Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

  Another dose of #Finpop 2025 with UMK and Eurovision twist. Kuunkuiskaajat (ESC 2010) are back together after nearly ten years apart while Aksel Kankaanranta who missed Eurovision due Covid-19 has released yet another new song as has home ground Eurovision 2007 star Hanna Pakarinen and finally UMK veteran Ilta belting out yet another beautiful ballad. Enjoy! Kuunkuiskaajat - Lemmenhuuto Aksel Kankaanranta - Mitä sanoisin Hanna Pakarinen - Rakenteet Ilta - Yksin et koskaan sä mee

Eurovision veterans Kuunkuiskaajat have joined many previous Euroviison stars to support Käärijä and his Cha cha cha. They have made a hilarious boomer version of Cha cha cha. The video pretty much displays what they're into i nstead of Käärijä's night at the bars and pina coladas... . 

Yle organized among its other consolation Eurovision 2020 programming also a voting to find out the most loved Finnish entries of each decade (here). The clear winner was Something better and saara Aalto finished where she usually lands to: second. 2014 Softengine - Something better  29,3% 2018 Saara Aalto - Monsters  19,3% 2017 Norma John - Blackbird  12,5% 2013 Krista Siegfrids - Marry me   12,3% 2011 Paradise Oskar - Da da dam   10,5% 2015 Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät - Aina mun pitää   5,7% 2010 Kuunkuiskaajat - Työlki ellää  4,8% 2019 Darude feat. Sebastian Rejman - Look away   2,1% 2012 Pernilla Karlsson - När jag blundar  2,1% 2016 Sandhja - Sing it away  1,3%

  Finland celebrates its 100th year as an independent state and has ever since searched for its place in Europe and the world, between East and West. Sometimes with less success. As we speak in 1939 we were at war again with Soviet Union but - let's make a huge change of subject here -  since 1961 Finland has been taking part in the Eurovision song contest (and we also took part, and won twice, the copycat contest behind the Iron curtain, Intervision song contest). It may have taken awhile before we won, but it never stopped us taking part. EBU did, in those crazy 1990's-early 2000's. Let's look back in coming days as a countdown to the Big Day some of the most memorable and significant entries from Finland..... Monica Aspelund 's 1977 entry Lapponia is one of the most iconic Finnish entries, and one of those taking a large serving from the mythology with added flavor from Lapland. This is exotism we should have used more often, this blogger thinks. It...

Susan Aho of Kuunkuiskaajat fame turns 43 today. Congratulations!

Now this is surprising. One would think Sandhja's Sing it away was a kind of a flop, but here comes Radio Yle Suomi's most played songs chart of 2016 and guess what? It's number one! And even more so, Eini's entry Draamaa is n.o 3. Now that pretty much sets the tone this radio channel is; schlager and and pop schlager.  Further down the shart Kuunkuiskaajat's Unelmaa is n.o 24, Laura Voutilainen at n.o 35 with Miks ei and at n.o 49 with Olet mulle enemmän . This year's UMK entrant Zuhlke is n.o 54 with Huominen on meidän . Eurovision winner Celine Dion is there, too, N.o 68 with L'étoile . Previous Euroviisut entrant Mikael Konttinen n.o 82 with Ei koskaan and Hanna Pakarinen n.o 84 with Herrojen kanssa pellon laidassa , UMK entrants Hukka ja Mama n.o 91 Sun pitäis olla mun ... Check out the full listing here

Estonia has had the most exciting and indipendent selections the past few years but this year it seems it has taken a step back going to the UMK direction (that is isnoired by Eesti laul anyways) and throws in some Melodfestivalen. Rather middle of the road entries (still way better than the most songs in MF anyways) and no real smash hit with the first hearing but I'm sure they can make ost of them work wonders on stage. The most alternative ones seems to be Kerli, Close to Infinity and Alvistar but they are smooth pop compared to Winny Puhh.... This blogger was left rather unmoved and a bit disappointed with the offering at first listening as the names promised so much. However, I did like Laura & Koit, Adriane and Almost Natural and many other songs are nice, just not strong enough I think. All the time I was expecting something wonderfully weird and crazy to come up and it didn't materialize but some Kuunkuiskaajat wannabes and something Toyah could have done in the ...

"Kuunkuiskaajat's 8 year journey has been full of joy and laughter, bubbles, friendship and unforgettavle moments. This is a good place to end our journey and Revitty rakkaus will be our beautiful farewell album, that will live on. Thank you for all these years and moments. Without you there wouldn't be us and this album. Let Revitty rakkaus take flight and keep singing this beautiful story!" With this surprising announcement Kuunkuiskaajat is no longer. This will be their second and last album. It was a long long time in the making. Their latest single Unelmaa (Dream) was released earlier this year and has been doing well in the radios. Buy your copy here . 

Unelmaa, like a dream is Kuunkuiskaajat's comeback single and video. It's from their coming album. The girls started writing the album already five years ago but a lot has happened in between, including Johanna's cancer - you can see the cancer scar in her neck in the video. But as her hashtag #fuckcancer tells, it's over and they are ready for a new start. With an album that is more personal, more pop than ever! 

EBU and Jan Ola Sand have responded today to all accusations of voting irregulations or whatever may have or may not have been going on with the Azeri votes in each way. Were people paid to vote for them, or did or did not Azerbaijan vote for mother Russia. Read all about it on eurovision.tv here . Today however even Montenegro is wondering about their votes but could it be only that the new way of counting votes (not only the top-10 but putting in order all 26 songs) has caused these differences that first may seem a bit strange? Let's wait and see if EBU will release all votes and placements in all countries to set this all straight.  Meanwhile the Finnish jury told that they had actually a police around all time of the voting, and they couldn't even excuse themselves to go to the bathroom alone.... Serious stuff. Today also Kuunkuiskaajat throw some wood to the fire. They told there were asked to talk to the Finnish jury members in Eurovision 2010 to vote for a certain...

Every Eurovision fan knows by now Dekel and Bastien, the Parody Guys! This couple has provided as fun and joy already three years and this year they are back. And the chosen one is the Finnish entry Marry me (again) and the videos has been shot all around the world, from Helsinki to New York, from London to Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, Stockholm and all the other places! Are you ready to get married?! Here ! Can you tell us a bit about yourselves. Dekel from Tel Aviv, Bastien French living in Zurich. How do you do it? How do you manage with your international live style? We both travel a lot, either for business or pleasure, so we are often in each other's city, or meeting somewhere around the world! Where and how did you meet? We met in a bar in New York back in 2006. We were both airline crew members on a layover there. Dekel still is one, Bastien has changed his career since. Aha, we can blame it on Lordi then! How many Eurovisions have you done already? I suppose you wi...

Or rather, she's been fired from Värttinä after 12 years. The band is right now in WOMEX or World Music Expo in Thessaloniki, Greece and that gig will be her last with Värttinä. The band will be awarded in the expo for the success of their latest album. Johanna is the other half of Kuunkuiskaajat and Susan Aho, the other half stays in Wärttinä. She tells is a recent women's weekly magazine about her burn out and trouble with her voice because of that, and how the other band members voted about her and majority wanted to get rid of her this summer.  Tsemppiä Johanna, as we say here in Finland!

Viktor Klimenko, Eurovision 1965 in Naples with Aurinko laskee länteen , is celebrating his 50th anniversary in the business with a tour around Finland. He is joined on stage by Kuunkuiskaajat, Eurovision 2010 with Työlki ellää , which is rather fitting.  Viktor Klimenko, the Singing Cossack as he was labelled in the 1970's when he's popularity was at the peak after the release of Stenka rasin album that went platinum and was released also abroad. In 1980 he was reborn as a Christian and turned into gospel.... He has also an ongoing acting career both on stage and in TV and films.  He got the Finnish passport only in 1973 and therefor was sent to Naples with an alien passport and that was his first ever trip abroad. So, one can argue was Geir Rönning the first and only non Finnish to represent the country in Eurovision.... 07.09. Mikkeli / Martti Talvela-Sali 08.09. Lappeeranta / Lappeenranta-Sali 21.09. Turku / Logomo 28.09. Tampere / Tampere – Sali 12.10...

Well, actually Värttinä is with their latest album Utu topping the World music charts in Europe ( here ) but Värttinä today is 2/3 Kuunkuiskaajat I preferred to use the more Eurovision friendly headline :-). This is Värttinä's 11th album and 3rd with the singing formation of Mari Kaasinen and Susan Aho & Johanna Virtanen, or the Kuunkuiskaajat. In June the band will perform in Moscow and St.Petersburg and they will also do a few gigs in Finland during the summer. Here is Utuneito ,   Haltijan hallussa , Manattu  and the single Tuuterin tyttäret .

You were expecting this, weren't you? After their Kuunkuiskaajat parody Työlki ellää that was loved by the girls themselves and half of Finland along with Europe they did Eric Saade's Popular last year (no information on what he thought about it) this time they have done the video for the Udmurt grannies Buranovskiye Babushki song  Party for everybody . It's the promo video the grannies themselves never did, bringing the song to another level, so to speak. Once again fabulous job and pure entertainment! With an important message. Well done, Dekel, Bastien and your co-grannies and extras! (And on a such wonderful spring day we have in Finland today you may want to enjoy this old gem of theirs, too.)

Värttinä returns! On record that is as they never stopped performing and making music even if Kuunkuiskaajt won Euroviisut and charmed the folks in Oslo in between. Their new album Utu , first since 2006, is released today. The current line up Mari Kaasinen and Kuunkuiskaajat or Susan Aho and Johanna Virtanen. The first radio single is Tuuterin tyttäret .

A few weeks ago it was announced the lovely girls of Kuunkuiskaajat would tell the Finnish votes in the final. Today the cold shower: EBU has said no. Only one of them will be seen on screen and that one is Susan. Of course the girls are disappointed for the new strickt rules that permit only one person. However they will both be there in YLE's studios even if we will only see Susan.... maybe? (Sorry girls for the photo. I just wanted to make a point. Luv ya!)

Remember the fantastic parody of Kuunkuiskaajat made by Dekel Ben Avi and Bastien Venturi last year? I mean this ! The guys are back with a new one for the 2011 edition. They're going to be Po pul ar ! Soon here. Here's a teaser !

Kuunkuiskaajat have not only met Axel aka Paradise Oskar and given him some good advice the past few days they have also listened the Eurovision 2011 songs and have said their opinion. They think the trend is much younger and poppier than last year, thanks to Lena? with the almost total absense of big power ballads and ethnic music. They also tell in YLE's inteview they have a new approach to Eurovision as they have been also checking out some national finals this year and not only the winners. Do we have real fans growing here? Anyways Johanna's favourites are Switzerland, Greece (if she can get it without the rap!) and Iceland. Her uptempo favourite is Ireland and she also mentions Italy. Susan then likes Cyprus best and goes also for Switzerland and also Belgium. They both agree that of  Big5 Germany, Italy and France have strong entries and very different ones from each other this year but Spain and UK don't impress them that much. The worst by far are Belarus and Port...

If Kuunkuiskaajat made Noolan famous last year (at least in Finland) Paradise Oskar will do the same with Globe Hope. He will be wearing their cloathes on and off stage in Germany. Globe Hope is a Finnish company that has made all sort of things from recycled materials since 2001. Maybe most famous for its bags and purses today the 13 employees manufacure and design also cloathes, home stuff and everything in between. CDs, vinyl records, seatbelts and army things get a new life, check them out here . Last spring they opened their very first shop in Helsinki, in the same place where the Eurovision fan's info office was in Helsinki 2007! Destiny! And what brand would fit better to Paradise Oskar's song? None!