Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Finland's Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen and Liekinheitin stormed to the top of odds as soon as the song was released and has stayed there unbothered with a huge margin ever since. The runner ups have stayed at large in odds; France, Denmark and Greece mostly, only Greece having a tiny spurt just before rehearsals and then Australia climbing to second place after semi-final 2.. The news of Linda playing  her precious Gagliano violin from 1781 live only boosted the chances odds going from 30 to 36, and later the day before final up to 43.  Also the fan clubs back Finland, apparently with the second biggest margin ever. This poll has had its hits and misses but usually gets it somewhat right. Mostly, Not necessary the winner. EuroJury pretending to be the indicator for the jury vote has had it apparently pretty much right mostly, the winner placing in Top-2 in most occasions. Also INFE poll was won by Finland with a huge margin. The biggest fan site, more or less, also backs F...

  The news we waited is here: Ebu has allowed Linda to play parts of her violin bits live on stage in Vienna 2026 Eurovision song contest. No instruments have been allowed live on stage since 1999. The first exception was last year's Lucio Corsi from Italy but he played his harmonica to his singing mic and there was no need for anything extra to do.  It's worth mentioning again that this Liekinheitin, Finland's entry, IS a Linda Lampenius song, not Pete Parkkonen's. Pete is just the vocalist on HER song. I want to underline that and press it as some fans tend to think she does nothing. Her violin IS the lead vocals just as Pete's. And now it goes live!

So it started. You can follow Eurovision Reddit here that is the only source of real information of the rehearsals so far.  As I have nothing to say as I've seen nothing I spare my comments until I do. If there's some other comments or media worth adding to I will do so right here.  Their new dresses are designed by Teemu Muurimäki as usual btw. And Pete's trousers are not too tight anymore to effect his vocal cords as the headlines screamed earlier.  This is what The Social media Guy wrote about Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen's Liekinheitin and Finland: 16:40 - He's ready to sing and she's ready to string 🎤 🎻 Linda Lampenius stands alone on the deserted stage of what was once an orchestra. Now, it’s been littered with the overturned chairs and sheet-music stands of Linda’s former musician colleagues. But what could possibly have happened here? Shall we head to the confessional box to find out? There, we find Pete Parkkonen, and he’s been in touch with the ...

  Here it is, already traditional Blogilkar's Eurovision Home Jury results. This year we had a total of nine people in the jury from teenagers to 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s, most every one just people who do watch Eurovision but aren't any fanatic fans, just tv viewers who don't remember who won two years ago or sometimes even last year, don't have a clue about the polls and odds but just score the songs to their liking. We used 1 to 10 scores. Tie breaks were settled by highest marks and if still a tie by my preference. Here we go! 1. FINLAND - LINDA LAMPENIUS X PETE PARKKONEN - LIEKINHEITIN    87 2. ITALY - SAL DA VINCI - PER SEMPRE SI   69 3. SWITZERLAND - VERONICA FISARO - ALICE    68

  I have no idea what these (AI things) are but oh Lord do these versions work?  (This said I am still against Ai use) What a great song this is in the end and works in every way! Just like Hard rock hallelujah from swing to acoustic to choir and everything in between back in the day. 

    I wasn't planning on doing personal reviews this year either but here we go after all. Truth to be said I have listened the entries 0-2 times before sitting down now to comment them. Let's go! The usual Blogilkar's home jury will reunite later and the results revealed in due time. meanwhile, my thoughts and comments on the entries of Eurovision song contest series is right here.  Croatia - Lelek - Andromeda ** We have had similar entries in Eurovision before from Latvia and Poland with variable results. Great vocals and harmonies, good melody... but I am a bit tired of these. I would like to like this a lot more than I actually do. Right now I have it in final at the bottom five but we'll see.  Finland - Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen - Liekinheitin ***** I guess I have said all already in previous posts about them and UMK. Seeing them #1 in the odds with a huge margin week after week is quite incredible. I guess I just sit back and enjoy the ride. Itäs going t...

Finland's national selection for Eurovision song contest 2026  or UMK (Uuden musiikin kilpailu) took place in Tampere tonight and was won by pre-contest favorites Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen and their Liekinheitin. Or rather they swept the floor with the other ones by winning both jury and televotes with a huge margin.  Special guests were last year's UMK winner Erika Vikman (11th in ESC) with last year's Eurovision winner JJ, Finland's Eurovision 1985 represent Sonja Lumme and quartet of leading Finnish rappers Elastinen, Ares, Turisti and Averagekidluke .  Out of 491 submitted entries a panel of 9 members along with five audience groups selected the seven entries for the final. Linda Lampenius & Pete Parkkonen emerged instantly the runaway favorites to win the selection gaining more Youtube views in 24 hrs than any other UMK entry ever and also reaached one million streams in record time. They also became international favorites pushing Finland to #1 in od...

Finland's national selection for Eurovision song contest 2026  or UMK (Uuden musiikin kilpailu) takes place in Tampere tonight in Tampere arena to sold out crowds.  Special guests are last year's UMK winner Erika Vikman (11th in ESC) with last year's Eurovision winner Austrian  JJ, Finland's Eurovision 1985 represent Sonja Lumme and quartet of leading Finnish rappers Elastinen, Ares, Turisti and Averagekidluke. It's worth remembering JJ's staging and even outfit was made in Finland last year with UMK team.  The show is hosted by Jorma Uotinen, Sami Sykkö and Jasmin Beloued. Read more about them here . Out of 491 submitted entries a panel of nine members along with five audience groups selected the seven entries for the final. Linda Lampenius & Pete Parkkonen emerged instantly the runaway favorites to win the selection gaining more Youtube views in 24 hrs than any other UMK entry ever and also reached one million streams in record time. They also became inter...

Can you die of horniness or voiko kiimaan kuolla? That's the punch line of Liekinheitin, the big favorite to win UMK 2026 by two artists that this blogger among many others have waited for years to take part and here they are, together. The story goes Linda was preparing her new pop album (that was rumored already a year ago but was postponed)  and when asked who she would like to have on vocals she didn't hesitate: Pete! When calling him asking is he interested and when could they meet his quick answer was : is tomorrow soon enough? Liekinheitin was born during that first meeting along with writers Vilma Alina, Lauri Halavaara and Antti Riihimäki. Linda Lampenius (55) is most likely the artist with the longest Wikipedia page ever. She toured the globe already as teenager as classical violinist favored even by Andrew Lloyd Webber. She's signed to both EMI Classics and pop oriented labels under alias  Linda Brava.  She's been mannequin and model (and refused to do Miss F...

Tonight was the official date but as usual the list leaked already last night as Etta published the group photo and details of her entry in her IG by mistake and obviously someone got a screenshot. Or was it a PR stunt from Yle to boost attention and hype? We will probably never know. And yes, all names were circulating more or less during the past months with the exception of Antti Paalanen. Apparently very well known and famous in his music genre circuit but I have never ever even heard of him I admit.  As for the artists I will go deep with them later after their songs are out (and my holidays over) but I am very, very happy to see Linda and Pete in the list as I have been wishing and hoping both of them for years by now. Not sure about Antti and Komiat but let's hear the songs first. Kiki and Sinikka I'm also happy for, Etta ... not so sure and Chachi is a mystery as she's so far only been as the wife of Jukka Hilden of Duudsomit/The Dudesons fame. But then again she...

  This time let's have a UMK/Euroviisut special. Annika Eklund placed 3rd with Shanghain valot in the Euroviisut aka national selection in 2006 but it has become an evergreen and it was featured in this new version in UMK final with Annika, Eini, Keira, Bess, Laura Voutilainen and Linda Lampenius. Markku Aro of ESC 1971 has released a new track and is still actively performing and touring. Tina Petterson of Beat and ESC 1990 fame continues to release self written music and finally we have Waldo's People's ( ESC 2009 ) latest effort for the summer. Enjoy! Annika Eklund & co. - Shanghain valot 2025 Markku Aro - Sulle annoin mun elämän Tina Pettersson -Ajatuksen voimalla Waldo's People - La Fiesta

Finland will select it's entry for the Eurovision song contest 2025 tonight in Tampere's Nokia Arena. The 13th Uuden musiikin kilpailu has grown to be one of the best and most anticipated national finals over the past few years giving birth to year's biggest hits and has also turned Finland's fortunes in the competition. Once the underdog and one of the most unsuccessful countries we have now qualified for four years in the row for the final - a new record! - and scored two of our all time top-3 placements ever in 2021 and 2023, 6th and 2nd. A win is in the horizon? Six songs in the line up ( after one got disqualified or rather withdraw ) , all of them already a charting success ( read more here ) and a Top-10 hit. Fan favorite Erika Vikman seems to be the one to beat but you never know with Finns, the staging and live performance will be crucial. Last time she didn't quite shine with Cicciolina back in 2021 but hopefully this time it will be better. She's also...

Finland celebrates its 100th anniversary as an Independant state in 2017 and Finland is filled with events all year long ( like this one ). After the event in Tallinn earlier this summer this weekend its Sweden's turn to join in the fun and Stockholm hosts a three day event STHLM/SUOMI in the same place where the Eurovision Village was, Kungsträdsgården. Besides the more serious stuff and the obvious food, sauna and Moomin trolls, the agenda is filled with entertainment. Krista Siegfrids was obviously present, as was the most famous Finn in Sweden, Arja Saijonmaa along with  Anna Järvinen, Linda Lampenius, Waltteri Torikka and quite a few Finnish artists and of course a lot of local names.  Krista was excited and overjoyed to perform to the Swedish royals and Finland's presidental couple in the opening gala dressed up like princess (Madeleine, anyone?) , and later that night put on her microshorts and charmed the folks with her usual show, presenting among others h...

The runner up in Euroviisut 2011 Saara Aalto has released a Christmas album Enkeleitä - Angels featuring some Finnish Christms classics as well as songs in English and new material. She also duets with Tomi Metsäketo, runner up to Lordi back in 2006. Violinist Linda Lampenius is featured in several songs. Listen a smapler here . And here's Walking in the air . She also released her debut album Blessed with love this year. Her career started in 2007 when she nearly made it in Talent Finland and now judging the TV ads for The Voice of Finland that will start December 30, 2011 she's there, too....

To represant Finland in the Eurovision namely. So says Linda Lampenius, the guest act in tonight's Euroviisut 2011 final. And ads: "I have been asked already three times in Sweden and twice in Finland, but the song should be perfect for violin and voice, otherwise no. ". Tonight she will perform Elton John's Your song with the Swedish Gentlemen. She has also performed Alexander Rybak's Fairytale on gigs often. Linda Lampenius is a Finnish "violin sensation" who's career started when she was playing in orchestra in TV and in libe broadcast the camera director started zooming into her througout the concert in early 1990's. Later she ended up in Playboy, Baywatch, recorded both pop and classical as Linda Brava and Linda Lampenius. I remember seeing her a few times in Italian TV and today she's bigger in Sweden where she lives than in her native Finland. She has often said she's not been taken seriously in Finland because of Playboy and Bay...

It's spring time! It's Eurovision time for sure as here it starts again, the annual media war with the Finnish and the Swedish Eurovision acts. Ever since Lordi scared and buried Carola it has been pretty amusing past time this time of the year. Aftonbladet started it yesterday when their critic came out and they totally killed the Finnish song and claiming the girls are just Linda Lampenius (a Finnish violinist who has made a career in Sweden rather than in Finland where she is only sadly remembered by most for Playboy  Fame LA and Baywatch even though now she is gaining respect again as one of the judges in X-Factor) clones. Ilta-Sanomat answers today by asking if the Swedish boredom is any better, with a picture of Anna looking very... ehm... Kuunkuiskaajat-like.

Carola will bring her Christmas in Betlehem tour also in Finland (December 2 Mariehamn, December 4 Kristiina, December 5 Pietarsaari and December 6 Helsinki). After that she's off to Norway and then back to Sweden. Worth mentioning is Alexander Rybak is in Finland at the same time (December 5 Helsinki, December 6 Tampere) and will perform in Kulttuuritalo the night before Carola. Meanwhile her third  (the first has sold over 600.000 in Scandinavia, the second 200.000 so far and keep selling more every Christmas time) Christmas in Betlehem album will be released November 11. This time it's all in English featuring duets with Paul Potts, Hank von Helvete, Gladys Del Pilar and Finnish violinist Linda Lampenius amongst others) In the end of November she's off to Denmark to star along Malena Ernman, Michael Bolton, Jamie Cullum and Aqua in a Christmas TV-special.