Comment | Jussi Raittinen looked to the future when others were already starting to remember the past

Somewhere I have a black and white photo at home that I couldn't find now. I took it myself in Jyväskylä during the finals of the Rock Championship in November 1983. In the foreground is the back Jussi Raittinenwho looks at the stage where the band Talouskukkaro from Joensuu is performing.

At that time, the callers of Talouskukkaro were of middle school age. Among them were Ilkka “Ili” Alanko, Petteri “Kode” Koistinen, Jari “Lade” Laakkonen and Kari “Kämy” Kämäräinen. Later, they founded the band Nelva Ruusua, which became one of Finland's most successful rock bands in the first half of the 1990s.

I didn't know that when I took the picture, but apparently I thought that this is where the generations meet.

Jussi Raittinen was only 40 years old at the time, but his career as a well-known rock musician had already started before I was born.

In his own way, Raittinen was building the careers of not only Neljen Ruusu, but also many other rock bands that have become permanent favorites. He was already involved in Popmuusikot ry, which was founded in 1969, which was unique at the time, the front organization of the new generation of light music creators.

The association started the Rock Championship in 1970, which was meant to discover new talents, and especially in the early 1980s, many bands came to the public's attention through it, some of which became number one stars for years. The music of many others has lasted until these days. Among them were Hassisen kone, 22-Pistepirkko, Yö, Clifters, Kolmas, Nainen, Peer Günt and Keba. Raittinen participated in the games as a presenter.

I was later in contact with Jussi Raittinen on work matters from time to time, especially when I had to check things that had happened a long time ago. I had been told that Jussi remembers everything, and almost always Jussi did. I sometimes also mentioned the SC final in 1983, and Jussi naturally remembered that too.

Jussi Raittinen may have been one of Finland's first rock stars, but he was also one of the first to look to the future when many of his peers began to reminisce about the past.