Finland will take part in the Eurovision song contest 2026 for the 59th time. Finland has taken part every year since its debut in 1961 - 65 years ago - except in 1970 (when boycotting along with Austria, Norway, Sweden and Portugal the voting system and previous year's chaos) and due to being relegated in 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001 and 2003 thanks to those insane rules back then. Over the years Finland was considered quite an under achiever with last places coming this way a bit too often in the first decades. In this series I will go through the first contests, how we came up with the eventual entry and we can remember from the other songs from those years.
Finland returned in 1962 after the modest but respectable debut in 1961. The open call for songs was launched in the fall and Yle received 170 songs. The number was smaller compared to 1961 as this time they wanted a full song with lyrics and piano arrangement ready rather than only note sheets. Another change was the chosen four finalist songs were performed by two different artists in attempt to find the best composition rather than relaying on the popularity of the artist. The semifinal was broadcasted on television, too, on January 20, 1962 and again on radio only on January 24, 1962. People voted with postcard writing down their Top-3 in order.
The four songs that didn't make the final round were soon forgotten and only Sitä rakkaus on was recorded. For the others there are no records left of the authors either. Ene Laila Kinnunen's entry despite her popularity didn't live on and late Mainie Siren described her entry horrid in some interviews years later.
The Euroviisut 1962 final was broadcasted live not only Finland but also in Sweden, Norway and Denmark and was conducted in both Finnish and Swedish by Aarno Walli. To avoid the debut year's voting failure Yle had set up ten juries all around Finland with ten members each to secure a result during the show. Tipi tii was a runaway winner and only 16-year-old newcomer Marion Rung its better suited performer. She got to record both Top-2 entries on her single. Tipi tii was also recorded by Kai Lind and even Laila Kinnunen but it has become one of Marion's signature songs and one of the most loved and well known Finnish Eurovision entries.
Final results (February 14, 1962):
1. Tipi tii - Marion Rung / Kai Lind (cover) 234
2. Pikku rahastaja - Marion Rung / Kai Lind 129
4. On keskiyö - Vieno Kekkonen / Matti Heinivaho 110
Non finalist songs:
Lumineito - Laila Kinnunen
Anna Angelina - Johnny Forsell
Tiketi tikke tak - Maynie Siren
Sitä rakkaus on - Pirkko Mannola (cover)
Finland opened the Eurovision song contest 1962 in Luxemburg (and the same would happen in 1973 in Luxemburg with Marion Rung bis!) and Tipi tii placed 7th out of 16 scoring 4 points from UK (3) and Norway (1).
Marion Rung (b.1945) started a very successful and even international career that continues still today. Over 20 studio albums, two wins in Sopot song festival/Intervision song contest (1974 and 1980), the first woman to win Finnish music festival Syksyn sävel in 1977, shows in Finland and Sweden, hit singles in Germany, Finland's best placing in Eurovision (6th in 1973) held until Lordi's win in 2006, over 400 songs recorded in Finnish, Swedish, English, German, French, Yiddish and Hebrew.
She took part in Euroviisut again in 1967, 1973 and 1974.
Vieno Kekkonen (b.1934) , actress and singer. She might be 90 but still going strong and appears in tv and performs still occasionally. Her singing career started in mid 1950's and she's got a couple evergreens under her belt. Her recording career spans from 1950's to 1980's. in 1990's she toured with Brita Koivunen, Pirkko Mannola and Marjatta Leppänen, all Euroviisut early years legends.
She took part in Euroviisut again in 1964 and 1965
Matti Heinivaho (1936-2024) started his musical career as lead singer in various groups and bands: Tip Top, Domino and Pelimannipojat. He got his solo breakthrough in 1960 with the second most popular song of the year. Two years later he started working for Yle and produced and directed over 700 music programs. He scored a couple of more hits in the 1960's and released a live album in 2001. In 1970's he moved into politics, too. He participated also in Euroviisut 1963.
Johnny Forsell (1939-1988) came from a family of opera singers and had a short but successful career in the early 1960's with several hits. he also starred in a few musical films. He continued as musician in legendary Dallapè Orchestra and recorded something also in the 1970' before taking over his mom's restaurant. He was back in Euroviisut in 1963.
Maynie Sirén (1924-2003) started her career in 1951 singing in Swedish and moved from schlager to chansons and folk and played guitar as her own orchestra. She won in 1957 a song festival in Moscow. She recorded some 90 songs in her recording career. Her only album is from 1978, again in Swedish. She was often performing in Yle's live shows at the time and returned to Euroviisut 1963.
Pirkko Mannola (b.1938) started her career as model turned into Miss Finland 1958, Miss Europe's 4th runner up 1958, turned into actress in both film and theater winning also the Finnish Oscar, Jussi in , singer, show girl and is today the mother-in-law of President Stubb through engagement. In early 1960's she also had a career as singer in Germany as Pirko Manola even placing 4th in the German Eurovision selection in duet with Wyn Hoop. A total of 34 long films between 1959-2025, over 30 singles between 1958-1997 under her belt she's one of the rare real showgirls in Finland and still going strong appearing here and there. She returned to Euroviisut for another go in 1964.
Read more about Kai Lind in the previous post.
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