Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Antti Kleemola is back here. The rest is filled with schlager dance bands and Tangomarkkinat artists with the exception of girlband Tik Tak that no longer exists. 271. UNETON - YÖLINTU 272. MUTTA MÄ RAKASTAN SUA - TIKTAK 273. JALAT TUKEVASTI ILMASSA - MIKKO MÄKELÄINEN 274. TUHLAAJATYTTÖ PALAA (LA GOTA FRIA) - ANNE MATTILA 275. SYDÄMENPUOLIKAS - SAIJA TUUPANEN 276. ENSIMMÄINEN - MATTI JA TEPPO 277. SUOJAAN - ANNELI MATTILA 278. JOENSUU NEW YORK - ANTTI KLEEMOLA 279. SEIKKAILIJA - FINLANDERS 280. VAIN VÄHÄN AIKAA - CHARLIES

The countdown continues with more Eija Kantola and Tapani Kansa added with more Euroviisut participants: Antti Kleemola and Annika Eklund. And Antti Kela who enjoyed a megasuccess for a period of two years or so with his two first albums. The rest is pretty much Tangomarkkinat artists.... 281. KARHUSAARI - ANSSI KELA 282. VALVOTKO VUOKSENI - EIJA KANTOLA 283. NAINEN KUIN KULTAA - MARKO LÄMSÄ 284. JENNIFER ANISTON - ANSSI KELA 285. TIMO TAHTOO - ANTTI KLEEMOLA 286. PUUTTUVA RENGAS - MARKO LÄMSÄ 287- SATAA, TUULEE JA SALAMOI - JANNE TULKKI 288. SALAISUUDESSAIN - TAPANI KANSA 289. SINUSSA ON JOTAIN - ANNIKA EKLUND 290. PAREMPAA - JOHANNA DEBRECZENI

Antti Kleemola may have not won Euroviisut 2010 but his Sun puolella (At your side) has been maybe the most played song on radio (just as I predicted btw) so one can say he did have his big break through and what's better than releasing a best of his two previous albums? Sun puolella - Antti Kleemolan parhaat (At your side - Best of Antti Kleemola) will be released April 21 and includes obviously all his radio hits Sun puolella , Mä en pelkää mitään (I'm afraid of nothing) , Auta mua (Help me) , Marikan haaveet (Marika's dreams) , Timo tahtoo (Timo wants) , Kriisi (Crisis). . 15 songs in total. And remember Rafael de Alba's demo in Spanish, De tu lado . 

Tampere's Fair center has been hit by something causing gastric problems and stomach flu over the week . The venue and its kitchen has been disinfected and all the food and drinks for the Euroviisut people has been brought in from elsewhere just to be on the sure side but despite that several members of YLE staff have caught the bug. Today the worst news come when Antti Kleemola is reported to be ill as well. He has to skip the rehearsals today but will perform tomorrow and hope for the best. Hopefully there won't be further problems. Good luck Antti, we are on your side! The Finnish Euroviisut 2010 final takes place tomorrow and BlogIlkar will provide a live coverage as always!

Kuunkuiskaajat along with superfavourite Eläkeläiset and Linn with the votes from the Swedish speakers made it to the final from the third and last Euroviisut 2010 semifinal. YLE's secret jury also granted one wild card and that went to Maria Lund, also from this last semifinal. So the line up for the final next Saturday is ready: Amadeus - Anastacia Nina Lassander - Cider hill Pentti Hietanen - Il mondo é qui Antti Kleemola - Sun puolella Heli Kajo - Annankadun kulmassa Sister Twister - Love at the first sight Kuunkuiskaajat - Työlki ellää Eläkeläiset - Hulluna humpasta Linn - Fatal moment Maria Lund - Sydän ymmärtää So we have six songs in Finnish, 3 in English and one in Italian. Amadeus and Maria Lund most likely will sing in English if they win, and Antti Kleemola has a Spanish text ready for the song...

Super fan favourite Heli Kajo charmed also the TV-viewers and made it to the final - even if some press has also written its the worst song of them all - and so did Sister Twister , no doubt with the votes of the Swedish speaking population as expected. How far it will take them in the final is another matter.... The male duel Antti vs Veeti won by Antti Kleemola who really delivered when it matters while Veeti remained a bit cold.... So, Monday and Veeti are out at the moment waiting for YLE's possible wildcard.

Antti Kleemola who will be under fire tomorrow night in the second Eurovisiut 2010 semifinal was on MTV3's morning show yesterday and amongst other things they talked quite a lot about the Spanish version De tu lado by Rafael De Alba ! Antti also told he had played Rafael's version to his record company bosses who nearly got a heart attack thinking Antti had copied some Spanish song! Lol. Well, if Antti wins he can always sing the song in Spanish in Oslo....  and maybe sing against Rafael who is running in Spain with Chelsea boy . Meanwhile the single Sun puolella was also released in Finland yesterday. You can get it here .

The first Finnish semifinal is only less than two weeks away and there have been already some releases, or singles or albums will be released shortly. Amadeus will release his debut album on January 27 (including Anastacia , Matador , Pyyhi tuuli kyyneleet and Onnemme kyyneleet amongst others) and Osmo Ikonen will release his second album including Heaven and hell in February. Eläkeläiset has already released a 2-cd with their "greatest hits" including their entry Hulluna humpasta . Antti Kleemola has already a radio hit with his Sun puolella and the single will be released shortly, as will Bääbs do with her You don't know tomorrow . Kuunkuiskaajat also released their debut album before Christmas and it includes two versions of their entry Työlki ellää . The album includes also Taivaallinen and Loputon tie . Promo singles for radio stations have been released several others, including Maria Lund who already made #4 in the radio playlists followed by Amadeus at #5, E...

A special treat for my lovely readers. Rafael De Alba has made a Spanish adaption De tu lado of Antti Kleemola's Sun puolella in Euroviisut 2010. Enjoy!

And here are my thoughts about the songs in the second semifinal. HELI KAJO - Annankadun kulmassa (In the corner of Anna Street) First of all Annankatu is a street in the center of Helsinki. YLE liked this song so much they lifted it from the open internet call to the invited artists category and it is easy to understand why. It is fresh, light, memorable and one of a kind. The question was will the great public like it? Judging the comments on internet they will and this is a sure qualifier and a possible surprise winner and if it was, well, I can live with that! VEETI KALLIO - Kerro mulle rakkaudesta (Tell me about love) Veeti has charisma to come across the TV screen very well and the song is pleasant enough but suffers once again of being just a bit lame. The arrangement could be stronger as now it just falls to "nice" category despite being a good song. He should qualify to the final as being Veeti dropping Kleemola out. ANTTI KLEEMOLA - Sun puolella (On your si...

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.

His name might not be a household one but he has written over 50 songs to artists like Jippu, Katri Ylande, Paula Koivuniemi, Sami Saari and Annika Eklund just to name a few, and has played/sung in bands like Aikakone, several musicals (he has also written three himself!), He has released two solo albums so far with radio hits Timo tahtoo , Auta mua, Marikan haaveet, Mä en pelkää mitään and Joensuu - New York.