Jere Pöyhönen (born 21 October 1993), known professionally as Käärijä is a Finnish rapper, singer and songwriter. His breakthrough came after he represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 with the song "Cha Cha Cha", finishing in second place with 526 points. His entry topped the charts in Finland, Lithuania and Sweden, and reached the top ten in 6 countries including United Kingdom, becoming the first ever song in Finnish to reach the top ten of the UK Singles Charts.
He discovered his passion for music while learning to play the drums, and started producing music in 2014. His stage name, owing to his gambling hobby, is derived from the phrase kääriä rahaa, "to make a quick buck".
Käärijä released his music independently until 2017, when he was signed to the record label Monsp Records. He subsequently released the double single "Koppi tules" / "Nou roblem". The following year, he released an extended play, titled Peliä. In 2020, his debut album Fantastista was released.
He won UMK in a landslide and represented Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool with the song Cha Cha Cha. A massive fan favorite, he finished in 2nd place in the grand final. He also won the second You're a Vision Award for the most remarkable outfit of the 2023 contest.
Trivia[]
- Jere's image as Käärijä started off with a bowl cut and a yellow suit, but during performances he would get too warm, remove the suit and perform mostly shirtless, which became a part of his artistic brand, hence his Instagram username: "Paidaton Riehuja" aka "Shirtless Rioter".
- Käärijä has described Rammstein as a major influence of his, and he has a Rammstein tattoo across his chest.
- Sometimes, a mysterious yellow-clad doppelgänger, also known as "Häärijä", has been observed in connection with Käärijä, which social media users have assumed to be a possible relative, perhaps Käärijä's brother.