HANCOCK — On a musical journey through time, locals tapped their feet, and a few danced, their way through Finnish musical history Sunday.

Local artists Pasi Lautala, Oren Tikkanen, Bob Hiltunen and Tim Havens began the performance in the 1910’s before Finnish independence and played a song from each decade to the 2010’s.

The song choice didn’t have a set goal with Lautala selecting songs from a wide range of sources and styles. Among the selections were Sulamith by Matti Jurva, the traditional Sakkijarven Polkka and Levoton Tuhkimo by the popular rock band Dingo.

In fact, many of the songs weren’t originally Finnish but they are now, Lautala said.

The Finnish language is the common thread, he explained. “That’s all it really takes.”

Even if the songs come from, or are, influenced by another culture or language, the Finnish lyrics and spirit are there, Lautala said.

“Even if they may have followed the original lyric’s theme…they always will have a Finnish feel or the Finnish culture and I’ve always said that in Finland, at least in the past, the lyrics used to be so important in the songs,” he said. “You couldn’t just make (a) very good-sounding song if you didn’t have lyrics.”

Lautala has wanted to put on this performance for years, bridging the traditional songs popular with the Copper Country Finnish community to today’s Finnish music. An important part of keeping the Finnish culture of the area alive and growing, he said.

“If you don’t bring that change along it’s just going to fade away to the history and it becomes only the past and there’s the importance of that heritage but it has to live or it’s going to die,” Lautala said. “This is one of my ways to try and keep it living”

For many of the audience members, their own Finnish heritage and memories of the music drew them in.

“It’s very soothing for me. When I hear it brings back memories from my childhood,” said Carol Hocking.

The quartet will bring their music to other communities thanks to a grant from Finlandia Foundation National with performances planned for Farmington Hills, Little Finland, Duluth and Minneapolis in the coming months.