Anna Abreu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anna Abreu
Abreu in 2009
Background information
Birth name	Anna Eira Margarida Mourão de Melo e Abreu
Born	(1990-02-07) 7 February 1990 (age 35) Vantaa, Finland
Genres	Pop R&B dance
Occupation(s)	Singer
Years active	2006–present
Labels	Warner Bros. RCA

Anna Eira Margarida Heiskari (born Anna Mourão de Melo e Abreu on 7 February 1990), known as ABREU since 2017, is a singer and songwriter from Finland. She became famous in Finland after she was the runner-up in the TV singing competition Idols in 2007.

Her music is mostly pop, but it also has sounds from R&B, dance, and Latin music. Since her time on Idols, Abreu has become one of the most successful female singers in Finland. She has sold over 190,000 records, which makes her one of the top 100 best-selling music artists in Finland ever.

Early Life and Family

Anna Abreu was born in Vantaa, Finland. Her father, Paulo Mourão de Melo e Abreu, is Portuguese, and her mother, Liisa, is Finnish. She has an older brother named Emil.

When she was a young child, Anna lived in Portugal for a while. Because of this, she can speak Finnish, Portuguese, Spanish, and English very well. Her parents later separated, and her father now lives in Sintra, Portugal.

Music Career Journey

Starting with Idols (2006–2007)

In the summer of 2006, when Anna was sixteen, she tried out for the third season of Finnish Pop Idol in Helsinki. She sang "Fallin'" by Alicia Keys and "Jumala" by the Finnish band Apulanta. The judges were very impressed by her powerful voice.

Anna made it through the early rounds and into the live finals. People watching the show really supported her. She reached the grand finale at Helsinki Ice Hall with another contestant, Ari Koivunen. On 5 April 2007, Ari Koivunen won the show, and Anna Abreu was the runner-up.

First Album Success (2007–2008)

After Idols, Anna Abreu signed with Sony BMG Finland. Her first song, "End of Love," came out in July 2007. It was inspired by Latin music and quickly reached number eight on the music charts.

Her first album, Anna Abreu, was released on 22 August 2007. It was a huge hit, selling 30,000 copies in its first week and reaching number one on the charts. This made it one of the fastest-selling albums in Finnish music history. The album's second song, "Ivory Tower," also did well, reaching number five. By March 2008, her first album had sold over 86,000 copies.

Second Album: Now (2008–2009)

After touring Finland, Anna went back to the studio to make her second album. The first song from it, "Vinegar," was released on 31 July 2008. This song was more dance-focused than her earlier music. "Vinegar" became Anna's first number one hit song in Finland and was one of the best-selling songs of 2008.

Her second album, Now, came out on 22 October 2008. It also reached number one and sold over 50,000 copies. It was the best-selling album in Finland in 2008. Anna toured again in early 2009 to support Now, and her concerts were very popular.

Third Album: Just a Pretty Face? (2009–2010)

In August 2009, Anna's record label announced she would release her third album. The first song, "Music Everywhere," came out on 10 August. It reached number two on the charts. Anna said her new album would be mostly dance and club music.

In September 2009, it was announced that Anna and fellow Idols contestant Antti Tuisku would go on a joint tour called the Pop Royalty Tour in 2010. Tickets sold out very quickly, and more shows had to be added. Anna's third album, Just A Pretty Face?, was released on 21 October 2009. It sold 23,000 copies on its first day and quickly became her third album to sell over 50,000 copies. It was the sixth best-selling album of 2009 in Finland.

On 11 April 2010, Anna performed her song "Slam" on the Finnish X Factor TV show.

Fourth Album: Rush (2010–2012)

In late August 2010, Anna shared on her Facebook page that she was working on her fourth album, Rush. She hoped to include a song with another artist.

The first song from the album, "Hysteria," was released on 10 January 2011. Her fourth album came out on 30 March 2011 and became her third album to reach number one on the charts. The second song from the album was "Worst Part Is Over," which featured the rapper Redrama.

Greatest Hits and a Break (2012–Present)

In 2011, Anna Abreu announced that she would release a Greatest Hits album before taking a break from music. Her Greatest Hits album was released in 2012.

Personal Life

Anna Abreu married Finnish professional snowboarder Lauri Heiskari on 20 June 2013. Even though she officially took his last name, she still uses her maiden name, Abreu, for her music. Anna is Catholic.

Music Albums

• Anna Abreu (2007)
• Now (2008)
• Just a Pretty Face? (2009)
• Rush (2011)
• Greatest Hits (2012)
• V (2014)
• Sensuroimaton versio (2016)
• Teipillä tai rakkaudella (2019)

Concert Tours

Awards and Nominations

Emma Awards

MTV Europe Music Awards

See also

In Spanish: Anna Abreu para niños

• List of best-selling music artists in Finland