Remu Aaltonen

Henry Olavi "Remu" Aaltonen (born 10 January 1948 ) is a Finnish drummer and singer. He is the lead musician of the band Hurriganes, but has also pursued a solo singing career.

Early life Aaltonen was born in Helsinki. He was the oldest child in a family of seven siblings and one foster child. He is of Romani descent. For a while the family lived in an abandoned train car in Ruskeasanta, Vantaa near the construction of the Helsinki Airport. The living conditions of Romani people in Finland only started improving in the 1970s. Aaltonen got his nickname "Remu" in his youth. The nickname most likely comes from the Finnish verb remuta, meaning to make a lot of noise. "The big boys gave me the name when we were playing football. But I was never such a big noisemaker", says Aaltonen.

Aaltonen was 16 years old and already playing in various bands when he received his first prison sentence for burglaries and other property crimes in 1964. Aaltonen has said that his music career saved him from a life of crime.

Recognition and awards In 2018, Aaltonen was awarded the Suomi-palkinto (Finland Award) by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture as a recognition of an impactful career in the field of arts.

Discography

Solo albums

(1978) (1981) (1982)) (1983)) (1985, EP) (1985, live) (1987) (1994) (1995) (1999) (2004) (2013)

Other albums (2007) (2008) Remu and His All Stars: Live at Tullikamari (2018)

Collections Parhaat (1987) Collection (1990) Mad About You (1992) Suomen Parhaat – Remu (1994) (1995) Remu & Hurriganes: (1997) (2008) (2008)

Singles "" (1986) "" (2009)