Singer Tapani Kansa dies aged 76 after surgery complications

By admin On Mar 25, 2025

Musician Tapani Kansa dies at age 76. LEHTIKUVA

Tapani Kansa, one of Finland’s most enduring and recognisable voices, has died aged 76. His partner Nina af Enehjelm confirmed that the singer passed away in the early hours of Tuesday at Kymenlaakso Central Hospital in Kotka, following complications after gallbladder surgery.

According to af Enehjelm, Kansa had been discharged from hospital on Monday but was still in significant pain.

Later that night, he called an ambulance himself. Doctors discovered internal bleeding linked to the earlier operation. A second emergency procedure was attempted, but he did not survive.

Kansa had lived in Kotka in recent years, returning to his childhood surroundings after a long career based largely in the Helsinki region. He and af Enehjelm, who lived in Espoo, had been together for over 40 years.

Kansa rose to national fame in 1968 with his Finnish-language version of Tom Jones’s Delilah, which became a chart hit. He would go on to record nearly 40 albums and over 600 songs across a range of styles, from pop and iskelmä to tango, jazz and classical crossover.

Known for his wide vocal range and dramatic delivery, Kansa studied classical singing at the Sibelius Academy in the 1970s under opera baritone Pekka Salomaa. Despite his training, he chose to remain in the world of popular music, where his lyrical baritone became one of the most recognisable in Finnish entertainment.

Among his best-known songs were Kalajoen hiekat, Äidin pikkupoika and R-A-K-A-S, the latter composed by Jukka Kuoppamäki and written by Chrisse Johansson. First released as a B-side in 1976, it remains a dancefloor staple across generations.

Though he officially ended his public performances in 2019, Kansa’s voice and interpretations continued to influence Finnish music. In 2018, he released his final album Sielunlaulu, featuring original lyrics and orchestral arrangements by Kassu Halonen. The record carried a reflective tone, with lyrics suggesting a farewell: “We are here only for a moment / Life is eternal.”

His last live appearance came at Finlandia Hall in 2018 during his 50th anniversary concert. That night, Kansa corrected the audience mid-song for clapping off-beat and told them to sing instead. “Scandia wanted to make me the next Olavi Virta,” he told the crowd. “But I held firm. I became Tapani Kansa.”

Born in Hamina in 1949, Kansa grew up in a working-class family of seven children. His father, Ahti Kansa, was a manual labourer, poet and local politician. Tapani began his music studies in violin before switching to voice. He left school at 16 and took on various jobs to fund his vocal training.

His recording debut came in 1967 with the single Marianne. A year later, Delilah made him a household name. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he toured extensively and adapted to changing musical trends, including disco, electronic pop, and gospel.

He also collaborated with jazz pianist Heikki Sarmanto on projects that set Finnish poetry to music, including the 1988 album Betonimylläri, based on the work of Lauri Viita. The title track, a ten-minute piece, was performed in the style of a classical aria and is regarded as one of his most ambitious recordings.

Kansa’s career was not without turbulence. He was known for his artistic intensity and unpredictability on stage, sometimes announcing unplanned songs or altering keys mid-performance. In 1998, he was hospitalised with bipolar disorder, a condition he later spoke about publicly.

In 1981, he was given a suspended sentence and driving ban following repeated speeding offences. Despite setbacks, he continued performing and recording well into the 2000s.

He is survived by three children, including two with af Enehjelm. His final performance took place in 2019 at a small chapel concert in Upinniemi.

Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi