Riku Rajamaa - LIVE 2027

In the organizer's words:

If anyone can talk from the well-guarded backstage areas of the European music circus, it's Riku Rajamaa. The exceptional Finnish musician has long been in the top league of the scene in his home country and was a permanent member of Sunrise Avenue from 2007 until the final tour. In his years with Samu Haber's band, Riku Rajamaa has played countless sold-out headlining shows, won numerous ECHOs and other awards and contributed to numerous gold and platinum releases. A journey after which some may already have retired. But for Riku Rajamaa, hits were never the goal: "I love what I do and I will always do it - no matter who is listening. I'm grateful for what I've been able to experience, but for me it's always about music."

We know from headlines and documentaries that the coveted celebrity pool can get chilly at times. Riku Rajamaa has experienced the highs and lows from his position on the biggest stages and has always found refuge in his music. For example, when he was moved from Helsinki to rural Karjaa with his mother, stepfather and siblings as a child and had to struggle with a real culture shock for a long time - or when his mother had to move back to the capital after eight years and Riku decided to stay in the small town alone at the age of 16 and had to grow up early. At these points, music is there for him. "I also write songs to escape from everyday life - that's still the case today. To forget everything for a moment and be in my own world. It's magical for me and I want to share it with other people: The chance to experience the beauty of another world for a while. That's what it's all about for me."

Even the fifteen years with one of Finland's most successful music exports, who not only scored a mega hit in Germany with "Hollywood Hills", were not always bedded on roses. "The success was great, but it also meant that I had less and less time and energy for my own projects. At some point, I really missed my creative expression." The band's break-up came as no surprise to Riku Rajamaa, but it still took a lot of energy to come to terms with the long musical relationship.

After the band's farewell tour in 2022, it was unusual to be on the road alone again, but at the same time it was an important liberation: since then, he has been able to devote himself to his songwriting again and start the next successful chapter of his career with a new team that runs according to his rules and values.

Consequently, Riku Rajamaa embarks on his first solo acoustic tour in 2023 and rediscovers himself: "I like being a team player and not having to be the center of attention, but being on stage now with very personal material and no bullshit is a fantastic feeling. The environment is harmonious and it's about really making music together again. We improvise live, there's more happening on stage and it's just more exciting - less of a show, more of a concert that's in the moment with the audience. The energy is completely different."

Riku Rajamaa is the best example of the fact that a band is not just made up of its frontman and that sometimes stiller waters do indeed run deeper. His songs combine the best of two worlds: A virtuoso thoroughbred musician with plenty of stage experience and an unaffected guitar nerd who has managed to keep both feet on the ground despite all the praise. "For me, it's all about feeling and rhythm - about what comes together. If a beat makes us move - great; if lyrics trigger deep feelings - wonderful; but if both come together, you have a damn good song."

Just as the most moving concerts are not necessarily those in sold-out stadiums, the musicians in the front row are not always the most interesting. Riku Rajamaa brings us quality songs with good energy and a subtle melancholy that only musicians with real empathy can pull off. "I'm reflective from time to time, but in the end I'm definitely an optimist. True success for me is my family, friends and health - I don't have to be a superstar, but I'm very happy to be back on the road with my new material and to see so many people I've missed both on and off stage."