Edea is a Finnish musical group. It is an ensemble of musicians whose music brings to life centuries of European cultural tradition. The Edea's song lyrics are written in an older form of the Finnish language. The mysterious runic symbols inscribed on the bows of Viking boats, door posts, drinking vessels, and amulets as well as the Finnish composer Sibelius are the source of Edea’s haunting, harmonic music and evoke an echo of times past. Edea competed in the Eurovision Song Contest 1998 with their song, Aava.

Alexi Ahoniemi plays keyboard and saxophone. He has written lyrics, composed, and arranged for numerous groups. He is a popular studio musician and teacher.

The ensemble also includes Tommy Mansikka-Aho, who plays ethnic wind instruments, and percussionists Samuli Kosminen and Ethiopian-born Abdissa Assefa, who provide underlying harmonies.

Members

Marika Krook

Marika Krook (born October 27 1972 in Stockholm, Sweden) is Edea’s figurehead and soprano performer; she is a well-known Finnish actress, singer, and dancer. She started her classical music studies at age 15 and made her debut at the Vaasa Opera in 1988. In 1992, she won the International Opera Song Contest in Tallinn and sang the principal role of Maria in The Sound Of Music in summer theatre. She is currently studying opera singing at the Sibelius Academy.

Krook won 1992 the international opera singing contest in Tallinn. She has starred in many musicals at Helsinki Svenska Teatern and also in a Claes Olsson movie Amazing Women by the Sea, based on a book by Monika Fagerholm.

Tommy Mansikka-Aho

Tommy Mansikka-Aho (didgeridoo, jaw harp, guitar, jaffa bottle) is a Finnish musician, active in folk music and popular music. He is a former member of the folk music group Gjallarhorn.

Samuli Kosminen

Samuli Kosminen is a Finnish percussionist. As a member of the group Edea, he represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1998. As a member of Kimmo Pohjonen Kluster he has sampled the accordion played by Kimmo Pohjonen. He is also a sometime-member of Icelandic band múm. He is married to Ona Kamu with one daughter, Nuua Kosminen. He studied at the Oulunkylä Pop-Jazz Conservatory. "Kosminen" is a Finnish adjective meaning "cosmic", derived from his real surname, Koskinen.

Other members

• Alexi Ahoniemi - keyboards, flute, soprano sax, vocals
• Abdissa Asifa - percussion

Releases

• Edea (1998)
• Aava (1998) single

References

External links

• Marika Krook at the Internet Movie Database