Tony Kakko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tony Kakko
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Tony Kakko performing with Sonata Arctica in 2018
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Toni Kristian Kakko |
| Born | 16 May 1975 Kemi, Finland |
| Genres | Power metal |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, keyboard, acoustic guitar |
| Years active | 1996–present |
Toni Kristian "Tony" Kakko (born May 16, 1975) is a musician, composer, and singer from Finland. He is best known as the main singer, songwriter, and leader of the band Sonata Arctica. He has been with the band since 1996.
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Tony Kakko's Life and Music
Tony Kakko was born in Kemi, Finland. He joined the band Sonata Arctica in 1996. Before that, he had studied keyboards for two years. He also sang for fun at local festivals.
Starting with Sonata Arctica
When he first joined Sonata Arctica, Tony played both keyboards and sang. After the band's first album came out, he decided to focus only on singing. Another musician, Mikko Härkin, then joined to play keyboards.
Musical Style and Influences
Tony Kakko's singing style is clear and often high-pitched. He sings in the tenor range. He has also started to use some screaming sounds in later songs with Sonata Arctica.
He gets his musical ideas from many bands. Some of his biggest influences include Queen, Stratovarius, Children of Bodom, and Nightwish. Tony also says that the season of winter inspires his music.
Guest Appearances and Other Projects
Tony Kakko has also worked with other bands and artists. He sang as a guest on a song called "Astral Romance" for the band Nightwish in 2001. He also sang backing vocals and performed a duet with Tarja Turunen on another Nightwish song, "Beauty and the Beast." You can see him perform this song on Nightwish's live DVD, From Wishes to Eternity.
He has lent his voice to songs by other bands too. For example, he sang on "Wasted Time" by Heavenly and "White Waters" by Epica.
More recently, Tony has been part of a project called Northern Kings. In this group, he sings classic cover songs from past decades with three other singers: Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto, Marko Hietala, and Jarkko Ahola.
In December 2018, Tony Kakko received a special award. He was given the title of Knight of The Order of the Lion of Finland. This is a high honor in Finland.
Sonata Arctica Albums
Tony Kakko has been the main songwriter and singer for all of Sonata Arctica's albums. Here are some of the albums the band has released:
- Ecliptica – 1999
- Silence – 2001
- Winterheart's Guild – 2003
- Reckoning Night – 2004
- Unia – 2007
- The Days of Grays – 2009
- Stones Grow Her Name – 2012
- Pariah's Child – 2014
- The Ninth Hour - 2016
- Talviyö - 2019
Northern Kings Albums
Tony Kakko also released two albums with the project Northern Kings:
- Reborn – 2007
- Rethroned – 2008
Selected Guest Songs
Tony Kakko has appeared as a guest singer on many songs by other artists. Here are a few examples:
- Nightwish – Over the Hills and Far Away – 2001
- Heavenly – Virus – 2006
- Epica – Design Your Universe – 2009
- Van Canto – "Hearted", on Tribe of Force – 2010
- Tuomas Holopainen – Music Inspired by the Life and Times of Scrooge – 2014
- Lordi – "Rollercoaster" on Lordiversity – 2021
See also
In Spanish: Tony Kakko para niños
