“Call Of The Blues”

In 1991 Orpana went to Kouvola Community college to learn basic chords and picked up licks and things by ear from his father’s record collection which contained a lot of 60s-70s blues rock and Finnish popular music. First guitar influences were Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter, Leslie West, Chuck Berry, Alvin Lee, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Billy Gibbons, Peter Green, Albert Järvinen..
As the years went on he got familiar how the music progressed to the present day but as well on the timeline where it came from. Rock ‘n’ roll has its roots on blues and those guitarists were listening and emulating what they were hearing, blues artists like:
Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Elmore James, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed, Freddie King, Albert King, B.B.King, Otis Rush, Eddie Taylor, Jimmy Rogers..
And going back a notch even further on a timeline, those old Mississippi delta blues and country blues artists prior to them: Robert Johnson, Charley Patton, Lightning Hopkins, Son House, Skip James, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Big Joe Williams, Bukka White..
All the above are his biggest blues guitar influences and the foundation of Jani O’s Blues. Over the years Orpana developed a deep appreciation and admiration on the blues. Music so simple, yet so difficult, feeling-driven, simplified and still at the same time very multi-layered music.

Jani O’s Blues first public performance was at Kouvosto Blues Fest in 2014 with Timo “Pälä” Pälvisalo under the name “The GoGoYas”. Over the years Jani O has played his blues over Finland in solo performances and with different artists. Many years he has also been one of the main hosts in Blues Jam events in Pub23, Kouvola.
In 2023 released a bootleg live recording on Youtube from Kouvosto Blues Fest ’23 – on where Orpana plays traditional blues standards on open slide guitar tunings.
On March 1st 2023 released Jani O’s Blues first single
“Blues Is Here To Stay” and the follow up “Slow Down Hoochie Mama” on March 23rd.
More on Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBhjCFILH83gwBfmuZ_1w0w