Bio

Noora is a passionate Finnish musician. For years she has made a living as a singer and violinist in several bands and touring Finland as a troubadour just with her guitar.  Her love of adventure and international development -studies have led her to perform in Kibera slums in Africa and in Palestine to political prisoners. She has previously recorded with her long-term rock band Valve and appeared in the Czech band Irish Dew’s record and in the soundtrack of the Finnish movie Hymypoika. The first Choose me- EP carrying her own name will be published in April.

Noora started to play the violin, forced by her father, at the age of six. Her interest in the violin disappeared, when she started to sneak into her big brothers’ rooms where she taught herself to play the electric guitar. She started to perform at the age of 15 in prisons, garrisons and basically everywhere she could sell a gig to. At that time she wrote her firs songs, which were ruthlessly rejected by her band Singer Sisters. Since then Noora’s songs have been played in Finnish pubs, clubs and rock stages, which Noora has toured diligently with several bands.

In the spring of 2010 the long-lived idea of a solo project finally took off.  Noora searched hard for the right musicians to work with with no luck, then decided to call up the musicians in her town whom she really wanted to work with, but who she knew to be wanted and too busy with other projects. To Noora’s delight she was able to persuade each one of them to make time for her and one of the three guitar players to change his instrument to base. The rock band combines elements of grunge, punk and pop music. The stories in the EP take the listener from Nairobi to the Stockholm cruse. However, they always come back to the basic questions of life: can you be whole without your loved one, can a cheater be forgiven or can you really win in a gamble?

Thoughts

About music: Love it. I have tried to do pretty much everything else with my life. I always come back to music. I have a new song playing in my head as a company all the time. Most of them are crap, but there are always some that stand out:).
Best gig: In Jericho prison for Mr. Sadat, the leader of PFLP (Popular Front of the Liberation of Palestine). Nerve-wrecking, but great!
Worst gig: In the smallest bar far away from home alone with a guitar. There was a fight in front of the tiny stage and the restaurant manager ordered me to keep playing.
About life:I try to keep open and curious and cause as little damage to myself and my loved ones as possible. And of course enjoy the ride, this is a short trip!
Low point: I have really good days and really bad days. Luckily, I have learned that the bad ones pass, if you just wait them out.
High point:There are millions of them. I get excited about something every single day. My work in a childrens’ centre in the Kibera slum has been pretty amazing. There is something about seeing people who have nothing and are a lot happier than you.
I love: The autumn and sincerity. It takes a good self-esteem to be sincere and genuine in this world. I get in a good mood every time I meet people who I find unselfish and genuine.
I hate: Arrogance. Simply, because it’s stupid. Arrogance does no good to anyone, espcecially to the arrogant one him/herself.