The Balalaika Girls

THE BALALAIKA GIRLS

"I knew right away you would make something of your life, but it's too bad you have to go to Canada to do it."

While the band director was stunned at Elsa's news that she was moving to another country, he secretly admired her courage. Imagine leaving your country of birth and relocating thousands of miles away, without even knowing the language! He understood her desire for a better life, but to cross an ocean to find it? She had been in his band for years, and was like a daughter to him. Now, along with her husband Jack and their children, Elsa was leaving Finland, possibly forever.

Elsa had always loved music. As a young girl, she lived across the street from a church, and often sat unnoticed in the church balcony, listening intently to the majestic echo of the organ and the songs of praise from the choir. She had a beautiful soprano voice, so it was no surprise that her favourite subject in school was music. For a while, she took piano lessons, but when the teacher said her fingers were too short to play effectively, she gave it up. That only served as the catalyst for her to explore other musical options.

As a teenager in the 1940's, Elsa performed with a folk dancing group. Then she joined an all-girl band where the instruments included the guitar, mandolin, domra, and the balalaika. These second-hand stringed instruments were acquired through donations or grants. Some believed that the older the instrument, the sweeter the music. Elsa learned to play high melody on the triangular-shaped balalaika. It had three strings and was played with a pick. Once she mastered the balalaika, she progressed to the domra, a Russian instrument.

Fridi Blomquist was the dedicated band director and the backbone of the band. With infinite patience, he taught the girls to read music and to play the instruments. They loved him as a father figure, and he watched out for each of them. Fridi received no remuneration, but volunteered his time simply because of his passion for music.

As there were no photocopiers in those days, Fridi laboriously wrote out each piece of music manually by hand, for each band member. He also directed a men's marching band, and did the same for them.

Every Monday evening, the twelve members of the Balalaika Girls gathered at a local hall to practice for a few hours. Although the steel strings were hard on their fingernails, and their fingers became callused from playing, they reveled in their accomplishments. Along with mastering traditional waltzes and Finnish folk music, they formed life long friendships, and enjoyed the camaraderie as much as the instruction.

After a year, the Balalaika Girls began to perform locally, infusing the age-old folk and dance melodies into the tapping toes of appreciative audiences. They took the bus or train when they were booked to play in nearby communities. Once, they were broadcast on the radio across Finland and Sweden, and to their astonishment, received encouraging telegrams. With the money that was paid for the broadcast, the band could now afford the Finnish national costume for their uniforms. The Balalaika Girls were on their way!

Elsa performed with the band for eight years. As time went on, some of the girls married and dropped out. Elsa also married, but her husband encouraged her to continue playing.

Then the decision was made to immigrate to Canada. Elsa's father-in-law had already immigrated to Canada some years before, and was prepared to sponsor them. Jobs were plentiful, he wrote. So, with three children in tow, $400 in their pockets, and five suitcases containing their belongings, the young family departed amidst tears and prayers to fulfill their dream.

Life in small town Canada wasn't always easy, but they adjusted, learning the language and growing to love their new country. It was a proud day when they officially became naturalized Canadian citizens, swearing their allegiance in the Township Hall. Another child was born; they were now a family of six. Who said dreams didn't come true?

Sixteen long years passed before Elsa would return to Finland for a visit, her first since leaving in 1957. Despite the ocean that separated them, the Balalaika Girls had kept in touch over the years and had arranged a reunion, treating Elsa like a celebrity. Her emotions ran high seeing her family and friends again, but her great sorrow was that Fridi, the beloved band director, had passed away.

Fridi's passion for music, along with his contagious enthusiasm, had been instrumental in the Balalaika Girls' success. In his wisdom, he had known that Elsa would make something out of her life no matter where she chose to live, and that the universal language of music would always be there to soothe, inspire, and even heal.

The move to Canada left no regrets for Elsa, because memories never die when they are embedded in the cadence of a heartbeat.

Maria Harden

Story ID:	164
Written by:	Maria Harden (bio, contact, other stories)
Story type:	Family History
Location:	Kokkola Finland
Year:	1948
Person:	Elsa Kosola