Ultra Bra

Ultra Bra
Origin Helsinki, Finland
Genres Pop, rock
Years active 1994–2001
Labels Johanna
Website www.musicfinland.com/ultrabra
Past members Kerkko Koskinen
Vuokko Hovatta
Terhi Kokkonen
Arto Talme
Olli Virtaperko
Antti Lehtinen
Joel Melasniemi
Marko Portin
Tommi Saarikivi
Jan Pethman
Kari Pelttari
Ilmari Pohjola
Anna Tulusto

Ultra Bra was a Finnish band, formed in 1994 by Olli Virtaperko and Kerkko Koskinen, and disbanded in 2001.

Band history

In 1994, Olli Virtaperko heard about a political song contest held by the Finnish Democratic Youth League (predecessor of the Left Youth, the Left Alliance's youth organisation) and decided to enter it with his friend Kerkko Koskinen. Koskinen composed several songs based on lyrics from his friends. A group of singers and musicians was assembled and the new band won the contest with their song "Ampukaa komissaarit, nuo hullut koirat" (Shoot the commissioners, those mad dogs).

In the summer of 1995, they released their first single, "Houkutusten kiihottava maku". Over the course of the recording sessions, they also came up with a name for the band: Ultra Bra (which means "Very Good" in Swedish). During 1995, many new people joined the band, while others left. However, the lineup started to become fixed towards the end of the year. By the end of the year Anni Sinnemäki, Koskinen's wife who was to become the most celebrated of all UB's lyricists, began writing lyrics, starting with "Sankaritar" and "Ken Saro-Wiwa on kuollut". (The latter song refers to Nigerian environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, and the circumstances surrounding his execution. The statement he made before his execution is specifically referenced.)

Their first real album, Vapaaherran elämää, came out in the autumn of 1996. All the while, they had been doing a lot of touring and their live reputation had become substantial. In 1997, the second album Kroketti came out. With the release of this album Ultra Bra really started to gain fame. Kroketti sold very well, remains their best selling album and contains some of their biggest hits, namely "Sinä lähdit pois" ("You Went Away") and "Minä suojelen sinua kaikelta" ("I Shall Protect You From Everything").

In 1998, they participated in the contest for a song to represent Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest. Ultra Bra didn't win, but their entry, "Tyttöjen välisestä ystävyydestä" ("About Friendship Between Girls"), became a hit song. The third album, Kalifornia, was released in the spring of 1999. In early 2000, Ultra Bra again participated in the Finnish Eurovision song selection process, with "Kaikki on hetken tässä" ("In This Moment, Everything's here") without reaching the final round. In the spring, they also released several new singles. The song "Heikko valo" ("The Weak Light") also featured in the Finnish movie Levottomat (The Restless).

Their fourth album, Vesireittejä, came out on the 13th of October, 2000. The week before it was released, numerous magazines and newspapers wrote articles about them, and they appeared on TV and on the radio. Vesireittejä went number one – and gold – on its first week in the Finnish charts.[1]

The end of Ultra Bra

In the summer before the release of Vesireittejä, Ultra Bra decided they would continue for only about a year and then quit and start doing something else. In October 2001, they released a compilation album, Sinä päivänä kun synnyin, that contained a few new songs and many rarities, along with a music video tape and music book. After this they did a small tour of seven gigs, quitting on the 20th of October, 2001, with maximum media coverage, surrounded by thousands of fans.

Comeback

Ultra Bra performed a comeback on 30 January 2012.[2] It took place at Kokoaan suurempi Suomi 2012, a fundraiser concert for Pekka Haavisto's presidential campaign. Tickets to the concert sold out in two hours on the 25th of January and the rush crashed the online ticket service Tiketti.[3]

According to singer Vuokko Hovatta the fundraiser was a one-off event and there are no plans for further Ultra Bra gigs.[4]

Band members

In many orchestral pieces Ultra Bra also had an additional string section and a chorus.

Current projects

Discography

Albums

Singles

Other releases

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Suomen virallinen lista – 42/00 - The Official Finnish Chart". YLE. Retrieved 2011-06-27.
  2. ↑ "Ultra Bra palaa lavalle Haaviston tukikonsertissa" [Ultra Bra returns to the stage in Haavisto fundraiser] (in Finnish). Helsingin Sanomat. January 24, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Yritätkö Ultra Bran keikalle? Tiketti.fi meni nurin" [Trying to get to Ultra Bra's gig? Tiketti.fi crashed] (in Finnish). Uusi Suomi. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Vuokko Hovatta Ultra Bran paluusta: Sovimme asiasta vasta eilen!" [Vuokko Hovatta on Ultra Bra's comeback: We arranged this yesterday!] (in Finnish). Metro Live. January 24, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Kerkko Koskinen Kollektiivi". Nordic Music Prize. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  6. ↑ "Anni Sinnemäki / Green Parliamentary Group". Parliament of Finland.
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