Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

  Almost there. Here's Jenni Vartiainen's comeback (she's heavily rumored for UMK 2024 as well), as is Mikael Gabriel's. Then we have a remake on Eurovision 2006 wannabe and fan favorite by Annika Eklund, and finally another goodie from Eurovision veteran Darude's new album. Jenni Vartiainen - Lanka Mikael Gabriel - Ruotsinlaiva DJ Oku Luukkainen / Spekti / Annika Eklund - Shanghain valot Darude / Gid Sedgwick - Closer together

  Another dose of #Finpop2023, this time by Eurovision veteran Darude with Eurovision wannabe Oskr among others. Enjoy! Darude / House Body / Oskr - Outlwas Ressu Redford - Sä olet syy Teleks - Onnellisii loppuja Anu Marin - Äiti

  The Rasmus was born at the high school where they had their first gig in 1994. Their debut EP was released a year later. Now they have released nine studio albums and two compilations. 32 singles including global hit In the Shadows (Finland #1), F-F-F-Falling (#1), Heartbreaker / Days (#1), Living in a world without you (#1) and their latest Venemous moon (with Apocalyptica).  A curious fact is The Rasmus lost one member and gained a new guitarist, Emppu Suhonen who herself enjoyed great national success and fame with TikTak about the same time The Rasmus broke through. As we remember also Lordi changed its members a bit just before Eurovision.... Current band members are Lauri Ylönen and Eero Heinonen, both original, Aki Hakala and before mentioned Emilia "Emppu" Suhonen. Lauri has had also a sort but successful solo career with gems like Heavy and In the city . Btw he lives these days in Hawaii. Apparently Yle asked them to represent Finland (when Saara Aalto and Da...

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 clear winner was Something better and saara Aalto finished where she usually lands to: second. 2014 Softengine - Something better  29,3% 2018 Saara Aalto - Monsters  19,3% 2017 Norma John - Blackbird  12,5% 2013 Krista Siegfrids - Marry me   12,3% 2011 Paradise Oskar - Da da dam   10,5% 2015 Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät - Aina mun pitää   5,7% 2010 Kuunkuiskaajat - Työlki ellää  4,8% 2019 Darude feat. Sebastian Rejman - Look away   2,1% 2012 Pernilla Karlsson - När jag blundar  2,1% 2016 Sandhja - Sing it away  1,3%

The rumors have been confirmed by Kasmir himself. Namely that he was also approached by Darude to sing in UMK and Eurovision but he said "no thanks" due to other projects like recording new album and releasing a new single and such. After this Darude convinced Sebastian Rejman to take up the opportunity. It's worth remembering the final three songs might and most likely would have been different ones with Kasmir, after all he's a succesful songwriter for many artists besides himself, and Look away was co-written by Sebastian himself... Things could have turned out differently but we will never know... Kasmir has been around since 2014 when he scored a huge hit with Vadelmavene . Before that he was active in EDM trio HeavyWeights so that fits with Darude. He has released two gold selling solo albums and about 30 singles solo or in various collaborations including eight Top-20 ones. 

23 points and last in its semi-final, third to last or 39th/41 overal if you count all the songs. That's a big slap in face to YLE and UMK who propably hoped they were 11th in their semi. Most remarkable is Finland got only 23 points when the second to last in its semi, Montenegro, got the double: 46. Finlang got points from the juries: Greece 4, Spain 2, Australia 2 and Poland 1.  And from televoters: 12 Estonia (and we all know these are mainly from Finns staying in Estonia), and 2 from Iceland. Not really worth celebrating, is it? How Finns voted? No surprise the televoters 12 went to Iceland, followed by 10 to Norway ( Monsters scandal well forgotten then, or was it because the past few days it was told everywhere and even several times during the broadcast that a Finn Henrik Tala is in it?), Estonia 8, Sweden 7, Australia 6, the Netherlands 5, Russia 4, Italy 3, Switzerland 2 and Slovenia 1 (!!!). Finns have no right to complain and talk about neighbouring voting. Th...

YLE, we have a problem. What happens now? UMK has delivered in eight years only three Eurovision finalist (2013, 2014 and 2018) and even two of those have placed  24th and 25th in the final, the only exception being Softengine's 11th place in 2014. A lot critizied internal selection for the artist used past two years hasn't been the key to success and last night YLE was once again asking people how they would like the Finnish entry be selected next year. Before they have told us nothing has been decided yet for next year's method.  Two years ago YLE angered the Finnish musicians and songwriters by throwing all their work, time and money invested to rubbish pin by changing it all all of sudden by choosing Saara Aalto internally. This year they came out telling how difficult it was to find someone when every big artist turned the offer down from Antti Tuisku to Sunrise Avenue, Jenni Vartiainen and The Rasmus, just to name a few mentioned. This put the artists in a bit a...

 Mahmood & co enjoyed a mudful day at Dead Sea  Sergey found the sign.  Tamara found Old Jaffa.  Wake up, meditation over, Eliot!  Kate the Copycat.  Strike a face!  Ding dong, Krista is everywhere.  Lake Mudawi.    Wallflowers Darude & Sebastian.  One big Eurovision family.    Fuego!  Take me to your doublechin heaven.  Home is where the doublechin is.  Proud display of a tongue. Jump!

Happy quartet Grrece and Turkey - no problem! Greece & Macedonia - no problem! Kate's poles The podium? Co op (without) limits

Now this is quite amazing. PÆNDA's Limits have been growing on me lately and I've started thinking if I have totally underestimated it. And here comes Darude's remix of it and it's fantastic! Honest 90's sounds and beat and I'm in love. And original Limits finally all of sudden makes sense. One word: LOVE .

Sandstorm.  Otourist. Darude Crone. Kate, hat & Jerusalem. Sarah McTamara. Jonida. Legs. Sea & sun. Sergey Keiino. Aussie party.

Cyprus - Tamta - Replay **  Cyprus started the day with Tamta's look all wrong and vocals left in Tel Aviv beach I suppose. This comes across rather weak what I can say from this short clip (I have kept away from any online comments and base my opinions at the moment only on what I see and hear). The staging and especially the outfits are rather clichè and unimaginary and her hair looks like she just got out of shower. Will this be enough for a final or will Cyprus we a shock non-qualifier? Hmm...   Montenegro - D Mol - Heaven * Where to start? The forced and uncomfortable "choreography" makes me feel a bit ashamed and sorry for them. The vocals aren't great either and the song is nonsense to start with, and the non existing staging isn't helping. Only one question comes to my mind: Why? Didn't they even try? Finland - Darude feat. Sebastian Rejman - Look away *** Contrary to Montenegro Finland is at least trying. The graphics are gr...

Finland has on stage besides DJ Darude and vocalist Sebastian Rejman also dancer Etel Röhl and  off stage three backing singers Matti Leino, Heini Ikonen and Petri Somer. Matti Leino  is an actor/singer. His dad is from Kenya. He has acted in tv-series, hosted a youth program in tv and starred in various theater and musical productions in Helsinki and Tampere. Heini Ikonen is a seasoned musician, singer, vocal/music teacher from famous Ikonen clan musical family. She's already been backing in Eurovision Sandhja. Petri Somer is Sebastian's band member from The Giant Leap, but also crossover pianist, musician, conductor and arranger. He's also sought after session and backing singer and award winning composer.  Etel Röhl is a daughter of famous movie director Marko Röhl and Sunrise Avenue's front man Samu Haber's fiancee. These dismissive facts aside, she's already danced to world stages, including Vienna Opera's Carmen production and Fi...

Helsinki's Musiikkitalo aka  Music House   has the biggest permanent screen (172m2) in Nordic countries with the Helsinki's "public living room" just under its feet where tens of thousends of people can gather and enjoy various events, right next to the new and fabulous library  Oodi , and Museum of Contemporary Art  Kiasma .  Finlandia Hall , the venue of Eurovision 2007 Welcome Party is just around the corner, too. Musiikkitalo is organizing the viewing on Saturday 18 to watch the final all together! How cool is that? Something like that happened only back in 2007 when Helsinki was hosting the show. Krista Siegfrids and Mikko Silvennoinen are the commentators for YLE in TV2 and the broadcast that will be seen on the screen. They will also report all week from Tel Aviv what's going on in Twitter , Facebook and Instagram . They will be interactive with viewers all through the live broadcasts, too, on social medias mentioned before. Just befo...