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Suomen bluegrass-musiikin yhdistys r.y.

SBMY r.y. on perustettu 1993 edistämään ja tekemään tunnetuksi bluegrass-musiikkia Suomessa. Näiltä sivuilta löydät tietoa bluegrass-musikista sekä suomalaisista yhtyeistä. Tarkastele näitä sivuja lähemmin ja ota suunta kohti lähimpiä jameja. Bluegrass-musiikkia on soitettu Suomessa yli 30 vuotta. Mikäli sinulla on näitä sivuja tai bluegrass-musiikkia koskevaa asiaa ota yhteyttä webmaster[at]bluegrass.fi

The Finnish Bluegrass Music Association

The Finnish Bluegrass Music Association has been established in 1993. It’s goal is to promote Bluegrass music in Finland and present it to new audiences who are not aware of this fine acoustic music.


BLUEGRASS.FI — SBMY ry



Bluegrass music is like going to school.
When you learn Bluegrass, you can play a lot of music.
– Bill Monroe

The term 'bluegrass' describes the hot string-band style
pioneered by Kentuckian Bill Monroe, which blends
old-time country music with blues rhythms
and jazz-influenced improvisation.
– Mel Bay

Tom Kuchka voted European Bluegrass Pioneer 2002

Vote was made by EWOB Association representatives across Europe in May 2002.

Tom Kuchka (1938–2000)

Tom Kuchka, born in Pennsylvania USA, moved to Finland in the end of the 60s. As a musician with a background in the New York Jazz scene, he rediscovered his musical heritage after having left his home country.

Taking to his roots he made a significant contribution to the introduction of Bluegrass music to Finnish musicians and enthusiasts. His most important accomplishment in Finnish Bluegrass must be his now legendary Toimela Bluegrass Workshop which he held weekly without break for over thirty years. During this time he brought bluegrass to many generations of pickers, the majority of whom make up the active Finnish Bluegrass scene today.

No one can forget Tom’s truly authentic high lonesome sound when he sang, or his unforgettable call “I got it” when he chose to play a break. Though Tom never did receive attention as a picker he could play virtually all the “official” bluegrass instruments and so was capable of putting together countless bands and fill in the missing instrument. Most often he would be the backbone playing the upright bass, singing lead and high tenor while guiding the beginners to the secrets of bluegrass.

There is virtually no one in Finland who has not been touched by his unyielding effort in finding new bluegrass enthusiasts and his undervalued contribution in getting them started in bluegrass music. Most of them eventually went their own ways to form bands such as Mayflower who worked their way up to become the first Finnish Bluegrass band to receive nationwide attention during the Country music boom of the 70-80s.

Tom kept on with his bluegrass and jazz workshops and was the driving force of his own Tom Kuchka Bluegrass Legacy. He wrote numerous bluegrass tunes of his own with two published Bluegrass LP’s (now out of print). He put together countless bluegrass groups due to his unfailing ability to come up with gigs through his widespread personal contacts.

Tom passed away in the summer of 2000 at the age of 61 but the legacy of his workshop is still going strong in the growing energy of contemporary Finnish bluegrass. Tom’s role as a guide, fellow musician and friend to many can be considered a major part of Finnish bluegrass from the 60s to the beginning of the 21st century. Though some better known Finnish musicians and songwriters had “dabbled” in bluegrass before him, their efforts can’t really be compared to the dedication and influence that Tom had. Tom Kuchka’s continued dedication and support of bluegrass spanning well over three decades and affecting so many in Finland, even if he did not achieve major attention himself, has no equal in increasing the awareness and bringing in new musicians to bluegrass. There can really be no better nominee for pioneer of bluegrass in Finland.