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News from the Keweenaw Peninsula Posted Jan. 12, 2005  Updated Jan. 13 and Mar. 6, 2005 Text © 2005 Finnish American Reporter Press Release and Michele Anderson. Photo of Ed Lauluma fiddling © and courtesy Finnish American Reporter. Photos of Heikinpäivä banquet © 2005 Michele Anderson.

Musician Ed Lauluma earns Heikinpäivä top honor

HANCOCK -- After deliberating over several deserving candidates, the City of Hancock's Finnish Theme Committee has selected Edward Lauluma, a well-known Finnish-style fiddler from Chassell, Michigan, as the 2005 Hankooki Heikki. Lauluma will preside over the annual Heikinpäivä mid-winter celebration, wearing the crown and robe that come with the honor.  

Chassell musician Ed Lauluma is known for playing Finnish folk music from Hancock to Finland. (Photo © and courtesy Finnish American Reporter. Reprinted with permission.)

Heikinpäivä is named for Henrik’s day, January 19, and the celebration’s themes are taken from Finnish folk sayings associated with that day.* Each year, the City of Hancock's Finnish Theme Committee selects one person whose work toward preserving and promoting Finnish culture in the area goes above and beyond "normal" efforts. That person is the festival's "Hankooki Heikki" (Hancock Heikki). Selection committee chairwoman Esther Pekkala announced today the choice of Ed Lauluma for this year's festival honor. 

Lauluma, a lifelong Chassell resident, comes from a musically-oriented family. His father made fiddles as a hobby, and an uncle was a professional musician who taught Ed to play the violin. Along with the Finnish style, Ed's talents with the violin also include American square dance and ballroom dance music. He has played for countless dances and Finnish-American events across the Midwest. He's also played on stage with the Prairie Home Companion's Garrison Keillor in Minneapolis and performed in 2002 at the international folk music festival in Kaustinen, Finland.

Musician Ed Lauluma reigns over the Heikinpäivä banquet held in Finlandia Hall on Jan. 22, 2005. (Photo © 2005 Michele Anderson)

Calumet musician Oren Tikkanen, who has played often with Lauluma, expressed his appreciation for Ed as a mentor.

"Ed and I have played Finnish music together from Hancock to Helsinki, and from Sudbury to the Smithsonian," Tikkanen said. "He has been a great mentor to me, and I was pleased that the Michigan Traditional Arts Program named him a Master Folk Musician so that he has been able to pass on the tradition to a new generation of Finnish-American musicians.

In 2003, Ed was awarded a Michigan Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grant, through which he taught Finnish-style fiddling to Kelly Suvanto, 12, a student at Houghton Middle School.

During the Heikinpäivä banquet on Jan. 22, Kelly Suvanto announces a song she will play on her fiddle for her teacher, musician Ed Lauluma, named 2005 Hankooki Heikki for the celebration. Kelly played several tunes, accompanied by Oren Tikkanen, left, on guitar. (Photo ©2005 Michele Anderson)

"I think he's a good teacher because he's nice and patient," Kelly said. "He taught me a lot of songs. I like playing with him."

Lauluma will serve as parade marshal for the Heikinpäivä parade, which takes place at 11 a.m. Saturday, January 22. 

*For the full schedule of 2005 Heikinpäivä events, from Thursday, Jan. 14, through Sunday, Jan. 23, visit the Heikinpäivä Web site.