In the spotlight: Käärijä

Käärijä Eurovision Finland

The grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will take place in Liverpool on Saturday 13th of May. One of the favorites for the win is Käärijä, who represents Finland.

But who is Käärijä ? Let’s give him a spotlight!

Käärijä (Jere Pöyhönen) is a Finnish singer, rapper and songwriter born in Helsinki on October 21, 1993.He grew up in the Ruskeasanta district of Vantaa, near the Finnish capital Helsinki. While growing up Käärijä was a hockey player. Later on, he discovered his passion for music, while learning to play the drums.

Start musical career and stage name 

His stage name comes from a joke with his friends about gambling (kääriminen), a recurring theme in his music.

In 2014, Jere was rushed into hospital, when he was diagnosed with a sudden serious illness in the colon. His condition worsened fast to the point Jere’s life was threatened due to the illness. Emergency surgery followed, after which he started to recover.  However, the incident signalled a turning point in his artistic career, allowing him to focus solely on producing music.

Pöyhönen self-released his music until 2017 when he signed a contract  with the record label Monsp Records. He subsequently released the double single “Koppi tules” / “Nou roblem”. The following year, he released an extended play, titled “Peliä”. His debut album Fantastista was released in 2020. This album was announced in a very special way:

 

At the beginning of 2023 he took part in Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu, the Finnish preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest. The song he brought, is nothing more than a cozy song about a night out, and the drinks that are drunk, but catchy it absolutely is. Nevertheless, “Cha cha cha” convincingly won Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu. 

Will he also win he Eurovision Song Contest 2023? We will know on Saturday.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Anja Kroeze

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