Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Melodifestivalen started big time last week and the show was great even if the songs ween't maybe the strongest ever. Things may change this week (or then not). I will be watching UMK 2013 final when this is on so I will be back with results in due time. The most important thing to know about the rehearsals is Pernilla Wahlgren fell on her ass with high heals when she got a bit too dancy.... here: And it's worth mentioning Sean Banan has 15 people involved in his number. The rules say max 8 people on stage in melodifestivalen (instead of the 6 in Eurovision) but he's got a way around it: there are max 8 people on stage at the same time . When does someone try this in Eurovision?! And in this semi we have the writers of Eurovision 2011 and 2012 winner up against each other, too. Excited yet? Anyways, it's a very solid pack this week this blogger has difficulty to pick up the faves and yikes (from the reheardal videos, that is). Erik & Tone? I must support Sea...

Looks like there's a change in Sweden. The aertists for the first two semifinals were revealed today and most of them seem to be newcomers to the contest. We do have Cookies N Beans and David Lindgren trying again in the first one, Sean Banan and Erik Segerstedt in the second with some other familiar names like Jenny Silver and Pernilla Wahlgren, and then there's also Tone Damli after all. And a lot of familiar names among the songwriters, too, from Måns Zelmerlöw to Ingela Pling Forsman and Thomas G:son.  And we also have the songwriters of Eurovision winners of 2011 and 2012 neck to neck, too, as also Bjurman and Örn are there.... SEMI FINAL 1 KARLSKRONA (February 2) Cookies N Beans – Burning Flags (Fredrik Kempe) Mary N’diaye – Gosa (Åsgärde, Frändå, Mary N’diaye) YOHIO – Heartbreak Hotel (Fransson, Lundgren, Larsson, Göranson, YOHIO) Jay-Jay Johanson – Paris (Jay-Jay Johanson) Anna Järvinen – Porslin (Björn Olsson, Martin Elisson) David Lindgren – Skyl...

The results are in and I don't want to spoilt the fun of discovering who won by telling it here. I just say that the two countries I most follow did just as I expected, and I'm not at all surprised by the top songs. Or the bottom songs either! Watch the voting yourself here .

Melodifestivalen. What can I say? Judging the result in Germany Sweden did the right thing by sending off Eric Saade with Carola-like mindpower to succeed and make himself Popular . That said the song was never one of my favourites even if I learned to like it in the end. But what to choose here? The obvious Jenny Silver ? My favourite at the time Nicke Borg ? Love Generation ? Tough choice - not because they would be so great and good but because none of them did leave a mark in the end (usually there have been many songs I still listened when the season was over). So, I took the MF CDs, listened them through a couple of times and surprisingly it was Loreen's My heart is refusing me that stuck to my head this time when not thinking about Eurovision. Also Christian Walz's Like a sucide . Two songs that I hardly noticed back then. So, this said? How would they have featured in Germany?

Portugal's Setùbal hosts already for the third time Eurovision stars live in concert on September 10, 2011. The guest of honour is none other than Marie Myriam , the French winner of 1977 of Portuguese origin and this bloggers most significant ever Eurovision entry's performer. Other guests who have already had the taste of the Eurovision stage are Jari Sillanpää from Finland, Marcin Mrozinski from Poland, Igor Cukrov from Croatia,  Lucia Perez from Spain, Chiara from Malta and Andrea Demirovic from Montenegro. On top of that familiar names from various national finals: Chen Aharoni from Israel, Jenny Silver from Sweden besides local stars Filipa Ruas and Rui Andrade . I see there several names I'd love to see besides lovely Marie M but sigh, have to skip this time again..... :-(

SVT has just released the names in the first two Melodifestivalen semifinals: Luleå - February 5, 2011 Pernilla Andersson – Desperados Danny – In the Club Swingfly – Me and my drum Le Kid – Oh my god Jonas Matsson – On my own Rasmus Viberg – Social butterfly Jenny Silver – Something In Your Eyes Dilba – Try again Gothenburg - February 12, 2011 Anniela – Elektrisk Babsan – Ge mig en spanjor Sanna Nielsen – I’m in love Christian Walz – Like suicide Loreen – My Heart Is Refusing Me The Moniker (Daniel Karlsson) – Oh my god! Brolle – Seven Days And Seven Nights Elisabeth Andreassen – Vaken i en dröm And yes, there seem to be two songs with the same title, Oh my God! And SVT dumped Charlotte Perrelli for Jenny Silve r who gets the chance to belt out Something in your eyes instead of her, despite Jenny's flop last year but maybe that's less harmful as Charlotte's flop? Also totally unknown Anniela gets a chance instead of Linda Bengtzig and Magnus Carlsson ...