Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Goodbye to yesterdays plays in the soundtrack and trailer of the film Kuudes kerta and Stig Rästa is one of the actors. How cool is that? Despite the fact Estonian tabloids are reporting he's playing a sex addict, he's not. The main character of the movie is, and Stig is only his collegue. Anyways, he tells to Ilta-Sanomat it was a bit challenging to act in Finnish, since his Finnish had gotten a bit rusty over the years and he had to relearn it and now he does interviews fluently.  It's no secret Stig has close ties with Finland. Even in the Eurovision when Finland was kicked out in the semifinals while Estonia qualified he and Elina Born brought the Finnish flag to the press conference and placed it right next to the Estonian one. We are forever grateful. Thank you.  Meanwhile he's back at Eurovision national selections with Elina Born in Estonia, and maybe somewhere else, too.... Also, he has done acting in Estonia before so it's not his first time :-...

Goodbye to yesterday, goodbye to holidays and the break. I'm back. Fresh and regenerated I hope. It's been a long break, the longest I ever had since starting this blog so many years ago. I have been a bit around, met friends, been checking out Globen for next year, crashed Elina Born & Stig Rästa's promo event (Sorry for that again and thanks for being so gracious!). Been to Turku, Stockholm, Tartu, Tallinn, Milan among other places....  sadly no San Marino or Rimini this summer, or Valentina Monetta's gig in a hot summer night over drinks.... It's the begining of a new season, Stockholm 2016 one and any song released after tomorrow could become an Eurovision entry..... It's time to put it all in the box of memories and start anew. With a great mash up of beforementioned Elina &Stig's entry mashed up with likes of Kelly Clarkson, Pink, Adele, Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth. Enjoy! Eurovision 2016 Globen style, here we come!

The Eurovision song contest 2015 winner Måns Zelmerlöw climbs to #5 (from last week's #16) in the official Finnish singles Top-20 with Heroes being the only Eurovision song making it. Meanwhile the song stays at #1 in the Download charts for the second week. In the same chart Estonia's entry Goodbye to yeaterday by Stig Rästa & Elina Born drops to #21 (from last week's #2). In the radio playlist top-100 Heroes climbs to #38 (from last week's #57) In the album chart the Eurovision 2015 compilation drops to #21 (from last weeks #11) and  Pertti   Kurikan iImipäivät  's compilation "hits" album drops to #29 from last week's #13. This is its fourth week in Top-50 where it peaked at #4 in its release week. Måns Zelmerlöw' s Perfectly damaged enters the album charts at #45. 

Al the troubles seem to have disappeared. The Estonian first rehearsal wasn't great and the whole act was all over the place. Now all is sorted out and judging comments here and there Estonia is back in the game even to win it all. I agree. The clever play with silhouttes start the performance, the changing focus on them while singing and most importantly now they are singing to each other telling the story in the big city, dressed in black and looking sad and a bit angry, or just disappointed. It all works. Elina finished the song alone when by a nice wrist move she makes Stig disappear. Forever? Goodbye to yesterday indeed. Go Estonia!

It seems Estonia was having some trouble with their staging, or rather the camera angles. They play with shadows and yes, nighttime skyscrypers reappear in the backdrop. The shadow play seems to continue throughout the song and a lot of shots from above are used. They do clever things like Stig staring straight at the camera while Elina avoids eye contact. In the end Stig disappears to the darkness while Elina is left alone in the spotlight.... This might turn out something awesome on screen, can't wait! 

Estonia is one of the big favorites this year and for a reason. They topped the odds even before the Estonian final was held thanks to this song, Goodbye to yesterday . When Elina & Stig won the final with 79% of the votes there was no doubt we have having something special here. A nice cocktail of experience and inexperience, old and young (well, sort of, Stig is 35, Elina 20 but then this is not the first time Estonia sends a duet of this kind...), two different ways of singing, a story to tell.... Everything falls in right place from melody to the vocals, the retro arrangement. All we need is a good staging and camerawork and we might be off to Tallinn next year. Maybe.

The big favorite in the end made it - with 79% of the votes I must add! - and we will get another duo in Vienna. Stig Rästa and Elina Born will sing Goodbye to yesterday for Estonia. Daniel Levi came second and Elisa Kolk third, so for once my prediction was pretty perfect! :-) Goodbye to yesterday gathered clearly more votes than any other entry already in the semifinals (23.996 against 4.263 for Elisa Koik) and in the final it got 44.974 against Daniel Levi's 7.369 and Elisa's 5.951. It was also juries favorite in both rounds. In the superfinal it got 79% of votes against 13% for Daniel and 8% for Elisa. Dropped out of superfinal and 4th was Elephants from Neptune, 5th Triin Niitoja & John4, 6th Robin Juhkental & The Big Bangers, 7th Kali Briis Band, 8th The Blurry Lane, 9th Maia Vahtramäe and 10th Luisa Värk.