Chorale
Biography
Chorale is a Finnish electronic music project (more specifically Eurodance and Europop), formed in 2000 in Toijala by producers Tero Laihanen and Markus Ahola.
The project signed with the Scandinavian A1 Music label in the winter of 2003. Nicknamed the “Scooter of Finland”, Chorale released its debut album in 2005, which entered the local charts at No. 15.
The group’s first singer was Maija-Helena Meskanen (Maikku) in 2000, but she only performed one track, Huominen. In 2001, she was replaced by Hanna-Leena Saarinen (Hansku), who sang the next Eurodance tracks.
In autumn 2001, a young woman from Tampere contacted the producers. Convinced by her skills, Tero and Markus brought her into the project: Lydia Luoma-Aho (born in December 1977). Their first collaboration resulted in the track Rakkauden Maa. Alongside Chorale, Lydia also has a solo project called La Masina.
In 2005, guitarist Santtu Saarela joined the group.
Shortly after the release of the second album “Another Kind”, Lydia Luoma-Aho left the group in 2010. The lineup returned the same year with a new singer, Susanna Suutarinen.
In 2011, guitarist Santtu Saarela left and was replaced by Vesa Urpanen.
In 2013, Chorale signed a recording contract with AXR Music Oy and released its first digital single, Kuule mua.
Other contributors to the project also include Lydia Luoma-Aho, Markus Ahola, Tero Laihanen, Santtu Saarela and Susanna Suutarinen.