Unto Mononen


Unto Uuno Mononen was a Finnish songwriter and musician. He is best known for his numerous tango compositions including the famous Finnish tango song, "Satumaa". His first name was originally Uuno.

Biography

Mononen is often said to come from Somero, but was actually from Muolaa and did not come to Somero until the Second World War was over and Muolaa was conquered by the Soviet Union. Mononen studied church music in the University of Turku. He quit these studies since he felt he did not learn anything important. As a composer he was self-taught. Mononen began his musical career by singing with local dance groups while he was under 20. After a failed operation to his adenoids damaged his voice, Mononen started to compose.
In 1950, Mononen first successfully sold his songs to a record company. The first song recorded was "Pieni laulu", a waltz sung by Pentti Halme. In 1955 Henry Theel recorded the famous "Satumaa" to some success, but the song's status wasn't cemented until seven years later, in 1962, when Reijo Taipale recorded it.
Other famous tangos by Mononen include "Tähdet meren yllä", "Lapin Tango, "Erottamattomat", "Kangastus", "Kaipuuni Tango", "Kohtalon Tango" and "Yön Hiljaisuudessa". The last two of these became better known when another famous musician from Somero, singer Rauli "Badding" Somerjoki, recorded them. Singer Esko Rahkonen also worked with the composer in the 1960s.
One of the most well known figures in Finnish popular culture, provocative entertainer M. A. Numminen had played drums in Mononen's band. Later Numminen asked Mononen to compose a humorous tango to his lyrics. Mononen answered that for Numminen, he would write a tango even to the words of a phone book. From this collaboration, the song "Naiseni kanssa eduskuntatalon puistossa"'' was born.
During his later years, Mononen suffered from alcoholism and eventually shot himself with a pistol on June 28, 1968. He was 37 years old.