IF you wish to encounter "the Finnish slide goddess", the place to be is Bromsgrove, apparently.

This is because guitarist Erja Lyytinen is on tour and The Artrix will be a stop.

A spokesman said: "Since first entering a recording studio some 15 years ago, singer/guitarist Erja Lyytinen has become a bona fide star in her homeland and a fixture on the international music scene.

"In that time, the Finnish slide goddess has recorded in places as diverse as Helsinki, London and Memphis, earning numerous accolades along the way. Rooted in both traditional and modern blues, she successfully blends styles like jazz, pop, soul and rock into a sound all her own."

The spokesman added: "Celebrated slide guitar master Sonny Landreth, upon discovering Lyytinen's music recently, remarked: "I sure enjoyed her guitar skills. She’s obviously made a big name for herself."

Born into a musical family in the town of Kuopio, Lyytinen quickly emerged as an artist to watch in her native country.

She recorded her international debut Pilgrimage after signing with Germany's prestigious Ruf Records label in 2005. The 2006 Blues Caravan tour gave audiences in Europe and the United States a first taste of her spirited live performances.

The solo follow-up Dreamland Blues took her back to the USA to record with David and Kinney Kimbrough (sons of Mississippi blues legend Junior Kimbrough).

After two years on the road, she returned with Grip of the Blues in 2008, mixing hard-edged blues with modern R&B.

Her 2010 release Voracious Love was even more adventurous, "showing once and for all that Lyytinen is unafraid to push the stylistic envelope".

The spokesman said: "With 2013's Forbidden Fruit, she returned to more familiar territory.

Canada's Blues Underground Network chose it as Best European Blues Album for 2014.

The date for the diary is March 30.

Tickets and further details: 01527 577330.