Leo Gauriloff

Leo Gauriloff (5 October 1956 – 23 August 2019) was a Skolt Sámi singer, guitarist and composer. He was known mainly for playing acoustic steel string guitars, but he also played other acoustic string instruments, such the sambur, the mandola, the buzuki, as well as synthesizers.

Gauriloff also played with Jukka Tervo in the guitar duo Tervo & Gauriloff in the 1970s and 1980s, both in clubs and on major festivals in Finland, such as Provinssirock in Seinäjoki in 1980 and in the Suistomaan soittopäivät in Pori in 1981.

Gauriloff also played second guitar in the documentary film called Kurki josta ei tullut lintua (‘The crane that never became a bird’, 1981).

Juice Leskinen Grand Slam released a single with the pseudonym of Trio Jyrkkäkallio, a single with the title “Kissa ja korttipakka” (‘The cat and a pack of cards’) (1985).

Gauriloff composed the music to the play Skoavdnji, which told about the fate of the Skolt Sámi in World War II and which was premiered in the Sámi theatre Beaivváš in 1994. During 1992–1993 Gauriloff worked with Ahaa Teatteri, which is specialized in children's and youth theater.

Around the turn of the millennia Gauriloff moved to Stockholm, where he worked as a musician as well as in day care centers. He died of cancer at the age of 62.