Biography

Iiris Tarnanen's debut album The Day I Was Born was released in March 2021. The debut album was co-produced by experienced and renowned world music artists Timo Alakotila and Venla Blom (Tuuletar).

Iiris Tarnanen is a Helsinki-based composer and musician who sings, dances and plays the cello. The versatile artist has been called unique, insightful and entertaining. Her music has been influenced by the music traditions of different countries as well as the Western singer-songwriter tradition.

"I started composing music for a solo album in 2016 when I was experiencing a big burnout. I was trying to live in a way I imagined from the outside to be good. After burning out, however, I began to explore myself and what really matters to me. This album has taken almost 5 years to make, and it has been a tremendously educational journey. Thank you to everyone who has been on the journey!”, says Tarnanen about her debut album.

Tarnanen's energetic album includes a large group of well-known Finnish jazz and world music composers, such as Timo Alakotila and trumpet player Ilkka Arola. Tarnanen’s strengths can be seen both in songs like Demon Inside Me, which she performs purely as a solo number, and as a leader of varied ensembles, from intimate trio performances to even 7-piece ensembles. Bravely ignoring genre definitions, Tarnanen is one of the most interesting entrants in the field of domestic jazz and world music in 2021.

Tracklist

1. Sinä kaunis riemastuttava tyttö
2. The Flag
3. Villit veetfeat. Ilkka Arola (trumpet)
4. Armaani mun on vierahalla maallafeat. Timo Alakotila
5. Demon Inside Me
6. Devil's Dance
7. In The Lap of Love
8. Syklinen aika
9. My Decision
10. Tiptoe Secrets Reveal