16 July 1946: Monica Aspelund born


Today we celebrate the 71st birthday of Monica Aspelund. She became known in the Eurovision world when she represented Finland at the 1977 Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Lapponia'. The song finished tenth in a field of eighteen competitors. Although this was a moderate placing, the song was released in twenty countries. Aspelund recorded the song in Dutch, English, French, German and Swedish as well as Finnish.

In 1980, Aspelund divorced an emigrated to Florida with her then two-year-old son, performing locally and on cruise ships from time to time. In 2010 it was reported that she'd returned to Finland on a permanent basis.

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