Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

First, most every song sounded better live than on record, and the artists sung reasonably well and the comparasion to last night's French semi-final was striking where most everyone was showcasing shaky vocals, bad mixing and general worse than on studio performances. There were a couple Pastora Soler wannabes and one Alvaro Soler one, and one Famous showcasing Carola-like determination to make it and come across the screen making televoters to vote him out of fear. (They didn't). And a big favorite who didn't want to win and showed it in her performance  bit too clearly. Last year's Alfred made an appearence but no sight of Amaia. Eleni came instead and showed once again how to make that hair fly.... And in the end Spanish televoters didn't the right choice: Miki's Alvarosoleresque La venda won over overrated and IdontwanttogotoIsrael-Maria's Muerdeme . With a better remix and fixed staging Spain may have a real chance this year! Miki Núñez Pozo ...

Unlike last year Opeeración Triunfo was brought to the end - and victory of Famous - before they started the search for Euroviison entry and entrant in a separate competition. Out of song submissions  (953 + over 100 from invited songwriters) 17 were chosen and given to the OT artists. Next the public has a chance to select three songs with online voting until January 2 while the jury selects the other seven finalists.... It's good to hear Spain is sticking to the Latin sounds mostly.  Famous – No Puedo Más  *** FINALIST Miki – La Venda   **** FINALIST Alba – Qué Será Luego  * Miki & Natalia – Nadie Se Salva   ** FINALIST Julia – Qué Quieres Que Haga   ** FINALIST Natalia – La Clave   **** ONLINE FINALIST Sabela – Dímelo de Frente  *** Sabela – Hoy Soñaré   ** FINALIST Miki – El Equilibrio   ** Noelia – Hoy Vuelvo a Reír Otra Vez   *** ONLINE FINALIST Marilia – Todo Bien  *** FINALIST María ...

Another name Spain should send instead of some Operacion Triunfo newbie is Pablo Alboran. This blogger has been a fan since the beginning and he's still going strong: He was just awarded in Los Premios 40 as the Artist of the year and his Prometo as the Album of the year. He was also nominated for the Song of the year and the Video of the year ( No vaya a ser ). Since winning the same award as the Newcomer of the year back in 2011 he has collected already eight other ones. Add 12 Grammy or Latin Grammy nominations, countless other nominations and wins. In short he's one of the hottest artists of 2010's in Spain and in Latin America. Eurovision could make him a househod name in Europe as well following Julio Iglesias footstep with his soft voice singing sweet nothings into your ears... Check out also Miedo , El beso , Quien , La llave  and Recuérdame

Spain is putting their hope again on new raw talent when selecting someone from Operación Triunfo but should they select someone internally for a chance and have a real chance of doing very well one name comes to mind instantly: Alvaro Soler. He made himself a name elsewhere in Europe and Latin America in 2015 before Spain with El mismo sol and has released a summer hits ever since: Sofia , Animal and La cintura . Unlike many well known names he could attract votes from most of Western, Northern and South Europe if he kept up his summer feel good catchiness..... Spain, wake up, send him before the momentum's gone....

  Spain's Operacion Triunfo finalists acted also as Eurovision song contest natonal final finalists, and one of the duet songs was Lo malo by Aitana (eventually 2nd place in OT) and Ana Guerra (5th in OT)  finished only 3rd while another duet went on to Lisbon (by eventual winner Amaia and 4th placed Alfred). This song was just about the only uptempo-ish song riding the current Latino boom and even if I liked the winner Tu cancion a lot this was my favorite and looking at the ESC result now (23rd).... Hmmm... Lo malo went to #1 in Spain selling double platinum. Just saying. 

  Spain joins the countries releasing the official music video for their entry. Alfred & Amaia's Tu canción has a La la land feel to it somehow, but sadly misses the intensity and the cute shy excitement they have had when performing live and especially Alfred looks a bit uncomfortable, if not even angry, most of the video. Where's your sparkle in the eye you have when live, chico?

The OT couple Alfred Garcia and Amaia Romero have won the Spanish Eurovision selection with their Tu canción . The couple's blossming love affair during these Operacion Triunfo months may have played a role crowning them Spain's latest lovebirds and winners. Anyways, it's a refreshing step away from the usual overproduced plastic entries Spain has sent way too often, and clearly nods to last year's winner's acoustic intimate mood. Emotions, not fireworks, people! The superfinalists were: Alfred y Amaia - Tu canción 43% Aitana - Arde 31% Aitana & Ana - Lo Malo 26% As a bonus here is their City of stars :

  Spanish Operacion Triunfo isn't over yet as still five contestants are in the running, but the Eurovision side kick will be finished tonight. Five + plus one finalists singing nine songs, one of them becoming the Spanish entry for Lisbon. The voting will be in two rounds. After the first one top-3 goes for the superfinal and voting will restart from zero. The songs are a real turn away from the Swedish produced nonsense Spain has sent so often. The only song in that direction is the plastic manyfactued group song and maybe a bit  Magia . Al cantar, Tu canción and Arde are soft almost acoustic ballads. Que nos sigan las luces and Lejos de tu piel are pleasant but rather forgettable simple pop rock. El remedio and Lo malo bring in some Latin rhythms. If one of those ballads or one of those Latin songs wins Spain is going to have one of the better quality entries since many years. OT comes once again to save the day, it seems. Amaia Romero - Al cantar A...

  Spain is turning into Operación Triunfo to find their Eurovision entrant for Lisbon 2018. But there's a twist: there will be a specially staged Eurovision final for the five finalists - before the OT is over! The five finalists will have songs written by experienced composers to compete and televoters will choose the winning compination. After that OT continues to its end so the OT winner may not be the one going to Eurovision.  Nine out of original 18 singers are still in the competition, but four more has to go before we get to the Eurovision stages. The next episode will air after New Year's so February looks likely for the OT/ESC final. Then again, this isn't something new either: Beth who represented Spain in those OT years didn't win OT either. She only came 3rd in OT behind Ainhoa and Manuel Carrasco but beat them in the special Eurovision selection. The year before when the first OT was used as Eurovision selection the winner Rosa took her runner u...

News from Spain concerning their participation in 2018. The good old Operación Trumfo, that brought the country to top-10 three times in a row 2002-2004 and so far the last time anywhere near it with the exception of Ruth Lorenzo's 2014 and Pastora Soler's 2012 - both barely 10th - could be making a comeback as country's national selection next year. It seems TVE is prepairing another 20omething finish next week... BUT OT has given us a lot of Spanish flavour and good placings, hopefully this could change the Spanish Eurovision faith again! In light of that ti makes sense, even if TVE has prompty denied it is so.... In 2002 Operación Triunfo was launched and caused a real hysteria in the Iberian peninsula launching the careers of Rosa Lopez, David Bisbal, David Bustamante, Chenoa, Gisela and some others. Rosa took all the runners up with her to Eurovision and Europe's living a celebration finished 7th while the whole of Spain lived with them the somewhat disappo...

For once the rumours are true and Spain will send Edurne (Edurne Garcia Almagro) to Vienna with Amanecer, written by the usual Tony Sanchez-Ohlsson. He has co-written also I love you (Mi vida) ,  Quedate conmigo and Run . Edurne herself shot to the fame from Operacion Triunfo ten years ago finishing sixth.

Well, he popped up in a Finnish reality show where tourist are being extra stupid in Canary islands. He was showing them around Teror and its Sunday market (this blogger all of sudden wants to go there next time as I have skipped it like 5 times as utter waste of time...) and gets to explain what "coño" means ("coño is the woman thing") and calling one of the ladies a cow while getting lost in the woods....  That's what Ramón is up to these days. Watch yourself here (in Finnish only. Beware a limitless stupidity. By Finns, not Ramón) You may rather want to see this: Para llenarme de ti and the same live in Eurovision 2004