Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

There are familiar names and faces in the Sandhja's backing group Akkabellas. Besides being her friends for a long time, they are all true professionals.  Jenni Lambert may not ring a bell but if I say Lili Lambert and UMK 2014 and The Voice? She's been also backing names like Snoop Doggy and Elastinen besides her solo career.  Reetta Korhonen as a name may not also be familiar but if I say she's the girl who kissed Krista in Marry me in Malmö? Yup, she's the one.  Then we have Linda Ilves and sisters Heini and Tuuli Ikonen from the talented Ikonen family, that includes also among others their bother Osmo who almost got to Moscow back in 2009 with Signmark. All three have a lot of talent and experience in music. 

While the winner Softengine is still working on their debut album and is about to release their new single Yellow house shortly, the girls of MIAU have come out with their debut album Trinity . Ten songs including of course their 3rd placed God/Drug .  Jasmin Michaela 's new single is called Irtokarkkeja following Kertakäyttösydän . Clarissa is out with Lies , following her duet with Josh Standing in Top of the world . Oh, and Madcraft is out with Never had the guts , too. Let's not forget Mikko Pohjola being featured in Jannika B's Sateen rummut while waiting for his new album including of course Sängyn reunalla .  Hukka ja Mama are also working on their debut album with Selja . And Lili Lambert has released this fabulous music video for her Let me take you there . Hanna Sky has released a follow up single, too, Softer rain . Lauri Mikkola has been busy with various live shows but it's worth remembering his appearance in Elastinen's Uus . Even Jos...

What a surprise, but maybe a deserved one. Hanna Sky - who I actually saw in a local bus the other day :-) - has really trasformed her uninspired and dark number into colorful anthem of hope and it made the difference. I'm a bit surprised MadCraft was so close to dropping out but was it only because of the judges remains to be seen as we don't know the televotes. But Mikko was only four points behind Hanna in jury votes so it seems also televoters fell for Hanna... Now the two songs that made the final so far are completely different. This is going to be very interesting and anything can still happen. Lat year the mechanism was a bit different when two songs went to the final diretly from the elimination grounds so there were already four of them, now only two..... MAKEA's campaign in social medias didn't work as they didn't attract enough televoters to overcome the last place with judges..... Tomi: MAKEA 4, Madcraft 5, Clarissa 6, Lauri 7, Mikko 8 and Hann...

It's time to kick out one again. Who will follow Lili Lambert out, and who will join Softengine already in the final? Anne Lainto and Ile Uusivuori are hosting the show live from Helsinki's Peacock Theater in Linnamäki amusement park from 8pm CET. The guest star tonight is Musta Barbaari . You can watch it live here . The backstage UMK+ will start already 7.30pm CET online.  Join me tonight for the live blogging experience. Once again I will translate what the judges say, comment and gossip. Stay tuned! (Meanwhile why not voting your favorites in my pol ->) 20.35 Here we go again. The backstage is interviewing Aija Puurtinen and they talk about her band. Next is Cristal Snow! He is there for Mikko Pohjola, his future ex-husband to be - only that Mikko doesn't know it yet! Then we have two bloggers who also seem to be in favor for Mikko. And you can add this blogger to that list, too. They think Hanna Sky is in danger - or she could be the dark horse tonight. ...

All went like predicted me thinks. Softengine sailed to the final and Lili Lambert goes home while the others continue to the semifinals. The televoting results were not revealed as usual, but here are the jury votes: Aija Puurtinen: Dennis 5, Lili 6, MIAU 7, Jasmine 8, Hukka ja Mama 9, Softengine 10 Toni Wirtanen: Lili 3, Dennis 4, MIAU 6, Jasmine 7, Softengine 8, Hukka ja Mama 10 Tomi Saarinen: Lili 3, Dennis 5, MIAU 6, Jasmine 7, Hukka ja Mama 8, Softengine 9 Redrama: MIAU 4, Dennis 5, Lili 6, Jasmine 7, Hukka ja Mama 8, Softengine 9 Next week the other six artists and the same procedure. See you then!

Peacock Theater in Helsinki's Linnanmäki amusement park hosts tonight at 8pm the first elimination round of UMK 2014. Six acts will perform for the first time their revamped versions infront of the judges and the live audience in the theater and the TV-audience. Combined televote-jury vote will send one act directly to the final, the last one has to say goodbye to the contest while the other four will go on to the semifinal where they still have a chance to get the ticket to the final. Watch it live here . The UMK+ starts online already 7.30pm. Join me for a live report as it happens! 20.30 The UMK+ has started from the backstage and the web presenters are talking some random stuff...Next they interview Tomi Saarinen . First live so everyone's a bit excited, of course! He tells a bit how the selection process was from those over 420 demos to these 12 selected ones among all those different genres and styles, most of all there was pop, he said. And can we send a song in...

Emanuele Lombardini, journalist and editor of Italian Eurovision site Eurofestival News and European music site Euromusica - Dove c'è musica has kindly reviewed the UMK 2014 songs for Blogilkar. Here goes:  1 - Madcraft - Shining bright Easy pop rock that is extremely radio friendly, at times reminiscent of " Salvem el mon " of Anonymous ( Andorra 2007). Historically, this kind of rock is not usually very lucky in ESC but the this is written well, it should deserve a chance. 2 - Dennis Fageström - My little honey bee Played only once, this is the only song that has immediate impact . Genuine pop, a song of love that typically works well. Radio friendly, simple, interpretation in line with the song. Would do much honor to the contest. 3 - MIAU - God/Drug The beat works, you start beating your foot along the music. Maybe a little repetitive, but you listen and start singing along on the first listening. The blonde singer surely works: her face and looks. A...

The first live show of UMK 2014 will take this Saturday in Peacock Theater in Helsinki when MIAU, Dennis Fagerström, Lili Lambert, Hukka ja Mama, Softngine and Jasmin Michaela take the stage and people vote one of them straight to the final, one out and the remaining four continue the battle for the place in the final line up. You can vote already since yesterday as the songs have been presented already and one can listen them online ( here for example).... The voting ends Saturday 11.1.2014 at 22.30 local time. But that's not all! You can also vote online and here's where things get a bit complicated. You can give one vote (0,95 euros) or 5, 10 or even 25. Or if you really want to support your favorite why not give 50 votes at once for the price of 47,50! This option, already used in other formats like Big Brother where it hasn't bothered anyone has caused a little stir among fans and media. Is it so that one with the richest back up group will win because of thi...

Time recap what the judges thought about the remaining six artists based on their very first stage performance of their demo tracks. What kind of advice they gave, what was good and what was not and who impressed, who didn't.... As an added bonus this blogger's views :-). Watch the show online here . Or on YLE2 next Saturday. Here you go: MIAU - GOD/DRUG The girls hoped in the insert that the judges would start arguing about their song, have a fight over it and indeed it nearly happened. General madness is one of the band's strenghts according them... They won't let anyone cold, everyone has an opinion of them! Toni: Well now, good boogie, I liked it a lot! It was fun, good song. I should analyze this performance somehow but... I'm simply sold. Surely you divide people, even among us judges, and surely this isn't for everyone. You've only got to gain here. Aija: One can see that you have been already so many gigs that you got it together on sta...

Lili Lambert (33), born Jenni Isoviita, previously known as Jepa as with that name she took part in the Voice of Finland . She's been singing all her life gospel and soul, and you can hear it her voice. She's also been working as backing singer for many top names in Finland from Juha Tapio to Chisu, from Jenni Vartiainen to Cheek. Now it's time to make it big as Lili Lambert! Let me take you there has a bit of funk, soul, r'n'b and gospel, will it work in UMK and eventually in Eurovision remains to be seen....Her influences include Mariah Carey, Karen Clark-Sheard and Brandy. She says she makes music as "she has to", and because it's a gift but also a way to release pressure. Like her on her Facebook here , and vote for her in my poll on the right side.

The 12 artists and songs for UMK 2014 were revealed today in a MF-esque webcast on YLE's website where you also heard snippets of the demo versions of their songs (you can watch it here ). Or better snippets just click the song titles below. The fans were right with the most names with the clues given away by YLE in the ast two weeks and indeed it seems to be a very interesting cast this season. Jukka Immonen wrote the Belgian entry 2013, and Lauri Mikkola and Dennis Fagerström made themselves known already in the Voice of Finland. I will dig deeper with the artists in coming days so stay tuned! Here are the artists, songs and songwriters: Lauri Mikkola – Going Down   (Lauri Mikkola, Tuomas Viiliäinen) Clarissa feat. Josh – Top of The World   (Paul Oxley, David Neisser, Christian Rabb, Annette Lundell, Joshua Standing) MadCraft – Shining Bright  (Tom Nuorivaara, Juho Rinne, Jesse Mäläskä, Otto Uotila) Mikko Pohjola – Sängyn reunalla   (Jukka Immone...