Ari Viitanen, a high school/middle school music teacher, musician, arranger, composer, band leader and instrument builder known for being one of the first people to bring Steelpan to Finland, has died. He was 63. Viitanen was survived by his wife Sirpa, his daughter Hanna and son Janne.
Originally a teacher of wood and metal work, Viitanen spent much of his youth making loudspeaker systems, guitar FX, guitars, bass, and Leslie speakers (a combination amplifier and two-way loudspeaker). He later would focus on making various percussion instruments including bongos, timbales, congas, toms, cowbells, chimes, and steel drums.
Viitanen began teaching music at the Karjaan Ylaaste school in Karjaa, Finland in 1977. In 1985, he started a Finnish reggae band that featured the Kantele, the Finnish national instrument. During a tour in Sweden, he was introduced to steel drums after hearing the Danish Tornby Steel Band perform. Instantly intrigued, Viitanen began experimenting to make his own Pans, but found it harder than he had hoped. In 1991, after reading the instructional book, “Steel Drums: How to Play and Make Them” by Pete Seeger, he had more success. After learning from Pan virtuoso and builder Rudy Smith and others more familiar with the instrument, Viitanen eventually built a band’s worth of instruments himself and started Steelpan Lovers in 1992.
Viitanen was awarded the Finland State Award of Promoting Children’s Culture in November of 2000. That same year he took Steel Pan Lovers to the first-ever European Steelpan Festival in Paris, France and earned a spot in the World Steel Band Music Festival in Trinidad & Tobago later that year. The band reached the finals of the competition, achieving 8th place. In 2002, Viitananen chronicled his story in an autobiographical blog, which can be read HERE.
Upon hearing the news of his friend passing, Pan builder, player and arranger, Chris Wabich, who helped Viitanen develop his tuning skills in the early 1990s, shed some light on the legacy Viitanen leaves behind.
“Finland’s steelband pioneer Ari Viitanen passed away today. He was the first to bring Pan to Finland and eventually learned on his own how to build all the instruments. In his hometown of Karjaa there are only about 9,000 people. There is only one high school which was the home base for training for his group, Steel Pan Lovers. Antti Jyrkkanen was responsible for the early training (middle school level) and Ari taught as many as five Pan classes a day,” Wabich said. “Ari brought me over to teach more about tuning and construction in the early 90s. As his guest soloist, he took me and this great band all over the country playing concerts at notable events, highlights being FACES ethnofestival, Helsinki Winter Carnival and the Pori Jazz Festival. Later in 2000 Ari took the band to the world steelpan festival in Trinidad and performed a really amazing original arrangement of Lord Kitchener’s “Pan in A Minor.”
Viitanen’s daughter also shared her thoughts on her father’s legacy.
“Ari, who worked as a music teacher in Karjaa, Finland for 33 years was one of those few people who not only had crazy plans and dreams but also made those plans and dreams a reality,” she said. “During his time as a music teacher Ari brought and taught the joy of music to over 3000 pupils and affected the lives of many more. To us in Steel Pan Lovers he was not only a band leader, but a mentor, father figure and a dear friend. He will be greatly missed by family and friends as well as the steel band communities around the world.”
Upon hearing the news, students of his left messages on Facebook about the impact Viitanen had on their lives:
Here are some messages and comments gathered and summarized from Ari’s friends and students who have posted things on Facebook after his sudden death caused by a stroke on Friday.”Ari was a man, who was widely known around Finland and also internationally. His work with the Steel Pan as a composer, arranger, band leader as well as a tuner was noticed by many. Ari’s endless interest in open-minded experiments on new things, inventing instruments and musical gimmickry inspired many people to follow his enthusiastic example. He inspired all of us and encouraged us to challenge our limits.”
“The members of Steel Pan Lovers refer themselves as being a part of a Steel Band family rather than being only players. Ari’s influence on creating such warm and close spirit has been priceless. Ari was a beloved and highly appreciated junior high and high school music teacher, who led many of his students to the beautiful world of music with his positive and encouraging enhusiasm. Everyone who has had the privilege to be educated by him, remember him with great respect. Many old students thank him not only for leading them to the world of music, but also for showing them a path in life. As a matter of fact you can find many of his old pupils educated and working within music nowadays.”
“Ari is also thanked for his way of seeing everyone as an individual and also for leading by example especially when it comes to having a positive outlook on life.”
“Ari has also contributed in creating many smaller Steel Bands in Finland. He has built and tuned instruments, helped and guided the bands through their first steps, and helped in arranging songs as well as recording. Steel Pan people across Finland will now be left longing for their great role model.”
“Ari believed in love, and it showed in everything he did, and to everyone he encountered in his life. Many of us have learned some of the most important life skills from him: live your life to the fullest, do what you love the most, and remember that anything can be solved through humor. Ari was a great person, who will be sorely missed by his family, Pan family and a countless number of friends.”
