Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Now as Slovenia has withdrawn from Eurovision song contest at least in 2026, let's have a look of some Slovenian favorites of mine over the year. I have always had a soft spot for their debut entry in 1993.  Enjoy! 2011 Maja Keuc - No one (13th) 1997 Tanja Ribič - Zbudi se (10th) 2001 Nuša Derenda - Energy (7th) 2006 Anžej Dežan - Mr Nobody (sf 16th) 2015 Maraaya - Here for you (14th) 1993 IX Band - Tih deževen dan (22nd) 2008 Rebeka Dremelj - Vrag naz vzame (sf 11th) 2019 Zalagasper - Sebi (15th) 2012 Eva Boto - Verjamem (sf 17th) There would have been quite a few to pick up as well but these sounded the ones at this time and space.  Special mentions go to: 1996 Regina - Dan najlepših sanj (21st) 2002 Sestre - Samo ljubezen (13th) 2023 Joker Out - Carpe diem (21st) 2018 Lea Sirk - Hvala, ne! (22nd) 2025 Klemen - How much time do we have left (sf 13)

South of Europe is under the most intense heatwave in decades while the North is asking Waar is de zon? and searching for jumpers and wool socks. And the Eurovision artists just travel all around, for gigs and tours, or just holidays. Maja Keuc did Iceland, just proving the point it's cold up here! Francesco Gabbani gigged in Sicily and enjoyed some lava from Etna.  Talk about heat! Krista Siegfrids did Portugal, the hottest spot to be this summer..... ... as did Ryan Dolan..... ... and Dima Bilan and Sergey Lazarev. For video shooting. Ann Sophie chose Spain instead. Barei did Shanghai Cleo did New York and New Jersey Lena did NYC, too Kati Wolf did Uffizi in Florence... ... and Tamara G did ... err...Disney World, Paris.  Claudia did Amsterdam Pride....  ... while Polina and Slavko did Stockholm Pride Sebalter holidayed in Sardegna before summer gigs ... and Senhit did Greece after summer gigs Jamala ke...

Sanna Nielsen is a real Midsummer girl and Aminata don't want to be anything less either... while Emma keeps milking her 21st place with self irony.... and Tooji celebrated his birthday with flowers in his hair. Congrats! Emma is also taking part in #saveIceberg, a dog rescue operation  from the Danish authorities who want to kill him... Read more here Marija just loves her dog but I'm sure she's in it with spirit anyways! Maja Keuc's good cause is food waste. Don't waste your food. Eat it. Share it.  ... and Sebalter bikes for cancer from Lugano to Chur to St. Moritz!  That's a lot of biking! Elsewhere Deen advices to you face creams.... Iveta is a happy covergirl ... and Donny boy is happy for his new shoes.... Socks and sandals? Yeah, I read somewhere it's trendy now.... O tempora o mores!

No much awaited and welcomed come back for Maja Keuc or Amaya as she likes to be known nowadays articly. She has withdrawn from the Slovenian national selection process EMA2017.  "I was very pleased for EMA. I would appreciate again to go home  for it, but everything happens for a reason and the path is not only one. Following recent events, me and my agents we have chosen a different approach to my career. I do not exclude the possibility for EMA in the future, but my universe at this time is devoted to something else, I feel I have to follow this other path " Keuc explains. She's currently working and recording between Sweden and South Korea her debut album. She's recently signed some major contracts and the Eurovision song contest holabaloo would just not fit into her timetables this spring. Slovenian tv regrets her decision but fully understands and supports it and think she did the right decision for her career. They still have other entries to choos...

Slovenian EMA 2015 will be held on February 28 and now we have the full set information: artists, song titles and hosts/guests. As hosting guests we have three previous Eurovision entrants, Tinkara Kovač (2014), Maja Keuc (2011), Darja Švajger (1995 & 1999) and young stand-up comic and TV host, Nejc Šmit. As for the songs they're here: Alya & Neno Belan - Misunderstandings Clemens - Mava to I.C.E. - Vse mogoche Jana Sustersich - Glas srca Marayya - Here for you Martina Majerle - Alive Rudi Buchar - Saltinka Tim Kores Kori - Once too many times

Round and round Slovenia goes with Tinkara who beat Muff in the superfinal clearly and represents her country in Copenhagen. And the best choice it is! An honest no thrills song that fits its performer. Likable. Simple. Hopefully it will be also voted by the televoters among all the manufactured, plastic entries..... PS. The show was kinda stolen by Maja Keuc though with Close to you .... Wasn't she interested in returning to Eurovision? What happened?

Slovenian TV has today published the list of their finalists picked out of 29 artists and 42 songs submitted. There's no Maja Keuc but several other familiar names. Tinkara took part in 1997 , 1999 and 2001 , Samuel 2009 , Nude various times (1999, 2001, 2005, 2007) and Bilbi co-wrote the funny song Kooninchiwa in 2012. Omar Naber won in 2005 with Stop and has tried his lucky again in 2009 with I still carry on . and in 2011 with Bistvo skrito je očem . Rudi took part in 2009 with Alya and Zadnji dan .  Muff had a number one hit in 2012 with Naj sije v oče and are having a hit right now with  Nov dan . I loved Samuel's entry back then so for now he's a front runner for me. His duet partner Nermin is actually from Bosnia. The Slovenian final EMA 14 will take place on March 8, 2014. Bilbi Tinkara Kovač Omar Naber Rudi Bučar & The Elevators Muff Samuel Lucas feat. Nermin Puškar NUDE (Marco Mosca contributed to this post. Grazie!)

In our exclusive interviews in Malmö 2013 Eurovision we asked the artists who would they like to see representing their country in Denmark 2014. Hannah Mancini from Slovenia would like a come back. That of lovely Maja Keuc.  Maja Keuc did Eurovision 2011 with No one, originally Vanilija and scored Slovenia's best placing in the past 11 years. Since then this Talent runner up has released her debut album Indigo and several singles, including Zmorem , You're a tree and I'm a balloon , Get the party started , Go with the flow , Ta planet , Na pol poti , Krog , Ta čas , Tako lepo mi je . ... No doubt a great voice, pretty face and a lot of star quality. Maybe another go in Eurovision would be a good idea? UPDATE: Maja's answer to this post was "Never say never!" :-)

Straight into interview with my Bycycling reporter Robert goes American born Slovenian represent Hannah Mancini. The chatty lady tells us how she ended up from LA to Slovenia and how it is. She does also some serious name dropping. Talks about Slovenian music business. And has her husband turned into an Eurovision maniac?! And how Slovenian does she feel actually? And who would she like to grace the Eurovision stage for Slovenia again? Read it all here: Thank you Hannah for this interview. You're an American woman singing for Slovenia. How on earth did you end up there? I married a Slovenian man! Actually he lived in the States when I met him. I always loved the idea of living in Europe and it was kinda perfect as I met an European man! And he always wanted to come to Europe, his parents emigrated when he was a small child so eventually when the opportunity came, he had a good business thing happening there and also I had some music contacts in Amsterdam and in the UK an...

Forget un banc, un arbre and une rue, it's all about a tree, a balloon and Slovenian Maja Keuc now. Namely she has released a very beautiful and hypnotic You're a tree and I'm a balloon video. Apparently she's living in the Netherlands now hoping to break into the European music scene. Well, she's got the voice and the looks and now it seems she's got also her own thing going on.... Really refreshing listening! And no need for those boots!

Here are again some more or less new songs and videos from the Eurovision artists. First of two from France: Amaury Vassili has covered Celine Dion's worldhit My heart will go on while Jessy Matador samples Ler's all chant in Galera . Slovenian megababe Maja Keuc returns with Ta čas from her debut album Indigo. Last but not least Icelandic Paul Oskar does Unicef good with Megi það byrja með mér . These songs are on EFR12' s playlist, too, so do tune in!

Slovenia has usually one of the most entertaining national final with a lot of bubble gum and kitchy wonders. This year was a bit turned down and produced one mighty winner in Maja Keuc's Vanilija aka No one . But it would have been interesting to see if Europe would have massacrated Slovenia's Lady Gaga or April with Ladadidej ? I think it's rather funny little piece and who knows what they would have come up on stage with it in Germany. On the other hand I was pretty content with Maja's boots ....

The morning after the Welcome Party is here and Slovenia 's Maja had the earliest call on stage. And it shows and sounds like it, too. Maja is not wearing her actual outfit nor the backing singers but the very high heals are there. The choreography is great and propably they used this rehearsals to master that and the camera angles instead of giving us a vocally perfect performance. This is kind of a "in your face" song and will feel very strong on TV and buzzled people will either go numb or vote for this in masses. Bordeline finalist at this point. More in that out though. Romania has still those annoying girls jumping around with their trumpets and this morning I'm very, very tired of this song that I never liked so much to start with.  I hope there is some common sense in Europe and Romania misses the final for once....  but I doubt it. They will vote this to the final as most of them hear this for the first time. This is a song that turns old at latest with the...

Maja Keuc is the most beautiful artist this year no doubt. She gives a very strong and sexy, or rather sensual performance with her four backing singers. Sleak choreography - check those hands - and vocally perfect.  Also the bach screen looks beautiful and fits the song. Great stuff Slovenia! I haven't been able to make out my mind on this song before but now I know: I like it! I was afraid it would turn out too messy and overdramatic but no, it got sensual. Deserves the final and I hope they get in. Here are the videos: AKOE , Escdaily , Official

Slovenia has released a video for its entry No one. And it's rather scary affair. Somehow. Maja seems to be playing a sort of Snow White character and she has seven dwarf wannabes dancing around her in a fairytale like Slovenia forest in the harsh morning light....  Watch it yourself here .

No more Vanilija for Slovenia as Maja Keuc will sing in English in Germany. The song is now titled No one . But how came they can change it this late? Didn't they have to present the version to be performed in the EBU meeting earlier this month like everybody else? But who cares? This version is much more understandable and easier to catch on - and this said by someone who stands for national language entries!