Jonna Pirinen: Mormon Singer
Jonna Pirinen Christensen, known as “Jonna,” is a Finnish pop and R&B singer and songwriter.
She rose in the public eye from her participation in the talent scouting show Pop Stars in 2002. She was selected for the girls’ group “Gimmel,” but after only a month she left the group to become a songwriter and solo artist. After a successful solo career in Finland, she wanted to reach beyond Finland and sing in English. Because of this decision, her record label, Sony BMG, ended her contract and she moved to Los Angeles, where she stayed for eighteen months. Back in Finland, she independently released a couple of singles and studied Pop and Jazz vocal performance in Helsinki and Stockholm and perfected her vision and artistry. She also worked on her fourth album, Sound Mind, which she released in August 2015.
Besides singing and songwriting, Jonna hosted a Finnish TV show called “Voice Out!”, performed in three musicals (“Hair, 2003, “Grease” 2002–2003, and “Hello Dolly!” 2000), and was a backup dancer for K-System and shows "Step up" (2001–2002) and "Cat people" (1996–2001). She won three Finnish championships with show dance and hip-hop group formations and was the best female solo dancer in the Disco and show dance competition in 2002. She also choreographed some of her music videos and was a dance instructor for a time.
Jonna joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in October 2003 in Finland. She had been studying social services, focusing on an English kindergarten that happened to be across the street from an LDS chapel. Full-time missionaries volunteered at the school each Friday. She was curious about them and asked questions, and was taught for about a year before she was baptized.
