A suomirock star similar to fellow Finns Tiktak, PMMP, and Maija Vilkkumaa, Irina Lahtinen (better known as Irina) enjoyed several Top Five hits in her homeland in the early 2000s. Irina broke into the Finnish music scene in the summer of 2002, when her friend Toni Wirtanen (lead singer of the Finnish band Apulanta) invited her to sing the theme song for a TV miniseries he was working on, Juulian Totuudet (Julian's Truths). The show's eponymous theme song was a big hit in Finland, and Irina soon found herself working on a record under the auspices of EMI Finland. Her debut album, Vahva, came out in the spring of 2004; it peaked at number six on the Finnish charts and earned Irina an Emma for Album of the Year and Best New Artist. Her second album, Ala Riko Kavaa, came out one year later and peaked at number five; it was outdone by 2007's Liiba Laaba, which climbed to number one. ~ TiVo Staff
