Biography
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Born
19 May 1979 (age 45)
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Born In
Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
Islaja is Merja Kokkonen, a visual artist and musician from Helsinki, Finland, now living and working in Berlin, Germany. She records her music at home using a rainbow of instruments to accompany her personal vocal delivery sang in Finnish. Islaja's debut album Meritie (2004) gained praise in international music media such as The Wire, Dusted Magazine and WFMU. The follow-up release Palaa aurinkoon (2005) caused even more excitement and created quite a stir. 2007 saw the release of her third album Ulual yyy on Fonal and a live CD Blaze Mountain Recordings on Ecstatic Peace label. Her latest album is called Keraaminen pää, released on Fonal in the end of 2010.
She has already played numerous large festivals including Eurosonic, by:Larm, Sonar, Itsenäisyysyö at the B2 club in Moscow, Russia and All Tomorrows Parties 200 curated by Thurston Moore. Animal Collective invited Islaja to play a two week support tour with them in Europe. Islaja is also a member of Hertta Lussu Ässä, a free folk super trio with Lau Nau and Kuupuu.
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