Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

  If Sanremo dominates the charts all spring in the summer time the so called tormentoni take over the radio waves all through to autumn when the holidays are over. And some of those live on summer after summer and in this series I will always add one of those goodies. Let's start with Paola & Chiara's classic Vamos a bailar, a true evergreen already. And guess what? There's a rumour the sister might get back together! I have always hoped them doing Eurovision..... Sanremo 2023 in mind I hope! And one can't really not think about their Festival when listening to Tribale. And it's a good thing! Elodie - Tribale Eros Ramazzotti - Ama Fedez, Tananai, Mara Sattei - La dolce vita Paola & Chiara - Vamos a bailar

La dolce vita, life has been so sweet and wonderful. ... so she sung in Lausanne 1989 Eurovision and scored 7th place, one of Finland's rare successes against all odds and changed her career. "It was a jackpot" she tells to Helsingin Sanomat in an interview this May.  "I was so nervous, I felt I am about to die" she recalls. "There's a photo taken just before going on stage ans I look like a standing mummy. In a post-performance photo I look like a 8-year-old schoolgirl who managed to sing pretty and gets praise from her mom" she laughs.  Anneli Saaristo was no stranger to great public in Finland before La Dolce Vita , but Eurovision and doing well opened her new doors and major success. Her album sold gold and she got gigs as many as she could do, she was all over the press. It was a question of faith she says now. Had she failed and done bad her career might have been over, like so many other artists back in the day. She looks back Eu...

Anneli Saaristo turns 68 today. Congratulations! Anneli started her career in the 70's through various competitions and in the 80's she picked up awards also in international ones (Best female artist in Knokke 1983, Rostock 1985, Dresden 1987) and finally Eurovision song contest 1989 where she scored 7th place with La dolce vita .  That was like a victory for Finns..... She's also been doing musicals, acted in theater and in films, recorded 11 solo albums (latest one Kissan mieli 2012) and scored countless evergreen classic hits and is known for her a bit more demanding style and sound in the pop scene. 

La dolce vita - Italian film music is an event project that has been premiered in New York last year and this summer has taken place in Italy and next year will (hopefully) tour the world from Switzerland to Japan.  Who wouldn't know the Italian classic movies and their music written by names like Ennio Morricone, Nino Rota and others? The idea of the project is very simple: make those songs live again performed live by Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini orchestra with guest singers like Alice, Raphael Gualazzi and Morgan with projection of the main scenes from the movies. Simple and effective. Those who have seen it love it. One more chance to catch this for now is November 30 in Milan.  "I'm still excited and get emotional just thinking about it" explains the mind and record label mogul Caterina Caselli from Sugar when talking about the Lincoln Center performance last September in New York. "Martin Scorcese and Woody Allen were there and were very enthuastic...

I don't get those who say the French entry sucks - well, then I don't get those who say Sweden or Spain are so great either for that matter - as it's a fantastic melody sung masterfully by Lisa, who maybe does look more like a suburban housewife than an Eurovision star but then who cares? France television and their delegation should just take example of Finland 1989 shots and direction and the deal is done.... Anyways, Lisa proved once again what a great artist she is in this live acoustic performance of N'oubliez pas on Grand studio RTL, I wish and hope France will be the shocker this year for fans doing so much better than they think..... Just to teach them a lesson :-)