Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

It's summer. The heat makes everybody weak in head and say all sort of things. Like all sort of Eurovision rumours and here's one: Morocco will return in 2012! Said by Bruno Berberes, the French Eurovision boss. He should know, shouldn't he? If they do return Finland may lose the Eurovision record by being the only country that has lost to Morocco! But I don't think we are so keen on keeping that record, are we? And Samira Bensaid might not be the only Moroccon Eurovision star.  Samira may have come second to last in 1980 when Morocco participated for the first and so far lasdt time but since then she has dropped "ben" from her name and become a real superstar in the Arabic world, especially in Egypt. Bitaqat knub was followed by Ah bahebak , Al bal , Lailah habibi that won the Best video award in the Arab world in 2001. Youm wara youm two years later earned her World Music Award and BBC's Award for world music adding to her some 40 awards over the year...

As we know it's going to be a very busy autumn for Lena Philipsson. August 9 she will be presenting her new single, a follow up to Idiot in Allsång på Skansen . September 29 her new show will premier in Circus in Stockholm. More details on that have been recently revealed. There will be six characters and it all happens in Lena's dream, so that's why it's called Lena's dream show. On the other hand she has said it's her dream show also as it is something she has always wamted to do. There will be dancers, singers and musicians with her taking us through her already long career performing her own hits along with other songs on a stage that will be built in the middle of the audience. Besides all that she will be on TV in Gäster med Geste r and Så mycker bättre with Tomas Ledin, Eva Dahlgren and E-Type.

An ultimate summer latin pop song to end this month long series of my favourite summer songs. Geri Halliwell was scoring solo hits one after another this Mi chico latino being one of the biggest of them. There's the laid back original one for the beach and lazy afternoon, and the remix for the night and to be enjoyed with drinks.

One of the songs that has made the biggest first impression ever for me is Taylor Dayne's Tell it to my heart that was like a match made made in heaven with Nina Hagen and Madonna back in 1987. Since then she has pretty much disappeared from the worldwide attention but she's back with Floor on fire that sounds mighty great. Here's a remix as I couldn't find the single mix in full... :-( And here's another.

Harel Skaat seems to have dropped the ballads and going to up beats with this song and its video filled with images of night out where love awaits him .... or then not but good vibes even if the song itself maybe nothing extraordinary. However, coming out suits Harel it seems. His third album including this will be released later this year.

Countries that have not yet visited Blogilkar are getting far a few but we have a newcomer today: Zambia! Welcome!

In Jurmala, Latvia the annual New Wave contest is being held culminating with the final concert on Sunday. The idea is to present the new comers from all over the world but the superstars steal the show as usual. Likes of Dima Bilan , Sergey Lazarev , Ani Lorak , Serebro , Alsou and that crazy Jamala from Ukraine. The cast includes also many familiar names like Aisha and Instars Busulis, the Latvian entrants 2010 and 2009. This event is getting bigger every year and surely gives the artists a visibly in the ex-Sovjet Union area like only Eurovision can do otherwise. Anyways, the new comers include some familiar names as well: Koop Arponen , the Finnish Idols winner is there with Flute of shame trio, and Donny Montell for Latvia. The others are Yusary (Belarus), Erik (Armenia), NAOMI  (Russia), Roger Ricco (Brazil), Jenna Hof (Togo), Jayden Felder (USA), Bishkek (Kyrgyzsan), A-Lau (Kazakhstan), Twins (Ukraine), Kolya Serga (Ukraine), Monika Wisnioswka & Michal Bober (...

The annual award for the merits in the schlager field will be given out tonight. As usual the audience has a poll and the people's favourite will be awarded with a diploma but the real winner of 10.000 euros and name in the music history will be decided by Arto Alaspää alone. This is the 11th time the award will be given and last year the winner was Laura Voutilainen. Previous winners include Marion Rung, Kari Tapio, Jari Sillanpää and Paula Koivuniemi.  This year the moniness feature four veterans and a surprising newcomer, Mariska . She started as a hip hop artists but has then moved to pop, jazz and schalger also writing songs to other artists like Anna Puu, Jenni Vartiainen. Four albums todate with the latest hit being Suloinen myrkynkeittäjä . Very underrated name in this is Meiju Suvas . She started in 1982, has participated in Euroviisut and has based her career on cover versions mainly but has showed over the 30 years she's got it what it takes to stay in this business...

This is one of the songs that make me think of sweaty summer nights, humid air and being slightly drunk... I wonder where that all comes from? Anyways. Kylie Minogue recorded On a night like this, maybe not first but better than Pandora or Anna Vissi . And Lord which is actually great!

They're back! Who doesn't remember Stay another day ? But now it's all about the Secret of my life , their come back single, the first in 13 years. Brian Harvey is missing but the band's ready to hit the road, a new album comes in September and this vid is shot in Sabaudia!

After many weeks a new #1, this time Finnish reggae by Jukka Poika, Silkkii . Ninth week already in the top-20 and finally on top.

I liked this instantly when I heard it for the first time and over the summer it has grown to be my number one Italian summer hit this year. Can't wait to get the album in my hands, then it's really going to be Il mio giorno migliore (I hope!)

While I was enjoying Vilnius in a total absense of TV, papers and all medias I was shocked to learn what had happened in Norway through a SMS the day after. And the scariest part is this could have happened anywhere... My thoughts go to all all my Norwegian readers and especially those effected directly by these events... . To hold hands with Norwegians click here and click on klikk her.

A perfect summer song and video. Have you been domino dancing this summer yet?

Jeanne is back with pop sound and over acted videos with Les Dimanches , the first single off her brand new album Bleu citr O n aimed for the French market. The album is good (for a change) and this song's a nice first offering from it for a lazy Sunday, n'est pas?

Arsenie may have gone from O-Zone to Eurovision but Dan has went all the way from Moldova to New York trying to launch his career that so far is made of annual re-release of Chica bomb , an irritating song that surely won't get unnoticed when played on any dancefloor.... like a perfect summer song.

What's summer without some latin pop? Nothing I say. Mexican Paulina Rubio has delivered many hits but somehow the one she sings in English seems the best one. Don't say goodbye maybe nearly ten year old but it brings back a lot of memories. Of summer.

My Baltic summer tour continues and after Riga I will visit Vilnius. Lithuania hasn't been as lucky in Eurovision as the other Baltic states Latvia (won with its 3rd entry) and Estonia (won with its 7th entry) - 12 entries including two last places and twice missing the final altogether. However, Lithuania may not rank amongst my favourite Eurovision countries but they sure have sent some memorable entries like Strazdas , You got style and Eastern European funk or We are the winners , their best placing to date (unfortunately). Or classy acts like Love and Love or leave , or a perfect pop song like Little by little . Who knows what they come up with next year?

San Diego born, New York based Solomon has Bang bang video off his Love Rocker Project ep and very catchy tune it is indeed with the video featuring empty New York street at night... This songs sticks like a glue in your head so beware!

Another triumph for the Italian band Modà. The band may have existed since 2003 but it's only the past year that things are really happening for them. First came #2 hit Sono già solo , then another #2 La notte and then #1 Arriverà , a song that they presented with Emma in Sanremo and came 2nd and also Italy's entry in the OGAE Second chance contest. The album Viva i romantici has sold multiplatinum already and went to #1. And now, La notte has been voted the Italian entry for the 2011 OGAE Song contest! Viva i Modà!

A summer song that never goes out of fashion and always brings a smile to your lips. Kaoma's original with vocals by Loalwa Braz has been re-worked many times and recently sampled by Jennifer Lopez and Don Omar for example....

While I was enjoying Riga in Castrocaro the newcomers battled it out for the victory and possible step closer to stardom. Gigliola Cinquetti was the headwoman of the jury that chose Andrea Manchiero (30) aka Kiero as the winner. He won over Fabio Migliorati in the superfinal singing his own song Superlovers . Fabrizio Frizzi hosted the show on RaiUno . The finalists first sung covers and those who made it to second round original songs. The press seems to have enjoyed the show and the renovation of the contest over the past four years seems to have produced the best one yet. Castrocaro is showing the likes of Talent, Idols and X Factors what credibility and history are!

Here we have it, Martina - the first artist who has said she will send a song to the next year's Euroviisut orwhateveritisgoingtobecalled . Martina Aitolehti is a household name in Finland since years for her private life, sexy image, silicon boobs and other operations, dance group, being the first celebrity to enter the Big Brother house and another reality-TV series Isku Kolumbiaan that she did with her ex-husband, another famous dancer of Columbian origin. She has been prepairing for her music career for years and finally this year released her debut album with the first single 9 Digits . She's a strange fish in the Finnish entertainment industry doing what she wants and usually gets what she wants, too. The record company is backing her and she might be a perfect package for Eurovision if only the song will be good enough. She isn't the greatest singer but I guess she could handle those 3 minutes with her willpower. But then she has the hardest part: convincing the ...

Greetings from Latvia and here's a summery song from the Musiqq guys, their hit Abracadabra . I didn't hear any Eurovision songs in Riga, except this year's Austria in Rimi supermarket when Nadine was belting out the last notes of her entry....

Eric Saade's new album entered the Finnish albums charts last week at #16 making kind of history but is already gone this week. Finns didn't go Saade crazy it seems, just the diehard fans all got their album once it hit the stores. Only three albums including the Swedish entry have done better in the Finnish chart history, namely ABBA  in 1974, Carola in 1983 and The Ark in 2007.  Meanwhile Eric Saade has released a follow up single Hearts in the air , which is kinda nice.

After the boom in the 60's and 70's less and less cover versions have been made. Or rather cover versions of hit songs. However, Janna Raappana's Jos vain voisin has been a big radio hit the past few years but the original, Biagio Antonacci's Iris is unknown in Finland despite being a big hit in Italy.  Even with this version .

Tatiana Okupnik of Blue Cafe fame is making career abroad and has collaborated with likes of Wyclef Jean. Actually she left the band already the year after Eurovision. Her latest single is though Been a fool which is nicely summery lazuy afternoon jazzy song. And it seems she has tuned down her funny voice, too.

Summertime is the time for cover versions and remixes. The late 1980's war of the boombs is over when Samantha and Sabrina put their bras together and cover Blondie's Call me in peace and harmony. Amore, chiamami!

Fabrizio Faniello has a new video out and after a slow start and a couple of listenings the song reveals its hook and then you keep singing it all day long. Know me better , he asks and you be warned! And guess what? The photo's taken in Helsinki!

It's time for a little summer trip and I'm off to Riga for the very first time. Riga hosted the Eurovision 2003 when Turkey won with 167 points followed by Belgium' s 165 and Russia 's 164 - a surprise twist after the last voting round and one of the most spectacular votings ever while the Latvian winning song the year before might be one of the less spectacular ever. The song, not the performance . Latvia has finished in the top-5 also with their debut in 2000 and again in 2005 . The past three years they have missed the final even if at least this year Musiqq did deserve the final if you ask me.... See you next week!

Ricky Martin shakes it today in Finland in Pori Jazz so here's a summery song from him. Not one of the big hits but the one that is my favourite, La bomba !

Il festival di Castrocaro has been running since 1957 and along with Sanremo and Eurovision is one of the longest running musical competitions in the world but unlike the two other this is only for the newcomers. Amongst the winners we have Gigliola Cinquetti (1963), Giusy Romeo aka Giuni Russo (1967), Carla Bissi aka Alice (1971), Franco Simone (1972), Michele Zarrillo (1979), Luca Barbarossa (1980), Zucchero (1981), Fiordaliso (1981), Donatella Milani (1982), Rosario Di Bella (1987), Lighea (1993) and Silvia Salemi (1995) just to name a few. Each of them have went on to Sanremo and bigger things and even if may look the importance of this festival isn't what it used to be with all reality shows, Idols, X Factors and even Sanremo's newcomers and the ways new artists can make themselves known in general through internet and the winner may not have had the right anymore to access the next Sanremo many have made it big without winning the contest, like Iva Zanicchi (1...

Heikki Koskelo didn't take it very well he was left second in the Tangomarkkinat final accusing the jury to have decided beforehand that a woman should win. Indeed Mervi Koponen won against all odds and popular polls. But now there are good news to him: he is about to record an album and not necessarily a tango one. He has already released Rakkaus ei mittaa matkaa that is real Finnish schlagerpop. Maybe he will want to take revenge in Euroviisut 2012? (Or whatever the contest will be called next year.....) And we might also see the reigning Tango Queen there as she declared amongst the winning holabaloo that if she gets the competition mood again she's aiming for Eurovision....  Which one is your favourite? Check them both performing La cumparsita here .

The summer rumours are running wild and some are just making them up to get some attention and who am I to deny it from them? A few days ago Kate Ryan announced she'd like to return. Her Eurovision trip went all wrong last time in 2006 with Je t'adore , from a hot favourite to a non qualifier. Another returner might be Charlotte Perrelli who was far from a hero on her return from the second time in 2008 even if the first trip as Nilsson in 1999 did take her to heaven . Mihai Tristariu promised already back in 2006 he will return and indeed, this news is out there every year. Just like Dima Bilan.

Catalin Josan, familiar face from the Romanian national selections is enjoying success in Italy this summer with his I don't wanna miss you thanks to a TV ad.... Summer song! (He came 2nd in 2010 with Around around and in 2009 with Stop . In 2008 was 4th with Run away )

Fall 2011 seems to be full of returns of the starts of the 80's and 90's - more about that later - but here's already one to start with. Remember Your loving arms ? Billie Ray Martin may be a one hit wonder but her voice surely deserves to sing more hit songs. Is this one a new hit for her?

A video can't be much more summery than this one: shot in colorful Cuba, shots in the discos... funny how a Pet Shop Boys classic talking about the Milanese fashion trend in early 1980's mixes with Moscow nightlife on 2010's and Cuban sun. Judge yourself here . And just for the qood measure the PSB original here .

One of the ultimate good mood summer songs. Enough said. Here . And sweet music eveywhere!

If you think this sounds like good old Stock-Aitken-Waterman you are right. It is! Seems like the whole PWL team is behind this one and indeed it sounds just like if Rick Astley, Mel & Kim or the likes could have recorded this some 25 years ago. But it's Aussie Peter Wilson with his Stereo . The vid is so gay it hurts and I have a feeling it's not intentional.....

Mervi Koponen was crowned the new Tango Queen moment ago. She beat superfavourite Heikki Koskelo 47-46 in the juryvote. One might note all the male jurors gave full marks to her while all the female jurors gave full marks to him but as the male jurors were 3 and female 2.... Oh well... Update: Also Koskelo critizied the results by asking why they wanted men in the competition if it had been decided it was time for a queen? In Ilta-Sanomat poll Koponen came last of the six finalists.... This story will surely continue.....

Tonight's the 27th Tangomarkkinat final and Iltalehti's readers have voted for their all time favourite amongst the Tango Kings and Queens selected annually. Jari Sillanpää got over the half of the votes, 53,9% followed by another Euroviisut veteran, Arja Koriseva (14,1%) The televote has chosen the qualifiers until now but tonight the jury will pick up the winner. If people would choose it would be Heikki Koskelo but later tonight we will see what the jury thinks. All the finalists have already been in the contest so none of them is a real newcomer.Antti Ahopelto has been already once 3rd and twice 2nd, and Tino Alhgren's father Sebastian was the King in 1993.... My favourite part of the show is when they perform tango versions of pop and rock songs! You can follow the final live here .

After five consegutive weeks at number one (and total of seven) Poju's ice hockey anthem Poika (saunoo) gave up the #1 spot to Lord Est ft Petri Nygård's Reggae rekka . Another silly #1....

Today my summer holidays start so what's better than a real classic? Madonna has been performing this in most of her tours but this may be my favourite version. Holiday! Celebrate!

The annual Tangomarkkinat circus has reached its final stage last night and tomorrow night the six finalists will battle out the crown and we will see who will follow the footsteps of Marko Maunuksela, last year's Tango King. Unlike the past two years when the winners Amadeus and Maunuksela were also granted a spot in the Euroviisut semifinal line up the winner does not get that extra award. Nothing stops him/her or any other finalist to try to get into Euroviisut 2012 anyways as the competition is open to anyone. Many are saying we should have a female winner this time after two male winners but the biggest favourite is Heikki Koskelo . He already won Suomi Iskelmä SM 2010 contest and the polls indicate him as the clear favourite. The other male finalists Tino Ahlgren and Antti Ahopelto who has taken part in both kids and teenage competition before are also strong having reached the final already before. The female favourite in the first round was Maria Tyyster who was in th...

A perfect Eurodisco summer song by Dean Monroe, yet another singer wannabe from another industry.  This Closer to you came out already two summers ago and there has been apparently no follow up so Dean has been using his vocal cords for another activities with award winning success..... But back then he put on a live show that would have not been out of place in Eurovision either. And again said, there are worse vocals in the charts....

One of my favourite Jennifer Lopez songs which I prefer in Spanish as Qué ironia even if the English Ain't it funny might be more familiar this side of the globe. That's for the version for the beach and lazy afternoon, and when you get a drink in your hand and head out at night it's time for this .

I don't know if the title means actually that but so it sounds to me. Kati Wolf's performances in X Factor have been released on CD.  Some demanding stuff there with songs from divas like Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin and Toni Braxton but our Kati belts them out with gusto. The album includes From Sarah with love , Hot stuff , Bring me to life , Kiss from a rose , As , When love takes over , Un-break my heart , Saving all my love for you , Change the world , Respect . Kati's first single was back in 1981 Vuk dala and her smash hit Szerelem, miért múlsz? went to #1 in Hungary before Eurovision and charted in various countries as What about my dreams , despite the surprisingly mild 22nd place in the Eurovision final.... Her debut album Wolf-áramlat was released in 2009, before X Factor. Now let's wait for her next album, hopefully filled with goodies like the Eurovision entry ! She's got the voice to become a pan-European disco queen....

".... summertime and the livin' is easy, fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high..." This must be the ultimate anthem for summer and the legendary couple makes magic with it. I don't know about you but this Summertime puts me into summermood even in the middle of the winter and makes me think how I tried to grow my own cotton in Rome. Have you ever seen how pretty the cotton flowers are?

The first ever Sammarinese entry to the Eurovision song contest is a good prove that coming last in Eurovision isn't a career killer. They scored only 5 points (2 from Andorra and 3 from Greece) and came last in their semifinal and also the lowest score the whole year. Very unfairly so if you ask me as Complice is a fantastic track. But this said, the guys have never stopped ever since. They have been performing abroad and in Italy participating in various festivals and competitions. Still maybe waiting for the big break that will surely come soon (Sanremo 2012?) while slowly building their fan base all over Europe. They have released their excellent debut album Avantgarde . They have done since the Romanian Cerbul de Aur festival, as well as the Budva festival in Montenegro. In Sanremo 2009 they got into top-10 in the on line section with Evelozione genetica and the year after tried with Perdo contatto . This year they also tried the Swiss selection with I feel. Their other hit...