Martti Erik Ala-Könni

Martti Erik (Erkki) Ala-Könni (2 February 1911, Ilmajoki–2 September 1996, Tampere) was a Finnish ethnomusicologist, researcher, and recorder of Finnish folklore. He received a doctorate degree in folk music in 1956 from the University of Helsinki with a dissertation "Die Polska-Tänze in Finnland (Suomalainen Polska - in Finnish)" and directed the Department of Folk Tradition (currently the Department of Music Anthropology) of the University of Tampere in 1965–1976. Ala-Könni accumulated a significant collection of traditional Finnish musical instruments, folk music, and hymns, and took more than 100,000 folklore related photograph slides and negatives.^[1] Together with Martti Pokela he contributed to the revival of the Finnish traditional musical instrument Kantele when folk music began its resurgence in the 1960s.

Ala-Könni, known for his motto "Magnum animum labori inspira (Sytytä työhösi henki - in Finnish)",^[2] was from Ilmajoki where he has a memorial,^[3] and he remained as an active friend and supporter of the Ostrobothnian culture throughout his life. He was one of the founders of the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival.

References

1. ^ Hannu Sinisalo (University of Tampere), ' ' Erkki Ala-Könni: muuttuvan elämän kuvaaja ' ', "Source 1", 13 November 2009
2. ^ Heikki Laitinen, ' ' Erkki Ala-Könnin kivinen kantele ' ', 30 November 2006, "Source 2", 13 November 2009
3. ^ Heikki Laitinen, ' ' Erkki Ala-Könnin kivinen kantele ' ', 30 November 2006, "Source 2", 13 November 2009

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Persondata
Name	Ala-Konni, Martti Erik
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1911
Place of birth
Date of death	1986
Place of death