Reino Helismaa
# Reino Helismaa

Reino Vihtori "Repe" Helismaa (12 July 1913, Helsinki – 21 January 1965) was a Finnish singer-songwriter, musician and scriptwriter, mainly known for his humorous, yet homely songs. One of his best-known interpreters was Tapio Rautavaara. He also scripted the comic strip Maan mies Marsissa, drawn by Ami Hauhio.

## Works

Song lyrics: Helismaa wrote over five thousand song lyrics. Some of the most famous include:

* Balladi Villistä Lännestä (A ballad of the Wild West)
* Daiga-daiga-duu (Diga-diga-doo)
* Hiljainen kylätie (A quiet village street)
* Kaksi vanhaa tukkijätkää (Two old lumberjacks)
* Kulkuri ja joutsen (The tramp and the swan; translation of originally Swedish song Vagabonden och svanen by Lasse Dahlquist)
* Kulkurin iltatähti (The tramp's evening star)
* Lentävä kalakukko (The flying kalakukko)
* Meksikon pikajuna (The Mexico Express, original: Orient Express)
* Päivänsäde ja menninkäinen (The sunbeam and the goblin)
* Rakovalkealla (At the campfire)
* Reppu ja reissumies (The knapsack and the travelling man)
* Rovaniemen markkinoilla (At the Rovaniemi fair)
* Suutarin tyttären pihalla (At the shoemaker's daughter's yard)

Other works by Helismaa include 8 plays, 10 revues, 32 film manuscripts and 104 radio plays.

* Screenplays for several Pekka ja Pätkä -comedy films made in the 1950s.
