A Finland-based percussionist, producer Ossi Raippalinna started his professional career in 2006 as a freelance musician. Performing with various artists on average 50-70 concerts yearly, he developed a unique style of playing percussion. Since 2007 his several study trips to Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso influenced his musicianship strongly, yet, his musical identity is a combination of various musical traditions around the world. He plays drumkit, keyboard, electronics, talking drum, djembe, bodhran, sabar, bugarabu and congas. The studies in Sibelius Academy’s bachelor’s (graduate in 2021) and master’s programs (to graduate in 2024) allowed him to gain profound experience in the field of cultural diversity in music. The study-related projects pushed him to develop skills in applying griot rhythms on the drumkit (see bachelor’s thesis), composition skills, performing on a hybrid percussion setup, electronic music production methods, pedagogical skills, leading a choir and performing percussion in a global music context.
Ossi’s playing is characterized by rhythmic sensitivity, groovy polyrhythms, melodic approaches to drumming, experience with cultural interactions, West African influences, producer approach, and vocal-based approaches to percussion.
Favorite instruments:
Talking drum, Yamaha dx7 keyboard, drumkit, bodhran, djembe, bugarabu
,congas
Professional skills:
Teaching West African rhythms, teaching rhythm theory, playing a hybrid percussion kit, playing for dancing, band management, product development, educational materials, music production
Bands
Faso Kan
Founding member, drummer, manager
Raka bananer 2012-2016
Founding member, drummer, composer
Ossi Raippalinna’s teaching experience dates back to 2006 when he started teaching the drum kit and djembe. Since then he has taught hundreds of students in weekly lessons and workshops around Finland. Pedagogical studies in the Sibelius Academy Global Music Department and intensive study of Steve Forman’s Pulse Related Rhythm Theory have taken his teaching skills to the next level. In 2018 he founded a website called Rhythm Academy that provides online tutorials with master drummers. Their first release is a complete tutorial for the djembe with Adama Drame.
Study exchange in 2022 in the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland allowed for intensive studies of bodhran with Martin O’Neill. The focus of the exchange was to study the interplay between the bodhran and the talking drum in the context of the Glasgow traditional music session scene. During his studies in the RCS, Ossi completed Ph.D. Steve Forman’s Pulse Relational Rhythm Theory course. In addition to playing in sessions regularly, he also performed with the Yokit band at the Eden festival.
Ossi is also known for his career as a drum builder and the founder of the brand Ossi-Percussion. His brand is a result of a long-term product development process of high-end congas and djembes with the best percussionists around the world.
links:
Faso Kan album – Tungaladen (Ossi playing drumkit)
