Maija Vilkkumaa

Biography

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.
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. Along with meeting commercial success, the singer—who writes and composes the songs by herself—has also been credited for her songwriting skills by receiving the Juha Vainio Award. 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.

1973–1993: Early life and education

Maija Vilkkumaa was born in Helsinki on 9 November 1973. She has two little sisters and she lived her childhood in the neighborhood of Töölö. 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.

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 (Honey Melons).
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×Pitkä ihana leikki23 August 1999 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Ärsyttävä tapa3:382Auringonpimennys3:513Satumaa-tango4:454Hiuksissa hiekkaa3:355Ystävä3:166Ei ikinä sun3:147Jäässä4:438Timantti3:319Salaa3:2010Tyyny3:2611Vähän ennen3:4212Tähti3:17 (Long Sweet Game), after the arrival of its debut single "Satumaa-tango×Satumaa-tango1999 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Satumaa-tango4:182Satumaa-tango (albumiversio)4:46". With the debut album peaking at number three on the Finnish Albums Chart and selling gold with over 38,000 copies, critics welcomed Vilkkumaa as an inventive new artist in the then-sparse scene of Finnish female pop rockers and she received the 2000 Emma Award for New Female Soloist of the Year. At the same event, Pitkä ihana leikki was nominated for Debut Album of the Year.

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

In 2001, Vilkkumaa released her second studio album Meikit, ketjut ja vyöt×Meikit, ketjut ja vyöt16 April 2001 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Prinsessa jää3:462Noinko vaikeeta se on?3:403Teen mitä vaan4:004Rikkinäinen sähikäinen2:465Totuutta ja tehtävää4:036Sä et tiedä mitään2:567Ilosanoma3:438Se pistää ajoittain itkemään3:379Ingalsin Laura3:2110Suomen neito3:4611Yksin huudat sun yöt4:2612Kristallitiara3:35 (Make-ups, Necklaces and Belts) which was her first number-one release on the Albums Chart 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, while charting for over a year (56 weeks), and sold over 120,000 copies (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.
Ei was followed by Vilkkumaa's fourth studio album Se ei olekaan niin×Se ei olekaan niin13 April 2005 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Kesä3:512Auta mua3:543Se ei olekaan niin4:244Metsästäjä4:345Lastenhoitaja4:016Niin kuin muutkin3:357Mä haluan3:228Katu3:309Liian kauan3:5310Yksi4:0711Ainakin puolet5:4912Puisto puhuu4:47 (But It's Not Like That) in 2005, which sold over 47,000 copies and earned the artist her second platinum certification and the 2005 Emma Award for Female Soloist of the Year. Preceding Vilkkumaa's first compilation, Totuutta ja tehtävää×Totuutta ja tehtävää8 November 2006 · Album · CompilationSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 28 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Hei tie3:482Saaressa3:413Ei3:184Totuutta ja tehtävää4:045Satumaa-tango4:456Noinko vaikeeta se on?3:437Kesä3:518Hiuksissa hiekkaa3:369Ne jotka tyytyy2:3410Anna-liisa4:4811Se ei olekaan niin4:2412Ei saa surettaa6:0913Liian kauan3:5314Pohjois-Amerikka4:2415Tähti3:1816Ingalsin Laura3:2217Mun elämä4:3218Seireenit5:30Disc 21Takahuonedokkarit2-1Satumaa-tango2-2Tähti2-3Ingalsin Laura2-4Totuutta ja tehtävää2-5Ei2-6Kesä2-7Hei tie3Diskografia4Fotoalbumi (Truth and Dare), its lead single "Hei tie×Hei tie20 September 2006 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Hei tie3:47" (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 and sold gold with over 25,000 copies. In early 2007, Maija Vilkkumaa embarked on her first major concert tour, Totuutta ja tehtävää. The performances were recorded for her first live album, Ilta Savoyssa×Ilta Savoyssa13 June 2007 · Album · LiveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 22 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Alkutarina3:052Hiuksissa hiekkaa4:443Mun elämä6:024Puisto puhuu6:235Totuutta ja tehtävää5:576Tähti3:437Kitarasoolo5:448Ei saa surettaa5:539Katu3:36Disc 21Hei tie4:312Ei ikinä sun3:253Rumpusoolo3:494Kristiina4:375Liian kauan7:296Se ei olekaan niin5:117Bassosoolo1:088Ingalsin Laura7:189Saaressa3:4210Pianosoolo5:1711Ei6:3512Kesä4:0513Satumaa-tango5:02 (Evening at Savoy).
Vilkkumaa's fifth studio album Superpallo×Superpallo29 September 2008 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Monopolii3:282Luokkakokous4:253Mä haluun naimisiin4:174Sut kuulen sut nään4:235Sirkus3:536Kuiskaile suu4:037Sä kuolet4:018Ai miten valo sattuu4:549Superpallo3:5910Suojatiellä4:1911Riemulla3:5912Yöllä4:57 (Bouncy Ball) was released in October 2008. Selling gold with 19,000 copies and spawning three singles, "Suojatiellä×Suojatiellä16 June 2008 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Suojatiellä4:22" (On the Pedestrian Crossing), "Luokkakokous" (Class Reunion) and "Mä haluun naimisiin×Mä haluun naimisiin22 December 2008 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Mä haluun naimisiin (radio edit)3:25" (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. However, Vilkkumaa received three nominations at the 2009 Emma Awards: Female Soloist of the Year, Album of the Year (Superpallo) and Rock Album of the Year. 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.

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

In April 2010, Vilkkumaa released her sixth studio album Kunnes joet muuttaa suuntaa×Kunnes joet muuttaa suuntaa19 April 2010 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Rouvakellari3:452Dingo ja Yö4:183Lottovoitto3:544Rock 'n' Roll3:575Kuuraiset puut3:206Viimeinen laulu2:527Siihenks se jää4:348Mistä tietää että on3:189Jos se vie mun miehen2:3210Liperiin Nivalaan4:3111Anteeksi3:4212Rakkautta, vaatteet, ruokaa3:41 (Until Rivers Change Direction). Though continuing the trend of declining record sales, the album still debuted at number one on the Albums Chart and sold gold with 16,000 copies. 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". In February 2011, Vilkkumaa received her fifth Emma nomination for Female Soloist of the Year. 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". In January 2012, Vilkkumaa performed at a fundraising concert for the presidential campaign of the Green League's candidate Pekka Haavisto.

Personal life

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