Sandhja
Sandhja is a Finn with roots in India. She is a singer and songwriter of urban pop. In 2014 her debut album Gold was praised by critics and included the Top 20 radio hits Hold Me and Gold."These shoes are squeezing the essence of my root, so I choose to walk barefoot." - Sandhja
"These lines from the track These Shoes on my debut album summarize how I see myself and my music. I want my music to be a source of joy and fun as well as a reflection of the deepest sorrow. I hope that when people listen to it they can forget about their worries and surrender to their feelings. I believe that vulnerability is strength. When you lower your guard you can find yourself."
Sandhja has traveled to Guyana and Jamaica to find inspiration and influences for her second album, which comes out this spring. Two singles have already been released from the album. They are My Bass and Sing It Away, the latter being the song that she represents Finland with in the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm.
Things to know about Sandhja
What are the three most interesting aspects about your entry?
- We have a very strong "girl power" theme in our show. I have 5 back-up singers that sing, dance and party with me on stage. All of them are my very good friends in real life, which makes it easy to have fun with them on stage.
- Supporting Finnish craft and design is very important to me and our goal is to use mainly Finnish brands in our Eurovision stage styling.
- We have a very strong gospel-soul sound in our singing and we love jamming on stage!
What are the three most impressive facts about you?
- I am a self-taught singer and songwriter. I have never been to any music schools to learn about music theory or the basics of singing, but nevertheless, I have been making music on a professional level since I was 18 years old.
- Besides being a singer and songwriter, I am also a nurse.
- I have also competed on a national level in kickboxing and boxing and won some Finnish championship medals.
Do you have a (lucky) routine before you go on stage?
Before I go on stage I tend to do shadowboxing and push-ups. It releases tensions from the body and helps me to relax. We also have a routine with my back-up singers that just before going on stage we take a superman pose and think positive thoughts.
Why is the Eurovision Song Contest important for you?
Making it to the Eurovision Song Contest has brought me the recognition that I wanted. It also brings me a lot of valuable experience in performing to a large audience and to live cameras. Eurovision also brings me the opportunity to expand my musical career to Europe, which has always been my dream and ultimate goal.