Islaja

Merja Kokkonen, born on May 9, 1979, in Helsinki, Finland, is a Finnish singer‑songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who performs under the stage name Islaja. In 2004, she released her album Meritie through Fonal, followed by Palaa Aurinkoon (2005) and Ulual Yyy (2007). The 2008 release Blaze Mountain Recordings on Ecstatic Peace expanded her international profile, and 2010’s Keraaminen Pää. She has collaborated with bands such as Avarus, Kemialliset Ystävät, and Hertta Lussu Ässä, and her music is psychedelic and intimate, using a large variety of instruments.