Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

  Carola turns 53 today, and I have been a fan for 36 years. I happened to be in Sweden visiting my aunt when she won Melodifestivalen 1983 (actually Kikki Danielsson's Varför är kärleken röd, the runner up, was my favorite...) The next summer I was back in Sweden and was taken to see her live in her first record breaking tour. Ever since I have seen her live in Finland a few times and followed her career ever since. Funny how despite her PR in Japan and an album with BeeGees she never really made it outside the Nordics... ah yes, that Guy came in between.... maybe. Even if her debut album is maybe the album I have ever listened the most I chose these songs outside of it, just for the variety. And as an extra vids from her latest Finland gig by moi.  Rendezvous Check out also:

Now what can I say? Carola is one of my favorite artists, an ultimate Eurovision Diva and we go back a long time. Flashback summer 1983: I was spending summer at my aunt's in Sweden. And Sweden was all about Carola after her Melodifestivalen win (full marks from each and every jury - for the first and last time ever) and 3rd place in Eurovision (6,1 million Swedes watched her there!!!) with Främling   (fate is I was also in Sweden when the Mello took place and saw it live on tv. However then I was all for runner up Kikki Danielsson's Varför är kärleken röd ...) Her album was the best selling album in Sweden ever (over 1.000.000 copies). She was everywhere, including a Folketspark near Fagersta where I saw her live.  The tour broke all previous records in 24 out of 25 parks. The year after I saw her live in Finland. And again in the years to come . But then Carola, a controversial figure retired after 3-4 years of success and even an album with the BeeGees in the USA to...