Finland punches way above its weight when it comes to producing extraordinary musicians and composers. A country of only 5.5 million people, it has given us Sibelius, Rautavaara, Kaija Saariaho, Olli Mustonen, Leif Segerstam, and the wonderful jazz pianist Iiro Rantala amongst many others. Today, on Finnish National Day, we celebrate the wealth of Finnish music and songs, the national obsession with tango, and the bewitching vocal creations that come from the pen of Jaakko Mantyjarvi.
RTÉ lyric fm, Friday 6th December, 9.30pm-1am