Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Eurovision 1979 moved to Jerusalem and for some reason I remember the theme music and opening so well. I remember loving the then high tech stage figure rotating in the background and also the palmstrees etc in the hosts corner. The postcards were very fynny back then, now not so much. One can spot Fredi (who also composed the Finnish entry) saluting in the audience after Italy who were the first to perform without any orchestra backing. The artists names appeared on screen besides the song titles! I remember most of the songs so well, and those picked here below are the top ones but I can't forget Portugal, Italy, Monaco, Switzerland.... France, Belgium, Netherlands.... A good year for sure! Watching again now the Spanish kids seem a bit weird but back then they were cool. And oh my, there was someone on stage for the first time who didn't sing at all! No microphone! Of course the Dschingis Khan himself! I was totally in love with them and I was so pissed Israel won again...

One of Eurovision legend Ralph Siegel's most succesful songs - if not the most sold one - Moskau is reborn. Back in 1979 is charted all over Europe hitting #1 in Germany, Japan, Russia and Australia of all places and has since sold millions in dozens of versions in different languages. And here we have some more new versions and videos, reproduced by Siegel himself with British born Jay Khan and the German lyrics revisited by Bernd Meinunger for the occasion of the FIFAWorld Championships in Russia this summer. Original band members Edina Pop and Henriette Strobel provide vocals as well with the recent band members while the Russian and Spanish versions have featured lead singers Alexander Malinin with his daughter and Mexican Jorge Jiménez and Marifer Medrano.  Moskau Moskau lives again in a worldwide event, after being used as a theme songs during Moscow Olympics by Aussies and played all over the world. Now this summer, soccer games give us an excuse to listen this pearl of...

Eurovision 1979 legends Dschingis Khan are still going strong and this summer their megahit - and one of this blogger's all time favorite songs - Ralph Siegel's stunning Moskau has been taken as this summer's football anthem! How very fitting. And awesome! The song, originally releaseed in 1979 was later released in 1980 in English for the Moscow Olympic Games and has been covered dozens of times in various languages, for example Finnish . It has sold zillions! Stay tuned for more!

Is German schlager your thing, with a little Eurovision thrown in? Want a different schlager party experience? Why not dropping your clothes and joining the Schlagernacktparty ? Oh ja! You won't be alone, as about 200 naked party people have joined for some naked schlager already for ten years and 49 times. The 50th party coincides with the 10th anniversary on August 15, 2013. All this happens at SchwuZ, Mehringdamm 61 in Berlin and people come also abroad for the fun. More info here . There's also a voting for the favorite songs and list of songs and singers includes gems like these (some of them might need somewhat acquired taste): Dschingis Khan - Moskau , Lena Valaitis -  Da kommt José , Nicole - Allein in Griechenland , Roland Kaiser - Amore mio , Udo Jürgens: Ich weiss was ich will , Imca Marina: Eviva Espana , Ingrid Peters - Afrika  Nothing like ring dancing to Moscow in the nude, I suppose!

Ralph Siegel celebrates some round years this year: 40 years since his first Eurovision song, 30 years since his first victory and his 20th entry. He talks about his Eurovision past and his biggest wish. How he got hooked on Eurovision, his happiest and saddest memories and the German selection process. And many other things. My flying reporter Robert had a chance to talk to the legend and Mr Eurovision himself, who is happily back on track after some difficult years. Blogilkar congratulates him for this incredible 40+30+20 and takes a pow.... What does Eurovision mean to you? First of all let me tell you that I'm celebrating my 40 th anniversary since my first Eurovision song in 1972. I came second but it was my first appearance. My first entry was in 1974 when ABBA won and I came 4 th . for Luxembourg. It was very promising. Then I said to myself hopefully this is going to get better and then 1979 I was 4 th again, then 1980 2 nd and 1981 also 2 nd . And then i...

Lordi, the Eurovision winners 2006 for Finland, said "No thanks" to Eurovision 2009. They were also asked to go and perform in the Opening Ceremony along with Lys Assia, Dima Bilan, Carola, Dschingis Khan, Dana International, t.A.T.u. and Ruslana just to name a few but they declined the invitation. "We decided they could pay us as much as they wanted to but we would not go. We had taken May off and have some holidays and decided to stick to the plan" commented Mr Lordi himself. "It was very unfortunate" commented instead Kjell Ekholm from YLE's Reference group.

http:// eurovision.1tv.ru/ Apparently it wasn't live after all because there were some very sharp cuts. Andreia nd Alsou hosted and if they will do the same kind of presenting in Eurovision it will be painful experience. And if we can expect the same kind of TV camera work it will be even more painful. Now it was very evident what most delegations have been complaining about but luckily most seem to have had it worked out with some pressure and threads. Finland sorted it all out my insisting on changing the camera editor from a Russian to a Swede. Anyways Philip Kirkorov started the show by raping Kylie's Your disco needs you . Lys Assia belted out her Refrain as well. Then the new Dschingis Khan rocked the house when they did their entry from 1979 and the best pop song there is: Moskau ! That was priceless! Loved it to bits! Carola and Ruslana followed, then t.A.T.u ., Dana International , Teach-In , Marija Serifovic before Dima Bilan who did both of his entries bef...

A big part of the Eurovision experience are the different parties. Belarus hosted a huge party on Thursday night that everybody still seems to be talking about. Last night there were several but the Turkish one seem to have attracted the most attention. The Icelandic garden party is coming up as well as the joint Greek-Cypriot one that is a hit every year. But those are all unofficial promotional parties while tomorrow is the mother of all parties: the official opening party where all the singers mix with the journalists and fans, and all delegations get together to have a good time. Moscow is making things big and has invited not only the first ever Eurovision winner, Lys Assia back in 1956 to sing her winning entry Refrain along with last year's winner Dima Bilan , 2007 winner Marija Serifovic from Serbia, 2004 winner Ruslana from Ukraine, 1991 winner Carola from Sweden. On top of that the German 1979 entrant Dschingis Khan ! Or rather what's left of it. And I'm sure...

In the 1970’s Ralph Siegel starts his Eurovision adventure as well as scores hits by many artists. In 1972 he gets two songs to the German final: Edina Pop ’s Meine Liebe will ich Dir geben and Andrian Wolf ’s Mein Geschenk a n Dich . He doesn’t win yet but then in 1974 he gets to Eurovision when Ireen Sheer sings Bye bye I love you for Luxembourg and places fourth. Meanwhile he has also had his first superhit, Rex Guildo ’s Fiesta Mexicana. A year after he tries again in Germany with Peggy March ’s Alles geht voruber . Still no win but his record company is doing well and he produces hits to many artists including Udo Jurgens . One of them was Penny McLeane ’s Lady Pump that topped the charts all over Europe . In America he gets his first #1 hits when Silver Convention ’s Fly Robin fly and Get up and boogie top the charts. In Germany he hits it big with Peter Alexander . In 1976 he finally wins the German selection with Les Humbries Singers singing Sing sang song tha...

It's time to remember one of the best pop jewel's there is: Dschingis Khan's follow up to their Eurovision tune of the same name back in 1979: Moskau! Fantastic catchy tune and exactly 30 years later Eurovision circus rolls in to Moscow town. The legacy of Dschingis Khan is still touring the world (despite 2 of the original members having transfered to heaven's musical choirs) with a mega circus themed show and their tracks, especially Moskau living on in YouTube and gay discos all over the world. Check them on their latest tour in Moscow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ_g-3hZYUw&NR=1 and here's the original: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQAKRw6mToA and for the fun of it, the original Finnish cover of it by Juhamatti: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j--_gSS2KGc