LAILA KINNUNEN

Her real name was Laura Annikki Kinnunen. Laila was one of the most famous and popular singers, of the 1950s and 1960s in her country, Finland.

She was born in Vantaa (Helsinki) on 8 November 1939. Because of the Second World War she had to spend her childhood as a refugee in Sweden, returning to Finland at the age of ten.

Laila got married with Ville-Veikko Salminen and had a daughter, Milana Misic, Finish singer like her.

In 1955 she won a contest of pop music in Helsinki. Later, in 1957 she published her first album “Lazarella”, which was a success and she continued publishing pop music and also bossa nova, jazz and rock.

In 1961 she represented her country in Eurovision Song Contest, in Cannes (France), with her song “Valoa ikkunassa” (Lights on the window). It was the first time Finland participated in this festival. Laila didn´t win it but she got the number 10.

Since 1970 she suffered from severe alcoholism and she left her music slowly. Later in 1980 she wanted to return but she wasn’t succesful. Laila died on 26 October of 2000 in Heinavesi, in eastern Finland, when she was 61 years old.

Pilar Escartín

English for Fun 4B