Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Katri Helena, the legendary "blue and white voice" and Finnish Icon and legend turns 80 tomorrow and will retire from music business after 62 years with a mega concert in Helsinki Olympic stadium. YLE will film the show and broadcast it on Finland's Independence day on December 6. She's got under her belt some 500 recorded songs, 50+ albums, countless hits, two Eurovision song contests (1979 and 1993) and various other international festivals. Her hometown Tohmajärvi has named a street after her. She has top-10 album in six decades.  She has sold almost two million records and earned 19 gold discs, four platinum albums and one multi platinum. And she does it with the biggest possible way: the before mentioned last performance at Helsinki Olympic stadium! Besides the stadium mega concert she releases also a double greatest hits featuring the following hits, among them several Eurovision covers and obviously her own Eurovision entries: 1 Elämän tie 2025 (Her last record...

She's the blue 'n white voice of Finland and has been singing already 63 years but all that comes to an end on August 16, 2025 - the night before she turns 80. The Helsinki Olympic stadium will see and hear her belt out her hits from the 1960's, 1970's, 1980's, 1990's, 2000's, 2010's and finally 2020's in a concert tile The Last Night, that will be her one and only performance in 2025. Her career has been long and unlike most everyone she doesn't have had particularly lows but highs and even higher periods of stardom and hit potential. One of the highest heights she's living right now as the new young generations have found and adopted her as well. She has also never really had a break, except in late 1980's/early 1990's after the sudden death of her husband. She returned in 1992 with Anna mulle tähtitaivas, her biggest selling album and the title song she says is her favorite of them all.  Her debut single Poiken kuvat released in 1...

Loreen of Sweden is the 15th previous Eurovision song contest winner who has decided and/or managed give it another try. Only Ireland's Johnny Logan has managed to win twice, as we all know. One can't really do a ranking however as the contest had changed so much from the 1950's with maybe a dozen songs to the approx 40 we have these days. In coming days I will feature the winners who decided to come back  after  winning the contest as there also many winners who have won with their second or third try.   If several winners in 1950's and 1960's came back for more in the 1870's only Anne-Marie David (70) did so, even switching from Luxemburg for her native France. In 1973 she secured Luxemburg's 4th win and second in a row in a very tight battle. Tu te reconnaitras got 129 points, runner up Spain 125, third UK 123. Her song became a massive international hit and launched her career abroad, especially in Turkey of all places. Six years later she was back, for ...

    Katri Helena is no doubt THE Finnish female singer, The White'n'Blue Voice. Over six decades she has delivered hits and painted the Finnish mind landscape with her songs, many of them that have proven ageless over the years.  She has recorded nearly 500 songs, released over 50 albums and sold almost two million records and she can cover a wall or two with her gold, platimun and diamond discs. Besides doing Eurovision song contest twice for Finland, she also did Rostock 1965, Cannes 1967 and Sopot 1969. She has performed in Japan, France, Estonia, USSR, DDR and Poland. In Finland she's been touring and performing since 1963 and over the decades won several awards. She has taken part in the Finnish Eurovision national final Euroviisut six times and you can enjoy those songs below: 1965 - Minne tuuli kuljettaa (1st/3rd) The 1965 Euroviisut is still remembred but for all the wrong reasons. Katri Helena actually won the public voting - and many still b...

Eurovision 1979 moved to Jerusalem and for some reason I remember the theme music and opening so well. I remember loving the then high tech stage figure rotating in the background and also the palmstrees etc in the hosts corner. The postcards were very fynny back then, now not so much. One can spot Fredi (who also composed the Finnish entry) saluting in the audience after Italy who were the first to perform without any orchestra backing. The artists names appeared on screen besides the song titles! I remember most of the songs so well, and those picked here below are the top ones but I can't forget Portugal, Italy, Monaco, Switzerland.... France, Belgium, Netherlands.... A good year for sure! Watching again now the Spanish kids seem a bit weird but back then they were cool. And oh my, there was someone on stage for the first time who didn't sing at all! No microphone! Of course the Dschingis Khan himself! I was totally in love with them and I was so pissed Israel won again...

Whoever got the idea of that backdrop is a genius! L-o-v-e! Last night's interval act included 1979 winner Gali Atari singing her entry Hallelujah joined by other Eurovision winners Conchita Wurst and Måns Zelmerlöw and runner ups Eleni Foureira and Verka Serduchka. (From 8mins 45) That was already third time the song has featured in the Eurovision final as also last time Israel hosted the show back in 1999 it was there, and even closing the show - the only time the show has ended with some other song than the winner btw - when then winner Charlotte Perrelli then Nilsson was joined on stage by all the toher artists to sing it for the memory of Balcan war victims (on video from 3h 10mins onwards) And of course it was also sun in 1979 contest when it won at home soil in Jerusalem. The song is a true classic with many meanings. 

Helsinki and Finland will get its own museum celebrating Finnish music, a multimedia affair inspired by Stockholm's ABBA Museum among others. It will also include the Finnish Music Hall of Fame and the first ten names included have been revealed. The only living one among the legends is none other than the blue & white voice Katri Helena (73). Her career spans already six decades and she has released over 50 albums, recorded nearly 500 songs and sold over 1,5 million albums. On top of that several international festivals including Eurovision song contest. Twice.  The museum will be opening in fall 2019 in Helsinki's Pasila district's new Tripla complex. The other Fame names included are classical composer Jean Sibelius , opera singer and creator of Savonlinna opera festival in Olavinlinna castle  Aino Ackté , dance orchestra Dallapé (still existing, since 1925!), singer, musician and composer Georg Malmsten , king of tango Olavi Virta , folk virtuoso Konsta J...

Jan Ola Sand and EBU gang have been to Israel to go through with KAN/IPBC the three proposals for hosting the Eurovision song contest in 2019. The choice is between fan favorite Tel Aviv, Israeli politicians favorite Jerusalem and outsider Eilat. We should know the decision shortly.  Eilat apparently has a plan a bit similar to Copenhagen 2014 to create the venue in the Port of Eilat in some old hangar or warehouse...? Jan Ola Sand stated EBU will not overlook the out of the box solutions if they only meet the schedule. There's always a risk though, ask Copenhagen that went well over budget and had some schedule issues as well but in the end it served its purpose wonderfully giving us one of the best stages ever - outside the venue was another story then, especially getting to the Eurovision Island..... Eilat is Israel's southernmost town with a population of 50.000, and an important touristic spot between Negev desert and Red Sea squeezed between Egypt, Jordania and...

One of Eurovision legend Ralph Siegel's most succesful songs - if not the most sold one - Moskau is reborn. Back in 1979 is charted all over Europe hitting #1 in Germany, Japan, Russia and Australia of all places and has since sold millions in dozens of versions in different languages. And here we have some more new versions and videos, reproduced by Siegel himself with British born Jay Khan and the German lyrics revisited by Bernd Meinunger for the occasion of the FIFAWorld Championships in Russia this summer. Original band members Edina Pop and Henriette Strobel provide vocals as well with the recent band members while the Russian and Spanish versions have featured lead singers Alexander Malinin with his daughter and Mexican Jorge Jiménez and Marifer Medrano.  Moskau Moskau lives again in a worldwide event, after being used as a theme songs during Moscow Olympics by Aussies and played all over the world. Now this summer, soccer games give us an excuse to listen this pearl of...

Eurovision 1979 legends Dschingis Khan are still going strong and this summer their megahit - and one of this blogger's all time favorite songs - Ralph Siegel's stunning Moskau has been taken as this summer's football anthem! How very fitting. And awesome! The song, originally releaseed in 1979 was later released in 1980 in English for the Moscow Olympic Games and has been covered dozens of times in various languages, for example Finnish . It has sold zillions! Stay tuned for more!

Johnny Logan, born as Seán Sherrard in Australia, moved back to Ireland at the age of 3 with his Irish born parents. Coming from a musical family he first tried to get to Eurovision in 1979 with Angie , placing 3rd.  The year after he was back with What's another year and won. Seven times 12 points gave him an easy won obver Germany's Katja Epstein who placed 2nd. (After being twice 3rd, must be frustrating!) He earned an UK #1 and a big hit all over Europe. Sadly his follow up singles flopped and he was soon considered a one hit wonder..... Meantime he wrote Terminal 3 for Linda Martin, the Eurovision 1984 runner up. In 1987 he decided to givee Eurovision another go as his career wasn't going anywhere. Hold me now won leaving Germany 2nd again, and he became the first ever double winner. It certaibly was worth returning, as his career also took another turn now and he got it going in Ireland and Germany, and kept it going elsewhere, too, even if those winners...

Anne-Marie David started with Eurovision in 1972 when she participated in the French selection with Un peu romantique , after doing a succesful Maria Magdalena in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar.  She didn't win but the year after Luxembourg chose her and Tu te reconnaitrais and she took a close second victory in the row for the Grand Dutchy beating pre-contest favorites UK's Cliff Richard and Spain's Mocedades; they are finished within six points when David scored 129 points and Richard placed third with 123. Anne-Marie Davis became international star and toured the world and participated in various festivals from Tokyo to Vina del Mar, and ended up in Turkey of all places where she released songs even in Turkish and enjoyed fame and popularity.  In 1979 she was back, this time for France and her Je suis l'enfant soleil placed third. Again the top-3 was way ahead of the others but in the end she was 19 points behind the Israeli winners, a second win in...

  Finland celebrates its 100th year as an independent state and has ever since searched for its place in Europe and the world, between East and West. Sometimes with less success. As we speak in 1939 we were at war again with Soviet Union but - let's make a huge change of subject here -  since 1961 Finland has been taking part in the Eurovision song contest (and we also took part, and won twice, the copycat contest behind the Iron curtain, Intervision song contest). It may have taken awhile before we won, but it never stopped us taking part. EBU did, in those crazy 1990's-early 2000's. Let's look back in coming days as a countdown to the Big Day some of the most memorable and significant entries from Finland..... In 1993 YLE was again rather desperate and decided to go for a small scale national final with four invited ladies each with two songs. Katri Helena , ever so popular, won with a very Finnish song Tule luo with accordeon and all. The bule and white...

The blue & white voice, living legend Katri Helena turns 72 today. She's been around since 1963 and has recorded nearly 500 songs, 52 albums, sold over 1,5 million records, been awarded 19 gold, 4 platinum and one double platinum album. And she's still going strong.  Congratulations!

Fredi aka Matti Siitonen  turns 75 today! He has represented Finland twice in the Eurovision and has even written an additional entry (1979). His daughter Hanna-Riikka has kept the family name alive in the Eurovision in the 1990's and 2000's as a backing singer and national final competitor. Congratulations!

Indonesian born Sandra Reemer aka Xandra has died at the age of 66 in Amsterdam. She represented the Netherlands three times at the Eurovision song contest; 1972 with Andres and Als het om de liefde gaat , 1976 with The party's over and in 1979 with Colorado . She died of breast cancer after being diagnosed earlier this year.... 

Today, back in 1979 Israel won for the second time in a row the Eurovision song contest at homeground, in the International Convention Center in Jerusalem. The song was originally offered for Habini group who turned it down (but would represent Israel in 1981). Israel also turned down the opportunity to host the 1980 contest (and Haag in the Netherlands took the job). 19 countries participated while Turkey withdraw, due to the pressure from Arab countries. They even had selected their song Seviyorum and had been drawn in the running order as 11th.  It was a close run with Spain's Su cancion , the rule for the minimum age didn't exist at the time and stage was filled with kids. Spain was the last to vote and leading, with Israel one point behind. Spain however awarded Israel 10 points and thus handed over the victory and Betty Missiego played a good sport. The 1973 winner Anne Marie David was back, this time for France and finished third. It was also a rich year of retu...

Katri Helena has been succesful for 50 years already and she has sold nearly 2  million albums in Finland, collected 17 gold, 4 platinum and 1 double platinum albums, but she has never been one to put the top of the charts on fire - her only #1 album is from the 1970's and her last top-3 from 1995. But now she enter with her new and 32nd studio album Taivaan tie , ( listen here) her first in three years straight at number 3, just behind Tuomas Holopainen (of Nightwish) and Kaija Koo, who also enter the charts with their new ones. Here are her charting albums since 1995: 1995 Vie minut (3.) 1998 Missä oot (33.) 2003 Sydämen laulut (compilation) (15.) 2004 Tässä tällä hetkellä (13.) 2006 Elämän langat (10.) 2009 Tulet aina olemaan (14.) 2011 Valon maa (5.) 2012 Sinivalkoinen (compilation) (18.) 2014 Taivaan tie (3. so far ) She has got additional gold disc for Leidit lavalla, an album and tour she did with Marion Rung, Lea Laven and Paula Koivuniemi in 2000...

Katri Helena is a real legend and still going strong. To celebrate her 50th anniversary in show business her native home town Tohmajärvi has decided to name its main street Katri Helenan raitti . It replaces the old names Kauppakatu and parts of Kirkkotie, being about 1,1 km long. The renaming will take place during Potsipäivät, the village fest this summer, on June 28, 2014. Katri Helena will be present obviously, and will treat the people of Tohmajärvi with a free open air concert the night before.  A museum of her career is also planned and she has promised to donate some stuff herself.  Who knows if the dresses she wore in Eurovisions in Jerusalem 1979 and Millstreet 1993 will end up there? Katri Helena has just finished a tour of over 30 concerts celebrating her 50 years in business. The tour started in October 2013 and was mostly sold out. She will release a book and a new album, both titled Taivaan tie on April 12. A very fitting title as it translates t...

The most loved Finnish female singer, and twice Eurovision represent Katri Helena hits the road again to celebrate her 50th anniversary in the business. And on the top. Her career has been rather solid without any major ups and downs but she's been on top all the time. She's got 22 gold, platinum or double platinum discs decorating the walls of her home and the total sales are over 1,5 million albums in a country of five million. Besides Eurovision she has represented Finland in Rostock and Sopot music festivals as well as in Cannes. She has also performed in Japan, Sovjet Union, Estonia, France.... and won countless awards from the Female artist of the year to the Most positive person of the year . Last year she was one of the artists in the hugely popular Vain elämää reality TV-series, where artists live together for awhile and sing each other's songs. Even a musical has been made of her life, still running. Besides the tour it was recently announced she is writing...