Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Turkish Ayşe Özyılmazel who is Neco's daughter has covered his father's Eurovision 1982 entry Hani for Turkey, and Neco himself is seen in the video. I remember liking the song back then - yes, I'm that old – and Ayşe makes it all very sweet and cute, and the arragement is pretty much the same. But it is not the first time Eurovision kids cover their parents songs. Danish Rasmus Seebach covered his father's 1993 Eurovision entry Under stjernerne på himlen (and did a great job with it!) and in Finland Milana Misic has recorded various songs by her mother Laila Kinnunen, including her 1961 Eurovision entry Valoa ikkunassa . Surely there are more similar cases (hints are welcome in the comment box!). I have a burning desire to have Taikapeili girls Hanna-Riikka Siitonen (Fredi's daughter) and Nina Tapio (backing singer's daughter) cover the Finnish entry Pump pump from 1976. How cool would that be?! Both girls have also multiple Eurovision backing singer exper...

So, after the third semifinal and YLE's surprising wildcard we have the ten finalists for the Finnish final on February 12, 2011 in Turku, the European capital of culture in 2011. And there's a little bit everything from gospel to glamrock, metal to acoustic pop, radiopop and powerballads. All three qualifiers from the internet selection got to the final making way to the big changes next year in Euroviisut. Six songs are in English now and Iivanainen, Hintsanen and Misic have said they will sing in English should they win so only Maunuksela is left in Finnish, and he has said it stays in Finnish no matter what. Two big fan favourites didn't make it, Jimi Constantine and Tommi Soidinmäki and YLE's wildcard went to Eveliina Määttä instead of them. Weird. I guess I'm now for Paradise Oskar and Stala & So. With Johanna Iivanainen (in English) as the black horse... Saara Aalto - Blessed with love Cardiant - Rapture in time Father McKenzie - Good enough Sami Hi...

Surprising results in Euroviisut 2011 second semifinal, proving just how important the live performance is and how it can change it all. Precontest favourite and serious contender for Germany Jimi Constantine is out - unless YLE picks it out as the wildcard - propably due to the performance that was way too much and totally killed a good song. Or was it the champagne? Money? Stripping? Same for Soma Manuchar , only that she didn't have a good song to start with and the styling was totally disastrous. WTF was she wearing? So, less is more Paradise Oskar made it and proved the guy is a born perfomer, loves the camera and camera loves him back. Milana Misic made it as well with her cocktail of Balcan, latin and Finnish music and stylish performance by Osku Heiskanen. Last but not least Father McKenzie with their Swedish style song and performance. Let's see how the things turn out in the last and third semifinal next Friday. After tonight nothing can be taken for granted!

After the rather weak first semifinal last Friday in Finland the things heat up tomorrow with the second one. Jimi Constantine and Paradise Oskar, two big favourites and possible winners are in and the other three Milana Misic, Father McKenzie and Soma Manuchar also have their share of supporters. Last week's semi however was a success for TV2 as it was the most watched programme on Friday and also the third most watched the whole week with 634.000 viewers.  This week I suppose Jimi Constantine and Paradise Oskar should qualify if they do well live, especially the unexprienced latter one.I wouldn't mind if Jimi won the whole thing and went to Germany! Then it's open field and I wouldn't be surprised if Milana qualified ahead of fan favourite (see Automatic Eye last week) Father McKenzie while I think Soma will have Jonna's fate? Check out the songs and Jimi's and Soma's videos here: Jimi Constantine - Party to party Father McKenzie - Good enough Milana Misi...

Milana Misic (40) got the invitation to Euroviisut 2011 - maybe to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Finnish debut when her late mother Laila Kinnunen sung for us in 1961? But this blogger is quite happy to welcome her in, anniversary or not! Milana released her debut album already in 1991 and two more followed in 1993 and 2001 but it was only in the late 2000's when she finally gave in started performing and recording some of her mother's songs that she made it big. Her repertoire has remained since then 1950's and 1960's covers and styled songs that suit her very well. Her latest album title song Jos itken, jos nauran is none other than cover of the Italian entry in 1965, Se piangi, se ridi. She has told previosuly her entry will be a typical Eurovision ballad performed in Finnish and eventually in English should she go all the way. Milana will take part in the second semifinal on January 21, 2011 and her song will be made public on November 29, 2010.

Laila Kinnunen died ten years ago today. A true legend with a tragic life. Her career started in 1955 when she participated in a singing contest in secret to her parents and won. The year after she got a contract to tour with Lasse Pihlajamaa's ochestra, she was only 16. The year after her first single Lazzarella was released and became a huge hit followed by other hits like Illalla, illalla (1958), Marina (1959) and Romantica (1960). In 1961 she became the first Finnish entrant in Eurovision with Valoa ikkunassa . Hits followed with Pojat (1962), Lauantai (1962) and Rinnakkain (1963) - all performed with her sister Ritva. She also starred in several movies, did a lot of television until mid-1970's when she was already stuggling with alcohol and personal life.  Also her love life was very dramatic and closely followed by the Finnish press. Her first engagement was in 1959 with a medical student but soon she met and fell in love with an Italian  musician Armando Fugazza....

Milana Misic (39), one of the artists YLE has directly invited to the Euroviisut 2011 semifinals is "excited, but it's so much fun!" 2011 marks 50th anniversary of Finland's debut in Eurovision song contest when her mother Laila Kinnunen sung Valoa ikkunassa in 1961 and took Finland to 10th place. "I take no pressure of being compared to my legendary mother. The contest has changed so much in 50 years. This warms my heart, I know my mother is watching me from heaven. ". Her song is in Finnish but should she win it will be performed in English in Germany 2011. "I have always thought it's not easy to do well in Finnish. Our language may should a bit harsh to foreign ears. I can't tell much about the song yet but it's a real Eurovision song, with a lot of feeling! "

Ok, here we go. Let's start with the ladies. As we have a lack of male pop singers in Finland and I wanted to make things even several names in the ladies category were left out and I went for these: Jonna Geagea , ex-Nylon Beat. She has just released her solo single Taasko se alkaa? and has previous Euroviisut experience both as solo as Nylon Beat. She's about to release her real solo debut album, what would be better promotion than Euroviisut? Milana Misic , the eternal promise. And it is the 50th anniversary of the first Finnish entry in Eurovision, sung by her mother. Isn't it time for her to make it for real? Here she covers her mother. Kristina Wheeler , hopefully in collaboration with Chisu. She had two small hits from her debut album, has done a lot of charity work in Africa and such things that sound good in an international festival and could use Euroviisut as well to finally make it. Here's Sunny day . Saga Bloom , last year's fan favourite in the inte...

Milana Misic is the daughter of late Laila Kinnunen, the first ever Finnish entrant in Eurovision with Valoa ikkunassa in 1961 and Croatian musician Milan Misic. She tried to break through as a singer in early 2000's without much luck, being compared to her legendary mother and so on. This year she has won over the critic and public - ironically - by recording an album of her mother's hits and even digitally dueting with her in one track. Her previous album Laulumme was well received, including old classics, amongst them Al di lá and Dansevise . Listen to that album here . The idea to record her mother's songs was born and based on feedback she got in her concerts and lead to a musical play of her mother's life and eventually the album. Will she try to follow her mother to the Eurovision stage 49 years later? Meanwhile a compilation of her mother's original is charting in Top-10 in Finland right now. You can read ALL you need to know about that here .