Maija Vilkkumaa

Maija Johanna Vilkkumaa (born 9 November 1973) is a Finnish pop rock singer-songwriter. Beginning her musical hobbies playing piano at an age before school, Vilkkumaa studied in high school where she and her friends set up the band Tarharyhmä in 1990, which broke up in 1995. While studying Finnish language at the University of Helsinki, she started to take singing lessons and went on to start her solo career in 1999.

Maija Vilkkumaa
Maija Vilkkumaa in 2001
Background information
Born (1973-11-09) 9 November 1973
Helsinki, Finland
GenresPop rock, suomirock
InstrumentsVocals
Years active1990–present
LabelsWarner Music Finland
Websitewww.maijavilkkumaa.net

During her solo career from 1999 to 2011, Vilkkumaa has released eight full-length solo albums and sold over 300,000 certified records, becoming the tenth-best-selling female soloist in Finland.[1] Along with meeting commercial success, the singer—who writes and composes the songs by herself[2]—has also been credited for her songwriting skills by receiving the Juha Vainio Award.[3] She has also received five Emma Awards, accolades for outstanding achievements in music, awarded by the Finnish music industry federation, Musiikkituottajat, and five Emma nominations.

Life and career

1973–1993: Early life and education

Maija Vilkkumaa was born in Helsinki on 9 November 1973.[4] She has two little sisters and she lived her childhood in the neighborhood of Töölö.[5] She played piano beginning younger than at the age of seven and finishing when she was 16. In 1992, Vilkkumaa completed her matriculation examination at Kallio High School in Helsinki and studied Finnish language at the University of Helsinki since 1993.[4]

1990s: Tarharyhmä, solo career beginnings and Pitkä ihana leikki

In 1990, Maija Vilkkumaa set up the band Tarharyhmä with her friends, gaining national radio play with its songs. Vilkkumaa wrote and composed and most of the songs. With Tarharyhmä breaking up in 1995, Vilkkumaa started to attend singing lessons. She has also played keyboard in the band Hunajamelonit (English: Honey Melons).[4]

In 1999, Vilkkumaa started a solo career setting up a band around her. The band consisted of keyboard player Tero Pennanen, bassist Niko Kokko and guitarist Mikko Kosonen. In August of the same year, Vilkkumaa released her debut album Pitkä ihana leikki (English: Long Sweet Game), after the arrival of its debut single "Satumaa-tango".[4] With the debut album peaking at number three on the Finnish Albums Chart[6] and selling gold with over 38,000 copies,[1] critics welcomed Vilkkumaa as an inventive new artist in the then-sparse scene of Finnish female pop rockers[7][8][9] and she received the 2000 Emma Award for New Female Soloist of the Year.[10] At the same event, Pitkä ihana leikki was nominated for Debut Album of the Year.[11]

2000s: Meikit, ketjut ja vyöt, Ei, Se ei olekaan niin and Superpallo

In 2001, Vilkkumaa released her second studio album Meikit, ketjut ja vyöt (Make-ups, Necklaces and Belts) which was her first number-one release on the Albums Chart[12] and sold nearly 37,000 copies and earning her her second gold certification. By the 2003 release of her third studio album Ei (No), Vilkkumaa established her status as one of the prominent contemporary Finnish musicians—the album debuted at number one on the Albums Chart,[13] while charting for over a year (56 weeks), and sold over 120,000 copies[1] (double-platinum) in Finland. Ei earned her three Emma Awards; for Female Soloist of the Year, Album of the Year and Pop/Rock Album of the Year.[10]

Ei was followed by Vilkkumaa's fourth studio album Se ei olekaan niin (But It's Not Like That) in 2005, which sold over 47,000 copies and earned the artist her second platinum certification[1] and the 2005 Emma Award for Female Soloist of the Year.[10] Preceding Vilkkumaa's first compilation, Totuutta ja tehtävää (Truth and Dare), its lead single "Hei tie" (Hey There, Road) was Vilkkumaa's first number-one release on the Finnish Singles Chart, in September 2006. Released in November 2006, Totuutta ja tehtävää peaked at number four on the Albums Chart[14] and sold gold with over 25,000 copies.[1] In early 2007, Maija Vilkkumaa embarked on her first major concert tour, Totuutta ja tehtävää.[15] The performances were recorded for her first live album, Ilta Savoyssa (Evening at Savoy).

Vilkkumaa's fifth studio album Superpallo (Bouncy Ball) was released in October 2008. Selling gold with 19,000 copies[1] and spawning three singles, "Suojatiellä" (On the Pedestrian Crossing), "Luokkakokous" (Class Reunion) and "Mä haluun naimisiin" (I Wanna Get Married), the album did not meet with as much success as the previous studio albums, though still debuting at number one on the Albums Chart.[16] However, Vilkkumaa received three nominations at the 2009 Emma Awards: Female Soloist of the Year,[17] Album of the Year (Superpallo)[18] and Rock Album of the Year.[19] In 2009, Vilkkumaa embarked on her second major tour, 10 + 10, to celebrate the ten years that had passed since the release of Pitkä ihana leikki.[20]

2010s: Kunnes joet muuttaa suuntaa and departure from the band

In April 2010, Vilkkumaa released her sixth studio album Kunnes joet muuttaa suuntaa (Until Rivers Change Direction). Though continuing the trend of declining record sales, the album still debuted at number one on the Albums Chart[21] and sold gold with 16,000 copies.[1] In July 2010, Vilkkumaa was awarded the prestigious Juha Vainio Award worth €6,000 for her merits as the "pioneer songwriter of her generation". The Board of Juha Vainio Fund justified its decision saying "Maija Vilkkumaa's texts present good colloquial language" and that "the lyrics are a classical example of how modern language works in songs".[3] In February 2011, Vilkkumaa received her fifth Emma nomination for Female Soloist of the Year.[22] On 5 April 2011, Maija Vilkkumaa announced in her press release that she would leave her band after the 2011 summer tour. Not sure when she would start doing music again and whether with a band or not, she stated she wanted to have a break and "take a breath".[23] In January 2012, Vilkkumaa performed at a fundraising concert for the presidential campaign of the Green League's candidate Pekka Haavisto.[24]

Personal life

On 28 April 2007, Maija Vilkkumaa married Mikko Kosonen (the guitarist of her band), after having been in a relationship since 2002.[25] The couple has two children, daughter Saara who was born in 2007, and another daughter, who was born in January 2011.[26]

Discography
Main article: Maija Vilkkumaa discography

Awards and nominations

Emma Awards
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2000 Maija Vilkkumaa Emma Award for New Female Soloist of the Year[10] Won
Pitkä ihana leikki Emma Award for Debut Album of the Year[11] Nominated
2004 Maija Vilkkumaa Emma Award for Female Soloist of the Year[10] Won
Ei Emma Award for Album of the Year[10] Won
Emma Award for Pop/Rock Album of the Year[10] Won
2006 Maija Vilkkumaa Emma Award for Female Soloist of the Year[10] Won
2009 Maija Vilkkumaa Emma Award for Female Soloist of the Year[17] Nominated
Superpallo Emma Award for Album of the Year[18] Nominated
Emma Award for Rock Album of the Year[19] Nominated
2011 Maija Vilkkumaa Emma Award for Female Soloist of the Year[22] Nominated
gollark: People didn't actually know they caused lung cancer for a while.
gollark: So was radium.
gollark: That's no longer very cool™.
gollark: "Drugs" are poorly defined. Caffeine is drugs. Alcohol is drugs and oddly popular despite its badness.
gollark: To be fair, the lasers are apparently only to confuse the missiles' tracking systems, not destroy them.

See also

References
  1. "Maija Vilkkumaa" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  2. "Tekijähaku " 'vilkkumaa maija'" (in Finnish). Finnish Broadcasting Company. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  3. "Juha Vainio -palkinto Maija Vilkkumaalle" (in Finnish). Finnish Broadcasting Company. 2010-07-30. Archived from the original on 2010-08-04. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  4. Gargano, Luca; Vilkkumaa, Maija (2004). Maija (in Finnish). WSOY. ISBN 951-0-29082-3.
  5. "Biografia" (in Finnish). Maija Vilkkumaa. Archived from the original on 2012-02-05. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  6. "Maija Vilkkumaa: Pitkä ihana leikki" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  7. Lehtinen, Roope (1999-09-01). "Maija Vilkkumaa – Pitkä ihana leikki". City. Janton. Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  8. "Pitkä Ihana Leikki — Maija Vilkkumaa". Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  9. "MAIJA VILKKUMAA – Pitkä ihana leikki". Soundi (in Finnish). A-lehdet. Archived from the original on 2012-03-11. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  10. "Emma palkinnon voittajat" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  11. "15.2.2000 Emma-gaala 2000" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  12. "Maija Vilkkumaa: Meikit, ketjut ja vyöt" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  13. "Maija Vilkkumaa: Ei" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  14. "Maija Vilkkumaa: Totuutta ja tehtävää" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  15. "Maija Vilkkumaa konserttisalikiertueellaan Tampere-taloon" (in Finnish). HuviOpas. January 18, 2007. Archived from the original on March 25, 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  16. "Maija Vilkkumaa: Superpallo" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  17. "VUODEN NAISSOLISTI" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Archived from the original on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  18. "VUODEN ALBUMI" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Archived from the original on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  19. "VUODEN ROCK-ALBUMI" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Archived from the original on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  20. Virtanen, Sini (2010-03-03). "Maija Vilkkumaan Lottovoitto ei ollut täysosuma" (in Finnish). The Voice. Archived from the original on 2011-10-01. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  21. "Maija Vilkkumaa: Kunnes joet muuttaa suuntaa" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  22. "2010 ehdokkaat – Vuoden naissolisti" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Archived from the original on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  23. "Maija Vilkkumaa jättää bändinsä". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Sanoma News. Suomen Tietotoimisto. 2011-04-05. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  24. "Ultra Bra villitsi Haaviston tukikonsertissa". Iltasanomat (in Finnish). Sanoma News. Suomen Tietotoimisto. 2012-01-30. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  25. Korppi, Hely (2007-04-28). "Maija Vilkkumaa naimisiin tänään". Iltalehti (in Finnish). Alma Media. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  26. "Maija Vilkkumaa sai tyttölapsen". Iltalehti (in Finnish). Alma Media. 2011-01-26. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
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