Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

The real Mr Eurovision Ralph Siegel is celebrating his 70th birthday tonight in Munich with a huge party!  Congratulations, Ralph! 

Turkey has missed the past three editions on the Eurovision song contest and even if there have been rumours about their return every year this time they are stronger than ever. Some sources give them already surely taking part, including some Turkish media. Now it seems TRT has asked EBU to extend the deadline for them until November which means they are seriously trying to return I think... I would welcome them with open arms!  Turkey debuted in the Eurovision in Stockholm 1975 and has come dead last three times, and was a regular in the last places until late 1990's. Then came the era of televoting and all of sudden Turkey was a regular in top-10 even winning in 2004 and being runner up in 2010. Below is a taste of what we've been missing..... 

O tempora o mores! Pope Francis hits the music world with a pop-rock album! Ok, not really. But an album featuring hymns and his speeches set to pop-rock music will be released in November. It's all approved by Vatican and Francis himself has collaborated. The first "single" that you enjoy below is based on his speech in South Korea last year. In an interview with Rolling Stone, the album’s producer and artistic director Don Giulio Neroni said: “I tried to be strongly faithful to the pastoral and personality of Pope Francis: the Pope of dialogue, open doors, hospitality.” Musician Tony Pagliuca, founder of Italian progressive rock band Le Orme, confesses it's been an interesting artistic challenge to work with the Pope. The pontiff belts out his hits in Italian, English, Spanish and Portuguese - where's Latin? The album has 11 tracks. Now let all those rumours that Vatican will join the Eurovision family restart again..... :-)

BBC has revealed more information on the selecting process for their 2016 entry for the Eurovision song contest and OGAE members have a key role (so, Brits and fans alike can only blame themselves is they don't hit success this year! Clever!) OGAE is the world's largest independant Eurovision fan club founded in Finland in 1984 (this blogger was the member no.15!). The UK branch alone has around 1.000 members while there are over 40 national clubs today.  The submission of anyone over 18 (and not 16 like in the Eurovision generic rules state) will be accepted until November 20, 2015. Then BBC will use the help of the OGAE UK to shortlist the songs. Also BASCA (The British Academy of songwriters, composers and authors) is called in to join the fun. The shortlisted demos will be then presented to a special panel that has the final say of those that will get to be the final group of songs that the puclic may choose their winner for Stockholm 2016. Hugh Goldsmith (linked to At...

Małgorzata Jamroży aka Margaret has also been tipped for Eurovision and apparently she did turn it down but she'd be perfect. She's got a look and persona you can't unnotice nor forget, she's got hit songs, she has been voted or nominated for everything from Trendy artist to the Hope of the Year, Fashion Icon and Glamour Woman of the year besides the usual best video, song, album, debut..... Oh she's also a fashion designer! She's very clever with social medias and would surely use it to her advantage if selected for Stockholm 2016. Her debut album is titled Add the blonde , do we need to say more? Except it includes mostly Swedish written pop tunes like Tell me how are ya , Wasted , Start a fire and Heartbeat . And of course her debut single and internationally noticed Thank you very much that you can enjoy below with all its anti-textil feel. I think she's Eurovision perfection, she's cheeky and fun, can we have her?

No more internal selections. BBC will have a X Factor like talnt hunt to find the represent for Stockholm 2016 Eurovision. Up and coming axts can submit their original tracks for BBC, a pabel will chose the finalists and the ultimate say is given to the tv viewers.  The BBC's Guy Freeman: "This year really will be the biggest song search for Eurovision the BBC has ever undertaken. With input from key industry figures and fan associations, plus with the public having the final say we are looking forward to seeing a true People's Eurovision entry representing the UK at next year's competition in Sweden." So, after many many years the Brits can onlly blame themselves if they bomb again..... 

Ok, someone has to start the annual rumour, right? Sergey has been tipped most every year - most notably last year with this - and indeed would be a good choice. He has catchy songs, can pull out a massive stage show, seems to have made himself known in Europe as well, among Eurovision fans that is, and unlike his closest competitor Dima Bilan isn't disliked to death by some. Big in Russia and former Sovjets points would be rolling in to secure at least another top-10. Below is his latest offering. Shame it's released already in August as it has it all from catchy chorus to cool choreography to whistle! But maybe he finally says "da"? I certainly say Da, da, da!

The Finnish Eurovision entry 1987, originally by Vicky Rosti, has been covered by Antti Tuisku for the Vain elämää series and is this season's first hit. It enters both official and download charts at number One and is already getting also radioplay entering at 71. One hundred lightnings are surely striking again!  Official Finnish singles charts (week 39) - 1.  Download and streaming charts (week 39) - 1. Radio Play charts (week 39) - 71.

Kendji's name had been around ever since he won The Voice in France a couple of years ago. He's on tour next spring but .... curiously he has a break from April 23 to May 20. Hmmm....  Peut-etre? He's also releasing a new album shortly.....  He could be what France needs to succeed again: Young, fresh, popular and with a style that won't pass unnoticed and he could easily score a pan-European hit with that exposure, if not win the whole thing in Stockholm. He's of Catalan origin and you can clearly hear it in his music.  Just listen to Color gitano , Andalouse, Elle m'aimé or Conmigo . Below is Cool .... How cool it would be if he did Eurovision in Stockholm 2016? Beyond words cool!

Conchita Wurst keeps busy even if her reign is well over and passed on to Måns Zelmerlöw. Where have all the good men gone aka #WHATGMG is already fifth single release from her self titled debut album. This follows the double A-sided Firestorm/ Colors of your love . 

Lucy who? Lucy Rose is an indie artist whose music has been played in various tv-shows and ads, and if BBC wants to go for something different and fresh she might be the one. She reminds me of Finnish-French duo Eva & Manu at times and that's only positive in my books. Her second album released this year made it to #9 in the UK charts. She's cute and likable somehow, with good catchy songs. What could possibly go wrong? Below is one of her songs but check more here , there's plenty of good stuff! 

Second episode was dedicated to rapper VilleGalle. Most of his songs as JVG are all about what they enjoy the most in life: ice hockey and Playstation. Most songs also are rapped with featured singers so the covers by his fellow Vain elämää stars were mostly completely reworked, most of them by lyrics, too. This was the episode I maybe waited the least as I thought I wouldn't know his music at all but then.... four of these were such big hits you couldn not have not heard them.... In the end a very enjoyable evening after all and if the first three seasons have been marked by tears and artists crying their eyes out this season so far it's been mostly laughter and good vibes! Vicky Rosti Vs. JVG feat Anna Abreu  - Huominen on huomenna Vicky as a 50something grandmother had turned the teenager party song into an anthem for a hot mama who goes for holidays and parties all night with her daddy man. Very well done and she already declared this one's going in to her gig ...

German Lidl has been having some rought times conquering Finns in their early years here being labeled strongly as a non-Finnish store etc. by some Finns. Their advertising campaign in television has been milking out of this fact for years with a series of a woman who shops at Lidl and easily shoots down all arguments her anti-Lidl and suspicious husband makes. Now after years it looks like he is finally softening to Lidl and in the recent ones he is almost nearly saying something good about it. Maybe that's due to the nightmares he is having where even Mr Lordi appears shouting at him "I've had enough of your badmouthing Germany! Watch the add below.  Lidl came to Finland in 2002 and has now grown as the third biggest chain with over 8% market share.

It's a girl! Armenian tv has chosen and will reveal their entrant - and maybe the entry? - in the Eurovision song contest 2016 in Stockholm on October 13, 2015 in a live stream on eurovision.tv at 17.15 CET. Who is she? Judging the video below someone curvy with a long hair.... a Sirusho comeback?

Malú's name is not new when talking about Eurovision. She's on many wishlists and has been rumored a few times. However, so far nothing. Now she's about to release a new album this November, her 10th studio album since 1998. She has also released a live album and a couple of compilations, all of them have sold at least gold, several multiple platinum. The first of offering from the new album is Quiero . Timing is perfect, could it be? This blogger would certainly approve! Here's the title track . 

Il Volo's concert from Arena di Verona was broadcasted last night on Raiuno and it was easily the most watched programme on any Italian channel yesterday with 23,4% share and 5.664.000 viewers. Also hastag #ilvoloinarena was among the top-3 all evening in Italy. The sold out concert took place on Monday night and finished their thiumphant summer tour in Italy. But they are not going to rest on their success as tomorrow their new international album L'amore si muove will be released in three different versions for various markets.  They are off to another tour in sport arenas in Italy in January before moving to tour in the Northern and Latin Americas. In the concert last night we already got to hear some of the new songs. The trio was in top form and entertained the crowd in every way and made it all a rather intimate affair with some guests and interacting with the public a lot - it seemed they were all the time among the audience singing and dancing with girls and gra...

Today's news is that San Marino (and also Albania ) has indeed applied for the Eurovision song contest 2016 in Stockholm. In San Marino's case the Head of delegation Alessandro Capicchioni told in an interview with Eurofestival News that they have applied but nothing is confirmed yet. They are looking into various options what comes to sponsors and producer and the offers they are getting. As always in their case the choice is purely internal. Time will tell if there will be a change for their seventh participation after four years with Ralph Siegel productions.... All will be settled and decided over the next few weeks (the EBU deadline to confirm seems to be on October 10, 2015) but their participation should be rather secure now. But the most interesting thing comes in the end of the interview when he says San Marino is feeling a bit lonely as the only microstate participant and he'd love to see Andorra and Monaco back in game. And he says he has a feeling that...

Countries are running out in Flagcounter and it has taken nearly nine months since the last new country or territory but now we have Micronesia among us! A huge welcome, whoever visited me!  (If you see this, please contact me via message box!)

This morning the news broke EBU and SVT has agreed to show the Big5 + host in the semifinals instead of the usual short videoclips. I was like "Ok, this is what I have been saying all along, the only fair thing to do! Finally" This way they also get more rehearsal time which means they have to come to the host city a couple of days earlier which means also more promotion time on spot. All fair. All countries should get an equal time in the host city and on screen. Great news. Fantastic. Fabulous. FINALLY! Then more information emerged. The Big5 + host won't perform live in semifinals. Big boooo! They will perform in dress rehearsals of the semifinals, their performances will be taped and then shown in the live broadcast. Still not in full. Not live. Oh well.... In the end, it's better than nothing. A step to the right direction. Hooray! Maybe next time they will cut the opening and interval acts for a few minutes and just let them perform live, too. Pretty ...

After rumours and denials it's official today: Avrotros will send Douwe Bob to represent the Netherlands in Stockholm 2016 Eurovision song contest. He becomes the very first artist confirmed this season. He declares to be very honored to do the job and is going Stockholm not only to showcase his selfwritten music the way he wants to do it but also  to win! The song will be presented in due time.....

I will gather here all confirmations and selected songs in chronological order. Enjoy the ride, Stockholm here we go..... March 12, 2016 Donny Montell won the Lithuanian national final with I've been waiting for this night March 12, 2015 Frans won the Swedish selection with If I were sorry March 11, 2016 Gabriela Guncikova with I stand will represent Czech Republic March 6, 2016 Ovidiu Anton won the Romanian final with Moment of silence March 5, 2016 Michal Szpak won the Polish selection with Color of your life March 5, 2016 Jüri Pootsmann won Eesti laul 2016 with Play March 5, 2016 Serbia confirmed Sanja Vučić as their artist. The song will be published later. March 7 is was reconfirmed it's her, but under her stage name ZAA . The song is titled Goodbye . The song published March 12  March 3, 2016 Hovi Star won the Israeli selection with Made of stars March 3, 2016 Australia announced Dami Im for Eurovis...