13:57 Tohtori Orff & Herra Dalcroze

If one band would suddenly become the embodiment of good mood, it would undoubtedly be Tohtori Orff & Herra Dalcroze (Doctor Orff and Mr. Dalcroze). The trio, who mainly performs at day care centers, took the saturday afternoon's audience in their warm grip. You don't always need massive guitar walls of sound to drive the crowd wild. Tohtori Orff & Herra Dalcroze's musical base is an acoustic guitar, an accordeon and drums made out of cardboard boxes. Additional instruments, when needed, can be fashioned out of badminton rackets or children's snow sled played with a key. With this equipment the band made the sea of people in front of the Rekka-stage jump at their will. During Olisinpa Lintu-song ("Wish I was a bird") the band had the audience literally on their knees. During the song Anna O'Virtanen's sad interlude the drummer Hannu Sepponen encouraged people to take each other by the hand. When they moved onto a happier part in the song you were supposed to reward your neighbor in the audience with a little kiss. Utterly endearing.

The gig gave us all the gig-classics of the Orffs, such as Timo Lähti Pomppulinnaan (loosely translated "Timo went to a children's bouncy castle") and Virtasen Jone. During the song Lenkkarit ("Sneakers") it was especially wonderful to follow the audience--even the toughest stags in the crowd were shouting along to the chorus. If there were more bands like this, the world would most likely be a lot better a place.

Text by Ville Karttunen
Photos: Minna Pahkin
Translation: Jenni S.

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