Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Albania is next to reveal their cards for Eurovision song contest 2023, and the first to reveal both artists and song titles for Festival i Këngës. The songs will be revealed a bit later along with the exact dates. The major change and big news is that the Festival i Këngës 61 winner may not go to Eurovision! In short the jury will decide on the festival winner as usual but next to that is the televote and that winner is the one for Eurovision, as chosen by the public alone. Of course, it could be that the winner is the same.  Besides that several other awards will be handed out. Out of the 26 artist 16 have participated before and ten are newcomers. Among the artists Elsa Lila, who has won the contest twice pre-Eurovision time (1996, 1997) and since then has also participated in Sanremo (2003, 2007) and built career also in Italy. But also got into trouble with some drug smuggling Italian-Albanese gang and getting arrested and all recently. 2 Farm - Atomike Alban Kondi & Lorel...

Ukraine reveals the 36 that are still in the game (out of about 400 submissions) . Who will make the final cut will be revealed in coming weeks. Pianoboy, musiciand and Vidbir producer tells eurovision,tv: "I am personally interested in ensuring that Ukrainian music does not freeze and develops in all directions, so that we have our heroes in all possible musical niches and styles. In my opinion, now, during the war, and with complete uncertainty in the lives of musicians, this selection takes on a special significance: we not only choose those worthy to represent Ukraine at the competition, but also have the opportunity to hear a wide range of Ukrainian music that is being created here and now, no matter what. ‘I am glad that during the selection process, many musicians were motivated, inspired, and encouraged to create new songs and interesting ideas. It was difficult for many of them to start writing again, many musicians are in forced emigration or on the verge of changing pro...

The Sanremo 2023 has officially started with the list of those 43 names that has made the cut to be invited for live auditions out of 714 submissions. Only eight of these will make it to Casinò di Sanremo in December, joined by four other names through AreaSanremo selections, and out of these 12 three will join the Big names next February and who knows, one of them could win it all and end up in Liverpool! Just like last year each has two songs, the one here and one for Sanremo that the commission has of course heard already, or will hear soon enough. One can't not stress that song has also a lot of weight in choosing the eight. Among the names are some very familiar ones, like Alfa, fresh from dueting with Rosa Linn in Snap , gIANMARIA, Enula and many more from various talent and reality shows, or other contests. And many rappers. Update 5.11.22: The eight names are out marked with green . Apparently Alfa was ill and couldn't do the audition. Meanwhile folks of social media ...

Spain became the first country to reveal their names for Eurovision 2023. The semi-finalist of Benidorm Fest 2023 are 18 this year, up two from last year's very successful first edition. Two semi-finals will feature nine entries each, four of them going to the final. There is a mixed voting system for each three shows: 50% professional juries, 25% demoscopic panel and 23% televote. Mónica Naranjo will host again with Inés Hernand. The semi-finals will air on January 31 and February 2 and the grand final on Fenruary 4.  Last year Chanel won over Tanxugueiras (70,75% televote!) thanks to expert jury but they clearly saw its potential better as SloMo finished 3rd in Turin only 7 points short of 2nd place, while France's entry , the most similar to Tanxugueiras one finished 24th.  Among the artists is 2018 Eurovision entrant Alfred Garcia , Blanca Paloma from the 2022 edition,  Famous who won Operacion Triunfo 2018 and already tried to get the ticket to Eurovision 2019. Tw...

Logomo in Turku will be the chosen venue for Uuden musiikin kilpailu aka UMK 2023 final on February 25, 2023. The procedure is pretty much the same as past years: Yle promises the biggest show ever, there will be seven acts competing and huge opening and interval act shows.  The chosen artists will be announced on January 11 and their entries showcased one per day as usual starting at midnight. Among the artists aree, as usual, well knows acts and up and coming new names and the genres include the best dance entry in UMK's history with a new killer vocalist, an entry full of sexual tension by a very well known artist, a show stopping ballad by one of the most significant export artists, the strongest rap banger in UMK's history (we start to repeat ourselves here) and up and coming and very popular bands..... We'll see. The UMK final also includes on spot in Turku a pre- and after party and sico, and tickets are selling already fast. Last year it was sold out. UMK has also m...

  This week sees not one but two Eurovision collaborations. The reigning champions and Eurovision 2022 winners Kalush Orchestra from Ukraine cover the Finnish entrant The Rasmus and their biggest hit to date In the shadows with them. And this year's biggest commercial success , Armenia's Rosa Linn teams up with the Eurovision 2019 winner Duncan Laurence in a new joint song.  These collaborations are among the best things Eurovision along with discovering new artists every year and maybe finding decade long favorites, and back in the day there were the cover versions in different languages. Over the years there have been some collaborations, for example this Time to pray of a trio from Eurovision 2008 artists from Israel, Serbia and Armenia.

Eurovision song contest 2023 in Liverpool will have 37 countries, meaning that the semi-finals will have only 15 and 16 countries and only 11 countries not making the final. The Big5 and Ukraine of course will be in the final already. This is the lowest number since Copenhagen 2014.  Bulgaria, Montenegro and North Macedonia decided to stay out, the first one stating a non interest by the broadcaster to participate anymore, while the two others for financial reasons. Russia and Belarus are of course banned to participate. No country returns, nor no one debuts. The countries that participated previously but decided not to return this year either are Luxemburg (last seen in 1993), Monaco (2006), Turkey (2012), Morocco (1980), Bosnia & Herzegovina (2016), Hungary (2019), Slovakia (2012), Andorra (2009), while Yugoslavia (1992) and Serbia-Montenegro (2006) don't exist anymore.  Lebanon was meant to debut in 2005, Liechtenstein in 1976 and Tunisia in 1977 but those never happene...

  Here we go again with this more schlager-ish set of songs including already familiar ones Mikko Harju and Jesse Kaikuranta with their latest efforts, newcomer Henna and finally Annika Eklund, a fan favorite from Euroviisut 2006  with her Syksyn sävel entry. Enjoy! Henna Uoti - Suden sydän Jesse Kaikuranta - Kotimaa Mikko Harju - Voittamaton Annika Eklund - Suora lähetys

  Another week, another dose of #Finpop musical delights. Gabriel Lion returns after a few years but the others are lesser known ones of various styles. Enjoy! Gabriel Lion - Hekumaa Jemina - Pilkkahintaan Ville Veikka, Ellis - Poltetaan tää maa Roye - Move on 

  I wrote about Syksyn sävel 2022 semi-finalist that didn't make the final yesterday (here) and tonight's the final, with the most mediocre non-hit making elderly dance hall audience oriented not-music-buying audience ever. For anyone who follows today's music it's just a huge joke to laugh at the music but then again, as written yesterday, maybe it fits with the tv-channel's almost non existing audience. I will sit down and giggle myself sick listening and watching "the show". Here are the finalists: I have a vague idea media is playing for Kurre's win but the gypsy vote (always strong in Syksyn sävel) will go to Leif and Amadeus but in my books clearly the best one out of these is Eija Kantola. By far. Well sung, a proper ageless melody that sounds already a classic. The arrangement is what it is but imagine this with proper strings and orchestra! Finlanders - Päätyyn asti Tero Vaara - Menköön kaikki J.Eskelinen - Elämää Reija Kortet - Vain me kaksi...

Syksyn sävel competition is here again. The one that was a real hit machine in the 1970's and 1980's where as the national Eurovision selection Euroviisut was a real let down with songs no one listened and with songs that weren't even recorded by the artists. With a few exceptions of course. Syksyn sävel was where known artists went with their hits aiming for commercial success, a sort of Melodifestivalen in fact. After a break Syksyn sävel has made a couple of comeback attempts but if last year offered a few goodies and was sort of promising effort this year's offering is something else. Several previous hit makers and winners whose career is pretty much gone and dead is trying again after decades but anything different or a bit modern was voted out by the public. A vanishing public I should add as the contest is broadcast on a random small channel aimed for old and religious folks and near bankruptcy apparently. Syksyn sävel may be dead but UMK has been delivering hug...

  Another week, another dose of #Finpop by big names Lauri Tähkä and Erin, bubbling under Sara and newcomer Kakku. Enjpy! Kakku - Movetron Lauri Tähkä - Elämänlangat Sara Siipola - Paha kiertämään Erin - Miljoona vastausta

It's already October in full swing and here are some new releases from Finnish popsters. Including UMK  veterams Olivera and Isaac Sene with their latest releases, as well Antti Ketonen and Tuure Boelius with new look and sound.  Olivera - No tomorrow Antti Ketonen - Ainoo tie Isaac Sene - Coco elämä  Tuure Boelius - Mehän vaan tanssittiin

  The news are out: It's Liverpool (over Glasgow) with its bid that puts Ukraine in the spotlight in every way. As we remember BBC and the United Kingdom are hosting the contest in behalf of Ukraine that is under the attack and criminal war by Russia.  The dates are May 9 and 11 for the semi-finals and May 13 for the grand final. The venue is M&S Bank aka Liverpool Arena. The Eurovision heart logo will feature the Ukrainian heart. 

  Alice returns to recording business with a new tribute album to late Franco Battiato. Eri con me, It includes 16 Battiato songs recorded in studio with pianist Carlo Guaitoli and I Solisti Filarmonici Italiani, a continuation of her long and still on going concert tour celebrating the music of late Franco Battiato. The album will be released on November 25, 2022 as a CD and a double LP. Alice and Battiato had a 40 year old collaboration going on until his death in May 2021. Most Eurovision fans may only recall their Eurovision 1984 duet I treni di Tozeur (placed 5th) but there's so much more! Battiato co-write and arranged her albums Caponord (1980) and Alice (1981) and also her Sanremo 1981 winner Per Elisa . He wrote, arranged and /or produced songs also in Azimut (1982) and Alice's Gioielli rubati (1985) is a cover album of Battiato's songs. Her albums Elisir (1987), God is my Dj (1999), Personal Jukebox (2000) and Viaggio in Italia (2003) include versions of hi...

  Here we go again. This time a quartet of already featured names with their latest offerings. Enjoy! Nomi - Angelina Jolie Frans Harju - Lupaan etten koskaan mene pois  Thelise - Hold my tequila  Neon 2 - Jäljet

Eurovision a career killer? Think twice! Armenia's entry this year, Snap by Rosa Linn - this blogger's favorites already back then in May and the one that's placement I predicted with the worst margin as I thought it was a Top-5 material - has become already a global hit with the help of TikTok and now it has climbed also on top of the official Finnish radio play chart in just seven weeks. It kicked off from the #1 spot Olli Halonen's Suomen kesä. He's claim to fame until now has been being a member of Satin Circus, the Finnish Eurovision national selection runner up in 2015. Meanwhile in Italy Rosa Linn has released the bilingual version with Alfa, a collaboration that started way before the song went viral and global hit. 

  Another month but #Finpop keeps delivering. The UMK 2015 runner up Satin Circus may no longer exist but two of its members are enjoying solo success: Olli Halonen and Paul Elias. Add Now United star Joalin with her second single and finally Jannika B with yet another banger.  Enjoy! Olli Halonen - Pimeys Joalin - Asi asi Paul Elias - Post sinä Jannika B - Ihmisen muotoinen