Elias Hämäläinen
Encyclopedia
Elias Hämäläinen is a Finnish
musician who won the first series of the Finnish X Factor
on 16 May 2010. He received a 3-album recording contract with Sony Music
. Before the competition, Elias made his living as a street musician in Helsinki
, but was also lead-vocalist and guitarist in Gusto, a band playing rock with an acoustic guitar sound.
Elias Hämäläinen's parents were missionaries performing gospel music, and he toured many countries with them and his three older siblings, staying also for a while in the United States. Due to his international background, English is Hämäläinen's strongest language, and he mostly writes songs in English. The Finnish musician Jere Ijäs assisted him with the lyrics on his debut album, "Rakkaudesta ja pelosta" (About love and fear). Seven out of the ten tracks, both compositions and lyrics, are a result of this co-operation. Elias's brother Markus Hämäläinen has also contributed to some songs.
Since his X factor-victory, Elias has mostly done acoustic shows by himself or as a guitar duo with Gary Keskinen from the former Technicolour-band or his brother Markus. The record release tour contained some bigger shows with a band consisting mostly of Gusto-members. Elias performs his own material as well as diverse covers, e.g. "Slide" by Goo goo dolls
, which was his audition song in X factor.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
musician who won the first series of the Finnish X Factor
X Factor (Finland)
X Factor is the Finnish version of X Factor, a show originating from the United Kingdom. It is a television music talent show contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions...
on 16 May 2010. He received a 3-album recording contract with Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
. Before the competition, Elias made his living as a street musician in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, but was also lead-vocalist and guitarist in Gusto, a band playing rock with an acoustic guitar sound.
Elias Hämäläinen's parents were missionaries performing gospel music, and he toured many countries with them and his three older siblings, staying also for a while in the United States. Due to his international background, English is Hämäläinen's strongest language, and he mostly writes songs in English. The Finnish musician Jere Ijäs assisted him with the lyrics on his debut album, "Rakkaudesta ja pelosta" (About love and fear). Seven out of the ten tracks, both compositions and lyrics, are a result of this co-operation. Elias's brother Markus Hämäläinen has also contributed to some songs.
Since his X factor-victory, Elias has mostly done acoustic shows by himself or as a guitar duo with Gary Keskinen from the former Technicolour-band or his brother Markus. The record release tour contained some bigger shows with a band consisting mostly of Gusto-members. Elias performs his own material as well as diverse covers, e.g. "Slide" by Goo goo dolls
Goo Goo Dolls
The Goo Goo Dolls are a Grammy-nominated American rock band formed in 1986 in Buffalo, New York, by vocalist and guitarist John Rzeznik and vocalist and bass guitarist Robby Takac. Since the end of 1994, Mike Malinin has been the band's drummer, a position previously held by George Tutuska...
, which was his audition song in X factor.