Marika Krook is Edea’s figurehead and soprano performer; she is a well-known Finnish actress, singer, and dancer. She started her classical music studies at age 15 and made her debut at the Vaasa Opera in 1988. In 1992, she won the International Opera Song Contest in Tallinn and sang the principal role of Maria in The Sound Of Music in summer theatre. She is currently studying opera singing at the Sibelius Academy.
Alexi Ahoniemi plays keyboard and saxophone. He has written lyrics, composed, and arranged for numerous groups. He is a popular studio musician and teacher.
The ensemble also includes Tommy Mansikka-Aho, who plays ethnic wind instruments, and percussionists Samuli Kosminen and Ethiopian-born Abdissa Assefa, who provide underlying harmonies.
Aava
Edea Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Aava maa, avaa maa avara
Kauneus, suuruus
Kauneus, suuruus, Isa
Aava maa, avaa maa avara
Aava maa, avaa maa avara
(Aava)
Aava maa, avaa maa avara
Kauneus, suuruus
Kauneus, suuruus, Isa
Aava maa, avaa maa avara
Aava maa, avaa maa avara
Aava maa, avaa maa avara
Aava maa, (avaa maa avara)
(Aava)
Aava maa
The lyrics to Edea's song Aava are in Finnish, and they are simple and repetitive, consisting mostly of the words "aava maa" and "kauneus suuruus" which mean "open land" and "beauty greatness" respectively. These words are repeated over and over again, invoking a sense of awe and wonder at the vastness and beauty of nature. The word "Isa" is also repeated, which translates to "father" in Finnish and may refer to a spiritual or divine figure.
Overall, the song seems to be a meditation on the power and majesty of the natural world, and a reminder to appreciate the beauty and greatness that exists all around us. The repetition of the words creates a hypnotic and almost trance-like effect, drawing listeners into a state of contemplation and reflection.
Line by Line Meaning
Aava maa, avaa maa avara
Oh earth, open up and reveal
Kauneus, suuruus
Beauty, grandeur
Kauneus, suuruus, Isa
Beauty, grandeur, God
Aava maa, avaa maa avara
Oh earth, open up and reveal
Aava maa, avaa maa avara
Oh earth, open up and reveal
(Aava)
(Open up)
Aava maa, avaa maa avara
Oh earth, open up and reveal
Aava maa, avaa maa avara
Oh earth, open up and reveal
Kauneus, suuruus
Beauty, grandeur
Kauneus, suuruus, Isa
Beauty, grandeur, God
Aava maa, avaa maa avara
Oh earth, open up and reveal
Aava maa, avaa maa avara
Oh earth, open up and reveal
Aava maa, avaa maa avara
Oh earth, open up and reveal
Aava maa, (avaa maa avara)
Oh earth, (open up and reveal)
(Aava)
(Open up)
Writer(s): Miikka Pelkonen, Jesse Leppanen, Timo Vaittinen, Sami Heikkila
Contributed by Mila E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Euroviking (formerly setheurovision94)
1997 entrant Páll Óskar was the Icelandic commentator for the 1998 contest, and he spoke well of how much he loved this song. He was heartbroken when they looked to be heading for 0 points before a few high marks late on pushed them to 15th.
Timo Herrmann
I love it. It's so beautiful and different. Great and underrated song!
plasticsharkattack
Amazing! Very underrated.
Minh Huy Trần
In the studio version after 2:53 Marika had a totally angel high notes, but so sad that she didn't bring it in the live version.
jchdhc
utterly underrated
grambi
I loved the song (and still do) when I first heard it with the preview vid, which was magical! A part of the magic was lost on the eurovision stage. It's almost impossible to have this effect on a 90's stage (nowadays would 've been better) and the multiple voice effects in the recorded version were lost too.
MrTorstai
This was my favourite that year, but the live performance wasn´t the best. She was very nervous, you could see it in her eyes, and years later in an interview she confessed, she was just scared. What a pitty, such a brilliant singer. The finnish pre-selection version was just stunning and she hit notes, others could only dream of.
Jouni Ilari
@MrTorstai I just listened both performances. Apart from not having those couple of high notes (which to me don't make much difference anyway), I think she sung better in the ESC final. More controlled, better intonation.
Francisco Gomez Torres
Maravillosa cancion, 12 points!!!!
Abrahán Sáez Sánchez
La canción más vanguardista de 1998..muy buena,sinceramente se merecía un puesto mejor¡