Another Win For Young Merimaa

Nobody seems sure if it’s a misprint or a bit of a joke, but the latest newsletter from the Finnish Music Export says Juhani Merimaa was voted the most influential person in the country’s music biz "for the 110th consecutive year."

Merimaa, who has run Helsinki’s Tavastia Club for the last 25 years, Ruisrock Festival for the last seven years and also programmes Akkarock Festival, says he’d need to be well more than double his age to have managed such a feat.

However, he does admit to winning the Rumba music magazine vote "a few times."

Second in this year’s poll was Risto Juvonen, managing director of Live Nation’s Welldone and the country’s main international music promoter.

Third place went to Sony BMG Finland MD Kimmo Valtanen, while Juha Kyyrö has shot up to fourth.

The 25-year-old founder of Fullsteam Records & Agency has steadily gone up the chart, finishing 18th in 2005 and then 8th in 2006.