'''Jean-Pierre Kusela''' is a fictional character invented by [[Spede Pasanen]] and played by [[Vesa-Matti Loiri]], appearing in the [[Finland|Finnish]] sketch comedy series ''[[Spede Show]]'' from 1985 to 1987. The character also appeared in ''[[Vesku Show]]'' from 1988 to 1991.<ref name=":0" />
== Appearances == Jean-Pierre Kusela became famous with his song ''Naurava kulkuri'' ("The laughing tramp"), a cover version of [[Jim Lowe]]'s song ''Gambler’s Guitar'' that was published by German singer [[Fred Bertelmann]] (under the ''Der lachende Vagabund'', ''The laughing Vagabond'') in 1957. The song became so popular that Vesa-Matti Loiri published it on his 1986 album ''Naurava kulkuri'', under the Kusela name. The album sold 92 thousand copies. It received a platinum record award in 1987, and is one of the 60 most sold ever Finnish albums in Finland.<ref name=":0">[http://www.ifpi.fi/tilastot/myydyimmat/kaikki/kotimaiset/ Myydyimmät levyt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111121173605/http://ifpi.fi/tilastot/myydyimmat/kaikki/kotimaiset/ |date=2011-11-21 }}, ifpi.fi. Accessed on 22 July 2014.</ref> In 1987 Loiri published another album, ''Voi hyvä tavaton'' ("Oh my goodness"), which sold 25 thousand copies, receiving a gold record award.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ifpi.fi/tilastot/kplista.html?action=etuk&kirjain=V |title=Archived copy |access-date=2015-01-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721064455/http://www.ifpi.fi/tilastot/kplista.html?action=etuk&kirjain=V |archive-date=2011-07-21 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1988, Kusela appeared on the Tyyne album ''Pim peli pom''. They performed the song ''"Tahdon olla sulle hellä"'' together. In 1995 Loiri published a [[Compact Disc|CD]] single ''Nauravan kulkurin paluu'' ("The return of the laughing tramp"), which included a [[remix]] version of the original 1986 song.
Jean-Pierre Kusela appeared in November 2001 in the Spede Pasanen memorial concert at the [[Hartwall Arena]]. The concert was broadcast on [[MTV3]] in December 2001. Kusela's last appearance was in the 2004 film ''[[Uuno Turhapuro - This Is My Life]]''.
== Concept == The character is a [[parody]] of typical [[France|French]] smooth-voiced ''[[chanson]]'' singers, particularly [[Jean-Claude Pascal]], whose surname - like that of Kusela - has a connotation of [[toilet humour]].<ref>[http://finnpicks.blogspot.com/2008/07/gamblers-guitar-naurava-kulkuri.html FINNPICKS - Remaking musical memories]</ref> ("Pascal" sounds like ''"paska"'', [[Finnish language|Finnish]] for "[[shit]]", and hence the name Kusela comes from ''"kusi"'', Finnish for "[[urine|piss]]".)
Jean-Pierre Kusela is a big-nosed, dark-haired and dark-bearded [[night club]] singer speaking Finnish in a foreign accent. In a typical Kusela sketch, the character performed his songs smoking [[cigarette]]s and drinking [[alcoholic beverage]]s while the [[Sweden|Swedish]] pianist Puppe ([[Olli Ahvenlahti]]) accompanied him with piano music.
==Discography== * ''Naurava kulkuri'' (1986) * ''Voi hyvä tavaton'' (1987)
==Singles== * ''Nauravan kulkurin paluu'' (1995)
==References== <references/>
{{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Kusela, Jean-Pierre}} [[Category:Fictional singers]] [[Category:Fictional French people]] [[Category:Spede Pasanen]] [[Category:Television characters introduced in 1985]] [[Category:Finnish comedy musicians]] [[Category:Television in Finland]]