PIIRPAUKE has been a pioneer of progressive for so long, that some people might take the band for granted.Piirpauke has always been changing - not following fashions but pursuing new fresh interests and ideas from band leader Sakari Kukko.Somehow Piirpauke always manages to make the diverse material sound like their own.

By now, most people are aware of progressive rock and realize that it simply means the appreciation of the best tunes from all over the world.

Sakari Kukko - visionary, world traveller and multi-instrumentalist from Finland - saw it coming more than 20 years ago, when he formed the first line-up of Piirpauke and was immediately awarded with a hit. Since that first success with a poignant Karelian folk tune, Sakari has guided his ever-improving line-ups on musical journeys through the delights of Balkan, Turkey, Africa, Latin America and points in between. After more than a dozen albums and many tours and concerts in Spain, Scandinavia, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, Cuba, Soviet Union, India and Turkey the band is now ready to set their sights further afield. Sakari and his saxes, flutes and keyboards have never been content with merely polite "fusion music", but have always striven to draw the most fire and beauty from the most inspiring sources, no matter where.