Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Yle organized among its other consolation Eurovision 2020 programming also a voting to find out the most loved Finnish entries of each decade ( here ). Two ladies battled it out with Katri Helena taking the crown ahead of legendary ode to the Lapland exotism in 1970s.  1979 Katri Helena - Katson sineen taivaan 29,8% 1977 Monica Aspelund - Lapponia 21,3% 1973 Marion Rung - Tom tom tom  16,0% 1975 Pihasoittajat - Viulu-ukko  14,6% 1976 Fredi & Friends - Pump pump  8,6% 1974 Carita Holmström - Älä mene pois 3,3% 1972 Päivi Paunu & Kim Floor - Muistathan  2,2% 1971 Markku Aro & Koivistolaiset - Tie uuteen päivään   2,1% 1978 Seija Simola - Anna rakkaudelle tilaisuus  2,1%

Carita Holmström who kept us warm in Eurovision song contest 1974 turns 63 today.  Congratulations! She turned from pop to jazz after her Eurovision adventure, and has concentrated on composing:  musicals, operettas, music for female voices and various insruments, chamber music.... A total of seven albums, the latest one The Diary of songs in 2010.  She also teaches in Sibelius Akatemia keyboard harmony, improvisations and free accompaniment.

Carita was considered the Finnish Joni Mitchell and got great critic for new music but her pop-jazz-rock career lasted only a couple of years, two albums, one singer of the year award and one Eurovision before she moved to other music. She released her debut album We are what we do in 1973 and the year after her second one, in Finnish titled Toinen levy. She wrote the whole first album herself (except of one Yes cover) and also played guitar and piano on it. Her Eurovision song Älä mene pois (Don't go away) or Keep me warm as how it was translated into English was released between these albums. Today she is besides singer-songwriter a concert pianist, conductor, arranger, producer, music teacher and has composed even a chamber opera The Lunatic Express in 1995 ordered by the Finnish National Opera. EMI released both her albums with bonus tracks in 2004 on CD to celebrate her 50th birthday.