Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Denmark has revealed its cards today and there are some familiar names from previous DMGPs. Julie Berthelsen teams with Greenlandic Nina Kreutzmann Jørgensen and their song includes some Greenlandic lyrics. Should they won we'd get to hear that for the first time in Eurovision song contest. Otherwise the songs include lyrics in French, German, Spanish and of course Danish. Also familiar names among the songwriters from Tim Schou ( Hold my breath ) to omnipresent Laurell Barker ( That vibe ) and John Ballard ( Dancing with you in my heart ). Kiss like this moves Tarkan 's ethnic classic to today's Latin sounds, and the rest of songs are the usual Danish bubblegum pop with a touch of country, and some a bit more modern efforts. Hard to think any of these doing any major damage in Tel Aviv's scoreboard.  Simone Emilie - Anywhere *** Jasmin Gabay - Kiss Like This **** Rasmus Faartoft - Hold My Breath * Marie Isabell - Dancing With You In My Heart * Sigmun

Sebastian (41) is from Helsinki and found name as the singer-guitarist in The Giant Leap band, that released two albums in 2007 and 2010. Their debut single All in my head was a radio hit. Sebastian first ventured into television with Kuorosota (Clash of thee choirs) where he directed the Helsinki choir. He got more hosting jobs and The Giant Lap was put on hold. Meanwhile he started another project: Sebastian & The 4th Line Band. He has also co-written songs to other artists. Since 2012 he has been doing a lot of television from hosting The Talent and being the backstage host in The Voice of Finland. Since 2018 he has also been acting in a popular hospital drama Syke . His partner actress Iina Kuustonen also acts in the series and they have two kids together.  Now he steps to the unexpected spotlight as vocalists for Darude's Eurovision song contest efforts 2019 for Finland. 

Darude or Ville Virtanen (43) is maybe the most succesful Finnish DJ and producer and has basicly lived the past two decads with the royalties of his global hit Sandstorm that is still played all the time all around the world. Originally released in 1999 it went on to sell over 500.000 copies in the US alone and charted in countless countries, including #3 in UK. The 12" single sold over 2 million copies worldwide and became the most sold 12" single of 2000 globally. And it's got 116 million Spotify streams, a lot for "an old" song....His debut album earned him three Finnish Grammy awards. Sandstorm then went on to live in television from Queer as Folk to sporting events and ventually to videogames and especially to Finnish game Angry Birds that introduced the song to a whole new generation.  Since then he has toured the world and performed in various mega events especially in the US, released four albums and 15 singles. He has also remixed dozens of

Finland will bring sandstorm to Eurovision in Tel Aviv. Ha ha. Now that we got that over with I must confess I may have giggled a bit when the announcement was made. It was like if YLE had mistaken Tel Aviv 2019 with Jerusalem 1999. Next thought was Ok, he's going to have some cool vocalists for each song and then Sebastian Rejman walks in and is announced as the voice for all the three songs.... It did feel a bit of a letdown... The news broke quickly at work and generated in general amusement and giggles among people of different generations and musical tastes. Well, at least it made clear one thing: Everybody knows Darude and Sandstorm. Now, few hours later I'm feeling pretty cool about it and even Rejman who is a fine vocalist. If he has different vocalists for each song the national final on March 2 wouldn't be anymore about the songs but the singers again. The songs will be published like last year one per week starting February 8. The Finnish final will take pla

Austria has chosen internally 31-year-old Paenda with self written Limits for Tel Aviv 2019 Eurovision song contest. The song will b mad public later.

Czech Republic's semi internal selection has delivered the winner and it's band Lake Malawi with their Friend of a friend . Public would have preferred Jakub Ondra, but Lake Malawi was the runner up and being joint first in the jury vote with Barbora Mochova emerged as the winner. They now have a hard task to continue Mikolas Josef's excellent 6th placing last year....  The band was formed 2013 of Albert Černý (lead vocal, guitar), Jeroným Šubrt (bass and keys) and Antonín Hrabal (drums). Pavel Palát (guitars) left the band after the debut album in 2017 and they continue as a trio. 

It's time again for the next step closer to the Eurovision song contest: the allocation draw. The 36 Semi-Finalists have been allocated into six pots, based on historical voting patterns as calculated by the contest's official televoting partner Digame. Drawing from different pots helps to reduce the chance of so-called neighbourly voting and increases suspense in the Semi-Finals. The even will take place in Tel Aviv Museum of Art at 17 CET. There will be also the Host City Insignia ceremony, started in Helsinki 2007. Eurovision hosts Assi and Lucy will take care of the job. This year there has been only one special request: by Switzerland who wants to be in second semi-final.  And here's the outcome. Finland in the first semi-final. Again. And in the first half. Again. And San Marino and Italy separated. Again.   Pot 1 Albania Croatia F.Y.R. Macedonia Montenegro Serbia Slovenia Pot 2 Denmark Estonia Finland Iceland Norway

Iceland's Söngvakeppni 2019 is full of familiar names from Eurovision veterans Hera Björk to Friðrik Ómar with Svala and Malta's very own veteran Richard Micallef aka Edwards among songwriters. Daniel took part in Söngvakeppni 2015 as CADEM, Kristina Skoubo Bærendsen tried her luck two years ago in duet with Páll Rósenkrans and comes actually from Faroe Islands. And Elli is transgender. If you need to know. The songs are as usual mostly recorded in both Icelandic and English versions. Nice variety of songs with a couple of ones edging novelty but nothing extraordinary or standout....  Semi-final one - February 9, 2019 Hatari - Hatrið mun sigra  * video   FINAL live (Hatari) Hera Björk - Eitt andartak / Moving On  *** FINAL  live (Örlygur Smári, Hera Björk Þórhallsdóttir & Valgeir Magnússon) Kristina Skoubo Bærendsen - Ég á mig sjálf / Mama Said  ** live (Sveinn Rúnar Sigurðsson & Valgeir Magnússon) Þórdís Imsland - Nú og hér / What Are You Waitin

The local favorite Youtuber Bilal Hassani won the French national final Destination Eurovision 2019 with his Roi , a song co-written by last year's winners Madame Monsieur . The international juries weren't that impressed placing it only 5th. And for a reason. The song has its moments but the problem is Bilal himself. The character will keep average European voters guessing is it a boy or a girl even if it shouldn't matter in 2019, and the rest of us will be only listening if and when his voice breaks and will he make it to the end of the song. The French delegation better think a proper back up for him in form of backing singers and rethink the whole staging again as how it is, it isn't good. Shame. International juries preferred Seemone's French ballad filled with fragile emotion and Silvàn Areg's French cabaret and even Emmanuel Moire's and Chimène Badi's more radio friendly pop tunes. But televotes changed it all.... Time will tell how wise th

The favorite hold strong and won the very first X Factor Malta and besides recording deal got a ticket to Eurovision song contest 2019 in Tel Aviv.  Michela Pace is 17 and comes from the island of Gozo. Her entry will be revealed later. She beat Owen Leuellen in the last sing-off, after Petra and Nicole Frendo had been sung out earlier in the final. 

Macedonia has internally chosen a familiar name: Tamara Todevska (33), already twice a backing singer and once a part of a trio and even a runner up in a national final.... however she seems to be suffering from some sort of Saara Aalto syndrome as she also tends to place 2nd and that's what she aims in Tel Aviv 2019 (that's what Saara did, too. landed 2nd to last tho). Her entry will be made public  later. And yes, she just gave birth.... Meanwhile here's her Eurovision story so far: Backing vocalist Eurovision 2004 National final 2007 - 2nd  - Kazi koj si ti Eurovision 2008 Backing vocalist Eurovision 2014 for her sister Tijana

One step closer to the Eurovision song contest 2019: the hosts were announced today and they are pretty much the ones that have been rumored for some time already. Supermodel Bar Refaeli  (33) who has quite a lot experience on tv-work having created her own model casting show Million Dollar Shooting Star . She has also hosted several prime time tv-shows, including Israeli The X Factor . But she's maybe best know as Leonardo Di Caprio's ex-girlfriend. Erez Tal  (57) has 25 years of experience of television work and hosting, including ten seasons of Big Brother , and creating and hosting The Vault , a TV game show that has been sold to 23 territories abroad making it the most succesful Israeli tv-game show in the world. He has also been Eurovision commentator for KAN. Assi Azar (39) is one of the leading Israeli tv-hosts, including The Next star series for Eurovision. OUT Magazine also listed him among the 100 most influential gay people in the world.  Lucy Ayoub  (26)

Norway has also made public its finalists. Many familiar names among the artists and songwriters from Eurovision veterans Aleksander Walmann and Kjetil Mørland and even Sennek (Laura Groeseneken) and Laurell Barker who comes up everywhere these days. American Idol Chris Medina is in as previously rumored, and last year's Tom Hugo. Alexandra Rotan has worked previously with Alan Walker and joins now Hugo and Sami Fred Buljo in KEiiNO. Mørland is the only one singing in Norwegian.  Generally rather mediocre selection. None is real bad but missing a serious highlight as well. A lot of good ideas and some orignality but .... in th end KEiiNO all the way! Followed by both Mørland songs. Adrian Jørgensen - The bubble **** (Jonas McDonnell, Aleksander Walmann, Kjetil Mørland) Anna-Lisa Kumoji - Holla ** (Ashley Hicklin, Jeroen Swinnen, Maria Broberg) Carina Dahl - Hold Me Down ** (Ashley Hicklin, Jeroen Swinnen, Pele Loriano, Laurell Barker, Laura Groeseneken)

United Kingdom hasn't really had succeess lately in the Eurovison song contest and therefor BBC has made yet another change to national final method. This year we have six artists but only three songs as each song will be performed in two different ways. Nothing new in this. The same thing was used back in the day in many countries with either different singers singing the same song, or the same song performed with a little band or a full orchestra, or anything in between with these various compinations.  The songs are written by mostly the usual suspects aka writers sending their songs to any given country already for years in various teams and maybe that's where the biggest problem is. Usually the most succesful songs are not effort of a manufactured writing camps and creative teams but written by one author alone - out of pure inspiration and creative boost. And one would expeect Brits had songwriters at home without need to borrow ones from Sweden, Denmark and elsewher

Moldova's national final selecția națională 2019 received a total of 28 (!!!) submissions. Two of them were kicked out before the live auditions on February 2 (full list below). There's all from Bognibov to songs in Italian and a tribute (?) to Italian legend Adriano Celentano - is Italy the new Spain in music exploition? Add bananas, lies, virus, soulmates, meteor and emergency. And as usual the overall quality is ... ehhm... questionable. With the 30 secs first hearing I'd say Emergency ..... Update Feb 2: The ones in green are finalists, the rest out..... Ala Zasmenco - Emergency Anna Odobescu - Stay Tinna Gi - Virus Siaj - Olimp Gheorghe Feghiu - Laura Iana Ghirba - What if we were Irina Tarasiuc & Lume - Ca Adriano Celentano Chirill Palic - I want you to know Pelageya Stefoglo - Mi amor Vera Țurcanu - Cold Iurie Sadovnic & Legenda - Robin Hood Viorela - Light up the night Viorela - Beggin Alex Bognibov - Love me like my dau

Portugal seems to have found a new fresh look to the their national selection after winning with the most old fashioned song imaginable the whole Eurovision song contest in 2017 for the very first time. Last year they were more modern and experimental than ever, and this year the progress continues. Not forgetting though the old times. First hearing instant favorites were Calema and NBC, but several other songs sounded promising.  First semi-final, February 16, 2019 Calema – A Dois  **** (jury 10+televote 8) 18 FINALIST (Calema) Conan Osíris – Telemóveis  *** (7+12) 19 FINALIST (Conan Osíris) Ana Cláudia – Inércia  ** (8+5) 13 FINALIST (D’Alva) João Campos – É O Que É  ** (6+7) 13 LIVE (D.A.M.A) Filipe Keil – Hoje  *** (4+4) 8 LIVE (Filipe Keil (Public submissions candidate) Ela Limão – Mais Brilhante Que Mil Sóis  * (5+6) 11 LIVE (Flak) Soraia Tavares – O Meu Sonho  *** (3+3) 6 LIVE (Lura) Matay – Perfeito  *** (12+10) 22 FINALIST (Tiag

Spoiling the day for San Marino also the Netherlands decided today's a perfect day to reveal their artist and it is Duncan Laurence. He's 24 and has graduated from Rock Academy in Tilburg. He has been also spending time in London and Stockholm writing his songs. As Duncan De Moor he took part in The Voice of Holland 2014, and is also a singr in The Slick and Suited. The song itself will be revealed on March 7.

After playing with the social media (San Marino is bcoming a real master in that game!) and fans speculating wild and getting the media write about them all over Europe (even Finland) thanks to Human Ken doll Rodrigo Alves and some Russian wannabe among others they announced Turkish Serhat will come back again and represent the county in its 10th participation. Now we all can say in unison: I didn't know . The song for 2019 will be made public in February.  Between 2016 and 2019 Serhat has scored a #25 hit on Billboard Dance chart in the US with re-released of his entry featuring Martha Wash, and dueted with Eurovision winner Helena Paparizou.

First, most every song sounded better live than on record, and the artists sung reasonably well and the comparasion to last night's French semi-final was striking where most everyone was showcasing shaky vocals, bad mixing and general worse than on studio performances. There were a couple Pastora Soler wannabes and one Alvaro Soler one, and one Famous showcasing Carola-like determination to make it and come across the screen making televoters to vote him out of fear. (They didn't). And a big favorite who didn't want to win and showed it in her performance  bit too clearly. Last year's Alfred made an appearence but no sight of Amaia. Eleni came instead and showed once again how to make that hair fly.... And in the end Spanish televoters didn't the right choice: Miki's Alvarosoleresque La venda won over overrated and IdontwanttogotoIsrael-Maria's Muerdeme . With a better remix and fixed staging Spain may have a real chance this year! Miki Núñez Pozo

Georgia is using The Idol this year to select their entrant for Eurovision song contest 2019 in Tel Aviv. The ten finalists have been recently revealed - among them Mariam Kakhelishvili from Jsc 2010 and many names from previous The Voice and X Factor... - and the one is among these names, to be selected on March 2, 2019: ნინი ცნობილაძე/Nini Tsnobiladze 5th ლიზა კალანდაძე/Liza Kalandadze ოთო ნემსაძე/Oto Nemsadze გიორგი ნაკაშიძე/ Giorgi Nakashidze იკაკო ალექსიძე/ Ikako Aleksidze 7th დიმა კობაშავიძე/ Dzima Kobeshavidze 8th გიორგი ფრუიძე/ Giorgi Pruidze თამარ ლაჭყეპიანი/ Tamar Lachkepiani 6th ბესიკ ნემსაძე/ Besik Nemsadze  - out მარიამ კახელიშვილი/ Mariam Kakhelishvili  - out

A Dal is back with its usual formula. Eurovision veteran Joci Pápai is back as is András Kallay-Saunders in his about 15th incarnation, this time as singer in The Middletonz,  and the semifinalists include many names from previous A Dals from Olivé Berkes to Leander Kills, Gergö Oláh and yesyes among others. As usual three heats (six songs going through each, fivee by the jurors, the last one by the televoters from the remaining acts), two semifinals (four songs going through each) and final will follow and a lot of variety in the genres and Hungarians are not shy trying something new - remember  Viszlát_nyár ? Heat one Timi Antal ft. Gergő Demko – Álmos Világ **  39   Olivér Berkes –  Lighthouse  **/ Világitótprony   *** 33 Deniz –  Ide Várlak Vissza  *** 34 (televoters) Barni Hamar –  Wasted   *  29 Konyha –  Szászor Visszajátszott  ***  38 Nomád –  A Remény Hídjai   *  35 Rozina Pátkai – Frida * 31 Gergő Szekér – Madár, Repülj ! ***  41 Lászlo Váray – Someone