Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Ossi Runne (86), the legendary Finnish Eurovision conductor (22 editions from 1966's self-penned Play-boy to 1989's La dolce vita . He also commented Eurovision for YLE in 1981 and 1990) is still following Eurovision, as he tells in Studio55's interview (in Finnish here ) but only the final these days. He thinks a good Eurovision song is a one that is liked all over Europe and the secret of Eurovision's sucess is the fact each and every TV-viewer is an expert. True.  In the old days the conductor besides conducting the orchestra obviously also arranged the song. He says he did so many Eurovision that he wasn't nervous anymore, it was routine and he felt no stress. "We had two 45 minute rehearsals with the orchestra those days.  They were always already well rehearsed beforehand, both orchetra and the artist. My main target was always make justice to the Finnish song, and take it and make others take it seriously. Some other conductors didn't take it s...

The Finnish Eurovision entry Playboy from 1966 lives again. Timo Pieni Huijaushas sampled it to his new album's lead single. Here . No comment.

Aftonbladet claims SVT has been fighting with NRK to be able to have the red color for their entry on stage in Oslo 2010. NRK insisted on having blue color (like Charlotte Perrelli and Malena Ernman, btw) for Anna Bergendahl. As a compromise the stage turns into blue for a moment near the end of the song. "We wanted to have some warmth to the entry" says Christer Björkman "but NRK wants to turn Anna an ice queen. We already fought for the light sticks to be handed to the audience and in the end got a permission for them. They will be also in red, specially made and ordered from the US. We need to stick out from the mass of blue ballads!" Video .

Anna Oxa would have made a comeback to Eurovision ten years after Avrei voluto with Senza pietá , one of the finest songs she has recorded the past 20 years or so (yes, I do think she has lost it!) Back in 1989 she declared she wanted to win Sanremo just to do Eurovision so I would think she would have said yes to it also in 1999. Antonella Ruggiero was the runner up for the second year running with Non ti dimentico (se non ci fossero le nuvole) . Albano was back with Ancora in volo (6th) but one of the most interesting songs and singers was Marina Rei with Un inverno da baciare . Otherwise rather forgettable year but the newcomers had a lot of interesting names: Alex Britti , Filippa Giordano , Leda Battisti , Daniele Groff and Max Gazzé .

Ann Christine, one of the leading ladies of the 1960's, participated in Euroviisut only once and won. She recorded some 20 singles and 3 eps between 1962-1969 but instead of schlager she was more of a jazz and rock girl (and a very good friend of Laila Kinnunen). Her career started as usual in a talent contest she won and got a five year recording contract and her debut single "Lalaika/Kun twistataan (Let's twist again)" was released in 1962. It sold over 11.000 copies and remained her best selling single ever. By 1973 she was bored with singing, considered a career as a urse but it didn't quite work out so she walked into a bank and asked for a job. She got it and stopped singing just like that. In 1976 she backed her belongings and moved to Sweden where she still lives and says "I don't sing even in the shower anymore!" (She did come to Euroviisut 2007 as a guest and did a play back to Play boy though)