Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Do you remember these guys? No? Have a look here . Niko & Kasmir won their semifinal of Talent Suomi and are in the final. They are part of group Flamma but also perform as a duo under name FLOW. Guys mix fire, acrobatics, circus and theater. Will they go from Eurovision 2009 back up act to Talent Suomi 2011 winners?

The Swiss Frech speaking broadcaster RTS has chosen its three songs for the national final in December. This bloggers favourite Katherine St-Laurent and two very interesting songs by Sosofluo and Ze Flying Zézettes Orchestra. Now we only miss the six songs to be selected by the German speaking SF and the two from the Italian speaking RSI that will have its own final next week. So far we have these songs ready for the Swiss national final that primises to be a very good one: Atomic Angels - Black symphony (DRS 3) Guillermo Sorya - Baby baby baby (DRS 3) Katherine St-Laurent - Wrong to let you go (RTS) Patric Scott feat. Fabienne Louves - Real love (DRS 3) Sosofluo - Quand je ferme les yeux (RTS) Ze Flying Zézettes Orchestra - L'autre (RTS)

BlogIlkar is now proundy joined in EFR12 radio network. If you want to listen to Eurovision entries, songs by Eurovision artists, national selection songs and Eurovision covers, tune in. I have been listening today all day and heard so many songs I like and haven't heard for a long time. A pure entertainment and walking down the memory line. Tune is from the link on right corner of this blog. In their homepage also information on special days they have like recently featured Dima Bilan and Lena. All Eurovision stars on this radio! Ecoutez!

The Parisian based French singers got united for a charity single and video to help Africa in need. Great track! How many singers do you recognize? De ricochets . I got at least five Eurovision stars: Amaury Vassili, Gerard lenorman, Patrick Fiori, Natasha St-Pier and Les Fatals Picards with other familiar names like Alyzée, Liane Foly, M Pokora, Héléne Segara, Elisa Tovati, Jane Birkin, Anggun, Christophe Willem and Bob Sinclair....

Iconcrash has been around already almost a decade and has released three albums so far. We are the night is a catchy song that I can't quite put into any category. Somehow it's pop but could easily turn into a hardrock song as well. The band has gained some popularity in Russia and Belarus and has toured also in the United States, United Kingdom and the Baltic countries. Their biggest hit todate is Stockholm . This blogger thinks this UMK entry is better!

DCX is an Eurodiscocombo with some hits to their credit and an early fan favourite. They try their luck here with Erase you . Nice addition to the line up but is it good enough? And has these kind of songs ever done well in Eurovision? The vocalist Bettina is good. The guys of ABBA must like them though as they let them cover Knowing me, knowing you and indeed it sounds pretty good!

Lauri Ylönen of The Rasmus fame is one of the songwriters in Katri Helena's new album Valon maa out on November 9, 2011. He has written the beautiful Vieras sisar with his companion Paula Vesala, of PMMP. They also wrote Johanna Kurkela's megahit Rakkauslaulu . Other songwriters of rock generation for Katri Helena include Tuure Kilpeläinen and Jussi Hakulinen.  Listen songs from her new album: Vieras sisar , Sinun sydämesi kanssa and Kerro, kerro kuiskaten .

Ireland is not sending Jedward off again but RTÉ had decided to repeats the experience that gave us Jedward. With Jedward. Or in other words there will be once again five mentors who will find a song and a singer or an act to perform it and those five this time around are Julian Benson , a show business agent and choreographer, Greg French , a music producer and songwriter, Bill Hughes , television professional and ex-Pop Stars and You're a star judge, Edele Lynch , singer and songwriter and last but not least Linda Martin , Eurovision winner. Jedward is listed as one of the entries but who will get them? And who wants to compete against them? And how will Europe react to another dose of Irish ADHD? Other rumoured acts to take part ae Mary Byrne, Chrystal Swing and b*wiched.

Anna Inginmaa is a 25-year-old singer from Helsinki and this blogger can not think about Heli Kajo. In a good way. She's got her own sound and the song Meikin alta  is original with great text. Me likes a lot.

Alice was supposed to have released her new and 17th studio album by now but today in her Facebook she reveals it will only come out in March 2012. She will finish the recording by the end of November and then starts the mixing and finishing it and also preparation for the PR. Or could it be she is returning to Sanremo for the fourth time, 40 years after her debut in Teatro Ariston in 1972? This new album will feature new songs wirtten by herself, Franco Battiato, Tiziano Ferro and Di Martino amongst others and is her first one with original songs since Exit in 1995! After that she has released four albums but covers, new versions and live versions of her songs. Alice in Sanremo: 1972 Il mio cuore se ne va , 1981 Per Elisa , 2000 Il giorno dell'Indipendenza

This new boyband with a rockier sound is recording their debut album and this Miracle is from it.  This blogger liked it at once and it has a very catchy chorus. Let some top producer fine tune it and it is a smash hit. Nice vocals. Me likes! The band has just released their debut single How love feels but the band's been together since 2009 and they all have a long experience in music.

Martina may be hot in UMK with Chechmate but her record company has concluded working with her. Universal lets us understand her debut album didn't sell well enough for them but stresses there's no drama with not continuing the contract and collaboration. Martina says Universal didn't want to work with her anymore but she is already working with a new album and is considering various record companies to work with while Universal "wishes Martina all the luck with her career". Just to prove what a controversial figure she is there's a poll in Iltalehti asking "Do you believe Martina's singing career will take off?" and 97% of those you have answered says "No". She will really have a hard time qualifying for the final and being voted by the televoters which is a shame...

She is clearly the most advertized artist in the contest and I guess she might positively surprise many with this catchy pop song titled Checkmate . What she lacks in voice she has in looks and promotional skills and stage show. I haven't heard all of her debut album but I think this is best Martina I have heard so far so I cannot be but pleased. I wouldn't mind this going all the way to Baku but I'm afraid it won't -  or can she overcome the prejudgement,  her reputation and show both the jurors and the televoting public she's got it?

With the fourth heat of Melodifestivalen webjoker candidates completed we now have the eight entries that will fight for the one slot in the MF semifinals line up. This webjoker final will be held on November 7, 2011. Here are the entries that you can listen here : 1. Maria BenHajji – I Mina Drömmar 2. David Nestander – Beautiful Love 3. Bowties – Need to Know 4. Caroline Coquard – Ingenting, Ingen 5. Trison – Forever By Your Side 6. Grand Slam – All Day All Night 7.  TBA – Heartbeat Away 8. Never Alone – Marilyn Monroe

When you listen to the 40 songs selected for the UMK that replaces Euroviisut as the Finnish national selection for Eurovision song contest you can only wonder one thing: where is heavy rock? Listening the judges all late summer this blogger was expecting a lot wider variety in musical styles. Or rather fearing too many rap, hip hop, heavy and rock songs to make it through but instead what do we get? Rather middle of the road pop rock songs, a lot of acoustic stuff and ballads. A couple of disco pop songs and at least one real schlager... And a lot of female voices. None of the songs struck as an Eurovision winner with the first hearing - or even an UMK winner but who knows how things turn out before February 2012. And we have to remember in most cases these are just rough demos that will be rearranged and recorded if they proceed further.Nice misture of songs in Finnish and English, nearly half and half with one song in Swedish throuwn in for a good measure. No other languages are hea...

The official presentation will take place today at 2PM but the entries are already online here . At first glance the artists are mainly totally new. Martina made it to top-40. Other familiar names are Freeman, Eveliina Määttä, Petra, Fatima Koroma... So, Korpiklaani didn't make it, nor Tauski and Teuvo Loman which might be a relief in the end. More information coming up.... 1Love - International love song Aili - Mun taivas Alchemy Road - Burning Anna Inginmaa  - Meikin alta Apila - Joenvarren tyttö ARTo - Roudassa Aura Pineda - Kunpa vois Boys Hate Silence - Miracle Captor - Hooked on Wii DCX - Erase you Eveliina Määttä - Perfect Fatima Koroma - Different coloured socks Freeman & Uusi Fantasia - Noitanainen Hans on the bass - Only 7 days Iconcrash - We are the nigh t Jari & Taika - Aamuyön salaisuus Jessica Wolff - Better Judy - Kisscollector Kaisa Vala - Habits of human beings KaksKaks & Alisa - Anna aikaa Kirahvi nimeltä Tuike - Sinisulkien viimeinen Lasmatic - Yks...

Austria will be in Baku 2012 as ORF is happy with their result in 2011 when they returned for the first time since 2007. The selection process will be more or less the same as in 2011 as well. There will be a pre-selection on Hitradio Ö3 and then televized live final in February. Besides the winner Nadine Beiler and her The secret is love we also had a goodie like Klimmstein's Paris Paris . Let's see what the Austrians offer us this time around!

Israel has revealed a bit how their entry for Baku 2012 will be chosen. Three semifinals and each singer with two songs. Then the most voted song by an artist will reach the final. Sounds very much like Finland in the 2000's that brought us for example Lordi and Hanna Pakarinen. And indeed it all looked good on paper. But even if the first year it kinda worked it was painly evident already the second year that the singers favoured one song and couldn't hide the sour face if the public voted "wrong". Some even purposedly performed badly the song they hoped wouldn't win.... So, good luck Israel! And Dana International should have done so much better! Ding dong, say no more!

... and so far we have four acts ready for the 2012 MGP. First a girlband Irresistible of X Factor fame. Then we have Malin . She already represanted Norway in Junior Eurovision 2005 (third) and released six albums and won a Norwegian grammy. Not bad for a 16-year-old?! Next we have Isabel Ødegård with a song written by Thom Hell, a popular Norwegian songwriter. The latest addition is Nora Foss Al-Jabri , 15, of Norway's Got Talent fame....

Yes, Finns still do love him. Or at least the televoting people who sit at home on Saturday night. En se olla saa is his winning song in Syksyn Sävel 2011. A perfect follow up to winners of 2000 and 2001. Nothing has changed in 10 years... In a post-victory interview he stated he didn't believe he would win but someone younger. His own favourites were Kaija Koo and Stina Girs. He was also supposed to host the show but he wanted to sing instead and here we are. During his winning performance he got tears in his eyes.... You can watch the show here .