Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

  Sisters Lili and Susie Päivärinta, of Finnish origin belted out perfect pop hits from mid 80's to early 90's before going separate ways. I was a fan from the beginning to the end and was all for them to win 1989 melodifestivalen with Okey! Okey! but it didn't happen (nor their second try ten years later with Show me heaven .) Their best songs - in my opinion - came only in the 90's but the 80's were their most succesful ones....

Melodifestivalen acts will be announced next Monday and Tuesday. The rumor mill of possible participants has been running wild for weeks already and finally we know who are really in and who are not. What we know so far is that Sanna Nielsen will debut as the host and with her will be Robin Paulsson , a very well known television host, also him making his MF debut. We also know one of the contestants already, Kalle Johansson . He won the Svensktoppen nästä 2014 contest and the award was a ticket to Melodifestivalen 2015.  SVT received 2.177 songs this year and it seems the famous Swedish schlager is making a comeback. There are minor changes to the format and instead of 32 songs there will be only 28, but 12 of them will advance to the final instead of 10. Makes sense? Måns Zelmerlöv is supposed to be making a comeback to the contest, as are Lili & Susie, Linus Svenning and Charlotte Perrelli . Sean Banan has also made it clear he has sent a song. Other names ru...

This blogger has had a soft spot for the Swedish Päivärinta sisters of Finnish origin, Lili and Susie since they sung about summer nights 30 years ago and they provided soundtrack to my life for many years to come. The Swedish rumor mill is suggesting they are aiming for Melodifestivalen and then Vienna in 2015. Now, wouldn't that be fabulous?  They made it big with Oh mama  in 1987 and then their string of hits crossed borders to Finland and Scandinavia and even elsewhere in Europe and all the way to Japan. Bara du och jag , We were only dancing , Robert and Marie , What's the color of love , Nothing could be better , Something in your eyes , Evelyn .... hits after hits from 1987-1992. Then things slowed down and No sugar added (1992) remains their latest studio album. They did solo projects and other things until comeback in Melodifestivalen 2009 with Show me heaven (following 1989's Okej, okej! ). This year they have released already Fly, fly little bird and Woul...

Update:"Mä laulan sulle tänä iltana" she said before her MF performance. I sing to you tonight, dedicating her song to her Finnish grandmother :-) Anna Järvinen (42) finally takes part in Melodifestivalen tonight. Her song Porslin was selected already last year but she backed out in the last minute. "I haven't performed live for seven years" she tells Finnish media. "I'm a teacher, I teach Swedish and English and I have been doing that besides composing and writing new songs the past few years" . She admits of being very, very nervous. She has released three albums so far, collected awards and nominations by critics but is still maybe a little unknown to the wide audience.  This rather reserved and shy artist has two daughters (6 and 8) from her previous partner. Now she's dating Matias Palme, the youngest son of assassinated prime minister Olof Palme. She was born in Helsinki and when she was six she moved with her mother to Stockho...

Meldoifestivalen Second chance was going pretty well for my liking when there was a chance in the last duels that Timoteij and Sean Banan would go to the final next week. Instead they both lost so it's Top Cats and Torsten Flinck and his Revolutions orchester that went through. Oh well, about Top Cats it's nice it's co-written by Lili & Susie's Susie Päivärinta. Torsten... well, let's say Sean should have qualified only for his sparkling smile, ding digi ding!

Erik Saade's pre-contest pressure has been such that nothing but victory in his semi would do and that's what he did - straight to the final. Last year with Manboy he took a shower on stage, now we breaks free from a glass cage in Popular , a song that makes me sing this right away. I was rather sceptical about the song at first but considering what else Melodifestivalen has offered us this year so far this might just be the best so far. But will he and Danny divide the votes in the final and something like The Playtones ending victorious instead? One more semifinal to go and there's Love Generation, the other entry that has high expectations.

The second Melodifestivalen semifinal has just finished and I'm pretty satisfied with the results... Petra was fantastic again and a few jokes about Finns were thrown in tonight considering the fact Lili & Susie and Markoolie were taking part. Lili & Susie opened the night and time stood still in a good way. I adore them, they brought me back 20+ years in seconds! They did a good job but I wasn't at all sure how Swedes feel about them these days... Lasse followed with the dullest song of the evening (and indeed he finished 8th) and then came Jennifer . She sung well and the song was ok but it didn't take her further than 7th place and I don't think it deserved mcuh more. Next was HEAT who had a serious disfunction with the look department but the song! The song is a perfect pop anthem disguised as a heavy rock song. I like it! Then Marko Lehtosalo, better known as Markoolio took the stage with his ballad. Just when I was wondering if it is a joke entry or no...

This week SVT announced more names in the 2009 Melodifestivalen and this group is made of female artists. All of them have participated previously with the exception of Idols Agnes. Velvet - The Queen It's her third solo try after Mi amore and Deja vu . Besides that she has been backing other acts five times. Agnes - Love love love She's here for the first time, but her song writers have plenty of experience! Shirley Clamp - Med hjärtat fyllt av ljus Shirley's a real fan favourite and it's her much awaited fourth time as soloist after successes of Min kärlek and Att älska dig . She has also backed previously other acts, including Antique (Greece) in 2001. Sofia Berntsson - Alla This is her second try after Hypnotizied back in 2006. Lili & Susie - Show me heaven The fantastic Päivärinta sisters are back! So Finland sneaks in again, besides Markoolio! They did Melodifestivalen 20 years ago with Okey! Okey! Amy Diamond - It's my life She debuted last year with T...