Lenna Kuurmaa | |
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Kuurmaa in 2012
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Background information | |
Also known as | Lenna |
Born |
Tallinn, Estonia |
26 September 1985
Genres | Pop,rock |
Occupation(s) | Singing-songwriting, acting |
Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
Labels | Mortimer Snerd & Frontiers Records |
Associated acts | Vanilla Ninja |
Lenna Kuurmaa (born 26 September 1985 in Tallinn, Estonia) is an Estonian singer-songwriter and actress. She is a member of the girl group Vanilla Ninja, but after the band's hiatus since 2009, continued to work as a solo-artist. She also formed a band with the name "Lenna" who released the debut album Lenna in June 2010.
From 1990 to 2002, Lenna Kuurmaa was a member of the ETV Lasteekraani Muusikastuudio and performed together with the choir in many festivals internationally (in Italy, the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Israel, the United Kingdom, Spain, USA and Russia). She studied violin in Tallinn Music School from 2000 to 2006 under teacher Urvo Uibokand. She received vocal training from Ester Lepa and Ludmilla Issakova 1997–2002. In 2002 she took part of televised singing contest Fizz Superstar, where she made it to the quarter-finals. In the same year Kuurmaa, together with 3 other girls, formed the rock band Vanilla Ninja. After Vanilla Ninja's hiatus in 2009, Lenna Kuurmaa started working as a solo-musician with the artist-name Lenna. In June 2010, she released her debut album Lenna under Mortimer Snerd. All of the songs were written together with and produced by Vaiko Eplik, who is also the owner of the record label. Her band also performed at the 2010 Shanghai EXPO.
Lenna Kuurmaa has taken part in the Eurovision Song Contest and its national preselection contests with varying success.
Kuurmaa played the second lead role of Maya in the year 2007 Estonian film Kuhu põgenevad hinged (English: Where Souls Go) and Angela in the Estonian soap opera Kodu keset linna, also in 2007. Since 2008, Kuurmaa has taken part in NO99 theatre's play Pericles as a guest-actress. In 2010, she was given a role of an Estonian Security Police investigator in the crime-drama series Kelgukoerad. She has stated that she has no interest in pursuing professional acting education.