Erja Lyytinen

Since first stepping foot in a recording studio nearly Erja Lyytinen has become a bona fide star in her homeland and a celebrated fixture on the international music scene. In that time, she has recorded nine studio albums in places as diverse as Helsinki, Memphis and Clarksdale, Mississippi, earning numerous awards and honours along the way. She feels equally at home playing traditional and modern blues, but has never been afraid to incorporate styles like jazz, pop and soul into her songwriting.

Born into a musical family in the town of Kuopio, Lyytinen quickly emerged as an artist to watch in her native country. She signed with Germany’s prestigious Ruf Records label in 2005 and recorded her international debut Pilgrimage later that year. Her participation in the 2006 Blues Caravan tour gave audiences outside of Finland a first taste of her spirited live performances and led to a string of successful appearances in the United States.