Kirka is a singer from Finland, who is very popular in his home country. Besides releasing
a lot of records, he also took part in the Eurovision Song Contest. 

Kirka recorded a lot of well known songs, but he used the Finnish language, which
is funny. I. Milan and K. Halonen translated the Michael d’Abo song “Handbags And
Gladrags” into “Krääsät Ja Silkkirääsyt” and it sounds okay. 

For me as a collector of Mike d’Abo music this is great to have in my collection.
I played the song to Mike and he was very much surprised.

The Story Of Kirka by Vesa Nykänen

When we talk about Kirill `Kirka` Babitzin, we cannot forget his family. He has two sisters and two brothers who all have also recorded.

Her sisters are Anna and Muska, and Muska is still `on the road`. His brothers George and Sammy recorded also in the early seventies,and Sammy was really popular, a star, in Finland before he died in car accident in 1973. Sad thing is that Kirka himself also died suddenly in 2007.He was one of the top succesful Finnish male singers over four decades.

Kirka started his music career already in 1962 with the band `Creatures`. In 1967 he recorded his first solo single `Anna suukko vain` (`Just give me the kiss` in Engl.). At the same year he published another single, `Hetki lyö` (`This is the moment` in Engl.), which became a big hit in Finland. He rounded Finland with his new band, Kirka and the Islanders, and he became a really big teenage star.

His succes lasted to through the first half of the 70`s, but late seventies and first half of the eighties were a little bit of difficult time in his career. During that period he even recorded heavy metal music, which was not a very successful idea, but he liked singing heavy rock During 1982-1987 he recorded three heavy music albums. But, even when he was not a superstar he did relatively well and he even was Finland´s representative in European Song Contest in the year 1984 with the song `Hengaillaan` (`Lets hang on` in Engl.). But the really big success was yet to come!

In the year 1988 he recorded the song `Surun pyyhit silmistäni` (`You weep the sorrow from my eyes` in Engl.) and it became the real big hit in Finland. It was a slow tempo reggae ballad and it was a little bit surprising how well it did success. After that Kirka was ´evergreen` successful singer in Finnish music life and didn`t lose his touch until he suddenly died in the year 2007.

Kirka´s connection with Mike d´Abo is Mikes song `Handbags and gladrags`. Kirka recorded it in Finnish in the year 1977. It is a pity that it was not released as a single record, because when recorded as an album song only it didn´t get the success it would have deserved. I`m sure otherwise it would be alongside many cover versions that Finnish music lovers like even after many decades; songs like Simon and Garfunkel song `Bridge over troubled water` (`Silta yli synkän virran`), which was dedicated to his brother Sammy, `Kites` (`Leijat`) which was a `Simon Dubree and the Big Sound´ hit, The Marples hit ´Only one woman` (`Viimeiseen mieheen`) and Roger Whittaker´s `Mamy Blue`, among others!