Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Remember Kaisa Vala from UMK 2012 with Habits of human beings ? Finland's own little Kate Bush from Joensuu has since released her debut album International Shaman , done countless gigs, moved to London to study pruduction at Academy of Contemporary Music and is busy writing new music. Meanwhile a video for Caught in translation has been released finally. It's rather wintery one, reminding us here in Finland the darkness and snow is upon as very soon. Shortly the extended version of the video will be also released so stay tuned.... the story continues. While waiting for that enjoy her take on the most shamanic of the Finnish Eurovision entries Lapponia .  You can click Like and say Hi! to Kaisa here .

YLE has revealed the running order for the UMK 2013 final and info on the voting. Strangely there will be no superfinal and it will be 50-50 with the jury and televote. That's good news for Arion and Great Wide North, clearly so far the jury's favorites while fan and televote favorites Diandra, Mikael and Krista may be punishd by them if they decide they don't like them... are we heading for a compromise here à la 2000? If you don't remember what happened then, check your history books.... Arion – Lost Elina Orkoneva – He’s Not My Man Lucy Was Driving – Dancing All Around the Universe Krista Siegfrids – Marry Me Last Panda – Saturday Night Forever Mikael Saari – We Should Be Through Great Wide North – Flags Diandra – Colliding Into You The interval acts will be Teflon Brothers featuring Euroviisut veteran Meiju Suvas and last year's UMK participant Stig. Mikael Konttinen (Euroviisut 2008 fan favorite) will bring his popular musical talk show t...

A special treat awaits in the UMK final in Barona Arena, Espoo in February. Hanna Pakarinen, Pernilla Karlsson, Kaisa Vala, Emma Salokoski, Johanna Iivanainen and Suvi Teräsniska will perform together in a number inspired by YLE's program Mikaelin naiset . In this program Mikael Konttinen, also Euroviisut veteran himself chats with female artists about a song they have chosen and has meant something special to them. In the end they perform it together with Mikael and his grand piano. I wonder what will they sing in UMK? Another confirmed guest will be Teflon Brothers featuring Meiju Suvas and Stig. 

Remember Kaisa Vala from UMK 2012 who was singing about the habits of human beings and becoming for example this blogger's favorite? She has just released her new album International Shaman . I say new as it's not her first as we all might think, back in 2007 she already released ep Ghost Waltz but who ever head that? It's all in English and she says: "Today's record company politics wanted me to sing in Finnish about little things of everyday life as it's what's been selling a lot recently in Finland but I think there are already many of them around, with all my respect. Every time I talked with record company bosses they all said first they like my music. Then they asked if I could sing in Finnish?" She's also pleased about her participation in UMK 2012: "With our budget it would have been impossible to buy so much promotion time on TV and media. It has only been good for us. Of course I was a bit sad I didn't win but maybe I will ...

Just a few hours before the final Iltalehti's readers have said their opinion: Stig will win tonight's UMK and represant Finland in the Eurovision song contest 2012 in Baku. He got over half of the votes (52%) while his runner ups Pernilla Karlsson and Kaisa Vala got only 12,8% and 10,0%. The fans are apparently for Pernilla Karlsson, Iconcrash and Kaisa Vala, while Stig is second to last in their poll. In Oikotimes poll Pernilla and Kaisa are in the lead and Stig last. The results are similar elsewhere. Will Finns stick to their own mind and send a domestic hit that will bomb in Baku big time or search for something else? We will know later tonight.... Stig used to be Stig Dogg and do this sort of thing before: Stigidilaatio , Kullii , Häsleri , Rakkauden Bermudan kolmio.....  if you don't know Finnish for once you can be very happy about it! All this considered Laululeija isn't that bad after all, is it?

The long and confusing Finnish national final concept called UMK aka Uuden musiikin kilpailu comes to an end tonight in a live show from Helsinki's Ice Hall. I don't know if it's going to be a full house aas at least in last night's programme they said go and get your ticket and come see the show live as tickets are still available. There will be 14 cameras, the sage looks pretty enough and YLE apparently has put an effort for the final with guest stars like The Rasmus world premier of their comeback single I'm a mess, the "biggest show ever seen by a Finnish artist" by Anna Abreu, last year's Euroviisut winner Paradise Oskar will perform, too, and even the current #1 in the single's chart Robin is there. Six songs made it this far and even if I may not agree with the results I do have a favourite, Kaisa Vala. I also like Mica Ikonen. Many Eurovision fans favour Ville Eetvartti and Pernilla Karlsson. Then we have Iconcrash and Stig. I just don'...

The last qualification round of UMK came from Helsinki Ice hall where we had the stage, the greenroom but empty hall giving a very strange feel to the whole thing. Anyways after the interview with The Rasmus , the round up how the 540 songs came 40, then 12, then 8 and finally only six tonight they started telling us who the online voters had sent to the final: Mica Ikonen, Pernilla Karlsson, Ville Eetvartti while Kaisa Vala was in danger of dropping out. Then Iconcrash and Stig to the final and Freeman joins Kaisa Vala on stage tonight and faces the judges. They performed again after Anna Abreu was interviewed. She will have her biggest show ever on UMK stage. After the Madonna's SuperBowl performance it was reported she was mad about her as her planned show was very similar to Madonna's and now needed to be redone to avoid copycat label. (Yeah right!). So then to the judges Anna Laine, Jorma Hietamäki, Vallu Vaipio, Anna Puu and Tomi Saarinen. They praised Kaisa Vala, the w...

Tonight there will be the last qualification round for the seven entries left in UMK aka Uuden musiikin kilpailu, ex-Euroviisut. First they were 540, then 40, then 12 and tonight they will be only six. Televoters will take five of them to the final, and the judges will send there also one of the two leftovers. So, one will be so close, 24 hours, from the final but will be left out. I would kick out either Freeman or Stig (for the simple fact he can't sing) but I'm afraid both will go on tomorrow's final. My favourites are Kaisa Vala as she is the most intteresting, fresh new artists here, and Mica Ikonen for the simple stage presence and voice!The songs still in the run are: Freeman & Uusi Fantasia - Noitanainen Iconcrash - We are the night Kaisa Vala - Habits of the human beings Mica Ikonen - Antaa mennä Pernilla Karlsson - När jag blundar Stig - Laululeija Ville Eetvartti - Lasikaupunki

So, tonight's UMK is over and we have a result. This week I don't totally agree with the judges but hey, that's life. Aura Pineda is out. The judges thought she's a good singer and she is, and the song is a good schlager hit which is it but somehow it wasn't honest. Indeed she said in interview she "wants to sing all sort of music" in a way that it sounded like she's not that into the song herself. Could be. Surprisingly also Leola was kicked out. They praised the solist and the song and wondered if she would go solo anytime soon. Even if the song came alive on stage like never before it lacked originality reminding many Finnish current artists (Irina meets Stella for example). So, welcome back nest year! Iconcrash did it. They thought they were ambitious stadium rock. A good song. Freeman also did it but they were very disappointed Uusi Fantasia band was not with him but five backing singers. He better bring them along (after all it's labeled ...

So far the show has been a rating disaster and people have showed little interest, even amongst the fans it seems. Tonight again six acts will perform to the judges who will then drop two of them. They are Aura Pineda, Freeman, Iconcrash, Kaisa Vala, Leola and Ville Eetvartti . As this is a recorded show the real thing happens elsewhere at the same time: the eight qualified ones + the wildcard voted online from Martina, Jessica Wolff and The Spyro will perform in Club Dom in Helsinki live infront of a live audience and judges. And here is the change: apparently when this airs on February 17 the public can vote five acts directly to the final, and the judges will add one more. So far there has been no talk about public voting at this stage so is this an attempt to try to make the show more interesting and viewer friendly? The show starts tonight at 20.00 CET and you can watch it live on YLE Areena . I will of course post after the show my comments and thoughts.