Kikka | |
|---|---|
 Kikka at talk show in 1990 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kirsi Hannele Viilonen |
| Also known as | Kirsi Sirén |
| Born | 26 October 1964 Tampere, Finland |
| Died | 3 December 2005 (aged 41) Nokia, Finland |
| Genres | Pop, schlager, disco, funk |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 1984–2005 |
Kirsi Hannele Sirén (née Viilonen; 26 October 1964 – 3 December 2005), better known by her stage name Kikka, was a Finnish pop/schlager singer. She was known for her sexpot image and suggestive, double entendre-filled songs. Kikka's best-known songs were "Mä haluun viihdyttää" ("I Want to Entertain"), "Sukkula Venukseen" ("A Shuttle to Venus"), "Tartu tiukasti hanuriin" ("Grab the Accordion Firmly"; in Finnish slang the word hanuri often refers to the buttocks) and a cover of Ami Aspelund's "Apinamies" ("Ape man").
Kikka was born in Tampere. Her career was launched in the late 1980s, inspired by the success of international sexpot stars such as Samantha Fox and Italy's Sabrina Salerno. During her career, the media and many influential organisations even tried to market her as the "Samantha Fox of Finland", albeit against the singer's will.[1] The peak of Kikka's popularity was in the late 1980s and early 1990s when she earned three platinum records and two gold records. In the 21st century, health problems and alcoholism were detrimental to the artist's career.[2][3] According to the Finnish tabloid Iltalehti, the cause of her death in Nokia on 3 December 2005, at the age of 41, was a heart attack.[2][4]
In 2022, a biographical film about Kikka called Kikka! was directed by the Jussi-award-winning actress Anna Paavilainen and written by Maarit Nissilä.[5] In the film, Kikka is played by Sara Melleri.[6]
