Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Like every year popular artists release Christmas albums. In Finland it's usually 3-5 of the top names annually and 2014 is no exception.  This year we have Teräsbeton i's Jarkko Ahola releasing already his second Christmas album titled Suojelusenkeli - Joulun klassikot 2 . This time it includes also songs that are not exactly Christmasy, like Finlandia by Sibelius, Cavatina and Andrea Bocelli's Sanremo song Con te partirò .  Jippu , who took part in Euroviisut 2008 with Kanna minut makes a comeback to recording world after motherhood with Rakkauden joulu . It is more classic Christmas album with songs like O holy night , Heinillä härkien kaukalon and Sydämeeni joulun teen .  Suvi Teräsniska - who would be great for Eurovision one day - is saying goodbye to music business for awhile with this Christmas album Joulun henki . She got married and is expecting a baby shortly so she will have a well deserved break from a very succesful career. It includes also a ...

It's time to wish you all a very Merry Christmas once again! And you are more numerous than ever! It's been euphoric year with more hits, more readers, more followers in Facebook and Twitter than ever before. I really appreciate every visit you make, every comment you make and am thrilled day after day how many people visit me. Thank you! A special thank you to my man in Baku 2012, Robert! I hope we will relive it all  again in Malmö 2013! So once again, have a Merry Christmas! Hyvää joulua and Buon Natale!

Christmas albums are something most artists do at some point of their career for some reason; to cash in, to revive the career or just for fun or other reason. This year in Finland Samuli Edelmann does it after singing pop, rock, psalms so in his career it's a rather logical step after starring alongside Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible. The album Hiljaisuuden valo (Light of the silence) is reached top-5 in its second week. Very popular Juha Tapio who started with religious music before hitting pop rock debuted at #4 with his album Joululauluja (Christmas songs). Also for him, I must admit it is a logical step in his career and there's no hint about the previously mentioned reasons to do such albums. The third success album this season comes from Jarkko Ahola of Teräsbetoni fame. This is actually his first solo album and shows there's more to him and his vocals than just metal rock and long hair in the air. Ave Maria - joulun klassikot (Ave Maria - Christmas classics) i...

We started this series with a metal version of this song and here's the classic one by Karita Mattila. To add information on song it actually was written in Sicily, talking about an emigration bird and it's longing in a cage - a metaphora for Finland under the Russian rule those times. A song that makes me cry everytime. Period. But you folks, have a very merry Christmas! Karita Mattila - Sylvian joululaulu .

This is Katri Helena's self penned song from 1978 with lyrics by Junnu Vainio. This has also become a real classic over the years and has been covered by several artists. Translates to Land of Christmas (that we all will find inside of us, of course) Katri Helena - Joulumaa .

This is a rel classic written by Zacharias Topelius as a poem in 1859. Otto Kotilainen composed this Christmas song versio of it in 1913. The song has been recorded by dozens of artists. This one's quite a recent version by Suvi Teräsniska. Translates to A sparrow in Christmas morning . Suvi Teräsniska - Varpunen jouluaamuna

This song was written by Kassu Halonen and Vexi Salmi for Vesa-Matti Loiri's Christmas album in 1988. It has become a real classic and has been recorded by many artists since. Traslates to I create Christmas inside my heart . Vesa-Matti Loiri - Sydämeeni joulun teen

Another classic from 1901 composed by Jean Sibelius to a poem by Vilkku Jouhalainen. This is also a kind of kick off song to Christmas. A bit hard to translate, something There are piles of snow but the repeating lines go when we have a Christmas and tell all sort of things what happens... On hanget korkeat nietokset - Tikkurilan laulajat

This is composed by Otto Kotilainen and lyrics by Alpo Noponen and belongs to most every Christmas concert and has been recorded many times. Translates to When Christmas is here . Kun joulu on - Tarja Turunen

Another classic Christmas song from school times. Translates to Christmas three has been decorated . Also this one composed by Mr Trad. and lyrics are apparently by T. Ilmari Haapalainen. Joulupuu on rakennettu

It's 5 o'clock, kids wake up! starts the song and tells how the preparations go before the folks are ready to go to the Christmas morning church. This one is also sung in most every concert and brings back a lot of preparations. This version I post here is not one of the most traditional ones though... Joulukirkkoon - Sari & Mari Kaasinen

This is written by infamous Mr Trad. Translates to Is it summer all of sudden as the lyrics tell how the candles shine and even the old feel young again and it's all jolly and nice.I remember this was a must at school's Christmas party every year. No onkos tullut kesä - Jukka Kuoppamäki

This is from 1999 when the Nylon Beat girls were hot, hot, hot. Later at least Antti Tuisku has covered the song that translates to Black Christmas, referring this time not to no-snow Christmas but the mood... Nylon Beat - Musta joulu

This is a real classic. Zacharias Topelius wrote the poem (1887) and Jean Sibelius the music. This is the song that usually opens any Christmas concert in a church and the song's been recorded by dozens of artists. Translates to I don't seek power nor riches (just peace on earth) En etsi valtaa, loistoa - Rajaton

This is from Antti Tuisku's second Christmas album that just sold gold. Time will tell if this will become a real classic that other singers will cover and everybody will know by heart... Translates to Christmas star . Antti Tuisku - Joulun tähti