Sandhja
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Sandhja
| image = Sandhja Kuivalainen, 2016 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Sandhja in 2016
| background = solo_singer
| birth_name = Sandhja Kuivalainen
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1991|3|16|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Helsinki, Finland
| genre = {{Hlist|Soul|dance-pop|funk}}
| occupation = {{Hlist|Singer}}
| instrument = {{Hlist|Vocals}}
| years_active = 2013–present
| label =
| associated_acts =
| website = {{Official website|sandhja.fi}}
}}
Sandhja Kuivalainen (born 16 March 1991), known professionally as simply Sandhja, is a Finnish singer. She represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with the song "Sing It Away".{{cite web|url=http://www.sonymusic.fi/2013/11/11/uusi-kotimainen-laulajatar-sandhja-yhdistelee-musiikissaan-urbaaneja-ja-etnisia-savyja/|title=Uusi kotimainen laulajatar Sandhja yhdistelee musiikissaan urbaaneja ja etnisiä sävyjä|work=Sony Music Finland|access-date=27 February 2016}} Sandhja was born to an Indo-Guyanese mother and a Finnish father.[http://www.menaiset.fi/artikkeli/ajankohtaista/ihmiset/umkn_mustaksi_hevoseksi_veikattu_sandhja_lapsuudenkotini_oli UMK:n mustaksi hevoseksi veikattu Sandhja: ”Lapsuudenkotini oli epämääräinen yhdistelmä kaikkea”] {{in lang|fi}} Me Naiset
Career
=2013–14: ''Gold''=
Sandhja released her debut single "Hold Me" on 15 November 2013 as the lead single from her debut studio album.[https://music.apple.com/fi/album/hold-me-single/738229584 Hold Me - Single by Sandhja on iTunes] On 7 March 2014 she released "Gold" as the second single from her debut studio album.[https://music.apple.com/fi/album/gold-single/828053989 Gold - Single by Sandhja on iTunes] She released her debut studio album Gold on 23 May 2014 through Sony Music Entertainment Finland.[https://music.apple.com/fi/album/gold/875906262 Gold by Sandhja on iTunes]
=2015–present: ''Eurovision Song Contest'' and ''Freedom Venture''=
{{Main|Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016|Eurovision Song Contest 2016}}
In May 2015 she featured on Brandon Bauer's single "The Flavor".[https://music.apple.com/fi/album/flavor-feat-sandhja-single/990380698 The Flavor (feat. Sandhja) - Single by Brandon Bauer on iTunes] On 30 October 2015 she released the single "My Bass".[https://music.apple.com/fi/album/my-bass-single/1050779614 My Bass - Single by Sandhja on iTunes] Sandhja was announced as one of the 18 competing artists in Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2016 on 12 January 2016.{{cite web|last1=Escudero|first1=Victor M.|title=UMK 2016 line-up revealed in Finland|url=http://www.eurovision.tv/page/news?id=umk_2016_line-up_revealed_in_finland|website=eurovision.tv|publisher=European Broadcasting Union|access-date=12 January 2016|date=12 January 2016}} She competed in the third semi-final and advanced to the final.{{cite web|last1=Escudero|first1=Victor M.|title=Finland: Final line-up complete|url=http://www.eurovision.tv/page/news?id=finland_final_line-up_complete|website=eurovision.tv|publisher=European Broadcasting Union|access-date=20 February 2016|date=20 February 2016}} In the final, she was declared the winner after winning the jury vote and placing third with the public. She represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016, performing first of all contestants in the first semi-final on 10 May 2016 at the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden,{{cite web|last1=Jordan|first1=Paul|title=Allocation Draw: The results!|url=http://www.eurovision.tv/page/news?id=allocation_draw_the_results|website=eurovision.tv|publisher=European Broadcasting Union|access-date=25 January 2016|date=25 January 2016}} but failed to qualify for the May 14 final. Her second studio album Freedom Venture, was released on 29 April 2016.{{cite web|url=http://eurovoix.com/2016/04/29/esc16-three-artists-released-albums-today/|title=ESC'16: Three Artists Have Released Albums Today|publisher=eurovoix.com|date=29 April 2016|last=Granger|first=Anthony}}
Discography
=Albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| scope="col" style="width:10em;"| Title
! scope="col" style="width:20em;"| Details |
|---|
| scope="row"| Gold
|
|
| scope="row"| Freedom Venture
|
|
=Singles=
==As lead artist==
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:14em;"| Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:1em;"| Year ! scope="col" colspan="2"| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album |
|---|
| scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| FIN DL Peak positions in Finland:
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| FIN Air |
| scope="row"| "Hold Me"
| 2013 | — || 12 | rowspan="2"| Gold |
| scope="row"| "Gold"
| 2014 | — || 71 |
| scope="row"| "My Bass"
| 2015 | — || — | rowspan="3"| Freedom Venture |
| scope="row"| "Sing It Away"
| rowspan="2"| 2016 | 8 || 47 |
| scope="row"| "Love Me High"
| — || — |
| scope="row"| "We Go On" (featuring Gracias & Ekow) | 2017 | — || — | {{n/a|Non-album single}} |
| style="text-align:center; font-size:85%;" colspan="22" | "—" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released. |
==As featured artist==
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| scope="col" style="width:14em;"| Title
! scope="col" style="width:1em;"| Year ! scope="col"| Album |
|---|
| scope="row"| "The Flavor" (Brandon Bauer featuring Sandhja) | 2015 | Versetile |
References
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
External links
- {{Official website|sandhja.fi}}
{{S-start}}
{{s-ach}}
{{Succession box|
| before = Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät
with "Aina mun pitää"
| title = Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest
| years = 2016
| after = Norma John
with "Blackbird"
}}
{{S-end}}
{{Sandhja}}
{{Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest|state=autocollapse}}
{{Eurovision Song Contest 2016|state=autocollapse}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:21st-century Finnish women singers
Category:Finnish women pop singers
Category:Singers from Helsinki
Category:Finnish people of Indo-Guyanese descent