List of Famous people born in Finland
Pekka Vasala
Pekka Antero Vasala is a retired Finnish middle-distance athlete who won an Olympic gold medal in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.
Elias Viljanen
Elias "E.Vil" Einari Johannes Viljanen is a Finnish musician from Tampere, Finland, known for being the guitarist for Sonata Arctica since 2007. Viljanen joined Sonata Arctica in spring 2007 in order to replace Jani Liimatainen, who left the band in August 2007 to fulfill his civil duties in Finland. The decision was only made official on 8 August 2007, but Elias Viljanen had been known to replace Liimatainen in concerts during the spring and summer tour. Viljanen cites KISS, Metallica, Slayer, and Whitesnake as his musical influences.
Tuomo Lassila
Tuomo Lassila is a Finnish musician best known as the former drummer, founder member and co-songwriter of the power metal band Stratovarius and currently the drummer and percussionist for the Finnish metal band Conquest.
Robert Ekman
Robert Wilhelm Ekman, a.k.a. R. W. Ekman, was a significant teacher and painter of the Finnish romantic portraits and early national romanticism.
Juha Kylmänen
Juha Kylmänen is a Finnish vocalist of gothic metal bands For My Pain... and Reflexion.
Hiili Hiilesmaa
Kai "Hiili" Hiilesmaa is the vocalist of the rock band The Skreppers, former drummer of doom metal band KYPCK, former keyboardist of rock band Daniel Lioneye, as well as a respected producer from Finland. He has worked with several internationally recognized rock groups, including his near 20-year association with Finnish band HIM.
Alexander Kuoppala
Alexander Kuoppala is a Finnish musician. He was the rhythm guitarist for the Finnish heavy metal band Children of Bodom from 1995 to 2003. He played on their albums Something Wild, Hatebreeder, Follow the Reaper, and Hate Crew Deathroll. He also plays on the Timo Rautiainen album Sarvivuori.
V. J. Sukselainen
Vieno Johannes (Jussi) Sukselainen, was twice Prime Minister of Finland and four times Speaker of the Parliament. He was President of the Nordic Council in 1972 and 1977.
Kari Kairamo
Kari Antero Oswald Kairamo, titled Vuorineuvos, was a Chairman and CEO of Nokia Corporation and a significant and popular person in the industry, who was also actively involved in Finland's foreign policy.
Tommy Portimo
Sonata Arctica is a Finnish power metal band from the town of Kemi, Finland. Created as a hard rock band named Tricky Beans, they later changed to Tricky Means and finally to Sonata Arctica, when they shifted to power metal. The current line-up consists of singer, keyboardist and songwriter Tony Kakko, guitarist Elias Viljanen, bass guitarist Pasi Kauppinen, keyboardist and keytarist Henrik Klingenberg, and drummer Tommy Portimo. All the musicians of the band's history except Portimo also acted as backing vocalists.