Hortto Kaalo

Hortto Kaalo, a Finnish band specializing in Eastern European and French Romani music, was formed in 1969 by Feija Åkerlund, Marko Putkonen, Taisto Lundberg, and Heikki Nyman. Their debut single "Miksi ovet ei aukene meille?", released in 1970, was a protest song that contributed to the illegalization of racial discrimination in Finland. The group's first two albums, Hortto Kaalo (1971) and Hai Hortto Kaalot (1973), both released under Scandia Music, were certified gold. In 1977, their song "Kauan sitten" finished in second place in the selection contest for the Finnish Eurovision Song Contest entry.