Puppa J

Genres: folk, hip hop, reggae/ska
Key words: eclectism, key artists
Language of songs: English, Finnish
Gender: male
Hometown: Turku (originally Forssa)
Active in: 2000's, 2010's, 2020's
Is active (2022)

About

“World Citizen” Puppa J (real name Janne Siro) is one of the original Finreggae pioneers of the Millennium era. He has been active in his musical career as a singer, guitarist and composer both as a solo artist as well as in several bands. Puppa J started originally in the late 90’s in a Jyväskylä-based roots Finreggae group Laulurastas, where he’s again one of the musicians today. He is also one of the leading members of Jätkäjätkät, a popular folk/hip hop/reggae fusion act,together with the Helsinki-based rap star Asa.

Puppa J sings nowadays in Finnish, but for example on the year 2006 album Morobless by Puppa J & Tasottavat and on the songs with the Finreggae band Suhinators he was actually still laying all the vocals in English. Both groups and their sole albums Morobless (2006) and Suhinators (2009) are still widely respected in the Finreggae community. However, soon after he was to start his solo career in Finnish with his debut album Oi aikoja! climbing even as #19 on the official Finnish album charts in 2009. The second solo album Kiveliö kutsuu was nearly an equal success with several strong songs. Puppa J’s third album Lasitimanttei was published by Suomen Musiikki in autumn 2014 and included production from Bommitommi (Jukka Poika, Soul Captain Band) among others.

As a popular and highly active band, Jätkäjätkät has been one of the main projects for Puppa J’s since and during the 2010’s, which has more or less held up the focus on his solo career. Until that he also performed together with the singer Yona in Liljan Loisto, which rearranged old Karelian songs on their debut album and fused them with reggae raising nationwide interest. They released eventually two albums Takaisin Karjalan maille (2010) and Vapauden hurma (2012).

Puppa J performs the music he composed and wrote for his own albums as well as for his bands currently with his lineup Puppa J & Rytmi-Rengit. He has also been involved in bands such as Punky Reggae Band and Giant Räbät during the years. Due to his eclectic musical background and several lineups he is considered exceptionally versatile live performer, who is able to take various roles on stage.

Text: Joonas Kervinen / Funky Finland
2nd photo: Vesa Harju

Discography

Solo albums:

• Lasitimanttei (2014) (KHY Suomen Musiikki)
• Kiveliö kutsuu (2012) (KHY Suomen Musiikki)
• Oi aikoja! (2009) (Roihis Musica)

Puppa J & Tasottavat:

• Morobless (2006) (Fat Belt Records)

Jätkäjätkät:

• Marian sairaala (2013) (Roihis Musica)
• Jatkojatkot (2011) (Roihis Musica)
• Ykstoist ykstoist (2010) (Roihis Musica)

Liljan Loisto:

• Vapauden hurma (2012) (KHY Suomen Musiikki)
• Takaisin Karjalan maille (2010) (KHY Suomen Musiikki)

Suhinators:

• Suhinators (2009) (Studio Red)

Did you know?

Puppa J has been described sometimes as the “punk rocker and singing carpenter of Finreggae”. You can easily find the punk mentality in him in various forms, but the latter is a reference to what he also does for daily. You might had not guessed that the active and energetic folk singer works also as a carpenter focused on restoring old buildings in the Turku area, where he resides these days.

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