Ethno-pop artist Vilma Jää is a fierce force, bringing folk music into the mainstream by merging tradition with pop. In her debut album Kosto, released in autumn 2023, Vilma Jää tells centuries-old stories, blending traditional folk instruments with synthetic beats as Finno-Ugric traditions flirt with pop aesthetics. Her feminist music tackles contemporary issues through a historical lens, exposing how little has changed, particularly concerning women’s rights. 

Vilma Jää is a singer, composer, fiddler, and researcher who works across folk music, pop, and opera and holds a Master of Music degree. Jää’s role as a folk singer in Kaija Saariaho’s opera Innocence received international acclaim after its premiere in July 2021. In 2024, the Kosto album won the Ethno Album of the Year award at the Emma Gala and the Folk Music Album of the Year award at the Eläköön FOLK! Gala and was nominated for the Teosto Award. The singles Saatanan saalistaja and Humalahullu have been featured on the YleX playlist and Jäinen neiti on the Radio Suomi playlist. In 2022, a panel of music experts ranked Saatanan saalistaja among the top 100 global songs in a survey by Helsingin Sanomat. YleX listed Vilma Jää among their breakthrough artists of 2023.