Unto Mononen
Unto Uuno Mononen was a Finnish songwriter and musician. He is best known for his numerous tango compositions including the famous Finnish tango song, "Satumaa". His first name was originally Uuno.
Biography
Mononen is often said to come from Somero, but he was actually from Muolaa. He first came to Somero after the Second World War was over when Muolaa was conquered by the Soviet Union. Mononen studied church music in the University of Turku. He quit these studies since he felt he did not learn anything important. As a composer, he was self-taught. Mononen began his musical career by singing with local dance groups while he was under 20. After a failed operation to his adenoids damaged his voice, Mononen started to compose music.In 1950, Mononen first successfully sold his songs to a record company. The first song recorded was "Pieni laulu", a waltz sung by Pentti Halme. In 1955, Henry Theel recorded the famous "Satumaa" to some success, but the song's status was not cemented until seven years later, in 1962, when Reijo Taipale recorded it.
[Image:Untomonosenyhtye1959.jpg|thumb|left|Playing guitar with his own band in 1959.]
Other famous tangos by Mononen include "Tähdet meren yllä", "Lapin Tango
One of the most well known figures in Finnish popular culture, provocative entertainer M. A. Numminen had played drums in Mononen's band. Later, Numminen asked Mononen to compose a humorous tango to his lyrics. Mononen answered that for Numminen, he would write a tango even to the words of a phone book. From this collaboration, the song "Naiseni kanssa eduskuntatalon puistossa"'' was born.
During his later years, Mononen suffered from alcoholism and eventually shot himself with a pistol on 28 June 1968 in Somero, Finland. He was 37 years old at the time of his death.