Tärähdyttävät sankarit New Yorkin maailmannäyttelyssä 1939 – Mieskuoro Finlandia Suomen maakuvan viestijänä

Abstract

At the opening of the Finnish section of the New York World's Fair on May 4, 1939, Male Choir Finlandia performed, which was founded especially for the trip to North America and in particular for performing at the New York World's Fair. In addition to the press, the choir's travel project, its preparations and the trip itself were followed on many different radio broadcasts. What was the basic impetus for Male Choir Finlandia's travel project and the founding of the choir? What did Male Choir Finlandia want to tell about Finland? What made the media and the public interested in this particular choir? Answers to the questions are sought especially through the concepts country image and cultural diplomacy.

In contemporary comments, the purpose of Male Choir Finlandia's trip is strongly related to the need of a young country to tell the rest of the world about its own culture.  According to the article, Male Choir Finlandia's activities serve as a good example of the creation of a country's image implemented through the means of cultural diplomacy, which also includes cultural propaganda, i.e. the promotion of a country using its culture as a tool.