Paula Julia Vesala (born December 10, 1981) is a Finnish singer-songwriter. She was one of two singers and main lyricist in the
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...
duo
PMMP
PMMP is a Finland, Finnish pop rock band fronted by singers Paula Vesala and Mira Luoti and backed by musicians Mikko Virta, Juho Vehmanen and Heikki Kytölä. The name of the band is often said to be an abbreviation of the sentence "Paulan ja M ...
along with
Mira Luoti. Her solo career began in 2015 under the stage name Vesala. She has composed songs for other well-known Finnish artists such as
Vesa-Matti Loiri,
Jenni Vartiainen
Jenni Mari Vartiainen (born 20 March 1983) is a Finnish pop singer. Before her professional musical endeavours, she was a figure skating, figure skater in her teenage years and attended the Kuopio Senior High of Music and Dance. Vartiainen rose t ...
, and
Antti Tuisku
Antti Tuisku (born 27 February 1984) is a retired Finnish pop singer. He finished third in the 2003 '' Idols'' talent show, the Finnish version of '' Pop Idol''. Tuisku has sold over 300,000 records during his career in Finland.
In 2016, Tuisku ...
.
Career
Education
Vesala attended the
Sibelius Academy
The Sibelius Academy (, ) is part of the University of the Arts Helsinki and a university-level music school which operates in Helsinki and Kuopio, Finland. It also has an adult education centre in Järvenpää and a training centre in Seinäjoki ...
in
Helsinki
Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
, where she studied music education and classical singing as well as the piano and violin.
["Biografia: Paula Vesala", PMMP.fi.](_blank)
(luettu 22.6.2007) Since 2011, she has studied
dramaturgy
Dramaturgy is the study of dramatic composition and the representation of the main elements of drama on the stage. The role of a dramaturg in the field of modern dramaturgy is to help realize the multifaceted world of the play for a production u ...
at the
Helsinki Theatre Academy and later at
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...
. Her 10-minute play "English Lesson" was chosen among seven others as one of the best in the national Theater Masters 10-minute playwriting competition.
*Pohjois-Savon Ammattikorkeakoulu (Savonia Polytechinc) Music Pedagogy / major: classical singing 2000 – 2002
*Sibelius Academy: Department: Music Education / major: music education 2002 – 2011
*The Helsinki Theatre Academy: Dramaturgy degree program / major: dramaturgy and playwriting 2011 – 2014
*UCLA-University of California, Los Angeles in MFA Playwriting program at TFT (
School of Theater, Film and Television) 2014 – 2017
PMMP (2002–2013)

PMMP was a Finnish band fronted by singers Paula Vesala and
Mira Luoti and backed by musicians
Mikko Virta,
Juho Vehmanen and
Heikki Kytölä. PMMP has been called one of the biggest and most important bands of the 2000s, as the band had a huge impact on the music scene in Finland. PMMP's albums were produced by
Jori Sjöroos, who also wrote the music for all songs. The lyrics are written by Paula and Mira, mostly Paula. The name of the band is often said to be an abbreviation of the phrase "Paulan ja Miran Molemmat Puolet" (both sides of Paula and Mira). In an interview on Finnish talk show
Krisse Show, they stated that the name of the band is derived from the names of its members: Paula, Mira, Mira, Paula, similarly to
ABBA
ABBA ( ) were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the List ...
.
PMMP first became well known in Finland for the 2003 summer hit ''Rusketusraidat'' (''Tan Lines''). They then enjoyed great success with their second album ''Kovemmat kädet'' (''Rougher Hands''), which went gold (double platinum in 2010). An extended version of the album was released in August 2005. ''Oo siellä jossain mun'', a single from the aforementioned album, is PMMP's biggest hit so far in Finland.
In November 2006, PMMP released their third album ''Leskiäidin tyttäret'' (''Daughters of a widowed mother''), which went platinum on the day it was released.
They released an album labeled ''Puuhevonen'' (''Wooden Horse'') featuring contemporary takes on traditional children's songs in 2007, around the time their first children were born. In 2009, they released their fourth rock/pop album ''Veden varaan'' (''Overboard'', or ''Afloat'') and their fifth album ''Rakkaudesta'' (''Out of love'', or ''About love'') was released in 2012.
The band was an acclaimed live act. PMMP played their final concert on October 27, 2013, at the
Helsinki Ice Hall which, along with an additional show on the night before, sold out within the first minutes after ticket sales opened.
In 2013, PMMP was awarded by the Ministry of Education and Culture in Helsinki with the Finland Prize. The Prize gives recognition to important figures in the Finnish cultural landscape across widely varying fields. The pop-duo were "commended for offering new role models for young women."
Awards
PMMP has won a total of nine Finnish Grammys. The categories are:
*2003 – Pop-rock newcomer
*2005 – Album of the year ''Kovemmat kädet'' (''Rougher Hands''), Pop album ''Kovemmat kädet'' and Best band
*2006 – Album of the year ''Leskiäidin tyttäret'' (''Daughters of a widowed mother'') and Pop album ''Leskiäidin tyttäret''
*2009 – Album of the year ''Veden varaan'' (''Overboard'', or ''Afloat''), Rock album ''Veden varaan'' and Best band
Solo career (2015–present)
In October 2015, Paula Vesala announced that in the future she would make music under the stage name ''Vesala''. Her first single "Tequila", written and composed by her, was released on October 23, 2015, and her first solo album on June 17, 2016. The album sold platinum in just over a month.
As a lyricist and composer
Paula Vesala has composed and written songs for other artists such as
Johanna Kurkela,
Jenni Vartiainen
Jenni Mari Vartiainen (born 20 March 1983) is a Finnish pop singer. Before her professional musical endeavours, she was a figure skating, figure skater in her teenage years and attended the Kuopio Senior High of Music and Dance. Vartiainen rose t ...
,
Vesa-Matti Loiri,
Martti Saarinen,
Katri Ylander,
Tiktak,
Petra Gargano,
Antti Tuisku
Antti Tuisku (born 27 February 1984) is a retired Finnish pop singer. He finished third in the 2003 '' Idols'' talent show, the Finnish version of '' Pop Idol''. Tuisku has sold over 300,000 records during his career in Finland.
In 2016, Tuisku ...
,
Anna Abreu,
Uusi Fantasia,
Freeman
Freeman, free men, Freeman's or Freemans may refer to:
Places United States
* Freeman, Georgia, an unincorporated community
* Freeman, Illinois, an unincorporated community
* Freeman, Indiana, an unincorporated community
* Freeman, South Dako ...
,
Katri Helena
Katri Helena Kalaoja (; born 17 August 1945) is a Finnish singer.
Career
Katri Helena released her first songs in 1963 and has since sold over 630,000 certified records, which makes her the second-best-selling female soloist in Finland ...
,
Jippu,
Samuli Edelmann,
Stig,
Jesse Kaikuranta and
Aṣa
Bukola Elemide (born 17 September 1982),["There's 'Fi ...](_blank)
. She has composed music for Finnish theater, including for the play ''Neljäs Tie'' directed by shown at the
Finnish National Theatre in 2013.
In 2016, she received the
Juha Vainio Award, an annual award given to a significant Finnish lyricist. Vesala was the 26th person and the 5th woman to receive the award.
As an actress
Vesala acted in a silent film called ''Myrsk'' (Tempest) by director Elina Oikari at TaiK in 2013, playing the role of Prince Ferdinand. She has provided the Finnish voice for several movies including ''
Tinker Bell
Tinker Bell is a fictional character from J. M. Barrie's 1904 play '' Peter Pan'' and its 1911 novelisation '' Peter and Wendy''. She has appeared in a variety of film and television adaptations of the Peter Pan stories, in particular the 1953 ...
'', ''
Happily N'Ever After'', ''
Arthur and the Minimoys'', ''
High School Musical 1'',
2 and
3. She translated
Benny Andersson
Göran Bror Benny Andersson (; born 16 December 1946) is a Swedish musician, composer and producer best known as a member of the pop group ABBA and co-composer of the musicals ''Chess (musical), Chess'', ''Kristina från Duvemåla'', and ''Mamm ...
's, 's and
Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Kristian Ulvaeus (; born 25 April 1945) is a Swedish musician, singer, songwriter, and producer best known as a member of the musical group ABBA. He is also the co-composer of the musicals ''Chess (musical), Chess'', ''Kristina från Duve ...
' musical ''
Kristina från Duvemåla'', and the
ABBA
ABBA ( ) were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the List ...
songs in the musical ''
Mamma Mia!'' from Swedish to Finnish for
Svenska Teatern.
Other projects
Kerkko Koskinen Kollektiivi
Kerkko Koskinen Kollektiivi (''Kollektiivi'' for short) is a Finnish band formed by
Kerkko Koskinen (
Ultra Bra) with
Vuokko Hovatta (
Ultra Bra), Paula Vesala (
PMMP
PMMP is a Finland, Finnish pop rock band fronted by singers Paula Vesala and Mira Luoti and backed by musicians Mikko Virta, Juho Vehmanen and Heikki Kytölä. The name of the band is often said to be an abbreviation of the sentence "Paulan ja M ...
) and
Manna
Manna (, ; ), sometimes or archaically spelled Mahna or Mana, is described in the Bible and the Quran as an edible substance that God in Abrahamic religions, God bestowed upon the Israelites while they were wandering the desert during the 40-year ...
. In January 2014, Paula Vesala informed that she had left the group. She was replaced by
Maija Vilkkumaa.
Kollektiivi has released two albums, ''Kerkko Koskinen Kollektiivi'' (which won the Finnish gold record music prize) in 2012 and ''2'' in 2014.
Vain elämää
In 2014, Paula Vesala took part in the 3rd season of
Vain elämää with
Samuli Edelmann,
Elastinen,
Paula Koivuniemi,
Vesa-Matti Loiri,
Jenni Vartiainen
Jenni Mari Vartiainen (born 20 March 1983) is a Finnish pop singer. Before her professional musical endeavours, she was a figure skating, figure skater in her teenage years and attended the Kuopio Senior High of Music and Dance. Vartiainen rose t ...
, and
Toni Wirtanen. The season aired from September 19, 2014, to November 7, 2014. At the end of the 3rd season, the compilation album ''Vain Elämää – Kausi 3 (ilta)'' was released under the label WEA / Warner. The album topped the Finnish Albums Chart. The compilation album ''Vain Elämää – Kausi 3 (päivä)'' that reached number two in Finnish Albums Chart was released.
Personal life
Paula Vesala is from the Finnish town of Kärsämäki. On November 8, 2014, Paula Vesala married her longtime partner
Lauri Ylönen
Lauri Johannes Ylönen (born 23 April 1979) is a Finnish singer-songwriter, best known as the co-founder and frontman of the Finnish alternative rock band The Rasmus.
Biography The Rasmus
When he and Heinonen started at Suutarila high schoo ...
, the lead singer of
The Rasmus
The Rasmus is a Finnish Pop music, rock band that formed in 1994 in Helsinki while the band members were in upper comprehensive school.Main source of the band's history: The original band members were Lauri Ylönen (founder, frontman, lead sing ...
in Las Vegas; the couple filed a marriage statement on December 29, 2014, and the marriage was registered in Helsinki on January 5, 2015. They have a son Julius, who was born in April 2008. The family moved to Los Angeles in Autumn 2014.
On September 26, 2016, the couple announced their divorce after a 12-year relationship through an official statement.
Discography
Albums
Singles
Filmography
Films
TV Series
Animation films
Bibliography
*
References
External links
*
PMMP's official websitePaula's biography
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vesala, Paula
1981 births
Living people
People from Kärsämäki
21st-century Finnish women singers
21st-century Finnish songwriters
Finnish women songwriters
Finnish women pop singers
Finnish women rock singers
Finnish expatriates in the United States