Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Tonight the joik made it in both Finland and Sweden! And we completed tonight the Finnish national final line up when Solju, Järjestyshäiriö and Angelo De Nile made it through. So the line up for next Saturday's final is: Angelo De Nile - All for victory Jouni Aslak - Lions and lambs Järjestyshäiriö - Särkyneiden sydänten kulmilla Norlan El Misionario - No voy a llorar por ti Opera Skaala - Heart of light Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät - Aina mun pitää Satin Circus - Crossroads Shava - Ostarilla Solju - Hold your colours YLE and the team behind #umk15 has done a great job so far. This season it has been fun, good television, fresh presenters, just enough glitter and glamour, kitch if you want. The stagings have ben thought after, artists have delivered on stage. It can ony get still better in the final. Well done YLE and Elias, Reija and the rest of the team!

22.22 Time for results! First finalist is..... Shava! The second one is...  Jouni Aslak! Siru is out. That's all for tonight. Join me in Sanremo! 22.18 Televote is over. It's time for Laura Voutilainen, Virve Rosti and Krista Siegfrids and Nuku pommiin, the Finnish null pointer of 1982. If only it was performed this way back then.... 22.15 The atmosphere in the studio is very noisy and wild! I read somewhere there are about 300 fans so it is not such a big studio but YLE has created a great stage that does looks very different for every act. Well done. Another recap. 22.07 After recap we have a chat again with Siru and Shava, the biggest favorites tonight and what do they think about it. Talk continues with the others. For Eeverest being here is "dream come true". Opera Skaala's Essi is a real diva, in a good sense; funny and witty and lovable! She'd love Eurovision and Eurovision would love her for sure! 21.58 Back to green room and we talk to Eever...

The second semifinal takes place tonight from YLE Studios in Helsinki. Once again six songs on stage, three of them will be televoted to the final. Among tonight's entries three favourites: Shava, Siru and Opera Skaala. Shava seems to be a big favorite at home, Siru abroad and Opera Skaala the one that divides people to haters and lovers. At least it sticks out and creates reactions and commotion which is always good. It's a close call for all of them really. Anything can happen. This seifinal more than any other has songs that can die or triumph on stage depending on staging and live vocals....  This is how my little Finnish-Swedish-Italian-British panel judged the songs already ages ago when they were released: Opera Skaala - Heart of light 18/20 Siru - Mustelmat 17/20 Eeverest - Love it all away 13/20 Shava - Ostarilla 12/20 Otto Ivar - Truth or dare 11/20 Jouni Aslak - Lions and lambs 10/20 Agree or disagree? Vote in the poll -> UPDATE: Opera ...

Once again the voting on YLE's website gives us the favorites.  In the first semifinal the voters got 2/3 right but then there were only two favorites and the other four were very close. Here things are more even and the three favorites also on other polls and reviews are on top. But anything can happen. Also this week the nasty flu has hit one of the contestants who is forbidden to talk or sing, Jouni Aslak. Last week Norlan El Misionario had the same but managed to perform (and qualify) after all come Saturday evening. Shava won the YLE's preview show ahead of Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät while Opera Skaala won my blog's panel reviews.... This blogger would be happy with this top-3 indeed! Have you already voted in my poll? If not, do it now! Here, on right ->

Opera Skaala is a group of professionals and for this Eurovision adventure we have in the front line opera diva Essi and sound wizerd Visa. Both have a long CV in music studies and experiences. Culture and arts in all its forms are close to their heart. Essi is also interested in acting and performing and in Opera Skaala she can take that to a whole new level. Visa is also involved in Helsinki-Cotonou Emsable that plays west African woodoo music, his debut solo album is shameless fusion jazz . he has also arranged strings to bands like Sunrise Avenue. He has also released techno and downtempo as Binary Boyz for an Italian label. They think Finland couldn't send a better combination to Vienna than a fusion of opera and EDM with a huge stage spectacle. Heart of light is just that.  Operatic Dance Music Timo: Well FINALLY, now we are talking. This is something that awakes feelings. This has been heard in Eurovision before but anyways. This is daring, shameless. This is the...

In the second semifinal we will have these six entries. Three of them will be televoted to the final. Jouni Aslak - Lions and lambs Eeverest - Love it all away Otto Ivar - Truth or dare Opera Skaala - Heart of light Shava - Ostarilla Siru - Mustelmat

UMK 2015 artists leaked earlier and before we hear their entries next week let's have a look what they have in store us, what kind of songs to expect and what they have released before and what kind of music they are making.... Solju is a duo project by mother and daughter. None of their music is online as yet but here's an example of the mother's music. We can expect some Lapland exotism, polar lights and joik? Northern ethno for sure. Here is another example.  Jouni Aslak is featured in Temper2's video Set it free . He has background in various bands and is a singer/songwriter so what kind of music he will do solo remains yet to be seen and heard... Norlan El Misionario seems to be very active and his video online include his hit Sauna caliente from 2008 as well as Carnaval , Barbershop and One goal .  Vilikasper Kanth has done Idols and The Voice (and the rumour is he's doing again The Voice again this season besides UMK). It would be e...