Korpiklaani is a folk metal band from Finland who were formerly known as Sh… Read Full Bio ↴Korpiklaani is a folk metal band from Finland who were formerly known as Shaman. The name Korpiklaani means "Backwoods Clan" in the Finnish language. In spoken language "korpi" means dark old forest. In biology it refers to boreal forest appearing on moist moraine soils, characterized by dense growth of spruce and a deep layer of moss as undergrowth.

While other folk metal bands began with metal before adding folk music, Korpiklaani started with folk music before turning metal. The roots of Korpiklaani can be traced back to a Sami folk music group under the name of 'Shamaani Duo', an "in-house restaurant band" created by Jonne Järvelä in 1993. An album of folk music (Hunka Lunka) was released under this name before Järvelä relocated and "Shamaani Duo" morphed into "Shaman". Shaman was the second incarnation of Korpiklaani, formed in 1996 which is notable for the heavy use of original native Sámic music elements and lyrics in Northern Sámi. The band's music was based on the folk music of Shamaani Duo. The most widely used elements are the shamanic drum, yoik and humppa. Besides yoik, the vocals vary from clean to rather aggressive growling.

The musical style of Shaman is quite distinctive, especially in the slow songs, due to its entrancing atmosphere created by the monophonic, "narrow" synth sound making the deep contrast to the spacious sound of the acoustic guitar, the shamanic drum and yoik singing. The first recording released under the name of Shaman was the demo single Ođđa máilbmi (New World in Northern Sámi). The video clip shot for the song featured a wolf breaking free from its cage and running into the forest. Besides the single CD the song was included on the band's first full-length album Idja (Night in Northern Sámi, 1999) as well. The band released another album, Shamániac, in 2002. The band underwent another evolution in 2003, and "Shaman" became "Korpiklaani" (with only Järvelä and drummer Samu Ruotsalainen remaining from the last "Shaman" lineup), with the music style to a more conventional folk metal with folk/thrash vocals instead of yoiking. Shamániac had already featured a strong resemblance to the future Korpiklaani style. In fact, the song, "Vuola lávlla", has the same music as the Korpiklaani song, "Beer Beer".

The change in name was accompanied by a change in the music. The traditional yoik vocals and the use of the Northern Sámi language were dropped while the synthesizer was replaced with real folk instruments. Jonne Järvelä credits his work with Finntroll as the catalyst for the shift in emphasis from folk to metal. Their song lyrics are often related to alcohol and partying. According to Jonne Järvelä, Korpiklaani's music would be seen as "old people's music with heavy metal guitars" in Finland.

There has been some collaboration between Korpiklaani and Finntroll, as Samu Ruotsalainen of Finntroll provided session drums for their debut album Spirit of the Forest and Järvelä provided the yoiking for the title track of Finntroll's album Jaktens Tid. Juha Jyrkäs has written some Finnish lyrics to Korpiklaani and from 2011 lyrics are written by poet Tuomas Keskimäki, who writes lyrics in the old Finnish "kalevalametre".

In September 2011 Korpiklaani announced that Jaakko "Hittavainen" Lemmetty would be leaving the band due to personal health issues which made the constant touring and recording impossible. First his replacement was violist Teemu Eerola and later, nowadays permanent member, Tuomas Rounakari. In 2013 accordion player Juho Kauppinen left Korpiklaani and the new accordion player is Sami Perttula.

Kirki
Korpiklaani Lyrics

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Öitsilöissä, karkeloissa
Karkeloissa mielesissä
Juhlasissa köyrysissä
Nyt miehyt olla tahon

Jalka tahtoo tanssahella
Toine vähä vähtäskellä
Kolmas kovin koukkaella

Mie nyt miehyt valmis!

(3x)
Kun on nännät näppysissä
Kyrvän kuuman nivukvessa
Nouse liekki reihuman!
Kohoa kirki kiimalle!

Naikkoseni vereväni;
Eukkoni miun valittuin'
Lie'on lämmön sulattavi

Lemmen, kiihkon liekuttavi
Kuuma on yöhut, kesä lämmin
Kirki kuumempi sitäki
Nouse liekki riehumahan!
Kohoa kirki kiimalle!

Naikkoseni vereväni
Eukkoni miun valittuin'

Lie'on lämmön sulattavi
Lemmen, kiihkon liekuttavi

Overall Meaning

The song Kirki by Korpiklaani is a celebration of the joy of participating in festivities during the summertime. The lyrics use the Finnish language and describe the excitement and anticipation for the upcoming celebrations. The first few lines mention "öitsilöissä," which refers to a type of traditional Finnish celebration where people would gather around a fire and sing and dance. The singer wants to be a part of the festivities and feels ready to participate wholeheartedly.

The chorus of the song encourages the listener to let go of their inhibitions and embrace the moment fully. The lyrics mention "nännät näppysissä," which literally translates to "nipples in the fingertips," but is a common Finnish expression meaning that one is excited and eager for something. The line "kyrvän kuuman nivukvessa" refers to the heat felt in the groin area when one is aroused, and "kohoa kirki kiimalle" is a call to action to rise up and enjoy the festivities to the fullest.

The final stanza mentions the singer's love for their partner and how their passion and desire adds to the intensity of the moment. Overall, Kirki is a song that celebrates the joy of being alive and being able to celebrate with others. It encourages the listener to fully embrace their desires and to let go of any inhibitions, creating a powerful and joyous experience.

Line by Line Meaning

Öitsilöissä, karkeloissa
In nighttime festivities and celebrations

Karkeloissa mielesissä
In a festive and joyful mood

Juhlasissa köyrysissä
Slightly bent over in celebration

Nyt miehyt olla tahon
Now I want to be a man

Jalka tahtoo tanssahella
My foot wants to dance

Toine vähä vähtäskellä
The other one wants to skip a little

Kolmas kovin koukkaella
The third one wants to leap energetically

Mie nyt miehyt valmis!
Now I am ready to become a man

(3x)
Repeating the following lines three times:

Kun on nännät näppysissä
When my nipples are erect

Kyrvän kuuman nivukvessa
With my hot penis in my loincloth