Kirill "Kirka" Babitzin (22 September 1950 – 31 January 2007) was a popular Finnish musician.
Kirka's most famous songs include "Hengaillaan", "Leijat" (Kites) and "Varrella virran" (Down by the River)"
Kirill Babitzin was born in Helsinki in 1950 to a Russian emigrant family. He first got into music at the age of five when his grandmother gave him an accordion. He won an accordion competition at the age of ten, but soon ditched the squeezebox for rock and roll music. His first band was The Creatures, which he joined in 1964 assuming stage name Kirka.
Kirka got his big break in 1967 when he joined the band The Islanders, originally led by would-be pop stalwart Ilkka "Danny" Lipsanen, and went on to become a household name in dance halls and festivals all over Finland. Kirka also recorded with Blues Section. His trademark was to be his powerful, throaty voice; simultaneously shrill and soulful, it is instantly recognizable to generations of Finnish music lovers.
Several Babitzin siblings are established musicians in their own right. In 1978, Kirka released a duet album with sister Anna; the next year, another sister Marija ("Muska") joined in. Kirka's brother was popular rock musician Sammy Babitzin, who was killed in a car crash in 1973. Eerily, Sammy's signature hit Daada daada tells a story of high-speed automotive cruising.
bad brakes whole car shakes
looks like i'm heading for a breakdown
black smoke engine beginning to choke
i must be heading for a breakdown
i pulled up for a mouth of coca-cola
down at Samuel's cafe
saw a little spanish lady coming over
said "lady are you going my way" she said "o-lay"
bad brakes carburettor shakes
looks like you're heading for a breakdown
black smoke engine beginning to choke
we must be heading for a breakdown
we hit the road at 90 miles an hour
heading for 'Frisco Bay
she said "Senor you got cop on your shoulder"
i said "oh now we'd better not stay
we got to get away with our
bad brakes carburettor shakes
looks like we're heading for a breakdown"
he was catching up nose right inside our mirror
when the motor blowed
we climbed out and she began to shiver
oh no sir please let us go
he said "don't you know you got
bad brakes carburettor shakes
looks like you bought yourself a breakdown
black smoke engine beginning to choke
and you've got yourself a breakdown"
bad brakes engine beginning to shake
looks like we've got ourselves a breakdown
black smoke engine beginning to choke