Jukka Ammondt is a

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

literature professor who has recorded popular music, including songs of

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

, in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

and Sumerian. Jukka Ammondt is a professor of literature in the

University of Jyväskylä The University of Jyväskylä ( fi, Jyväskylän yliopisto) is a research university in Jyväskylä, Finland. It has its origins in the first Finnish-speaking Teacher Training College (the so-called Teacher Seminary), founded in 1863. Ar ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

with a Ph.D in philosophy. In 1992 he recorded a single consisting of

tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...

songs sung in Latin. 1993 he recorded the first record ''Surun Siivet'', Latin versions of tangos by songwriter

Toivo Kärki Toivo Pietari Johannes Kärki (; 3 December 1915 – 30 April 1992) was a Finnish composer, musician, music producer and arranger. He is especially remembered for his collaboration with Reino Helismaa. Kärki composed approximately 1400 reco ...

, and later the same year another album, ''Tango Triste Finnicum'', for which he gained international recognition. In 1995 Ammondt recorded an album ''The Legend Lives Forever in Latin'', Latin versions of songs of

. Later in the same year he toured the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. In 2001 Ammondt recorded a new album, ''Three Songs in Sumerian'', featuring ''

Blue Suede Shoes "Blue Suede Shoes" is a rock and roll standard (music), standard written and first recorded by American singer, songwriter and guitarist Carl Perkins in 1955. It is considered one of the first rockabilly records, incorporating elements of blues ...

'', verses from ''

Gilgamesh sux, , label=none , image = Hero lion Dur-Sharrukin Louvre AO19862.jpg , alt = , caption = Possible representation of Gilgamesh as Master of Animals, grasping a lion in his left arm and snake in his right hand, in an Assy ...

'', and a translation of the Finnish tango '' Satumaa'' sung in ancient Sumerian. When

Nuntii Latini Nuntii Latini is the name of several news services that broadcast in Latin. Finnish ''Nuntii Latini'' The Finnish ''Nuntii Latini'' was a Finland, Finnish news service broadcast in Latin between September 1989 and June 2019 by the Finnish nation ...

, Finland's weekly news service in Latin since 1989, was shut down in June 2019, Ammondt's translation of Presley's works into Latin was described as one of the other ways in which "Finland has distinguished itself as a bastion of the language of the Romans".

References

1944 births Living people People from Tampere Finnish male musicians Academic staff of the University of Jyväskylä Finnish translators 20th-century translators English–Latin translators 20th-century Latin-language writers {{Finland-musician-stub