Tom Turja was dancing so wildly that he had to change his shirt. Photo: Laura Oja HELSINKI, Finland (Helsingin Sanomat), May 19, 2008:
By Anna-Leena Pyykkönen
Disco K-50 is a monthly disco for the over-50s crowd. The event has been organized in Kappeli Cellar in Helsinki’s Esplanade Park in the past two winters. Entrance to the disco is strictly forbidden for anybody younger than 50, and all visitors are required to present a photo ID.
The event grew out of the monthly club evenings launched in Restaurant G-18 in Helsinki’s Yrjönkatu in February 2006.
The idea of a grown-up disco has been successful, partly because the doors are opened already at 7:00 p.m.and close at a sensible 0:30 a.m.
The soul of the place is Lilu Nissinen-Turja, who is very proud of her creation.
”Everybody thought that this would be a museum, but this turned out to be a real disco. I did not want us to listen to only very old pieces of music. The most important thing is that the music makes you want to dance”, says Lilu.
Helsinki entrepreneur Raimo Vauhkonen agreed, saying that the music was surprisingly brisk considering the crowd that was present.
The 62-year-old gentleman added with respect: ”But after all, these people are the radicals of the 1960s who were hot to change the world!”
The average age of those partying at the disco was difficult to gauge, but it was likely to approach 60 years. One of the party animals was dressed up like a hippie, doing it so well that it was really rather difficult to determine his age.
Initially, there was a risk that the visitors to the disco would be predominantly female, but obviously men have also woken up.
However, last Saturday during the Ice Hockey World Championships the majority of visitors were women, for fairly obvious reasons.
On the other hand, gender is not an issue here, as one does not have to wait for an invitation - anyone can go dancing alone, with a partner, or with a group of friends.
”A woman can boogie while her old man is leaning against the bar counter”, Lilu promised.
Bengt Bradtberg was slurping from a beer mug in the entrance hall and complaining about his 'flu, while waiting for some people who had been his classmates at Munkkiniemi School all of 35 years ago. They were to have an unofficial class reunion.
The collars of the anonymous dog-owners from the Lassila dog park were not too tight. ”We do not know each other from elsewhere - just from meeting in the dog park. And we do not discuss illnesses, jobs, or men”, a female member of the group reported, twirling coquettishly in her new party dress.
The dog women suggested that the age-limit for men could be quietly lowered to 45 years.
Having been living in Spain for a long time, Maire Pylkkänen found the whole K-50 idea surprising and a bit disconcerting.
”This reflects the whole Finnish atmosphere. Why is there a social demand for this kind of a disco? This is age discrimination!” Pylkkänen argued.
”In Spain people celebrate together. Old women are respected, and young men take them to dance”, she reported sternly.
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