Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Like every year popular artists release Christmas albums. In Finland it's usually 3-5 of the top names annually and 2014 is no exception.  This year we have Teräsbeton i's Jarkko Ahola releasing already his second Christmas album titled Suojelusenkeli - Joulun klassikot 2 . This time it includes also songs that are not exactly Christmasy, like Finlandia by Sibelius, Cavatina and Andrea Bocelli's Sanremo song Con te partirò .  Jippu , who took part in Euroviisut 2008 with Kanna minut makes a comeback to recording world after motherhood with Rakkauden joulu . It is more classic Christmas album with songs like O holy night , Heinillä härkien kaukalon and Sydämeeni joulun teen .  Suvi Teräsniska - who would be great for Eurovision one day - is saying goodbye to music business for awhile with this Christmas album Joulun henki . She got married and is expecting a baby shortly so she will have a well deserved break from a very succesful career. It includes also a ...

Jippu took part in this season's Dancing with stars and unfortunately was kicked out by the televoters as the first one. But who cares? She has released this new beautiful song and video Eva (Nukutaan kielletyllä iholla)   with certain girl to girl love affair undertones....

Fans of reality show and Eurovision have a lot to watch this fall season in TV. The Big Brother kicks off tonight and while there are no Eurovision stars as housemates (as far as we know) the presenter of the Big Brother Extra show every early evening and co-host of the main weekly show is none other than Cristal Snow! Remember Can't save me from Euroviisut 2008? And in this season's Dances with stars we have Princess of the republic,  vision in pink Krisse Salminen who charmed the world in Eurovision 2007 co-host trying her dancing skills. Euroviisut contestant Jippu is there, too, from the same year as Cristal with  Kanna minut and so is Antonio Flores, the partner of runner up in the latest presidential elections earlier this year, Pekka Haavisto. Nothing to do with Eurovision or music but a remarkable thing anyways!

Loreen's Euphoria single has gone platinum in Finland and she will be performing not only in Turku later this month (August 19) but also in September in Helsinki. The annual charity concert Elämä lapselle in Hartwall Areena, the Eurovision 2007 venue, on September 12, 2012 will feature besides Loreen a line up of local stars (Cheek, PMMP, Robin, The 69 Eyes, Anna Puu, Diandra, Elonkerjuu, Sturm und Drang, Jippu, Tuuli, JVG...). And the good news to her fans is she will perform also her new single, due to be released in October! Loreen's Euphoria is still in the official Finnish single's chart in top-10 after 21 weeks!

The Finnish music scene has been dominated by female artists the past few years. First names like Jonna Tervomaa, Irina and Maija Vilkkumaa did pop rock, followed by more sophisticated Jenni Vartiainen and Chisu while Kaija Koo was always there in between. Then we have Jippu and Anna Eriksson who both have returned with a bang this spring. And they both have turned very dark!  Jippu entered the album chart at #8 this week with her Väärinpäin lentävät linnut full of very personal songs about the very colorful life of this somewhat troubled and sensitive artist. This is her third album following the previous #1 album Kuka teki musta tän naisen four years ago. In between she scored cover hits in duet with Samuli Edelmann. And did you know Jenni Vartiainen is one of her closest friends? Here is Henki ja elämä and the title track .  Anna Eriksson returns with her 7th studio album Mana in Finnish after the previous Garden of love album in English and went straight to #2 ...

Jippu is all of sudden everywhere. She's to release her third solo album Väärinpäin lentävät linnut (Birds flying backwards or something...) next week. She caused a stir with her look in a charity concert yesterday and now it's revealed she was cancelled from the artists list on a gospel happening due to her unfortunate comments on a talk show earlier this week where she said things like she's into sin and would do old gents like Silvio Berlusconi. Not suitable stuff for a youth gospel camp it seems. On top of that she's involved in a big political scandal in Finland when a couple that used the raise her for several years in her youth has been sentenced to jail for six and three years this week. Talk about right timing! Here's the title song. Jippu released her debut album Salaisuuksia, joita yksinäiset huutaa unissaan (Secret that the lonely cry out in their sleep) in 2006. She was awarded the Emma as the best newcomers and scored several radiohits. The s...

Samuli Edelmann will release his new album Pienellä kivellä next week. The album was mainly recorded in Malta where he lives these days and its first single Ei mitään hätää is one of the biggest hits on radios this fall. Several songwriters have been involved, including Hanna Pakarinen and Chisu! Last year he scored big with a duet album with Jippu with #1 hit Jos sä tahdot niin . Before that he released a trilogy of psalms and religious music. And countless pop hits and platinum selling albums since 1992, including Euroviisut 1991 runner up Peggy and Olen luonasi sun from 1998 with Sani.  Besides that he is a very respected actor both in movies and TV. He is currently filming a new movie called Tie pohjoiseen that will be his 25th. That follows his first Hollywood film. He is starring next to Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 4 - Ghost protocol that will premiere in December 2011. It seems nothing is impossible for this talented artist! His other musical goodies include Palava...

They are 21 the songs that made it to #1 in the official Finnish charts in 2010. The change in the top position was constant, as only two songs made a good long run in the number one position but even both of them had to drop down and re-enter to the spot. Eleven songs resisted only one week. Only Jenni Vartiainen and Lady Gaga scored two #1's. In albums Chisu's Vapaa ja yksin made it to #1 only one week but is still in the top-40 after 65 weeks.... They were: Jenni Vartiainen - En haluu kuolla tänä yönä (week 6, total 21 weeks) Jippu & Samuli Edelmann - Jos sä tahdot niin (week 9, total 31 weeks) The Giant Leap - The best time of your life (week 12, total 4 weeks) Viikate - Linna Espanjassa (week 13, total 5 weeks) Before the Dawn - Decade of dark (week 14, total 1 week) Kymppilinja ft. Mariska - Minä (week 27, total 5 weeks) Yolanda B Cool Vs. D Cup - We no speak Americano (week 32, total 12 weeks) Cheek - Jippikayjei (week 33, total 13 weeks) Mokoma - Juurta...

The crazy lady of Marja Tyrni collected the Finnish stars together to record a charity single Leivotaan, leivotaan (Let's bake, let's bake), which is actually a cover of Ricchi e Poveri's Che sará. The lyrics are funny and can be summed up as "let's bake so everyone can have a cake" and the song's release to download on internet and the video's preview in YLE's Nenäpäivä show pushed the amount of money collected during the over 6 hour show to all time record. - almost 2 million euros Katri Helena, Marion, Hanna Pakarinen, Vicky Rosti, Jippu, Frederik, Arja Koriseva, Tommi Läntinen, Mikko Leppilampi are just some of the almost 30 artists taking part in the recording, all with a tongue in cheek. Watch it here . Or buy and donate to charity here .

October 20 sees the release of a new Hanna Pakarinen album, Paperimiehen tytär . It's her first in Finnish and she describes it as a sort of a debut album, being so personal and result of a hard work. She has written most of the lyrics herself. The reviews and critic has been very favourable for the album so far and the title track was the first single and now comes Se yksi ainoa . The same day Jonna "ex-Nylon Beat" Geagea releases her first debut album Katso mua and its debut single was Taasko se alkaa while the title track is the new single and video. A week later is a real rush for the charts as several propably top selling albums are released. Antti Tuisku releases his Kaunis kaaos . The first single was Atlantti . And now comes Hyökyaalto . 1990's stars Ressu Redford and Jussi Rainio of Neon2 have re-recorded their hits they have been performing live with success recently in tour. Klassikot includes songs like Prinsessa . Tomi Metsäketo releases a Chr...

Kaija Koo's latest single Vapaa ( dance mix ) hits number one in the single's charts and despite all her hits, half a million albums sold and all her awards it is her very first single number one! She kicks from the spot Jenni Vartiainen's third single Missä muruseni on ( remix ) off her second album. Laura Närhi drops to 5th with her Tämä on totta . Seal ft. Anna Eriksson with You get me enters at #17 and Jippu and Samuli Edelmann still stay at #18 with Jos sä tahdot niin . They've have recorded an album together to be released before Christmas!  In albums Suvi Teräsniska drops one to 5th while Jenni Vartiainen is on way to up again at #6. Chisu is going up again - on her 53rd week! Tarja Turunen is on the way out after peaking at only #7 and Lordi's new stayed in Top-50 only 2 weeks, peaking at #9.  And none of these artists are involved in Euroviisut 2011 after all :-(

Anna Eriksson's risky business of releasing an album in English seems to be paying off as she enters the Top-50 at number 3 with Garden of love . It's also a historic milestone as before her only Marion Rung of female artists has managed to get a top-10 album both in Finnish and English (Tarja Turunen's Christmas album was only partly Finnish). Also only two male artists have managed this: Riki Sorsa and Remu so Eurovision artists rule this record. Vuokko Hovatta's new album Liaani also enters the Top-10 at #10. Janne Raappana who tried to get to Euroviisut 2010 through the internet voting also enter the charts at #20 with Rakkaus on hulluus , and Amadeus 's debut album falls to #21 from last weeks #14. It debuted at #6 five weeks ago and has been dropping ever since. Meanwhile Vesa-Matti Loiri's Hyvää puuta climbs again to #27 and also Mikael Konttinen clibs to #34 with Ota kiinni . And Alexander Rybak drops to #44. In singles chart Jippu & Samuli Edelmann...

Two Euroviisut veterans join forces in Jos sä tahdot niin , a cover of Hector's original and main song for a new Finnish musical movie Jos rakastat . This song is currently #3 in the Finnish singles chart after 4 weeks in top-10. All three have participated in Euroviisut, Jippu with Kanna minut and Samuli with Peggy and Olen luonasi sun in duet with Sani. Hector has written several songs. One of the best Finnish rock ballads ever. Love it.

I don't know if she doesn't want to, or didn't YLE ask. Chisu would be so great for Eurovision! She is the Finnish version of Myléne Farmer (and yes, that i s a compliment). Not meaning that she would be a copycat, just that she makes her own kind of music and being rather unique in her own recognizable sound in Finland. She has written songs and produced artists like Jippu , Antti Tuisku , Kristiina Wheeler , Tarja Turunen and Kristiina Brask before finally releasing her debut album Alkovi (#5) last year.She basicly recorded it alone in her bedroom. It delivered a megahit Mun koti ei oo täällä that stayed #1 for 8 weeks, Muut and Tämä rakkaus . The second album Vapaa ja yksin (#10) was released not a long time ago and its first single Baden-Baden is already a #3 hit.

Jippu's last Jippu Café this spring will be an homage to late Kirka (1950-2007). Jippu and her band with guests will perform Kirka songs, including Hengaillaan , in Bulevardin Kahvisalonki in Helsinki next Friday April 24. Jippu is a big Kirka fan herself.

The final of Finnish Idol 4 is on right now. Anna Puustjärvi and Koop Arponen are the finalists. A lot of familiar faces in the sold out Helsinki Ice Hall, including previous winners Hanna Pakarinen and Ilkka Jääskeläinen, last year's #2 Anna Abreu. Ex-participant Kristian Meurman and Jippu from Euroviisut. Koop is considered the winner. He's half Dutch and has lived abroad (Netherlands, UK) most of his life. Anna looked a lot like Shiri Maimon in her dresses, but has a unique voice and style. Hanna Pakarinen ( left ), Kristian Meurman ( 3rd from left ) and ex-participants. Jippu (left), previous winner Ilkka Jääskeläinen ( 3rd in middle row ) and several ex-participants.

or Nenäpäivä (Red nose day) is live on TV right now and the phonelines to donate money and the show is going on well til tomorrow. Hanna Pakarinen, Jari Sillanpää, Paula Koivuniemi, Maria Lund, Johanna Kurkela and Remu are amogst the celebrities who will be answering the phones and/or performing during the night. The money will be donated through Red Cross, UNICEF and other organisations to suffering children in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Nepal, Sierra Leone and Honduras. Some will be also used by Comic Relief to AIDS work in Africa. Also Jippu was there, back to Nairobi following the last year's project's developments. And Jari Sillanpää did a Finnish cover of Nirvana's Smells like teen spirit in rather unusual way (but it was pretty fantastic!). Johanna Kurkela followed with fantastic version of Nothing else matters . We must get Johanna back to Euroviisut asap! Over 1.137.500 euros donated during the show.

Jippu has been finally making videos besides having holidays in Africa and selling thousends and thousends of albums, and here's the one for Tuonelan koivut, her latest single . The song is actually a cover of Kotiteollisuus, a Finnish rock band. Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4_FAh-1nNY And here's the title track's video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAwqBsfvv6A

One of the biggest hits of the past year, Jenni Vartiainen's Ihmisten edessä (In front of the people) will represant Finland in the OGAE Song Contest 2008. She won the close run with Chisu, another Finnish smash hit of the last season in the voting organized by the Finnish OGAE and 41 fans voted this time. The full list of the songs and votes is here: 1. Jenni Vartiainen - Ihmisten edessä 267 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKidLh1Ryq4 2. Chisu - Mun koti ei oo täällä 238 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq45cR5cgAA 3. Movetron - Ei kenenkään maa 231 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ1lf6QvjUA 4. Annika Eklund - Ole hiljaa ja suutele mua 194 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-84a4Y698w 5. Jari Sillanpää - Oon kuka oon 181 6. Anna Eriksson - Huojuva talo 176 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhBeQN8OLwQ 7. Paula Koivuniemi - Timantti 141 8. Lauri Tähkä & Elonkerjuu - Pauhaava sydän 130 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7KFZ2iLHkI 9. Tauski - Oranssin auringon alla 119 http://www.youtube...