Smilers & Hendrik Sal-Saller. Ainult armastusest. Bulldozer, BDCD004, 2004, 74.10.
The annual award season is over, 2004's best tunes, recordings and musicians remembered and enshrined in history. With warmer weather coming it all seems like so last year, and only time will tell whether that Grammy, Juno or Eesti aasta artist marks a flash in the pan or is a sign of better to come.
In North America the marketing that consumes the Grammy ceremonies often subsumes the actual achievement. Winning a Grammy is somehow equal to an Olympic medal, while in reality it is much more a reflection of sales than anything else. Many worthies deserving of awards toil in musical obscurity. Others make it happen by shameless self-promotion. And some actually deserve being singled out as the year's best. (Allow a slight [no pun] crow here - the prediction was made right here in this space, right after the Canadian release of Ray Charles' posthumous duets collection "Genius loves company" that the CD was destined for glory. The slender one was proved right by the numerous Grammies it was awarded. Kikerikii.)
Estonia has its share of good if not excellent pop musicians. Marketing is key, and contemporary popsters have long known that Europe is the place to push the product. Vanilla Ninja, this year's Eurovision reps for Switzerland broke through in Germany. Smilers, a charismatic Finnish-Estonian band around since 1992, has looked toward the Scandinavian market ever since the release of their first, eponymous CD in 1994 in Helsinki. Their first CD aimed at the Estonian market was "Olen kuul", relased in 1997. That was followed by the 1998 release "Mõistus on kadunud", a mega-seller. Since then, Smilers has been surfing the waves of adulation in the homeland.
2005 artist of the year
Estonia's popular music awards were announced in March, Smilers was voted the 2005 artist of the year. As with many esto pop groups of today, I'd heard of them, but not heard them. That last was easily remedied - there are a considerable number of transplanted young Estonians living over here, whose disc collections are up to date and awe-inspiring. Did not have to look far afield. These two CDs, now returned to the mother of a musical tween, who finds Smilers to be essential travel music during longer car trips, gave me my first taste of the Smilers phenomenon. (Also an inkling of their fanbase - usually tween likes do not translate into serious music. But hey, have to keep an open mind.)
The music, while perky and bouncy, is truly nothing extraordinary. Clones of forgettable europop bands, enlivened only once in a while by a catchy guitar hook, rhythmic surprises. What makes this band different is the voice of lead singer and composer Hendrik Sal-Saller. And let it be said right off - it is an acquired taste.
Pickled, not stirred
Sal-Saller's singing - in Estonian - can be likened to the efforts of a drunken Finn. Or at least what a sauced suomalainen might sound like. Never heard one sing, only snore. Affectations abound. Sal-Saller is an Esto, but is pandering for some reason to our northern neighbours. Strike one. On the other hand, while these affectations are ineluctable, considering that the Finns are a major part of the aimed-at market, there is an ineffable current of pleasure to be discerned. Sal-Saller just wants to have fun. That is the overriding feeling. So, perhaps, strike that strike one.
The fingers started snapping on track three of "Ainult unustamiseks". (Actually, the sandwich meat is well selected - tracks 3-7 are if not great, solid). "Bitchid on lahti, "Räägi mis sa teed", "Käime katuseid mööda" and ".ee" demonstrate that Smilers are not a flash in the pan. Once past the Sal-Saller salaam aleikums to pop conventions the listener realizes, that this is indeed salable. Salacious lyrics provide a certain salt to the tune tureen. They are not easy to translate, and that is another feather in Sal-Saller's cap. An excellent and likeable example is found in ".ee"'s suggestion that we all are stars, who needs Batman or Superman in Estonia, Eurovision matters not. Sal-Saller's chorus here is a classic: "Süda hell ja meel on malbe, veregrupp on Viru Valge, miski meid ei suuda peatada. Vahel tume, vahel selge, et me homne päev on helge, selles keegi ei saa kahelda." Curious, as to why ".ee" did not appear on the compilation. Then again, that's personal taste.
The web site does refer to Sal-Saller as "the Manager of the whole Smilers Planet." Further, Smilers' "phenomenal philosophy goes like that: making music is joy and it has to be shown. Here you are!"
Amen to that sentiment. As long as making music is joy, then go for it. It explains a fair bit to these tired old ears. It is also the reason why Ray Charles' CD justifiably garnered the best album Grammy - the "Genius loves company" CD demonstrates a master's joy of song, the pleasure of sharing musical experiences.
Sal-Saller's efforts are not in that rarified atmosphere and hardly in the same solar system; however, for a certain audience he comes pretty close.