Arunaja Announces Finland Tour This July

Mumbai-based singer-songwriter Arunaja is heading to Finland in July, performing five shows including two festivals as part of her second tour in the country.

The pandemic led to a lot of concerts moving online, being pre-recorded or livestreamed to audiences around the world. Arunaja ended up performing her songs “Broken” and “I’ll Never Be The One” along with the gospel song “Amazing Grace” and caught the attention of Finnish composer and producer Ossi Jauhiainen.

Arunaja says, “He told me he would love to make music. And I was like, ‘Oh yeah, he’s one of those people.’ They reach out to me and most of the time, I don’t show a lot of interest, but he is a classical musician. His style of music is very much similar to what I like. He likes orchestral ballads.” Originally recommended to be a part of the online concert through guitarist Vigneshkumar Venkatraman (who was on tour through Europe with metallers Systemhouse 33 at the time and made contacts in Finland), Jauhiainen offered Arunaja the use of an orchestra and a choir if she ever wished to record anything that needed that kind of treatment. It led to the artists collaborating on songs like “Freedom” and “Game,” eventually leading to her debut solo tour in Finland in October 2023.

Now, Jauhiainen is the organizer behind her second Finland tour, which is sponsored by the non-profit organization Lions International. She’ll perform at Siilifolk Festival on Jul. 25, followed by a concert at Kuusankoski Church on Jul. 26, on to the We Are One Music Festival at the Kuhmoinen Church. On Jul. 30, Arunaja performs at Jyvaskyla, Taulumaki Church and ends with a set at Kuopio, Alava Church on Jul. 31. “All these concerts are happening in the church, where they allow secular music as well,” Arunaja adds.

In addition to Jauhiainen joining her on stage, other collaborators and performers alongside Arunaja on her Finland tour include Kristina Brask, Piia Rytkonen, Veli-Pekka Varpula, with her band including guitarists Tatu Kemppainen, Markus Venehsalo, drummer Antti-Pekka Rissanen and bassist Tony Lehto. The setlist includes “Game,” “Broken,” “Freedom” and “For Who I Am.”

She recalls that last time, she also sang “Vande Mataram” in an “orchestral format” and “I Will Always Love You,” the song by Dolly Parton that took on a new life thanks to a powerhouse rendition by Whitney Houston. Arunaja adds, “I’m also doing [film song] ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ because we have a choir and orchestra and I’m quite excited to experiment. I want to showcase some of our culture.”

Part of that includes wearing a sari on stage at her Finland shows. On that note, Arunaja says “the only hard part” about touring when most other costs are covered is packing her bags. She adds with a laugh, “It’s a spoiled thing to say. I’m glad I’m in a position to do this and grateful for all the people who have supported me so far. This is the kind of crowd I really enjoy singing for.”

Outside of the shows, Arunaja plans to record a song and shoot its music video. Beyond her own music, the artist also works in musicals and is a dancer and painter. She doesn’t necessarily see it as a balancing act between all her art. “I’m very in tune with myself, who I am as a human being […] I want to explore every form of art that is there for me to explore, whether it be music, whether it be dance, painting, cooking, whether it’s just anything. I’m open to anything. Also, it keeps me from putting a lot of pressure in music itself as a form of expression,” she adds.