Janita

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Janita
Background information
Birth name Janita Maria Raukko
Born (1978-12-28) 28 December 1978
Helsinki, Finland
Genres Smooth jazz, soul, R&B, sophisti-pop
Occupations Singer-songwriter
Instruments Vocals, piano, guitar
Years active 1992–present
Labels Reel Art, Dig It, 550 Music, Epic, Carport Music, Ofir Music, Lightyear, Jupiter, Texicalli, ECR Music Group
Website www.janita.com

Janita Maria Ervi (née Raukko;[1] born 28 December 1978),[2] better known by her stage name Janita, (pronounced "YA-nee-tuh"[3]) is a Finnish singer-songwriter. Born in Helsinki, she started her career in Finland and later moved to Brooklyn at the age of 17 together with her then boyfriend Tomi Ervi. Janita has released eight albums in her native Finland, some of which reached the top forty chart in Finland. Her seventh studio album, Haunted, was released in 2010 on ECR Music Group.[2][4]

Early life and career

Janita Maria Ervi[1] was born December 28, 1978 in Helsinki, Finland.[2] She learned to sing before she could talk, and began playing electric piano at age three. She started writing her own songs on piano at age four, and often performed and danced with the encouragement of family and her mother.[3] While she was never formally trained in singing, she seriously studied both classical piano and ballet.[3] She was exposed to diverse music at a young age, often singing along[5] to soul music, hip hop, and R&B.[3]

At age 13[6] she met her long-term songwriting partner and musical collaborator Tomi Ervi.[7] She began recording and performing pop vocals with Ervi.[5] Janita signed to the label Reel Art at age 13,[8] who released her first single, "Jos Jäät", in 1992. Her full debut album, Oma Planeetta, followed in 1993.[4] A second album, Sävyjä, was released in 1994 on Reel Art.

As a teenager she soon broke into the mainstream in Finland, and became a fixture on radio, television, and on the touring and commercial circuits.[3] According to The Daily Telegraph, as a teenager she was "Finland's biggest popstar". She also won two Finnish Emma Awards.[8] Her third album, Believer, was released on Dig It Records in 1997, peaking at number fourteen on the Finnish Albums Chart.[9] Dig It also released her single "Ready or Not" around that time.

Adult career

Janita (1998)

Janita moved to Brooklyn, New York City at age 17. She was quickly signed to Sony Music Entertainment's 550 Music at age 18. Janita, which included new music and the track "Getting Over" from Believer,[6] was released in Australia and Japan in 1998, and also released in Finland.[4] The album was never officially released in the United States by Sony as a result of label infighting.[5]

Tunteita (2001)

Janita chose to leave Sony and independently released her fifth album Tunteita in 2001,[5] which again featured both her songwriting and vocals.[6] The album reached number thirty-seven on the Finnish chart.[9] According to SoulTracks, it was released to generally positives reviews for its "brand of smooth, jazz-infused vocal music", and also showed her growing talent as a songwriter."[5] Compared by some to India.Arie or Jill Scott, her music was more reminiscent to that of smooth jazz artists such as Basia or Everything but the Girl.[5] On 10 April 2001, the album was released in English in the United States as I'll Be Fine, serving as Janita's American debut album.[10]

Seasons of Life (2005)

Janita's sixth studio album Seasons of Life was released in Finland in 2005 by Ofir Music and Reel Art, reaching number thirty-one on the Finnish Albums Chart.[9] The album was released in the United States (her second release there) on 16 May 2006 by Lightyear Entertainment and in Japan on 21 September 2006 by Victor Entertainment,[11][12] including a cover of Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence" as a bonus track, which peaked at number thirty-six on Billboard's Jazz Songs on 12 August 2006.[13] A 12" vinyl containing three remixed tracks from the album was released in 2006 on Lightyear.[4] SoulTracks called it a "well written, well performed album that should get the attention of Smooth Jazz radio. Janita's wispy, pretty voice works well with the restrained, jazzy arrangements, creating a tasty, very listenable collection. Most notable are the album's compositions (generally written by Janita and Sachary), which are the best of her career."[5]

Haunted (2010)

On 27 July 2010, Janita released her seventh studio album Haunted worldwide on Blake Morgan's independent label Engine Company Records (now ECR Music Group).[14] According to Janita, interacting with Meshell Ndegeocello partially convinced her to try a new alternative direction with the album.[15] "She exposed me to music I hadn't explored before. I loved it. Totally devoured it. I moved into Keane, Tom Waits, Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, Hole, and PJ Harvey. A natural progression."[3]

For the album she worked with co-producer Jamie Siegel, whose credits include the Smashing Pumpkins and Joss Stone.[15] The album was first mastered and edited at Masterdisk in New York for the Finnish release, then later remastered and resequenced by Morgan.[15] SonicScoop wrote, "If the sonic purity and emotional intensity of Haunted sounds like it's coming from somewhere very real, it's because it is. Hearts broke in the making, as Janita split with her longtime collaborator/life partner Tomi Sachary even as he served as co-producer on the album. Along the way, Janita [...] crafted a collection of songs that leaves her adult contemporary reputation—foisted on her by years of chart-chasing advice—in the dust."[15]

She continues to perform music from her albums live, and her performances have been described by critics as "alternately sultry and savage".[8]

Personal life

Janita married her long-term boyfriend and her producer Tomi Ervi in July 2004 but filed for divorce in Helsinki District Court 4 years later in 2008.[16] Tomi Ervi is 14 years older than Janita and they met when Janita was only 13 years old and Mr. Ervi 27. They moved to Brooklyn, New York when Janita was 17. Janita still resides in Brooklyn and keeps working with Tomi Ervi.[3] The Daily Telegraph noted that as of 2011, "her personal style is verging on androgynous; she cut off her long blonde hair and wears men’s suits on stage—a reaction to the over sexualised image promoted by her earlier managers, perhaps."[8]

Discography

Albums

Studio
  • Oma Planeetta (1992)
  • Sävyjä (1994)
  • Believer (1997)
  • Janita (1998)
  • Tunteita (2001) [released in English as I'll Be Fine in the US]
  • Seasons of Life (2005)
  • Haunted (2010)
Compilations
  • Kokoelma (2003)

Singles

  • "Jos Jäät" (1992)
  • "Ready or Not" (1997)
  • "Getting Over" (1998)
  • "Brand New Diva" (1998)
  • "I'll Be Fine" (2001)[17]
  • "Angel Eyes" (2001)
  • "Firefly" (2002)
  • "Enjoy the Silence" (2006)[18]
  • "I Miss You" (2006)
  • "Do We Learn" (2010)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "ASCAP – Raukko, Janita Maria". ASCAP. Retrieved 28 February 2009. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Wallenius, Sanna (6 March 2007). "Laulaja Janita: "Nyt ymmärrän elämän haurauden"". Apu (in Finnish). Retrieved 28 November 2011. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 "Janita". Such Cool Stuff!. Retrieved 28 November 2011. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Janita Discography". Discogs. Retrieved 28 November 2011. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Rizik, Chris. "Janita Biography". SoulTracks. Retrieved 28 November 2011. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Ankeny, Jason. "Janita – Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 28 November 2011. 
  7. ↑ http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=1319&artikel=4473930
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Whitworth, Melissa (21 January 2010). "Janita, LIVE". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 28 November 2011. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Discography Janita". IFPI Finland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 April 2012. 
  10. ↑ "I'll Be Fine: Janita". Amazon.com. Retrieved 1 April 2012. 
  11. ↑ "Seasons Of Life: Janita". Amazon.com. Retrieved 1 April 2012. 
  12. ↑ "シーズンズ・オブ・ライフ: ジャニータ" [Seasons of Life: Janita] (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 1 April 2012. 
  13. ↑ "Janita Album & Song Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 28 November 2011. 
  14. ↑ "Janita – home". Engine Company Records. Retrieved 28 November 2011. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Weis, David (12 September 2010). "Janita: Emerging Anew and Cleaning House with "Haunted"". SonicScoop. Retrieved 28 November 2011. 
  16. ↑ http://www.iltalehti.fi/viihde/200809278337215_vi.shtml
  17. ↑ "I'll Be Fine". Billboard. Retrieved 28 November 2011. 
  18. ↑ "Enjoy The Silence". Smooth Jazz Therapy. 2006. Retrieved 28 November 2011. 

External links

Interviews

Authority control
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