Dealing in high-energy, dancefloor pop tunes and gonzo-style raps, Finnish group Roope Salminen & Koirat have become notorious for their bouncy, party-starting hits since forming in Helsinki in 2010.
The band came together when keyboard player Ossi Saarinen saw his old friend Roope Salminen drunkenly performing Eminem songs at a karaoke party, then decided that they wanted to put on a show featuring performances of rap songs that they had loved when they were growing up. Roope was already known for his improvised comedy and his role in drama series 'Kotikatu'. With the band's line-up completed by Jon-Jon Geitel (vocals, saxophone), Olli Äkräs (keyboards, flute), Robert Rasimus (guitar), Urho Särkkä (bass), Mikko Saarinen (drums, guitar) and Iivari Popular (percussion), the one-off gig turned into a summer tour and an appearance on the television talent show 'Bilebändi' in 2012.
They soon landed a deal with Warner Music and their single 'Madafaki Darra' shot to number one in the charts in 2015. Their debut album 'Madafakin Levy' (2016) also topped the charts and included follow-up hits 'Pilkun Jalkeen', 'Tahdet Kohdallaan' and 'Voodoo' featuring Anna Abreu. They reached number one again with colourful, carnival singalong 'Snadi' in 2016 and later teamed up with singer Reeta on the more melancholy, bittersweet track 'Pidä Pää Ylhääl' in 2019.
