Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

  Like Ricchi e Poveri also Loredana Bertè is a real Sanremo veteran. Ten participations plus one disqualification leads to her participation in 2024. She has scored huge hits and evergreens on her career but somehow they haven't come from Sanremo where she usually has landed on bottom bits. Her best is 4th, both her last two participations in 2012 and 2019. This Amici non ne ho in 1994 placed 13th but is my far my favorite of her entries along with the latest, Cosa ti aspetti da me .

That Sara Tavares appearance went totally unnoticed and ignored by most and every fan website/blog tells volumes how limited their general knowledge about the contest and it's history and past is....  Just sayin'... Still one of the finest voices around.... and one of Portugal's finest entries. 

  The reigning Eurovision champion starts its search for the follow up entry at home soil in Lisbon 2018 Eurovision song contest. tonight As usual, RTP invited composers to create a song, choose a singer and tonight half of them, 13, will perform and a jury will pick up seven for the final. Actually, RTP invited 22 composers, one was chosen by Eurovision winner Saldavor Sobral (Janeiro), one got the ticket by a contest organized by a radio station (Daniela Onis, in 2nd semi) and two were chosen among the open submissions: Rita Diaz and Peter Serrado (in 2nd semi) The jury includes singers and composers, radio hosts and journalists and some familiar names: last year's winning entry's composer Luisa Sobral and Eurovision veteran Sara Tavares among others. Among artists another Eurovision veterans, Anabela and Jose Cid. Judging the snippets (click below) I'm most looking forward to Peu, Janeiro, JP, Catarina, Beatriz, Maria and Rita.... Peu Madureira – Só Por E...

  The queen arrived, still a bit down with the voice but she came, sung and conquered singing alone and with Claudio Baglioni and not only: she also went outside to sing to the people infront of the Teatro Ariston. Things only she can permit to do ... in her Giorgio Armani Privé long black dress.... Hope she didn't catch the laringhite again!  Laura's career started just in Sanremo 25years ago in 1993 when she won the Newcomers with La solitudine . The year after she placed third with Strani amori among Big and has sold millions on albums and recorded in Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and English and become the best known Italian pop singer ever globally. 

  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..... Ami Aspelund and her Fantasiaa restored some Eurovision pride in 1983 after a string of rather disastrous results, and the early 80s Finns were pretty satisfied when also 1984 and 1985 brought us decent results. The song is also remembered thanks t...

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!

We all know the girls of CatCat are bubbly and sweet but now they are that literally: they have launched their very own dry apple cider with strawberry flavour! Perfect for those endless white summer nights when sun never sets and music never stops and you just don't want to say bye bye baby, baby goodbye ..... If in Helsinki, get yours from a lovely special shop Pien in the heart of Helsinki by Tuomas and Erkki in Ateneuminkuja between Stockmann and the railway station. 

It's already a tradition YLE dusts off some old Euroviisut broadcasts for the May Day and today is no exception. On Yle Teema channel at noon we have again Eurovision Brunch with the Finnish selections of 1993 and 1994. HAPPY WAPPU EVERYONE! The 1993 was a bit special one as that year YLE invited four super ladies for the competition: Katri Helena, Paula Koivuniemi, Marjorie and Arja Koriseva . Each had two songs selected from the submitted ones and the whole show was very low key in YLE's studios. Katri Helena's Tule luo was a clear winner. In 1994 it was back to normal, big show in Tampere talo. But it was a flop, they didn't manage to fill the concert hall even half way, maybe due to the very unknown line up, but in television it was a success when almost 1,2 million watched CatCat march to the victory with Bye bye baby . There was the telvoting for the first time and the votes were given out by regions plus the ones from the audience in the hall. CatCa...

What a better way to celebrate 25th anniversary in the music business than give the fans a real pearl: A song penned by Ralph Siegel for the Finnish national final Euroviisut in 2005, Pirates on the dancefloor . The song just missed out the semifinal then, to Ralph's great disappointment. Do you think they had done better than Geir Rönning asking Why in Kyiv?   Virpi and Katja got to work with the original Mr Eurovision thanks to mutual friends and it didn't take them long to be in Munich and in Ralph's studio. But not only, the most charming gentleman, as they describe him showed them the best of Munich from Oktober Fest to fine dining.  The song can be found on their new compilation album simply titled CatCat25 to be released in early May. Or in Spotify for example, by clicking the song title above. Check out the exclusive photo gallery from their Munich trip after the jump....

Cat Cat is back with a new single and a new album is on its way to celebrate their 25th year in the business. The sisters have been doing gigs all these years along with raising families and other jobs. Virpi has been through a highly public and nasty divorce from singer Tauski. She tells she sold everything but her piano and artistic wardrobe to cover the costs. But the girls don't have the legendry Dublin Eurovision 1994 dresses - YLE refuses to sell them to them. When needed they rent them and "do a watermelon diet for days" to fit back in.   They also tell they have been asked for gigs abroad as well over the years - Spain, Sweden and Germany - for various Eurovision events but have refused so far as they feel Finland is enough. With the anniversary celebrations this might change though so you might see them somewhere next year if asked. They also tell they are more secure now than when younger and these days it's guys at gigs who strip off their shirts..... ...

Poland has revelaed today the names for the final and yes, all the rumored ones are in from Margaret to Edyta to Michal. The surprise is Napoli that is bordering ridiculous. They already came 2nd in the Belarusian final this year with the same song. Are there no rules? Taraka is an Ukrainian-Polish band that made headlines over the world with Give Ukraine a helping hand . The Polish final will take place on March 5, 2016.  Anyways, I'm all for Margaret!  Natalia Szroeder – Lustra Edyta Górniak – Grateful Taraka – In the Rain Aleksandra Gintrowska – Missing Michal Szpak – Colour of Your Life Margaret – Cool me down Kasia Mos – Addiction Dorota Osinska – Universal Napoli – My Universe

Poland has closed its submission period and has received  almost 70 goodies, it is rumored. And guess what? Among the lat minute submission are the ones by Margaret and Edyta Gorniak with Gratefu l! Other names include Michal Szpak (X Factor runner up) with Color of your life , Kasia Nova with Love is music , Szymon Wydra (Pop Idol finalist), Monika Urlik (from The Voice) and Hubert Centkowski. The Polish final Krajowe Eliminacje 2016 will be in Warzaw on March 5, 2016. The finalists will be announced next week.

The rumor gets stronger and stronger: Laura Pausini will be in Sanremo 2016? But hold your horses, she won't be in the competition but as a guest, and possibly the co-host? Last time Carlo Conti took two singers, Emma and Arisa next to him and this year he wants them both in the competition again. Time will tell if that will be the case. Both have already won it, too, and Emma has even done Eurovision while Arisa has declared several times she wants to do it. Would it be too soon for her to win again? But back to Laura. She's one of those stars born in Sanremo. She came, sung La solitudine back in 1993 and won the newcomers and charmed Italians and half of Europe alike. Next year she was back among the Big and placed third with Strani amori . Since then she has become a worldstar with over 70 million sold albums, been back to Sanremo twice as guest star (2001, 2006), she has dueted with countless local and international stars, been nominated and won Grammys and other awar...

Kukat kauniit or Pretty flowers is the name of a new CatCat album to be releaed later this spring. It's a move away from their uptempo songs, like their unforgettable Bye bye baby in Eurovision 1994. The sisters have continued their career all these years and this is their fifth studio album. They have also released a couple of official compilations and one Christmas album. Listen to their new single off the album here: Kukat kauniit Did you know Katja was one of the originally chosen members of Six4One ?

Let's stay in the region with another new video. Zabluda . Blunders. That's the title of the duet of two Eurovision veterans and local superstars. Zeljko Joksimovic has done it all in Eurovision for Serbia except winning: 2nd place ( Lane moje ), third place ( Nije ljubav stvar ) and even hosting (Belgrade 2008) and Toni Cetinski ( Nek'ti bude ljubav sva ) did the honors for Croatia already 20 years ago.  This video is clearly sponsored by bottled water but the song isn't watered down at all. It's Zeljko at his best: beautiful melody, slightly ethnic arrangement and a lot of Slavic pathos. I have no idea what they are singing about but when Toni enters I'm sold. Fabulous.

There's no doubt Laura Pausini is one of the most succesful Italian singers of all time. She broke through by winning the Sanremo 1993 Newcomers with La solitudine . Since then her record sales are counted in millions all over the world. She has recorded for the US market in English, in Spanish and Portuguese for the Latin market, in French for France. Countless collaborations and duets with world class stars have been her thing all the way. Tonight RAI 1 will broadcast (21.15 CET) her special show from the magnificient Greek anfitheater in Taormina, Sicily celebrating these 20 years with her. Of course she has also special guests and most importantly the past two Italian Eurovision acts: Marco Mengoni and Emma Marrone . Mengoni gets to do James Blunt 's bits in Primavera in anticipo (It is my song) while Emma is featured in Con la musica alla radio with other female stars ( Noemi, Paola Turci, Malika Ayane, L'Aura, Syria and La Pina ). Other guests of the night...

Andràs Kállay-Saunders is yet another third time lucky in this years Eurovision with Running . His previous attemps ( I love you 2012, My baby 2013) made him known and last year he was already a runner up with #1 hit in Hungary with his entry. He's a New York born son of an American soul singer and a Hungarian model. His father started from Detroit and planted the Motown sound to his son, something this blogger has loved already for years. In 2011 András moved to Hungary to be close to his ill granny, saw the ad for the local Idols like talent show and the rest is history! Robert: Dal, the Hungarian preselection was less interesting for me this year. Previous years, there were many more good quality songs to be found to my taste and Kedvesem of last year was an absolute topper for me. However, Hungary managed to choose the best song of their preselection this year. I like it and expect it to do very well. YES final. Blogilkar: Once again the Hungarian Dal was a very goo...

The very first Estonian Eurovision artist, Silvi Vrait is no longer among us. Aged only 62, she died earlier today after a short illness. She was diagnosed with brain tumor in April 2013. This blogger feels very sad for this, as this year's entrant Birgit shared some very fond memories of working with her in our interview in Malmö 2013, and her death was a complete surprise. Here's Nagu merelaine .

Edyta Gorniak is having a great success in Poland again with her 6th album My. Teraz-tu features a very summery video and is in Polish but recently she has also released Consequence s that's in English. What a fine vocalist she is and Poland should definately send her off to Eurovision again to make better her second place with   To nie ja ....

Oh yes, it's already 20 years since the Kätkä sisters Virpi ja Katja or CatCat started their career as a sort of page three girls and became the hottest thing on earth in Finland in spring 1994 with Eurovision and  Bye bye baby . With ups and downs, breaks and comebacks it's been twenty years and they are here again, with a new compilation album that you can sample here and order here for the price of ... 5 euros! How could you not order it? As there is also another Eurovision track included.....