Erja Lyytinen is Finland's Queen of the slide guitar.
Since first entering a recording studio fifteen years ago, singer/guitarist Erja Lyytinen has become a bona-fide star in her homeland and a fixture on the international music scene. In that time, “the Finnish slide goddess” (The Blues Magazine) has recorded in places as diverse as Helsinki, London and Memphis, earning numerous accolades along the way. Rooted in both traditional and modern blues, Lyytinen successfully blends jazz, pop, soul and rock into a sound all her own. Celebrated slide guitar master Sonny Landreth, upon discovering Lyytinen’s music recently, remarked: “I sure enjoyed her guitar skills. She’s obviously made a big name for herself. Things are going well for her and for good reason.”
Born into a musical family in the town of Kuopio, Lyytinen quickly emerged as an artist to watch in her native country. She recorded her international debut ‘Pilgrimage’ after signing with Germany’s prestigious Ruf Records label in 2005. The 2006 Blues Caravan tour gave audiences in Europe and the United States a first taste of her spirited live performances. The solo follow-up, Dreamland Blues, took her back to the USA to record with David and Kinney Kimbrough (sons of Mississippi blues legend Junior Kimbrough). After two years on the road, she returned with ‘Grip of the Blues’ in 2008, mixing hard-edged blues with modern R&B. Her 2010 release ‘Voracious Love’ was even more adventurous; The lavishly orchestrated “Bed of Roses” – featuring contributions from Marco Hietala (Nightwish) on vocals and Apocalyptica cellist Paavo Lötjönen – showed once and for all that Lyytinen is unafraid to push the stylistic envelope.
AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS
– Voted #1 International Solo Artist, Blues Matters Writer’s Poll 2015
– Voted Artist of the Year, Finnish Blues Awards 2015
