Monica Aspelund
| Monica Aspelund | |
|---|---|
| Born |
16 July 1946 Vaasa, Finland |
| Years active | 1960–present |
| Associated acts | Family Four, Aarno Raninen |
Monica Aspelund (born 16 July 1946 in Vaasa) is a Finnish singer. She is the older sister of Ami Aspelund.
Born into a family of Swedish speaking Finns, Aspelund danced and sang in talent shows from an early age making her recording debut at age fourteen with "Katso, kenguru loikkaa" a children's song recorded in the autumn of 1960. Aspelund's subsequent singles included Finnish language covers of international hits such as "Tahdon kaikki kirjeet takaisin" ("I'm Gonna Knock on Your Door" - Eddie Hodges/ 1961), Lady Sunshine ja Mister Moon" ("Lady Sunshine und Mister Moon" - Conny Froboess/ 1962) and "En Ilman Häntä Olla" ("I Couldn't Live Without Your Love" - Petula Clark/ 1966). As a young woman Aspelund worked as a commercial artist not embarking on a full-time singing career until 1973 when her recordings included a Finnish cover of the Ireen Sheer hit "Goodbye Mama". Also in 1973 Aspelund spent time in Sweden as a member of the group Family Four. In 1974 Aspelund had her first album release: Valkoiset laivat – Sininen meri a specialty recording commissioned by the Silja Line comprising performances of nautical themed songs by Aspelund and .
Aspelund had been collaborating with from 1970 and in 1975 Aspelund had her first mainstream album release with Monica & Aaron Raninen Orkesteri which included "Fasten Seatbelts", Aspelund's first entrant in the Finnish national preliminary of the Eurovision Song Contest. After again competing in the Finnish national preliminary for Eurovision in 1976 with "Joiku", Aspelund won the Finnish national preliminary for Eurovision in 1977 with "Lapponia" which at the Eurovision 1977 final held on 7 May 1977 placed tenth in a field of eighteen. The song's moderate Eurovision placing did not preclude its release in twenty European countries and also in Australia, Brazil, Israel and Turkey via the recordings Aspelund made of "Lapponia" in Dutch, English, French, German and Swedish as well as Finnish. "Lapponia" afforded Aspelund a #5 hit in Finland and also reached #20 in Sweden. Aspelund again competed in the Finnish national preliminary for Eurovision in 1978 with "Kultaa hopeaa" also competing with the same number in the Intervision Song Contest and also the taking first place in the last-named.
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