Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Jayden Felder represanting the USA may have won the New Wave 2011 in Jurmala, Latvia but the Finns have a reason to celebrate, too. Koop Arponen's new band Flute of Shame did not only win the award by the city of Jurmala as the most sympatic band (doesn't this sound like Miss Universe or something...?) but also the matron and organizer of the contest, Eurovision veteran Alla Pugatsova awarded them the special Golden Star award of 50.000 euros! In the contest they only came 9th but were Alla's favourites. They will use the money to record an album, Koop says. "We lost our chances the first night when we had to do a cover" Koop says "but the second night we got almost full points and the third night with out own Pictures on my wall full votes from the jury. It was the first time ever! People really liked our own songs! In the end Alla gave us the award that is the same money the winner got" As we remember Koop Arponen is the Finnish Idols 2008. His band...

In Jurmala, Latvia the annual New Wave contest is being held culminating with the final concert on Sunday. The idea is to present the new comers from all over the world but the superstars steal the show as usual. Likes of Dima Bilan , Sergey Lazarev , Ani Lorak , Serebro , Alsou and that crazy Jamala from Ukraine. The cast includes also many familiar names like Aisha and Instars Busulis, the Latvian entrants 2010 and 2009. This event is getting bigger every year and surely gives the artists a visibly in the ex-Sovjet Union area like only Eurovision can do otherwise. Anyways, the new comers include some familiar names as well: Koop Arponen , the Finnish Idols winner is there with Flute of shame trio, and Donny Montell for Latvia. The others are Yusary (Belarus), Erik (Armenia), NAOMI  (Russia), Roger Ricco (Brazil), Jenna Hof (Togo), Jayden Felder (USA), Bishkek (Kyrgyzsan), A-Lau (Kazakhstan), Twins (Ukraine), Kolya Serga (Ukraine), Monika Wisnioswka & Michal Bober (...

Euroviisut favourite by Johanna Kurkela is just outside the top-200 with  Petri Munck's megahit, yet another Kari Tapio and Paula Koivuniemi song. Koop Arponen and Kristian Meurman from Idols or/and Euroviisut are in as well. Girlbands Nylon Beat and Tik Tak are featured, too. 201. OLET UNENI KAUNEIN - JOHANNA KURKELA 202. YHDEN TÄHDEN HOTELLI - JORMA KÄÄRIÄINEN 203. LEVOTON PRINSSI - PETRI MUNCK 204. MILLOINKAAN EN LÖYDÄ SAMANLAISTA - KARI TAPIO 205. ROCK HALLELUJA - PAULA KOIVUNIEMI 206. EVERY SONG I HEAR - KOOP ARPONEN 207. SANOJA - NYLON BEAT 208. SISÄLTÄ KULTAA - JANNE TULKKI 209. SAMANTEKEVÄÄ - TIKTAK 210. TUMMAT, SYVÄT VEET - KRISTIAN MEURMAN

Hanna Pakarinen has been voted as the best Idol winner ever in Finland. She got 59% of the votes ahead of the latest winner Koop Arponen with 23%. Hanna won the first season in 2004. Three years later she was singing for Finland in the Helsinki 2007 Eurovision, an experience she has often described "the best 3 minutes of my life". This year MTV3 decided not to have Idols in its programming and went for X Factor instead that turned out a flop. Idols will make a comeback next season. Here is Hanna back then , in Eurovision and now .

The past few days there have been London/UK related news about the Finnish Idols. The most recent winner Koop Arponen will perform in London on October 15 in Samsung Pink Ribbon charity gala with his new single I love it when I see you smile , specially written for the campaign. Anna Abreu, the runner up two years ago, has managed to get her video Vinegar in rotation in music channels in the UK and the single will be released there shortly, followed by the album release a bit later.

Alexander Rybak will perform tonight in MTV3's Pitkä kuuma kesä, broadcasted live from Tampere. The other guests tonight are Idols winner Koop Arponen and Eurovision veteran Laura Voutilainen who will cover Kirka. She will release a new album in October...

Alexander Rybak has confirmed he will be the guest in MTV3's summer show Pitkä kuuma kesä on July 12. He will perform Fairytale with his backing dancers in live broadcast from Särkänniemi amusement park in Tampere. Meanwhile he stays at number 1 in the Finnish download chart for the fourth week in a row, and his album debuted at number 17. Alexander is not the only Eurovision artist there this summer. This week Hanna Pakarinen and Tapani Kansa will be there, on June 21 Jari Sillanpää and Annika Eklund , on June 28 Russian girlband Princessa Avenue from the Russian selection this year (with a Finnish production song), July 7 Pave Maijanen . The latest Finnish Idols winner Koop Arponen will share the spotlight with Alexander that week.

Eurooppanuoret ry has chosen Idols winner Koop Arponen as the Young European of the year. He best represents new European Finnish youth, they say. Koop was born in Lappeenranta, Finland (just like Hanna Pakarinen) of Dutch mother and Finnish father. He has lived most of his life in the United Kingdom and Belgium but came back to Finland to serve his military service before returning definitely after winning the Finnish Idols last year. Koop himself describes himself as "mixed race European". Maybe we will see him in Eurovision stage soon as well?

After 15 weeks in Top-40 Waldo's People and Lose control finally make it to #1 in Finland due to the release of the CD-single. Digital downloading has taken the song already 4 times as #2 and it has stayed in Top-10 since its release in the end of December after its debut week at #13. The album Paranoid reached #13. In European Top-100 Lose control is down to #80 this week after peaking at #53 a month ago. The Finnish album chart has been dominated lately by two Idols related albums by Koop Arponen and Pete Parkkonen but both are dropping this week when PMMP enters at #1 and Kari Tapio at #3. Nightwish is at #13, ABBA at #37 and Vesa-Matti Loiri at #37. http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybbNQnSPseA http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=h28CAHxiOkU http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPYh9GyAMsw

Koop Arponen, the fresh winner of Finnish Idols 2008 scores his first #1 hit when Insomnia as his debut release goes straight to that position. Pieni ja hento ote by Dave Lindholm, that Idols runner up Anna Puustjärvi performed during Idols enters the chart at #2. This week also Anna signed a recording deal and will release her debut single in March 2009 and an album later next spring. Today's news is also third placed superfavourite Pete Parkkonen has been signed, too. Koop's Insomnia : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7uollnN4J8 , Anna's Insomnia : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtYRaebonIs

Koop Arponen (24) beats Anna Puustjärvi with 70,3% of the votes and becomes Finland's 4th Idol. He moved to Finland only in August and has been growing every week as performer after a rather invisible start in Idols. Funny, sounds a lot like Kevin Borg's story in Sweden!

Maltese Kevin Borg (22) has won the 5th season of Swedish Idol. Kevin is no stranger to Eurovision; he has tried twice to represant his home island: in 2006 with You're my dream and 2007 with Whenever . He moved to Sweden in late 2007 after his Swedish girlfriend. Excellent career move, one can say now! Could he be the wildcard Björkman is waiting for? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AHxHOX-3xs , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBfNMMOUoYI The Finnish Idol season climaxes tomorrow when Koop Arponen and Anna Puustjärvi battle it out in Helsinki Ice Hall.