Rauma Blues 1986

Pioneering work that foreshadowed a blues festival began in Rauma already in the autumn of 1985 in the form of small concerts at Kalliohovi club

The artists were bands from Rauma, lead by Doctors' Special. The enthusiastic feedback lead Kimmo Toivanen, Sepi Leinonen and Jukka Salonen to envision a blues event in their home town and between 5th and 8th of March 1986 the vision came true and a four-day-long blues event was held at Kalliohovi Restaurant in Rauma. The main concert was held at the festival room of Rauma's Business College. The brand new event featured the brightest stars of Finnish blues from Honey B & The T-Bones and Kapteeni Nemo to J. Karjalaisen Mustat Lasit.

Putting together a proper festival turned out to be too much for three people so the organizing party expanded to five with Esa "Essi" Puputti and Hannu "Tunnu" Pärssinen. The founding meeting of Rauma Blues '86 ry was held on April 26th 1986. The renewed team's first show of force was the World Championships of H-boats in Rauma in the summer of 1986 when they decided to get one of the blues world's most appreciated harpists to play in Finland's tent. Rod Piazza with his Mighty Flyers embraced the tentfull of audience and the Rauma Blues organizers were convinced of the necessity of a local blues event.