Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Georgia is using Idols to pick up their artist for Eurovision song contest 2019 in Tel Aviv. Tonight's the final with four acts left in the race. We will hear them singing their entries (titles below) and all the songs will be in Georgian! Big Hooray for that! The artists in the final have a LOT experience in various talents shows, even winning them but are back here, strange as it seems. Second chances anyone? Or is it Eurovision that makes them try again? Update: It seems the final is tomorrow, Sunday March 3 after all :-) The finalists are: Giorgi Nakashidze He has already won Georgian X Factor 2015 and sings everything from opera to rock Giorgi Pruidze Also this Giorgi was in X Factor 2015 and made it to the live shows. Lisa Kalandadze She's already been in Idols and also X Factor and seems to be a bit of a favorite to get the Eurovision ticket. Oto Nemsadze He won already the Georgian Idol 2011, and placed third in the Ukrainian The Voic...

Back in 2004 Anjeza Shahini, a 16-year-old fresh winner of Albanian Idol and Festivali i Këngës had the honors to be her country's debuting artist in the Eurovision song contest in Istanbul. This blogger was also present and faith had it I was among the Albanese group of people in the hall; Anjeza's family and friends and most of the delegation in the audience during the semifinal. To everyone's surprise she made it to the final but those poor people didn't have tickets for the final. One of them gave me the Albanian flag to wave for her in the final instead of them which I did with pleasure. She had Laura Pausini kind of star quality on stage, sitting in the hall you couldn't get your eyes off her and she made that rather akward song work wonders and landed on 7th place in Istanbul .....  She has tried to get back to Eurovision a few times since ( Pse ndal , Në pasqyrë  (2nd), Love (2nd) as well as other festivals. I have been waiting. I want her back. She...

No more leave me alones as Eurovision 2007 veteran Hanna Pakarinen has published in her Youtube channel a video unboxing the Finnish state's maternity box aka layette set thus announcing she's due to have a baby later this spring. Congratulations!

It's September and the Eurovision 2018 season is officially on. I will feature in coming days names that could be in UMK18, if only...... I say if only, as most likely we won't see any of them in there for UMK is profilied as a newcomers contest instead of being our own Sanremo or Melodifestivalen. In short: a major contest all the big names want to take part not only to win but to boost their record sales and score hits. But one can dream, right? I have thrown in some not so known names for variety. Let's go.... Vol.2 (Check out Vol.1 here ) Pete Parkkonen made himself known in Idols finishing 3rd. After two albums in English and one in Finnish - and not really going anywhere - he went on to do some television and won both Dancing with stars in 2014 and Tähdet, tähdet in 2016 and a new sex symbol was born. His latest releases have been in Finnish and Kohta sataa (below) video caused quite a stir. No doubt he's also a talented singer. Could this be a winn...

Gabriel Alares may not say much to most but he's not only an Idol 2013 participant in Sweden where he finished only 7th. He has made a name as a songwriter and with a lot of success. He co-wrote Russia's What if in 2013 that placed 5th, and A million voices in 2015 that placed 2nd. He can only do better now.... And he is one of the co-writers (with Magnus Wallin, Gustaf Svengunsson and Krista herself) of Krista Siegfrid's Faller in Melodifestivalen 2016. The song is apparently an uptempo and as Krista loves a good show on stage, there will be a full explosion of Eurovision glitter for sure! Krista has told this is the first song she has written in Swedish, despite it being her mother tongue and it feels real good to sing finally in Swedish. Her aim is to make it in Sweden as there really isn't market for Finlandsvenska music in Finland and sees Melodifestivalen not only a childhood dream but as a vehicle to promote herself and maybe make it in Sweden..... Lycka t...

The Globen was packed last night, thanks to the Idol 2014 final and One Direction as the guest star but one voice was above them all. Hallelujah is the most raped song in the Idol auditions, we learned last night and the chances are very high one goes wrong with it. So they called The Voice to show them all how it's done with dignity: Carola. Indeed she did justice to the song before switching and mixing it to the fabulous The Ark cover from Så mycket bättre, Tell me this night is over . Watch her performance here . Oh, Idol? It's Lisa Ajax . 

SVT is doing big variety shows with different artists (one of them being another Eurovision veteran Jill Johnson) under title "En helkväll med.../Whole evening with...." or 90 minutes of show, talk and some invited guests. Lena Philipsson got her show done earlier this month in Gothenburg's Stora teatern. This is actually the very first time these two schlager queens perform as a duet ever. In public that is. Carola tells in her blog that they did once Barbra Streisand's Enough is enough in a private birthday party in Mallorca. They have also been featured in a same MF number many years ago - and this is THE best interval act ever in any Eurovision related show. But I guess you have to speak Swedish to fully appreciate it - but as a duet, this is a first, after nearly 30 years both have been in the business! Apparently Lena plays piano besides singing and Carola seems very pleased and excited about the experience. And the song? It's this blogger's super...

The middle one of the three singing Mattila sisters debuts in Syksyn Sävel with a Motown inspired pop song Sun . Her career started by winning various awards in 2004-2005 as the newcomer of the year in various schlager genres. Four albums followed in 2005-2008 and after a break she returned this year with a new album that was elected the album of the month by local radio stations including songs like Soitat ilmakitaraa , Planeetat kohdallaan  and Seitsemäs taivas .  She has her audience in the dance halls all around the country with well targeted music. In her genre very good, but not exactly this blogger's cup of tea.  Her past includes also winning kid's singing contest and Idols 2003 (she left the competition herself)

Remember Darin? He was to release his sixth album earlier this year but scrapped it and left for the US instead and is now working with several famous and successful producers and writers, among them Jim Beans (who co-write Dima Bilan's Believe ), Billy Mann, Sasha Skarbek, Busbee and RedOne. The new album is in the makes between New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles and should be released early next year. "I couldn't release something I wasn't 110% sure about. When it comes to music I'm perfectionist. This new album has a chance to break abroad, it's very important for me. At the moment I'm in studio with these guys and we write songs for me, and it's possible I write for other artists, too" he says. Darin has four #1 albums in Sweden (and a lot of fans in Finland, too) to his credit even if being only 25. He broke through from the Idol 2004 and also participated in Melodifestivalen 2010 with You're out of my life  finishing 4th. The ye...

Anna Bergendahl has been kind of out of spotlight recently but now she's back! She's been in the States recording her second album Something to believe in to be released in October 2012. And she's really got something to believe in; her voice sounds fantastic in the new single Live and let go that comes with a very nice Californian video to match. Great stuff! You should all learn to love her again .... (You know who you are)

Loreen's winning entry Euphoria is #1 all over iTunes and one would think it's a perfect time to release an album but no, it will only come in September 5, 2012. She will release a new single late July-August, then the album. He record company is telling they really want to do things well and prove Loreen is more than one song and will make a world star. She won't lack songs as it seems everyone wants to write for her and be on her debut album in Sweden and beyond. Prior Euphoria Loreen has only three singles to her credit; The snake in 2005 after Idol, and My heart is refusing me from Melodifestivalen 2011 that was produced by Måns Zelmerlöv who actually started a record company just to be able to sign her! Last year she also released Sober . Here's some more of her.

One of the favourites this year, Zeljko Joksimovic for Serbia has been busy releasing various versions of his entry Nije ljubav stvar. First came the instrumental version he played all the instruments himself, including his own body ( here ), and now there's one for the hearing impaired people with local Talent winner Nenad Mahmutovic ( here ) and then of course there is the English , Russian and Spanish versions (with Samuel Cuenda) available. And there's also a Serbian/English mix ( here ). And of course the original Serbian version he will perform in Baku 2012. A beautiful song is a beautiful song, no matter which language it is but I'm happy it will be in Serbian!

New York born Katherine did Canadian Idol and is now trying her luck in the Swiss Eurovision selection. Her Wrong to let you go is one of the better ballads in there. And she has a great voice. And Switzerland has a history of Canadian female voices to do well in the Eurovision....

The Finnish TV is filled with Eurovision stars when Mr Lordi and Hanna Pakarinen will be choir leaders in Kuorosota , Paula Koivuniemi a judge in The Voice of Finland and now Laura Voutilainen joins the judge team in Idols that will return this fall and replace the flop X Factor. It's going to be an interesting winter on TV screen indeed!

The other Finn Elin Blom is out from the Swedish Idol 2010. "It's very sad to leave but this is not the last you've heard of me. I'll be back, you'll see! This was the best I have ever done! " In Finnish media she was critizising the Finnish Idol when asked why she did the Swedish one saying the Swedish is so much better. Well, true... I guess. Anyways the Finnish one has given us Hanna Pakarinen , Antti Tuisku , Jani Wickholm , Katri Ylander , Agnes , Kristiina Brask , Anna Abreu , Kristian Meurman , Koop Arponen and Pete Parkkonen . After a break the 5th season will start next year in Finland while in Sweden there is the top-5 left...

After rather disappointing chart action with her previous album Love in a million shades (#32 and only one week in top-40) her new Paperimiehen tytär debutes in the charts at #9! And not only, two of the songs have entered the Radio Suomi's most played songs chart: Maailman ihanin mies debuts at #6 and Miehet at #26 following the success of the title track Paperimiehen tytär. Switch of language and style seems to be working well for her! Listen a sampler of the album here .

Finnish Elin Blom (16) really made an impact in the Swedish Idols last night. "You are top-3 in the contest. You have the voice, the look, you're a dream artist" said the judges, "now that's a star", "she's got that something". Finland rulez! Here . Here she is with Sister Twister in MGP Nordic 2007 with Fröken perfect and here in Euroviisut 2010 with Love at the first sight . Is a star born? (This season is getting interesting, one has to follow also the Swedish idol and the Italian X Factor closely.... I need four eyes and ears for that!)

WTF? That's what I said to myself when I saw the headline. In the Swedish Idol there's no age limit (in Finland it's 30) and therefor whoever can take part. Geir Rönning (47), the Norwegian grooner who has participated in both the Norwegian and the Finnish national finals several times and even won and represanted Finland in 2005 with Why has progressed to the next stage in the selections. "I understand the ctitic but in the rules there's nothing that would make me unable to participate" he says. "Every artist is looking for visibility and the visibility the Swedish idols can give me is priceless" he states. "Nothing wrong in an old Ferrari" commented Anders Bagge, one of the judges and composer of the the Azeri entry in Eurovision 2010. But that's not all. Elin Blom, the lead singer of Sister Twister, that represanted Finland in the MGP and tried their luck in Euroviisut 2010 as well is also there.... She has now moved to Sweden and...

Hanna Pakarinen's new single Paperimiehen tytär was released today for radios. Surprisingly it is in Finnish! The single will be digitally released August 30, and the album with the same name will be out on October 20, 2010. Seems like Hanna's got a new style both in music and style. Meanwhile she has been doing one shot gigs here and there all summer with various bands and styles proving she's comfortable with almost any kind of music.She says the album feels like a debut album and has been in the working for a long time and in the secret. "Many people asked me why I don't sing in Finnish. I always thought that if I do I want to write it myself but I wasn't ready. And I'm stubborn. Last winter the first song was born and when listening it in the studio for the first time it was kind of shocking and I felt like "I did it!" and now the whole album is ready. It feels incredible and I am really satisfied with the result and so happy! And it feels so...

Laura Pausini gathered with the help of Elisa, Gianna Nannini, Giorgia and Fiorella Mannoia the leading ladies in the Italian music business together to S.Siro stadium in Milan last June 22 to raise money for the Abruzzi earthquake victims. Now exactly a year later the 2-DVD of the event will be published with over 4 hours of music, 50 songs and 1.183.406,52 euros raised back then. Eurovision stars Alice, Anna Oxa and Alessandra Drusian join in with recent X Factor and other reality stars Alessandra Amoroso, Giusy Ferreri, Noemi and Malika Ayanae with the international superstars Laura Pausini, Gianna Nannini and Elisa added with national megastars Giorgia, Fiorella Mannoia and so on... Solos, duets, groups. Their own songs and covers. Four hours of girl power. If you can get one! Tette per un tetto! (translates to Tits for roofs!)