Stam1na was signed up by Sakara Records in 2004, the label ran by Mokoma. Their collaboration started when Mokoma saw Stam1na on stage, and asked the youngsters to be the support act on their Finnish tour. Soon Stam1na became the first signing of Sakara, which had previously released only Mokoma's material.
Stam1na was formed in 1996, when the members were in their teens. Stam1na's core trio Antti Hyyrynen, Pekka Olkkonen and Teppo Velin has been the same from the start, and they've grown up playing together. Kai-Pekka Kangasmäki joined the band in November of 2005 after being their session player the whole year. Emil Lähteenmäki, who has been a band's session keyboardist on albums and shows since 2006, was literally proposed to be a band's permanent member in Jurassic Rock 2009. His answer was undoubtedly yes.
Stam1na comes from Lemi, a small rural town in the region of Southern Karelia, in eastern Finland. Lemi is one of those small places, where you don't have too many things to distract you from your hobbies if you happen to have one. Therefore Stam1na had nothing but time to rehearse endlessly, and develop their impeccable instrumental skills. Despite being small and rural, the municipality of Lemi has always been very friendly to aspiring musicians by for example offering them rehearsal rooms. Stam1na still rehearse there, and they never fail to remind everyone where it all started.
The debut album got nothing but great reviews. The records buyers also appreciated the album and it spent eight weeks on the Finnish album chart, and the single "Paha Arkkitehti" entered the charts at number four. The first single "Kadonneet kolme sanaa" was 5th. The new album Uudet kymmenen käskyä was 3rd on the album chart first week.
Stam1na has been called "the future of Finnish metal" so many times that the expression is turning into a cliché, but luckily not into unfounded one. In a brief time they've become a household name in the Finnish rock/metal scene.
Stam1na released the album titled "Raja" in 13.2.2008.
And why's there a "1" in their name? It's all about distinctiveness. Try to Google the words "stamina" and then "stam1na". See the difference?
Muuri
Stam1na Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Purkakaa! On kylämme suoja suossa
Kuolee virta, karja, maa ja pian kasvaa pelloilla vain kyyt
Kertokaa, rakentajat, missä muuriin ovat syyt?"
"Nopeaan nostimme suojan yössä
Edelleen ovat valajamme työssään
Huomatkaa, ei laakso montaa asuta
"Me loimme muurin jakamaan väen,
jotta viholliset, ettekä te toisianne enää näe"
Toiselle puolelle ei yllä
Ymmärrys, vihollinen kyllä
Varmasti raiskaa maamme, jos me
Luovumme rajamuurikivistämme
Torneistaan toisiaan saavat vahtia
Porttiaan vain kauppiaille avata
Virtaa vesi kauas pois uomastaan, maa kuivuu
Hajoaa perheet, verisiteet katkotaan
Katoaa myös ääni vastarinnan
Mykistyy alle sen harmaan pinnan,
jota luuli turvakseen tuo köyhä, pieni kansa
Rakentajat esiintyivät kauppiaina
Muuri olikin ansa
Toiselle puolelle ei yllä
Ymmärrys, vihollinen kyllä
Varmasti raiskaa maamme, jos me
Luovumme rajamuurikivistämme
Pysymme aloillamme tässä
Kehässä, varjoelämässä
Rakentaja, metri lisää korkeutta
Rajamuurikiviä
Kansa vuosia odottaa
Hiekkansa vuodattaa
Tiimalaseihin ja hautoihin
Kunnes tornistaan varoittaa vartija:
"Nouskaa, jokin liikkuu kohti
Liian pieni, en näe"
Hiekkaa hartioillaan
Selviytyneet huomaa
Yksi muurinkivi irtoaa
Pienellä lapsella,
Kädessään vasara
Kysyy varoen: onko täällä turvaa?
Toiselle puolelle ei yllä
Ymmärrys, vihollinen kyllä
Varmasti raiskaa maamme, jos me
Luovumme rajamuurikivistämme
Pysymme aloillamme tässä
Kehässä, varjoelämässä
Rakentaja, metri lisää korkeutta
Rajamuurikiviä
The lyrics of Stam1na's "Muuri" (Wall) express the concern and frustration of a community trapped behind a wall they themselves built for protection. The opening lines of the song call for the wall to be torn down, as it is suffocating the life of the village within. The wall, once a means of protection, is now causing more harm than good as it is preventing the flow of the river, the growth of the land, and the passage of people. The community questions the reasons for building the wall and the consequences of it.
As the song progresses, we learn that the wall was built by the village itself, in order to protect themselves from an enemy. However, the wall has also become a barrier to understanding between people. The community is concerned that if they give up their wall, their country will be raped or conquered. The villagers have divided themselves with the wall, and they no longer have the ability to resist their oppressor. The builders of the wall, who disguised themselves as merchants, have betrayed their people by building the wall as a trap.
The song talks about the dangers of isolationism, and how it can lead to division and betrayal. It is a call to action for people to question the walls they build, whether they be physical or ideological, and to remember that ultimately, they may be doing more harm than good.
Line by Line Meaning
Herätkää, mikä on tuo muuri tuossa?
Wake up, what is that wall over there?
Purkakaa! On kylämme suoja suossa
Tear it down! Our village protection is in a swamp
Kuolee virta, karja, maa ja pian kasvaa pelloilla vain kyyt
Rivers, cattle and land are dying, soon only adders will grow in the fields
Kertokaa, rakentajat, missä muuriin ovat syyt?
Tell us, builders, what reasons lie behind the wall?
Nopeaan nostimme suojan yössä
We quickly raised a shelter in the night
Edelleen ovat valajamme työssään
Our blacksmiths are still working on it
Huomatkaa, ei laakso montaa asuta
Notice, not many people live in the valley
Suojelkaa itseänne ja rakkaita
Protect yourselves and your loved ones
Me loimme muurin jakamaan väen,
We created a wall to divide our people
jotta viholliset, ettekä te toisianne enää näe
So that enemies and not each other we see
Toiselle puolelle ei yllä
The understanding does not reach the other side
Ymmärrys, vihollinen kyllä
The enemy, however, understands
Varmasti raiskaa maamme, jos me
Will surely rape our land, if we
Luovumme rajamuurikivistämme
Give up our border wall stones
Torneistaan toisiaan saavat vahtia
They keep watch of each other from their towers
Porttiaan vain kauppiaille avata
The gates only open to merchants
Virtaa vesi kauas pois uomastaan, maa kuivuu
The water flows far from its course, the land dries
Hajoaa perheet, verisiteet katkotaan
Families fall apart, blood relations are cut
Katoaa myös ääni vastarinnan
The voice of resistance also disappears
Mykistyy alle sen harmaan pinnan,
Muted under that grey surface,
jota luuli turvakseen tuo köyhä, pieni kansa
That poor, small people thought was their refuge
Rakentajat esiintyivät kauppiaina
The builders presented themselves as merchants
Muuri olikin ansa
The wall turned out to be a trap
Pysymme aloillamme tässä
We stay still here
Kehässä, varjoelämässä
In this circle, in a life of shadows
Rakentaja, metri lisää korkeutta
Builder, one meter higher
Rajamuurikiviä
Border wall stones
Kansa vuosia odottaa
The people have been waiting for years
Hiekkansa vuodattaa
Spilling their sand
Tiimalaseihin ja hautoihin
Into hourglasses and graves
Kunnes tornistaan varoittaa vartija:
Until a guard warns from his tower:
"Nouskaa, jokin liikkuu kohti
"Get up, something is moving towards us
Liian pieni, en näe"
"Too small, I can't see"
Hiekkaa hartioillaan
Sand on their shoulders
Selviytyneet huomaa
The survivors notice
Yksi muurinkivi irtoaa
One wall stone comes loose
Pienellä lapsella,
With a small child,
Kädessään vasara
Holding a hammer
Kysyy varoen: onko täällä turvaa?
Asks cautiously: is there safety here?
Toiselle puolelle ei yllä
The understanding does not reach the other side
Ymmärrys, vihollinen kyllä
The enemy, however, understands
Varmasti raiskaa maamme, jos me
Will surely rape our land, if we
Luovumme rajamuurikivistämme
Give up our border wall stones
Pysymme aloillamme tässä
We stay still here
Kehässä, varjoelämässä
In this circle, in a life of shadows
Rakentaja, metri lisää korkeutta
Builder, one meter higher
Rajamuurikiviä
Border wall stones
Contributed by Vivian D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.