frans when questioned about the nation’s obsession with the dance. “They’re not very talkative. So, 50 years ago you couldn’t find a woman. With tango, because the lady should say yes, you get the chance to share your feelings without talking. You can see if there’s a connection between you. And if it works, you don’t know – maybe one day you will marry that woman.”

The formalities of the dance deem it rude to decline a request from a man, and once you’re up on the floor you’re committed to two dances in which to find that elusive connection – something that the judges, too, look for in competition.

“In couple dancing, the most important thing is that it is heart to heart,” explained Tomo Sukegawa, president of the International Dance Centre in Japan, from where he had travelled to adjudicate at the tango championships. And while the Japanese presence at the festival is flourishing, the Finnish style itself has begun to emerge elsewhere.
Julio Vallejo Medina, an architect by trade who works at the Seinäjoki Polytechnic, was originally drawn to the area by the structural designs of the town’s most famous architect, Alvar Aalto. He’s now working on an EU-funded project, Intertango, whose aim is to create an international association for Finnish tango, so far with links established in Paris and Grenada.
“Finnish tango is in many ways the same, but it’s not got the ‘showyness’ that Argentine tango has. Argentine tango has sharp stops and starts, Finnish is much more fluid, with closer contact between the dancers,” he told me. “And it’s changing, too. Over in Paris, it’s electronic tango now. They’re using Piazzola, but updating it.”

Intertango seminars and performances formed part of a long list of features available over the week in Seinäjoki, which spanned a range of ages and interests. “In Argentina, people go mainly to look at the tango,” explained AP Kuismin, managing director of the Tango Festival. “Our festival is different, because Finnish tango is different. Finnish people are not so social usually, so tango is like a key that unlocks their emotion. Everyone can take part – everyone is a part of it – and that is why so many people come.”

In terms of numbers, Kuismin has a valid point – this year the attendees totalled 104,390, the 10,000 loss on last year’s event a reflection of rainy weather. That impressive figure is made up of a mixture of ages, and as Henri Stenroth proudly donned his crown as Tango King, with 18-year-old Jenna Bågeberg named Tango Queen, it was clear that the tango in Finland is anything but passé. For these two, it’s the route to recording contracts and glittering careers, not to mention the shiny new cars they took home. And, after their win on Saturday night, the crowds on Tango Street launched into yet another evening of dancing, the tango becoming less and less reminiscent of the one I attempted to master in Klaus’ lesson. It seems that while the Finns love a bit of competition, their tango is primarily a social tool, which makes it perfect for beginners. Dancing restaurants and dance halls are a firm favourite across Finland throughout the year, although a trip to coincide with next year’s festival from July 9-13 is highly recommended. Not wishing to leave anyone out, the Finns have even catered for solo travellers, who can make the most of the Air Tango Championships – the perfect remedy for stepping on your partner’s toes, although perhaps not quite as much fun as the real thing. 

Visit www.tangomarkkinat.fi/english to find out more about the Seinäjoki Tango Festival, or contact the South Ostrobothnia Tourist Service on
+358 (0)6 420 9090 or by visiting
www.epmatkailu.fi for package details.