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%

Yle organized among its other consolation Eurovision 2020 programming also a voting to find out the most loved Finnish entries of each decade ( here ). The 16-year-old Marion Rung's chirpy ode to the spring has become a classic and no wonder takes the 1960's trophy easily.  1962 Marion Rung - Tipi-tii 34,6% 1961 Laila Kinnunen - Valoa ikkunassa  14.7% 1966 Ann-Christine - Playboy 11,2% 1964 Lasse Mårtensson - Laiskotellen   10,8% 1967 Fredi - Varjoon - suojaan  8,8% 1969 Jarkko ja Laura - Kuin silloin ennen   7,2% 1968 Kristina Hautala - Kun kello käy  6,5% 1965 Viktor Klimenko - Aurinko laskee länteen   5,2% 1963 Laila Halme - Muistojeni laulu   1,1%

Hanna-Riikka Siitonen's funeral took place on August 19 in Töölö church, Helsinki. Several Finnish Eurovision stars gathered to greet the much loved actress, singer, vocal coach and multiple national finalists and ESC backing singer for the last time and the ceremony was a very emotional one. Her white casket was decorated with yellow and orange gerberas matching her sunny and bright personality that will be so much missed.  It is said when when her Taikapeili friend Nina Tapio sung there were no dry eyes in the church. The girls have been friends all their life, and Nina's mother was at Eurovision 1976 backing Fredi in Pump pump.  Her father Fredi (ESC 1967, 1976) and mother, ex-Mayor of Helsinki; Fredi, Hanna-Riikka's husband and daughter; Titta Jokinen (ESC 1976), conductor Olli Ahvenlahti (ESC conductor 1990-98) with Marjatta Leppänen, multiple national finalists and hostess) Jari Sillanpää (ESC 2004); Sonja Lumme (ESC 1985);  Anneli Saaristo (ESC 1989)...

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!

After five 2nd places in nine years, United Kingdom finally emerged victorious with their 10th entry (but they would end up in top-2 also the following three years....). Even the hostess Erica Vaal in Vienna's Hofburg Palace's Great Ballroom got carried away and announced barefoot pop princess Sandie Shaw the winner before poor Ireland had the change to deliver their votes - something that would happen again only in the 2010's when sadly winners have been announced while the voting is still going on. Thankfully this is going to change this year. But back to Vienna and 1967.... No debuts, but Denmark withdraw and would not be seen again until 1978..... It seems the new boss of DR entertainment department wasn't a fan and the whole nation suffered... Vicky Leandros made her debut, as did Finland's Fredi. Fredi's song didn't go anywhere but in the shadows as the title suggest while Vicky's blue love become a worldwide hit and evergreen. She finished ...

Turkish Ayşe Özyılmazel who is Neco's daughter has covered his father's Eurovision 1982 entry Hani for Turkey, and Neco himself is seen in the video. I remember liking the song back then - yes, I'm that old – and Ayşe makes it all very sweet and cute, and the arragement is pretty much the same. But it is not the first time Eurovision kids cover their parents songs. Danish Rasmus Seebach covered his father's 1993 Eurovision entry Under stjernerne på himlen (and did a great job with it!) and in Finland Milana Misic has recorded various songs by her mother Laila Kinnunen, including her 1961 Eurovision entry Valoa ikkunassa . Surely there are more similar cases (hints are welcome in the comment box!). I have a burning desire to have Taikapeili girls Hanna-Riikka Siitonen (Fredi's daughter) and Nina Tapio (backing singer's daughter) cover the Finnish entry Pump pump from 1976. How cool would that be?! Both girls have also multiple Eurovision backing singer exper...

This blogger has been writing about Haywalkers before, and I finally managed to catch them live during Kallio Block Party , a huge party with dozens of bands playing on three different stages and in clubs along one street in Kallio district in Helsinki for one day and night. Fredi (ESC 1967, 1974) was there, too, btw. He lead the opening parade singing his evergreen and Kallio's national anthem Kolmatta linjaa takaisin (translates freely to Walking back the 3rd street ), and this year it was Kolmas linja (or 3rd street) hosting the event. Eva & Manu were there, too, let's get back to Haywalkers . This band has been gaining popularity quickly and no wonder. They are charmingly cute alive playing a mix of music that can only make you feel good: country, blues, indie Americana - whatever that is, as I'm a bit limited to Eurovision key changes and ding dongs. Whatever it is I like it!   Their set of 12 original songs was very entertaining giving them all moments...

It's hard to believe but it's 50 years since Marion Rung started her singing career with the release of Brigitte Bardot . Right after she won the Finnish selection for Eurovision 1962 with Tipitii and countless national and international festivals and contests followed: Eurovision 1962 (7th), Sopot festival 1962 in Poland (7th), Golden Orpheus in Bulgaria 1968 (winner), The Golden Stag 1968 in Romania (Special award by the jury), Eurovision 1973 (6th and Finland's best placing until Lordi's win in 2006), Sopot festival 1974 in Poland (winner), Yamaha festival 1968 in Japan (Award for the best performer), Istanbul festival 1976 (2nd), Musical Mallorca festival 1977 in Spain (Award for the performer), Syksyn Sävel 1977  (winner), Sopot festival 1980 in Poland (winner). No Finnish artist can match that list, and very few foreign either!  But back to present. She will start her 50th anniversary show - her biggest so far and she has done many over the decades - on Octo...

At #4 we have Fredi! His Kolmatta Linjaa takaisin is also a cover ( Beautiful in the rain) but propably no one in Finland know s about it as this has become a real evergreen. Originally from 1968 this video is a remake in 1983 in the real street in Hakaniemi district. At #3 we have Jos Helsinki on kaunis by Leevi and the Leavings. Translates to If Helsinki is beautiful and tells about the alcoholists and homeless people in the streets of... you guessed it, Hakaniemi! Everything is so beautiful for a moment when the first snow falls and covers it all....

YLE Studios in Helsinki hosted the Finnish final 1976 on January 31. Open contest was held and out of 245 songs YLE's jury chose the final songs, and regional juries the winner. Originally Fredi had planned to sing Pump pump with Marion but she had to say no thanks due to her well going career abroad. He also surprised many with this uptempo number as he was known as a ballad singer. The juries thought it's not maybe the best song but the most suitable for Haag . And indeed it seemed like that as Finland was considered one of the favourites and even a top-5 placing was to be expected. In the end 44 points and 11th place and a big disappointment. We like to blame the catholic countries for that. It was way too risky for them. Was it?

Euroviisut 2010 live broadcast on radio will have high profile commentators when Riki Sorsa (1981), Fredi (1967, 1974), Katja Kätkä (1994), Ami Aspelund (1983), Anneli Saaristo (1989), Markku Aro (1971), Laura Antikainen (1969), Katri Helena (1979, 1993) and Tomi Putaansuu aka Mr Lordi (2006) will comment the final songs and predict how they would do in Oslo 2010. Euroviisut legend Sanna Kojo will present the show with Jorma Hietamäki. Euroviisut 2010 will start at 19.00 CET from Tampere live on YLE2 and Radio Suomi.

Fredi (67) has had to cancel half of his 50th anniversary tour Avaa sydämesi mulle due to poor ticket sales. Twelve cities have become only six when Fredi will be on the road next month. His manager blames the economical crisis: "The risks were too high so it's better to cancel after poor pre-sale of the tickets. " Fredi represanted Finland in Eurovision twice: in 1967 with Varjoon suojaan and in 1974 with legendary Pump Pump . He also wrote Katri Helena's Katson sineen taivaan and his daughter Hanna-Riikka Siitonen is a regular Eurovision back up singer and participant, also trying to get to Euroviisut 2010 with the group Aia. Fredi's latest release is Soittaja from 2007.

Fredi who Pump pumped the Europe in 1976 and played with drama with Varjoon suojaan in 1967 and wrote the 1979 entry, has released his first album with new material in 12 years and seems to be scoring big with it. Radios chose it the album of the month, it is charting and the critics say his tenor voice is in top condition, like when he was 25... that is 40 years ago.... Is he going to return to Euroviisut, too?

Matti Siitonen, who was nick named Fredi for his resamblance to Fred Flintstone, was a new comer in the 1967 national final but beat the veterans Laila Kinnunen, Marion and the hottest malestar of the moment, Danny. He started his career in the early 1960's in a folk band called Five Pennies, and later The Stone Faces (later translated into Finnish as Kivikasvot) musical comedy group that would become huge in TV and on stage in the 1970's. His biggest solo album is from 1974 "Avaa sydämesi mulle" that sold over 60.000 copies. He has numerous hits, both original and covers. His latest album is from 2005 and he is currently recording a new one. He has won Euroviisut twice as a singer (1967 and 1976) and once as a composer (1979) so he can be called the Finnish Johnny Logan! He also wrote Sonja Lumme's "Vielä jaksan odottaa" in 1988 but it only reached the 10th place. Siitonen has been however a very regular name in Euroviisut the past ten years or so thank...