The Legend of Soul Irma

Our story begins on a brisk winter day, when Soul Irma (birthname Irma Soul) is born in Helsinki to a Finnish mother and Dutch father. Irma is an only child, a peaceful and happy individual whose passion for music is evident from the very beginning. As a 5-year-old, Irma is given a piano by her beloved grandmother. The new instrument fills Irma's days as she sings and plays songs that she hears on the radio and in kindergarten. When Irma is 7 years old, she starts taking piano lessons. Soon after this, Irma begins to write her own songs.

Music lessons prove fun and educational on one hand, and quite traumatic on the other, as Irma's teacher instructs her to blow her nose at every lesson - why, Irma's nose isn't even running! As a teenager Irma takes on singing, because her piano teacher sees great potential in Irma as a singer. Private singing lessons, though, are only a passing phase as Irma enters the new and exciting world of boys. Boyfriends, however, are not something that her vocal teacher approves of, so Irma, never one to compromise, stops taking lessons. Despite this, her zeal for singing is great, and she soon decides to begin professional vocal and performance studies. A prestigious music school is more than happy to enroll her as a student.

Irma is active in many music projects. While performing at punk gigs as singer and electric violinist satisfies her inner anarchist, those bar audiences would hardly recognize the smartly attired Irma, who plays violin at office parties as part of a duo. Irma sings with bands at dance halls, night clubs, weddings and other occasions as well as in the Savonlinna Opera Festival choir.

Friends, family and lovers remain a distant second when it comes to music. On stage, Irma shines like nowhere else. On the stage she is a star. Audiences love Irma. Her calendar fills up and her exquisite voice is admired wherever she goes. Besides working actively as a studio singer and vocal teacher, she performs fearlessly around the world in front of thousands of people alongside countless well-known artists.

One night, flying home from an Asian tour, she suddenly has an anxiety attack - who is Irma really? She is unconsolable. She feels like an empty shell, like a gramophone needle caught in the groove of a broken record. Amid all the fuss and excitement she has lost herself. Once an outgoing, lively person, Irma decides to take time out from the public eye and not return before she knows who she is and what she wants to become. Days go by, weeks, months even. As the snow falls, the flowers in Irma's backyard slowly wither in the cold. She understands them well. The winter is long and dark, and Irma spends it in silence.

But all seasons pass, and new ones begin. Then one morning it happens - a spring morning Irma will never forget. An all-encompassing light takes over Irma and her heart starts beating to some exciting rhythm, her senses overcome by new sounds. Unable to contain her emotions, she runs out of the house half-naked yelling at the top of her voice with that groovy sound of hers. She knows. Irma has found Soul. Her soul.