Finnish Singers

OT Räihälä wrote: Logan wrote: OT Räihälä wrote: Topi Lehtipuu would be a good contender, but since he clearly was an opera rather than a rock singer from the beginning, I can safely say Jim Goldworth. Finnish rock singers are seldom any good, but Jim is something completely different.  I don't see why that would matter with Topi Lehtipuu, or any others who sung in prog bands that weren't rock singers from the beginning.  Prog is largely about the fusing of styles and putting it in a rock context, and I think Hoyry Kone excellent and Lehtipuu's voice works very well for it (including when he's not singing in a more operatic style). Some of the best singers who sang in so-called Prog bands were primarily opera singers, or from that tradition (especially amongst females).  I must check out Jeavestone.  It wouldn't matter to me either, if the poll were about the best overall singers, where opera singers often are head and shoulders above rock singers, but since this is a ProgArchives poll, I take it that way: to me Goldworth is perhaps the best prog rock singer at the moment. BTW, I know Topi Lehtipuu and can tell that apart from being a great tenor he's a very nice fellow, who still listens to prog, although he only works in various top opera houses nowadays.

I see what you mean. Whilst I know that his Hoyry-Kone work (as vocalist and violinist) was but one small foray in his career, and that he is a renowned opera singer, and competent music director, for the purposes of this poll I am only judging his work for Hoyry-Kone, and not his opera work which I am quite familiar with. For me he is very much applicable as someone who sang for a progressive rock band even if he does not come from the rock tradition (having studied at the Sibelius Academy rather than, say, the Rolling Stones School of Rocks) nor continued with rock music, but I would only judge his progressive rock forays for the purposes of this poll.

I think the Nightwish singers are the best of the bunch and I like Anette more than I like Tarja. 

Topi Lehtipuu would be a good contender, but since he clearly was an opera rather than a rock singer from the beginning, I can safely say Jim Goldworth. Finnish rock singers are seldom any good, but Jim is something completely different. 

Jukka Gustavson (the other Wigwam vocalist), though not listed here.

Prog Geo wrote: Jim Pembroke!

A. W. Yrjänä (CMX).

Jim Pembroke!

Although not all of them are Finnish natives, they are famous as singers in various Finnish Prog bands.

Edited by Gandalff - May 11 2011 at 03:53