Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Arja Saijonmaa has released a new album in Sweden Dig har jag kär aka My Swedish songbook . It's her first studio album in Swedish since 1999. Her latest studio album is Rakkaus on rohkeutta from 2006 in Finnish. Altogether this is her 25th studio album. Enough of numbers. Arja is coming to Finland this November for a couple of concerts to celebrate her 70th birthday and career that has been going on for over 40 years in Finland, Sweden, Norway and elsewhere including touring the world with Mikis Theodorakis. She has sung everything from Finnish tangos to Swedish schlagerpop, etno music, French chansons and political songs. Besides a singer she is also an actress in theater, movies and television, she's well known human rights activist, she has even written a book about Finnish sauna. And an autobiography that has been published in Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian and Greek. And she's a real diva, too. What else can you ask? She's no stranger to Eurovision either. I...

While the Sammarinese entry Facebook, Uh oh oh (A satirical song) is making the rounds in world media faster than the Russian grannies did (like here and here just to name a few examples) and parodies already emerge (of some sort) the hardcore fans are hating it, which is sad. Can't anyone see the sarcasm and irony in it? The additional title A satirical song isn't there for nothing. And it's a fact most fans seem to be against Ralph Siegel and wouldn't publicly like anything he does. Can't they just give him a break?! Anyways, the question of mentioning Facebook itself remains and we will see if that's ok with EBU or will it be replaced like they did with Sweden 1987 when Coca-Cola turned into Boogaloo . On the other hand I'm pretty certain Ralph Siegel and Tim Touchton know what they are doing. I doubt they would throw their money away like this as they are funding the whole affair, it seems. Certain fans are sure they have a plan B. We will kno...

Propably the most experienced Eurovision artist in history is back at it: Elisabeth Andreasson. She has sung in Eurovision final already four times, finishing 1st, 2nd, 6th and 8th. Now beat that! Besides that she has taken part in the Norwegian final five times and now returns to Melodifestivalen for the 6th time. She has also co-hosted both the Swedish and the Norwegian final once." I have been sent songs and asked to take part every year since 2002 but I have won already so much that it had to be perfect. Now it is. It's great to be back! " she says. Melodifestivalen (Sweden) 1981. Chips - God morgon, 2nd 1982. Chips - Dag efter dag , WINNER-> 8th 1984. Elisabeth Andreassen - Kärleksmagi , 6th  1990. Elisabeth Andreassen - Jag ser en stjärna falla , 7th 2000. TV-host, with nine other artists. 2002. Kikki, Bettan & Lotta - Vem é dé du vill ha , 3rd  2011 Elisabeth Andreasson - Vaken i en dröm Melodi Grand Prix (Norway) 1985. Bobbysocks - La det swinge , WINNER -...

The little birds are telling Elisabeth Andreasson has sent in a song to Melodifestivalen. Just imagine her on stage in Oslo singing for Sweden.... shivers! She is one of the most succesful Eurovision artists in history: singing for Sweden in 1982 Dag efter dag as Chips with Kikki Danielsson (8th), winning it for Norway in 1985 in Sweden with La det swinge as Bobbysocks with Hanne Krogh. In 1994 she was there again for Norway and dueting this time with Jan Werner in Duett (6th). Her first only solo appearance took place in 1996 when Norway last hosted the show and she took the homecountry to 2nd place with I evighet . Besides that she has taken part in Melodifestivalen also in 1981 with God morgon (2nd), 1984 Kärleksmagi (6th), 1990 Jag ser en stjärna falla (7th) and in 2002 with Kikki Danielsson and Lotta Engberg and Vem é dé du vill ha (3rd). In Norway she took Winds of the Northern sea to 2nd place in 1998 and the same trio Kikki, Bettan & Lotta tried their luck in Norwa...