Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Emma Gaala or the Finnish Grammy awards were celebrated in Espoo's Metro Arena a week ago and last year's most successful artist was Mirella who picked four out of six nominations (Artist of the year, Newcomer of the year, Song of the Year, Pop of the Year, Public's choice, Album of the Year) On top of that she was awarded The Most sold album of the Year and The most streamed Song of the Year. Several UMK artists were nominated and won awards. It's worth remembering three UMK entries have won The Song of the Year award in recent years: Dark side , Ram pam pam and Cha cha cha . Käärijä and Bess also have won The Artist of the Year award in 2022 and 2023, Kuumaa has won The Band of the Year now three years in a row (2022, 2023, 2024). Newcomer of the Year has been won by Jesse Markin (2019), Käärijä (2023), Kuumaa won Album of the year (2023). Pop of the year award has gone to Bess (2022) and Kuumaa (2023). Rock of the year to Blind Channel (2021, 2024), Export award to ...

The ever so popular Vain elämää season 15 this fall had a lot of Eurovision connections as among the ones that gathered together to spend time and cover each other songs were both Hanna Pakarinen and Waldo of  Waldo's People with Eurovision wannabes Eini, Ilta and Marko Hietala of Nightwish fame. Ilta has been a real revelation who has made fantastic covers of everyone's songs. She's certainly one that I'd love to see back in UMK soon! Let's start with Ilta. She covered Waldo's People's Lose control making it a ballad in Finnish as Kiire . And what a heartfelt ballad it became! Not to be less Waldo covered Ilta's Kelle mä soitan . Ilta took also Hanna Pakarinen's Leave me alone and did the same treatment: heartfelt ballad in Finnish as Mee nyt vaan pois   and did it work? Oh yea! But Waldo wasn't yet done with Eurovision as he took also from Eini her UMK entry Draamaa and make it his own. As a bonus here's Waldo and Ilta belting out Hanna Pa...

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. Euroviisut 2000, what a mess! Nightwish was the clear televote (well, telephone) winner getting the double of votes the runner up got), the jury winner was Nylon Beat while Nina Åström, sadly a random nobody before and after Eurovision won placing jury 3rd and people's 2nd won with A little bit . A cute little harmless tune. Anna Eriksson placed jury 2nd and people's 3rd and 2nd overall 4 points short of Nina with a real Eurovision banger. Oot voimani mun   (You are my power) would have been composer Petri Laaksonen's third Eurovision entry. Instead it became a huge hit and Finland's only winner so far in the OGAE Second Chance song contest. Oh, and Nina finished 18th with 18 points in the end and was never heard again.

It's summer and most every one is releasing summer songs with Latin flavour but not Jalisse. On the contrary. They go metal. Don't be afraid to call it love , they sing in their latest single and video featuring metal band Teodasia and the result is somewhat Nightwish-esque and against all odds it works as Alessandra's voice fits in very well, maybe even better than in some previous pop tunes they have released....  And guess what, by October they will publish a new album with only new songs! (About the time, too...)

Yle is going internal again in 2019 and it will be very curious to see who they choose (or get) after Saara Aalto - will they go for big international name or something big in Finland.  Or someone new and emerging? Johanna Kurkela is no stranger to Eurovision as her big debut that made her a household name was the Finnish national selection 2007 singing Olet uneni kaunein and Jossain metsäin takana already showcasing then her trademark style.  Five succesful albums later she hasn't compromised and is well known for her unique voice and style, but also flirting with heavier repertoire from Metallica to Sonata Arctica and hip hop with Elastinen . And as Nightwish's frontman Tuomas Holopainen is her husband maybe together they could create an entry we all dream about for her or as their joint project AURI? Something like Rakkauslaulu , that has been voted by Finns the love song of the century (written by The Rasmus' Lauri Ylönen and PMMP's Paula Vesala) or a ...

It's September and the Eurovision 2018 season is officially on. I will feature in coming days names that could be in UMK18, if only...... I say if only, as most likely we won't see any of them in there for UMK is profilied as a newcomers contest instead of being our own Sanremo or Melodifestivalen. In short: a major contest all the big names want to take part not only to win but to boost their record sales and score hits. But one can dream, right? I have thrown in some not so known names for variety. Let's go.... Vol.6 (Check the other ones scrolling down) Johanna Kurkela has been around already over ten years, and has even tried her luck in Eurovision with Olet uneni kaunein , making her a household name and fan favorite. Her etheric and fragile voice has often flirted with heavier music, and no wonder: She's married to Nightwish's frontman Tuomas Holopainen. She has provided vocals for his solo album and Sonata Arctica . She has even covered Metallica...

The nominees for the best video. The winner will be voted by the public in this category. Four out of ten are also nominated for the best song.... Among them UKM host Roope Salminen, tongue twisitng SAARA, JVG and now also JVG's VilleGalle in another video....  And way too much Finnish humour rap here, too. Thank heavens there's Chisu at least!

Compromise. Not a pretty word. That's what BBC is doing. Add OGAE and you will end up a total mess. Ask YLE. Finland involved OGAE members and various juries in the selection and ended sending Edea in 1998 leaving Jari Sillanpää home and his song is an evergreen today while Edea? Or the song.... And again in 2000 Nina Åström won without being anyone's favorite and is today a totally forgotten one while Anna Eriksson  wnet on to win OGAE Second chance and is totday a megastar and what to say about  Nightwish ? A true missed chance.  So, good luck BBC and prepaire for the worst. Ok anyways, the procedure is that 45 OGAE UK members divided in five groups of nine will each review 60 song and pick up their personal top-5. Actually this might be the saving aspect of this method. As a smaller group of persons hear only a smaller group of songs. Then each groups top-5 is sent forward so there will be 25 most likely heavily compromised and melodifestivalized songs to dea...

The final of The Voice of Finland took place last night with several Eurovision connections. First of all Sweden's Måns Zelmerlöw was the guest and performed his Heroes . To be honest, he didn't impress that much. He is good and all, but the song without the gimmick just isn't very engaging, is it? Anyways, one of the main winning candidates was Jennie Storbacka. She only managed third though. Just like she did in Euroviisut 2005 with Kiss me . In 2006 she was 4th with Take me higher . Since then she has done a long career in musicals and is now ready to kickstart her solo career. But Eurovision is a part of a pastlife she declared.... The winner is another lady with a big voice, Miia Kosunen, from ex-Nightwish's Tarja Turunen's team. Her final song was surprisingly Bed on fire , from Melodifestivalen 2013 and Ralf Gyllenhammar. Watch Miia's performance here .

The audio of Hope never dies , the Czech entry in the Eurovision 2015 by Marta Jandová and Václav Noid Bárta has been released today ahead of the video release tomorrow. All I can say this is the entry Finland should have sent. It reminds me of The Rasmus, HIM, Nightwish.... the genre Finns do best. if only... It will be curious to see how's the visuals in video and how the staging will be... Meanwhile I just have to listen this again... and again.... Welcome to the final for the first time, Czech Republic, the break has done you good!

As the state failed to collect money to build a new, desperately needed hospital for children all sort of events and fund raising ways has been launched previously. And here finally comes the "ULS17 Live Aid". Nightwish's Tuomas Holopainen wrote the sing together with Simo Reunamäki and Cheek, and 18 artists got together for the recording of the song and the video. A five hour long stadium concert will follow on June 6, 2015 in Helsinki Olympic Stadium with all the artists and the choir of musicians of Finnish National opera and the dancers of the national Ballet. This event should push the donations to pass over the needed sum to start building later this year and the new hospital to be ready in 2017. The list of artists is quite impressive from top selling artists of the past few years like Cheek, Jenni Vartiainen, Chisu, Jesse Kaikuranta to Lauri Ylönen of The Rasmus and Samu Haber of Sunrise Avenua. And Eurovision stars Jari Sillanpää, Riki Sorsa and Vesa-Matt...

Katri Helena has been succesful for 50 years already and she has sold nearly 2  million albums in Finland, collected 17 gold, 4 platinum and 1 double platinum albums, but she has never been one to put the top of the charts on fire - her only #1 album is from the 1970's and her last top-3 from 1995. But now she enter with her new and 32nd studio album Taivaan tie , ( listen here) her first in three years straight at number 3, just behind Tuomas Holopainen (of Nightwish) and Kaija Koo, who also enter the charts with their new ones. Here are her charting albums since 1995: 1995 Vie minut (3.) 1998 Missä oot (33.) 2003 Sydämen laulut (compilation) (15.) 2004 Tässä tällä hetkellä (13.) 2006 Elämän langat (10.) 2009 Tulet aina olemaan (14.) 2011 Valon maa (5.) 2012 Sinivalkoinen (compilation) (18.) 2014 Taivaan tie (3. so far ) She has got additional gold disc for Leidit lavalla, an album and tour she did with Marion Rung, Lea Laven and Paula Koivuniemi in 2000...

This week we start with Tarja Turunen who has released Victim of ritual , that one could call a heavy bolero with operatic singing and rolling r's, off her recently released Colours in the dark album. Fabulously weird! Another Finn everyone knows is Tom of Finland . There's a movie in the making of his rather incredible and eventful life starring Olli Rahkonen as Tom himself, read more (and help to finance the project) here . In this clip Tom and his lover sing a beautiful Finnish classic Romanssi , romance. Did you know he was also a very talented pianist? Emmanuel Moire is one of the top favorites by the French fans to represent them in Copenhagen 2014 and this blogger loves the idea indeed! Beau malheur is one of his latest songs and it's great! And if you want more Tom-like Emmanuel it's enoug to google " Emmanuel Moire " and " naked " ;-p And to finish off it nicely, here's G Sisters with  Мало тебя , a Serebro cover of their Malo ...

This blogger enjoys time to time some heavier stuff, and the first song is a good example of what kind. Dutch Within Temptations joins force with Tarja Turunen (ex- Nightwish ) in Paradise (What about us?) . A clever move to aske Tarja to duet in it as it sounds more like Nightwish than Within ever did. Or rather like Nightwish that was when Tarja was in it. The real thing. Margaret Jamrozy is apparently a Polish fashion blogger turned singer and her debut song Thank you very much features a video where the roles of nudists and textiles has been turned out. Funny! And the song is a perfect pop song and very cacthy indeed. What if Poland had returned to Eurovision with this one? Makes me wonder... Somehow she's just so adorable in this! Michalis Hadzigiannis has released yet another very beautiful song, Kati dinato ( Κάτι Δυνατό) . I have no idea what he's singing about but I buy it whatever it is! Reigning Eurovision queen Emmelie de Forest has her follow up Hunter and...

In our exlusive interviews n Malmö 2013 Finland's Krista Siegfrids mentioned The Rasmus as the one she would like to see represent Finland in Denmark 2014.  This is also been this blogger's wish for years already! However, recently the lead singer Lauri Ylönen said The Rasmus is about to take a break while he is to release a new album with his new band Amanda . This album was supposed to be his second solo album following the success of his debut.... Meanwhile The Rasmus has announced tour dates in Russia this fall! Things are a bit complicated here but The Rasmus/Lauri/Amadeus would a great choice anyways, but only a wish I guess as UMK 2014 will be here again.... But maybe could be at least involved in writing the song? He and his partner PMMP's Paula Vesala wrote for example Johanna Kurkela 's Rakkauslaulu . Anyways, The Rasmus is one of the most succesful Finnish bands abroad. In 2003 their In the shadows was the number one single in Europe that year. Othe...

Jessica Wolff tried to get to Eurovision for Finland in 2012 with Better . Being one of the wildcards it didn't qualify for the final stages of the contest. She was a pretty blond with a lot of ambition and interesting curriculum including being a stuntwoman and having kungfu and motorbikes as a hobby. A rough life but a lot of positive energy and will to do music. Does it sound a bit like another blonde's life? Ding dong! Anyways, since then she has worked hard, travelled the world, been in n a streetfight in Los Angeles when she was attacked by two at night. Needless to say the bruised kungfu girl sent those two into hospital as well. Long story short: she has released her debut album in Japan! She just came back from promoting it there and will be back in the end of this month performing in Loud & Metal festival with alongside Nightwish and Mokoma. Here are some of her videos: Broken wings , You should get over me , I want you out of my head ,

Even in the era of internet and all the media means sometimes someone manages to surprise us. That's the case of Tarja Turunen, ex-Nightwish singer (Euroviisut 2000 with Sleepwalker ) who managed to keep her pregnancy secret to media and fans. Of course living in Argentina helps in that, but still.... Well done!  The secret was revealed yesterday when she posted a photo on her FB page holding a little baby in her arms and the Finnish media went wild. Today her publicists confirms it's her biological child. Now that's a nice Christmas gift to her family in Finland! Earlier this fall she released a double CD/DVD Tarja Turunen - Act 1  and next week she will hit the road with her Christmas in the heart tour, a challenge for a new mother for sure! Mainz - Germany, December 3, 2012 Berlin - Germany, December 4, 2012 Oberhausen - Germany, December 5, 2012 Leipzig - Germany, December 6, 2012 Savonlinna - Finland, December 12, 2012 Haapajärvi - Finland, ...

One of the most successful Finnish pop bands Aikakone makes a comeback in its original form in Syksyn Sävel 2012 contest. Maki Kolehmainen, Sani, Veera and Alex are back again! Aikakone's debut album in 1995 sold tripleplatinum with hits like Alla vaahterapuun , Odota , and Matkustanut oon . Second album gave even more hits, including Nti groove and Opettelen salaa . Third one in 1998 continued the strings of hits with Magiaa , Perhosten yö and Anna mun bailaa . Two participations in Euroviisut and a career also in English as Aika followed, with hits like Hear me now , and second place in Euroviisut 2002 with Stay . Then they took a break and returned in 2008 with a compilation album and in 2010 another album with several new songs. They have sold over 400.000 albums so far.  Besides that Maki Kolehmainen has become a very familiar name in credits for top selling acts and several songs in Eurovision national finals in various countries the past few years and in...

Nightwish shot straight to number one with their second single off the latest album Imaginaerum dropping Rabin to #2. Here's The crow, the owl and the dove .

Chisu's second single Kohtalon oma of tripleplatinum selling album Kun valaistun finally makes it to #1 after 9 weeks in top-20, 6 of them in top-3.  Previous #1 of hers, Sabotage is still at #8, after 17 weeks! Her album sits firmly at #2 beaten only by Nightwish.