Monday, September 29, 2008

Black But Sweet - Miljoonan markan pakarat


Heikki "Pedro" Hietanen is a Finnish musician, who has played keyboards in groups like Wigwam, Pepe & Paradise, and his own group Pedro's Heavy Gentlemen. This Gentlemen group recorded "Miljoonan markan pakarat" (Buttocks worth of a million Finnish Marks (Finnish Mark or "Markka" preceded the "Euro" as our currency)) in 1991 featuring a lady called Marjo Leinonen as a lead singer. The song tolds a story about a woman who builds her quite successful career on her buttocks. The original was an old calypso song called "Black But Sweet" and it was written and performed by Frederick Wilmoth Hendricks, better known as Wilmoth Houdini. He was born in Trinidad, but in 1928 settled in New York. There he began an extensive recording career as calypso singer and songwriter that would continue through the 1940s. Houdini was the first calypsonian to have a successful career in the United States, and was often called the "Calypso King of New York".

Here's the pair:

1 comment:

Gumby said...

On aina hauska huomata miten omat postaukseni inspiroivat sinua, heh. Kivoja, ytimekkäitä tietopaketteja täältä löytyy muutenkin. Carry on!