Hanna PAKARINEN
On the surface, Finland’s entry for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, Hanna’s Leave Me Alone is just as melodic and catchy as the best Eurovision pop should be. Underneath, it’s a straight-ahead rock song complete with aggressive lyrics and a mean guitar solo.

“I know it’s not your typical Eurovision entry”, says Hanna, who co-wrote the song’s lyrics. “But the important thing is that I believe in it. After all, the Eurovision Song Contest is about the songs, not about the singers”.

But of course, the competition is about the singers, too. And one thing Hanna can certainly do is sing.

Growing up in Eastern Finland near the Russian border, Hanna started her career by singing in local rock groups by night and driving a forklift truck at a paper mill by day. Her lucky break came in 2004 when she took part in the TV talent show “Idols”, the Finnish version of the international hit format “Pop Idol”. It didn’t take the Finns long to fall in love with this talkative, friendly, and completely unpretentious small-town girl with the big voice. In other words, Hanna won “Idols” and signed with Sony BMG because she sang like a true diva but acted utterly unlike one.

At 25, Hanna is now a veteran of the Finnish music scene, the country’s best-selling English-language solo artist, a huge concert favourite, and one of Finland’s best-loved celebrities. Even after her Gold and Platinum albums and countless hit singles she still continues to grow musically: on her new album “Lovers”, which also features “Leave Me Alone”, she co-wrote most of the songs.

With “Leave Me Alone” and the Eurovision Song Contest, it’s time for the rest of Europe to get to know the un-diva-like rock diva.

“By now, Finns probably have a pretty good idea about who I am, both as a singer and as a person”, Hanna says laughing. “I don’t think I’m going to be changing anytime soon.”

Hanna’s Finnish fans certainly hope so.

Composers: Miikka HUTTUNEN & Martti VUORINEN

Miikka HUTTUNEN (born 1973) is a music producer, recording engineer and songwriter. Miikka has studied music in the Sibelius-Academy and acoustics in the Helsinki University of Technology. He’s a partner in Neomusic Ltd, a music production house based in Helsinki.

Lately Miikka has mixed songs for the Finnish Idols and Strictly Come Dancing (”Tanssii Tähtien Kanssa”) albums, recorded and mixed an album for a new Finnish soul band called Huba and an EP for Sami Pitkämö & Umo big band. Miikka likes to work with various styles of music and recently also recorded a classical album for Zagros ensemble. He has composed music for TV series and commercials and continues working with songwriter Martti Vuorinen.

Miikka enjoys spending his freetime with his family and playing pump organ and piano in Alamaailman Vasarat, a famous Finnish world music band.

Martti VUORINEN (born 1980) lives in Helsinki. He spent his childhood in Kotka in Southeastern Finland singing and writing in rock bands and studying the violin and piano. Vuorinen also has a strong background in classical music and received his degree from the Sibelius Academy.

VUORINEN is signed as a songwriter to the Swedish company Bonnier Music Publishing. He works mainly in Helsinki and Stockholm, and has gained recognition for his strong pop melodies and distinguishable lyrics. Vuorinen is writing for Finnish topselling artists like Hanna Pakarinen, and in addition to that, this year will see his songs featured on several international releases. He also writes and sings in his Finnish band Gunk.

Participant: Hanna PAKARINEN
Song: Leave Me Alone
Writers: Martti VUORINEN & Hanna PAKARINEN
Composers: Martti VUORINEN & Miikka HUTTUNEN
Broadcaster: YLE
National selection: Euroviisut 2007 - Suomen karsinta

(1,377 votes, average: 3.89 out of 5)

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