Katri Helena

{{Infobox musical artist

|name = Katri Helena

|image = Katri-Helena-1993.jpg

|caption = Katri Helena in 1993

|background = solo_singer

|birth_name = Katri Helena Koistinen

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1945|8|17|df=y}}

|birth_place = Tohmajärvi, Finland

|death_date =

|death_place =

|origin =

|instrument = Vocals

|genre =

|occupation = Singer

|years_active = 1963–present

|label =

|associated_acts =

|website =

}}

Katri Helena Kalaoja ({{née|Koistinen}}; 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 behind Madonna and places her also among the top 20 best-selling music artists in the Finnish market.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ifpi.fi/tilastot/artistit/katri+helena|title=Katri Helena|publisher=Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland|language=fi|access-date=July 9, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224124039/http://www.ifpi.fi/tilastot/artistit/katri+helena|archive-date=February 24, 2012|url-status=dead}} She has represented Finland twice in the Eurovision Song Contest: in 1979 with her song "{{lang|fi|Katson sineen taivaan|i=no}}" and in 1993 with "{{lang|fi|Tule luo|i=no}}".{{cite web|title=Suomen edustajat kautta aikain|url=http://yle.fi/vintti/yle.fi/euroviisut/historia/2008-11-01/suomen-edustajat-kautta-aikain.html|publisher=Yle|access-date=28 December 2014|archive-date=2016-02-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160226014334/http://yle.fi/vintti/yle.fi/euroviisut/historia/2008-11-01/suomen-edustajat-kautta-aikain.html|url-status=dead}} She also took part in the Sopot International Song Festival in Poland in 1969, singing "{{lang|fi|Valssi|i=no}}".{{cite web|title=Interviisut|url=http://www.punatahdet.com/interviisut/|publisher=Punatähdet|access-date=28 December 2014}}

Personal life

Katri Helena has been married three times. She had two daughters and a son with her husband Timo Kalaoja, who died of a heart attack in 1988. His death affected her so much that she withdrew from public view and stopped performing and recording for four years. Her only son, Juha Kalaoja, died at age 33 of a stroke on 29 April 2009.{{cite web|title=Katri Helenan suuri suru: Rakkaat kuolivat|url=http://www.iltalehti.fi/uutiset/200905089549586_uu.shtml|publisher=Iltalehti|access-date=28 December 2014|archive-date=6 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006105850/http://www.iltalehti.fi/uutiset/200905089549586_uu.shtml|url-status=dead}}