Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

While waiting for the entries for UMK2023 aka Finland's national selection for Eurovision song contest let's look back at some of the best non winning ones from yesteryear. Tamara Lund placed only third in the 1963 Euroviisut, the Finnish selection for the Eurovision song contest as the lyrics of Olen mikä olen (I am what I am) were considered too raunchy and the whole performance a bit dubious. The song however outlived easily the winner Muistojeni laulu , that scored a flat zero sung by Laila Halme instead of Marjatta Leppänen or Irmeli Mäkelä who had sung the song in the contest....

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%

Congratulations to Laila Halme who turns 83 today! She sung for Finland in the Eurovision song contest 1963 Muistojeni laulu and scored ...  well, zero points....

The national final was won by Muistojeni laulu sung by Marjatta Leppänen/Irmeli Mäkelä, as you can read in the post below but YLE sent Laila Halme instead for some reason. Laila was in the final herself singing Olen mikä olen but Tamara Lund, the other singer, made it hers and evergreen. Laila was sent off to ESC and scored Finland's first nul pointer. The year after she represanted Finland in Sopot with similar results. In 1987 she presented the Finnish final with Lasse Mårtenson (and if I may say so they both sucked big time!). She is still singing here and there occasionally but she hasn't left many traces in the internet or in Finland's musical heritage. Her son participated in several Euroviisut in 1980's both as a singer and composer without much success.