Kari Tapio, a popular Finnish schlager (or "iskelmä") vocalist, released his first solo single, "Tuuli Kääntyköön" (Let the Wind Turn), in 1972, but his real breakthrough came in 1976 with "Laula Kanssain," a Finnish translation of Al Martino's "Sing My Love Song." His first gold record was 1983's "Olen Suomalainen" (I'm a Finn). His popularity remained steady, and in the 21st century he was often named the most popular schlager singer in Finland. In the 1990s he received six gold records, as well as one platinum for Myrskyn Jälkeen (After the Storm). Many of his songs have country influences, and he has performed Finnish versions of songs by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson. ~ JT Lindroos