Reino Helismaan muistomerkki / Reino Helismaa’s memorial

The career of Reino Helismaa (1913-1965), a singer and poet, a writer of lyrics and film manuscripts and a radio entertainer, began in the 1940s. He worked closely together with the composer Toivo Kärki, producing such Finnish classics as `Päivänsäde ja Menninkäinen’, `Kaksi vanhaa tukkijätkää’ and `Rovaniemen markkinoilla’. In all, Helismaa wrote the lyrics to nearly 5000 songs. Gunnar Uotila’s realistic portrait is a relief and it is attached to a large stone. The relief has the text: “Niin paljon on aihetta lauluun” (There is so much to sing about) and the years 1913-1965. The piece was commissioned by the Puistolaseura, a neighbourhood association, which donated it to the City of Helsinki in 1987. The relief is cast in bronze and it is set in stone.

The work doesn’t belong to the City of Helsinki’s art collection, which is managed by HAM.