Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Siru Airistola is the latest The Voice of Finland winner last April. Since then she has released two singles ( Sä et kulu pois and Kaksi naista )and is currently working on her debut album. She has done also musicals and operas and studies musical theater. She is yet to breakthrough though so let's see if UMK will finish what The Voice started. She says her music is soul influenced pop with big emotions, and her entry Mustelmat (Bruises) is about being imperfect and accepting it. Or is it about domestic violance? Three songs that have made her are Lara Fabian's Adagio (in Italian ), Alicia Keys' Fallin' and Eva Cassidy's Over the rainbow . Without them she wouldn't be here now.  Timo : Siru has a strong voice that makes me listen to her. She even made me think about the lyrics and what they are all about and I'm not so sure I really got the point but then that's nothing new for me. I kinda liked this even if the main thing or the melody remain...

Giorgia again. The winner of OGAE Video 2012 contest with È l'amore che conta (but she did represent Italy in Video contest the year before, too, and in OGAE Song contest already in 2003 as well) returns to OGAE contests with Quando una stella muore the first single off her latest album Senza paura (followed by I will pray (Pregherò) in duet with Alicia Keys, Non mi ami and Io fra tanti so far). She has collected also a triplet of Sanremo trophies: winner in 1995 with Come saprei , third in 1996 with Strano il mio destino and second in 2001 with Di sole e d'azzurro . This blogger is only waiting, whishing and hoping she would do Eurovision some time soon! Some other favorite songs by this Roman singer include E poi , Marzo , Gocce di memoria and Il mio giorno migliore .She may be tiny as a person but her voice is huge. If she was American she would give a run of their vocal cords to likes of certain Célines, Cristinas and Beyonces, not to mention late Whitney. S...

Hanna Seppälä aka Hanna Sky is a singer-songwriter from Tampere. She's new and fresh as a singer to the great public as she started as a singer only this summer! She has of course self penned her entry Hope . The song is a mix of many things and as we are listening only demos at this point it's interesting to see and hear where the focus will be put in the end. She says writing songs is her way of life, and taking care of her soul. She wants to tell stories and write rich melodies, her music is a mix of r'n'b, ethnic influences and electonic pop. She loves to sit by the pian and create new songs - nothing beats the moment when a new melody takes shape and she realizes it's going to be a good one!  She's also very taken her song was selected and just about to burst of happiness! Her influences include three strong female artists: Ellie Goulding, Alicia Keys and Emeli Sandé. Like her on her Facebook here and vote for her on my poll on the right side.

Sanremo speculations are running wild and while the names are being dropped, confirmed, denyed on daily basis we get to see the stage design. It's a step back to the classic opera house setting and for the purpose the stage in legendary Teatro Ariston will be deeper than usual and the stage also goes further into the audience where some ten rows of seats have been removed. On the left side there's a staircase, on the right the terrace for the judges. On the back of the stage the orchestra balconies divided by a church like glass window that hides another staircase. Meanwhile the hosts Fabio Fazio and Luciana Littizzetto are working full time to complete the script of the five evenings, the final artist list will be revealed before Christmas (December 13 at 1.30pm TV News) and the names given sure right now are Giusy Ferreri, Arisa, Francesco Renga, Niccolò Fabi, Cristiano De Andrè, Dolcenera , rappers Clementino and Moreno as well as last year's Newcomers winner Anton...