Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

 Lena Philipsson is back with a self written perfect tune for the summer: Maria Magdalena (which is actually her real given name!)    with a video that fits her like a glove: name another true Diva who potreys herself shopping in Lidl in evening gown and sitting on toilet apparently having a sh*t? And all filmed on her mobile phone. A day in a life of  Lena Ph, I mean Maria Magdalena Philipsson.....

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

Back in 2004 Anjeza Shahini, a 16-year-old fresh winner of Albanian Idol and Festivali i Këngës had the honors to be her country's debuting artist in the Eurovision song contest in Istanbul. This blogger was also present and faith had it I was among the Albanese group of people in the hall; Anjeza's family and friends and most of the delegation in the audience during the semifinal. To everyone's surprise she made it to the final but those poor people didn't have tickets for the final. One of them gave me the Albanian flag to wave for her in the final instead of them which I did with pleasure. She had Laura Pausini kind of star quality on stage, sitting in the hall you couldn't get your eyes off her and she made that rather akward song work wonders and landed on 7th place in Istanbul .....  She has tried to get back to Eurovision a few times since ( Pse ndal , Në pasqyrë  (2nd), Love (2nd) as well as other festivals. I have been waiting. I want her back. She...

Darin is no stranger to Eurovision having participated in Melodifestivalen 2010 with You're out of my life , six years after his breakthrough in Idols , and being part of the interval act in 2013 Eurovision semi final. He has become one of the most succesful if not the most succesful Idols born artist in Sweden despite being only runner up (to Daniel Lindström - who? and beating Loreen among others). He started in English but switched to Swedish (and more acoustic sound) in 2014 and it made him even more popular. Seven out of his 8 albums went to #1 so far, and he has also 10 top-10 singles to his credit. He has also written songs for other artists and was even asked to write a song for the Crown Princess Victoria's wedding, Can't stop love . Tvillingen was the most played song in Swedish radios in 2017. His career is also going strong in Asia.  Check out also Nobody knows , Lovekiller , Mamma mia , Ta mig tillbaka  and F your love . If only SVT could manage him get...

Hanna-Riikka Siitonen (47) has died of thyroid cancer she was diagnosed in 2000.  She was multiple times a backing singer for Finland in the Eurovision song contest (1996, 2004, 2005) and participated in the national selection 2006 and was a featuring figure in the opening and interval acts in Helsinki 2007 Eurovision. She was one of the most used backing and studio singers in Finland, and worked a lot in television and theatre both in music and acting, radio and was Idols vocal coach. She was a daughter of Fredi aka Matti Siitonen (Finland ESC 1967, 1976, composer 1979).  In 1990's she formed multiplatinum selling duo Taikapeili with Nina Tapio. 

Let's see now if his devoted fans will forgive him this, too. Jari Sillanpää was arrested at the Helsinki airport yesterday when returning from a long holiday in Thailand, where he has a holiday house. According Iltalehti he is still jailed by the police who will decide on arresting him on Wednesday. Police goes for "No comment" policy for the matter at this point but it is rumored it's part of the earlier arrest and investigation on the drug smuggling circle they now suspect him being part of. Last September he was arrested when driving in Helsinki under the effect of chrystal or methamphetamine. He didn't deny at any point and in the end was fined 23.790 euros. One can read in the report he admits having used chrystal for three years but not any other drugs and has showed no regret at any point. It is rumored he had also now drugs on him when arrested..... Update: It's confirmed he had drugs on him when arrested. He can only be very happy he wasn'...

  Spain is turning into Operación Triunfo to find their Eurovision entrant for Lisbon 2018. But there's a twist: there will be a specially staged Eurovision final for the five finalists - before the OT is over! The five finalists will have songs written by experienced composers to compete and televoters will choose the winning compination. After that OT continues to its end so the OT winner may not be the one going to Eurovision.  Nine out of original 18 singers are still in the competition, but four more has to go before we get to the Eurovision stages. The next episode will air after New Year's so February looks likely for the OT/ESC final. Then again, this isn't something new either: Beth who represented Spain in those OT years didn't win OT either. She only came 3rd in OT behind Ainhoa and Manuel Carrasco but beat them in the special Eurovision selection. The year before when the first OT was used as Eurovision selection the winner Rosa took her runner u...

UMK fan favorite Eini is celebrating her 40th anniversary in the business (Yes, you read right: 4-0) and for the occasion she will finally reunite with Eurovision veterans Baccara. Two special concerts are arranged in Helsinki and Hyvinkää on November 22 and 23. But why, I hear you ask? Eini's first hit was a Finnish cover of Baccara's yes sir, I can boogie and both versions are rea evergreens in Finland. Baccara was even the very first foreign act to sell platinum in Finland, or over 100.000 copies of their  self titled 1978 album. Their success continued with the next album that sold gold.  Baccara, as we know it from Eurovision aka Mayte Meteos and Maria Mendiola went separate ways in 1982 but both continues to perform under Baccara with different partners. Mayte's baccara has been more succesful and led them even to melodifestivalen in 2004. Today the "original" Baccara is Mayte with Paloma Blanco. And Eini? She's still going strong and maybe more...

Jari Sillanpää was arrested when driving under narcotics Tuesday evening. Police patrol noticed a car driving carelessly and when stopped he was quick tested positive in drugs. He was taken to blood tests and his apartment was searched. They also found what is suspected to be crystal meth or methamphetamine in his car. This is a major scandal as he has had a very clean cut image and he even stopped drinking a few years ago. In short he went from an ideal son-in-law (desite being gay) to a drug addict in one night.  His incredulous fans are also being quite cruel to him in social medias, and some say they aren't his fans anymore and his career is over. Some are urging him to get help and get over it. The timing couldn't be worse, as tomorrow the episode of his day in hugely popular Vain elämää variety show will be aired (until now the tv channels plans to go ahead with it) where other artists will cover his songs and he has a change to tell about his life and career. Ap...

Jari Sillanpää turns 52 today. He's been one of the leading figures in the Finnish music business since 1996 and his album sales are nearing 850.000 making him a top-5 best selling Finnish act/artist of all time. His Sinä ansaitset kultaa has spent 119 weeks in the Radio Top-100 already since it was released in 2014.... last week at #80! Congratulations!

Lena Philipsson started flirting with the agent theme in her 1989 My name album and went full on Agent 006 in her 1991 concept album Woman's gotta do what woman's gotta do and the show tour that followed. Now she's hinting a return of the Agent 006 in her social media video where the said agent is seen vacuuming the floors.... and she still looks awesome in the outfit!  This blogger loves the album and would just be thrilled is the story continues..... please Lena please....

Jari Sillanpää's Sinä ansaitset kultaa celebrates 100th consegutive week in the Finnish radio top-100. The ballad climbs again from last week's 84th to this week's 63rd. The song has never made it to number one on radio chart reaching #4 in March 2015 and again in May 2015. It spent four weeks in the official singles chart reaching #13 in January 2015. In download chart it made it to #1 for two weeks in December 2014 and spent there a total of 35 weeks, 12 of them in top-10.  This is no doubt one of the biggest hits of the 2010's in Finland and his biggest one with his debut Satulinna from 1995.... Congratulations!

It's no secret Jari Sillanpää is a big Eurovision fan besides being one of the biggest stars in Finland for the past 20 years already. His trip to Istanbul 2004 didn't quite go as he (and we) may have planned so the will to make it better is there. Recently he's got a new team behind him and he's more popular than ever, selling albums again, filling Olympic stadium for his birthday party, winning reality variety shows on television, judging Talent and having a song in the radio top-100 for almost two years already...  And guess what? His new team thinks he'd be perfect for Eurovision. Or rather Eurovision is a perfect for Jari. Leri Leskinen tells in Jari's recently published biography: "That huge stage, all those parties, it's so Jari. He's been there once but he should do it again. The whole event is like made for him. We have talked about it. We should have some huge ballad there, it's fashiobable now. Adele has vintage written all ove...

I had a pleasure to visit Qormi wine festival and spend a fabulous night. The food was great, the music was great, the wine was great.... and the people were amazing. In between enjoying the music by a duo Gianni & Papps first, and then by Spiteri Lucas Band with singers Kaya, Neville Refalo, Ivan and Eurovision veterans Ludwig Galea and Chiara taking leads (on again.... off again so to speak) and supporting each other through rock and pop classics to today's hits.  Highly entertaining evening in every sense of the word. I was lucky enough to have a chat with Chiara and greet also Ludwig, who I saw last in Istanbul 2004. Chiara turned out to be the most lovable and wonderful person - check out the video of Grande amore below to see her blowing kisses just for you!    She also sung her very own Angel , but also Euphoria and Waterloo , Dancing queen .... Sadly by dear old Lumia decided not to cooperate at that point anymore :-( But after the jump yo...

Jari Sillanpää, one of the most popular Finnish artists of all time, Tango King 1995 and Eurovision 2004 entrant has revealed literally it all in a new biography that hit the stores earlier this month. He describes in detail his first time with a man, his newfound love to dress up in drag as his alter ego Rosa and all sort of things from his father's violence to alcoholism. And if you are into such things, maybe you have seen him on some videochat as Rosa having fun with his boyfriend?! Not all fans have been pleased to know too intimate details about his past life but he wanted to bare it all. Read more after the jump. Jari, who celebrated his 50th birthday in small scale and intimate at the Helsinki Olympic stadium last summer with full house, will be on TV-screen this fall-winter season as one of the Talent judges.  Meanwhile his success has no end. His Sinä ansaitset kultaa has been in the Radioplay Top-100 already 93 consecutive weeks, at no.65 this week, after top...

Amir, who represented France with success - for a change! - at the Eurovision song contest 2016 in Stockholm released his debut French* album during the Eurovision holabaloo. The album includes besides his Eurovision entry J'ai cherche also his  single Oasis but ignoring his The Voice single All of me and video Candle in the wind . Nor this wonderful David D'Or affair is included. Twelve songs with a nice mixture of French pop, a hint of oriental especially in the way he uses his voice at times. Some English here and there. There are several songs that would have been worthy the Eurovision stage in Globen. This blogger enjoys the whole album and it's difficult to pick up songs to highlight but Tres haut, I know, Ma vie ma ville mon monde, Lost and Il est temps qu'on m'aime are all excellent and playing in this household in repeat. If you haven't got this album yet and liked J'ai cherche even a little bit you will like this album. Buy it. Amir deser...

Jari Sillanpää has already launched his own sparkling wine and nasty thermometer for sauna but here comes something more dear to Finns: coffee! His own coffee brand is available as of today.

Jari Sillanpää has already given us sparkling wine, and soon we will be able to drink his coffee. Right now he's hotter than Finnish sauna with a sauna thermometer. And its naughtyness has divided even his diehard fans. Kitchy and tasteless or pure geniality (knowing the rumor about his endowment, lol)? If you want a piece of his stiffy order here . How much can you take?

Lena Philipsson is set to start her new show in Cirkus, Stockholm to celebrate her 30th anniversary as an artist, and why not also her 50th birthday she just celebrated last month. The new show is based on her latest album Jag är ingen älskling released late last year. Of course she will be also performing her older hits and there will be quite a lot of talk, too, but then knowing her twit sense of self irony and comedian skills that's only a good thing. She also explains it's going to be very intimate affair, as the audience will be very close to her and stage, and not a huge show as she's done all that before. It's a lot of her by the piano and the band playing in the background. But the rehearsals have proven it doesn't stop the audience getting on their feet and dancing along to the music and in such moments the stage pretty much disappears and she's just singing among them.  She's got Emma Bucht, a theater director onboard making the show so besid...

Ukraine has revealed the 18 names that are competing in the national final to be held once again after last year's unfortunate and forced withdrawel as they were busy with other more important things. But they are back and ready to kick some ass. The line up includes some heavuweighters like Anastasia Prykhodko who sung for Russia in Moscow 2009. Today she's not very friendly with Russia it seems..... Jamala has also kissed and made up and is back in the national selection, as are NeAngely and Victoria Petryk, who already had success in JESC and has tried already to step into the big one. Then we have Brunettes Shoot Blondes who released that amazing video Knock knock knock last year - I never knew they came from Ukraine! Eurovision 2004 winner Ruslana and Eurovision 2007 runner up Verka Serduchka, or rather Andrei Danilko are in the jury. This looks very promising! The semifinals are on February 6 and 13, and the grand final on February 21. SunSay Jamala The Hardkis...