Kaija Koo

Born in Helsinki in 1962 as Kaija Kokkola, Kaija Koo has been part of the Finnish pop scene since the early 1980s. She began at 17 with the band Steel City, later associated with the name Kaija Koo Band, and also sang in the backing choirs for Finland’s Eurovision selection in 1981. Her solo career began with Kun savukkeet on loppuneet in 1986, but the 1993 release Tuulten viemää, made with Markku Impiö, marked a lasting turning point. Kaija Koo developed a Finnish‑language pop songwriting style built on clear melodies, sentimental ballads and a restrained pop‑rock touch, led by a forward, prominent voice. Over the decades she released a succession of studio albums, including Tuulikello (1995), Unihiekkamyrsky (1997), Operaatio jalokivimeri (1998), Mikään ei riitä (2002), Viiden minuutin hiljaisuus (2004), H‑Hetki (2007), Irti (2010), Kuka sen opettaa (2014), Sinun naisesi (2016) and Taipumaton (2021). Active on stages and festivals across Finland, she has also undertaken several occasional collaborations — notably with Reino Nordin, Pyhimys and Vesala — while steering her pop toward more contemporary productions.