Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Yle organized among its other consolation Eurovision 2020 programming also a voting to find out the most loved Finnish entries of each decade ( here ). And there was no dount Kätkä sisters took home the victory. Bye bye baby has become an evergreen, a classic and a song everyone knows still. Despite the very disappointing 22nd place (Finland was in top-5 in the betting odds on the eve of the final) Finns didn't put the girls down but treated them as heroes and in the summer 1994 Bye bye baby was playing everywhere. The way it should be! Otherwise the 1990s were the sad sad decade for Finnish Eurovision, being made to stay home by the rules in 1995, 1997 and 1999.  1994 Cat Cat - Bye bye baby  55,3% 1991 Kaija Kärkinen - Hullu yö  17,5% 1993 Katri Helena - Tule luo  12,8% 1998 Edea - Aava  6,1% 1992 Pave Maijanen - Yamma yamma   3,8% 1994 Jasmine - Niin kaunis on taivas  2,4% 1990 Beat - Fri? 2,2%

Today's birthday boy is Pave Maijanen who turns 67!  Congratulations! Pave is singer, songwriter, musicians, producer, bassist, keyboardist, drummer and guitarist.  He started in bands and went solo in the 1980's and is already active in six decades! He's got so many songs his 4-cd greatest hits compilation does not even include his unfortunate Eurovision entry, nor it is the first song that comes to mind from him. What was it again?

Another year has passed and it's time to look back who managed to score a #1 hit in the official Finnish charts.... Once again the chart is dominated by foreign DJs and Finnish rappers and most every act has "feat." in it. But hey, one Eurovision entry is one of the biggest hits of the year: Vicky Rosti's Sata salamaa covered by Antti Tuisku in Vain elämää series. Also another cover from that series made it to number one: VilleGalle and Sanni doing Pave Maijanen's classic Lähtisitkö . And another Eurovision link is UMK host Roope Salminen having one of the summer hits.  Only 18 songs made it, and Finnish ones beat the foreign ones 10-8 :-) Check all their videos after the jump.... Oops, I forgot there are 53 weeks in 2015! This one's the new number one 53/2015:

Last but not least Pave Maijanen got his day. His career covers five decades so there was where to choose but all went for his golden era the 1980's with the exception of Vicky Rosti. No one covered his Eurovision song contest 1992 entry Yamma yamma , but it was remembered in a short clip. As we remember he came last and the tabloid were screaming the day after "Worst in Europe!" and Pave told his gigs vanished for three years when no one wanted him anymore. He was also worried for his kids that they would be bullied at school.... rough times. Once again mostly very enjoyable versions and the first ever Vain elämää duet (other than the day's artist's final one) Maija Vilkkumaa Vs. Pave Maijanen - Jano One of Pave's biggest and well known hits. Quite similar arrangement to the original but Maija's vocoder, simplified approach and touch of orient sounds made it very good and fresh. Vicky Rosti Vs. Royals - I'm gonna roll Vicky confessed ha...

Sanni is the youngest and with the shortest career in this season. Yet she has won Emma, the Finnish Grammy as the best female artist, and her 2080-luvulla has been voted the best song of 2015 already. She writes her own songs and plays violin and guitar. But surprisingly the oldest artists really convinced with her songs making them their own and showcasing their quality. Sanni's electronic sound and style was turned into something else with excellent results...... Somehow I almost like all the Sanni covers more than the originals.... what it tells about me. Or Sanni? Anssi Kela Vs. Sanni - 2080-luvulla Anssi brings this song to 1980's in the sound and in my opinion does his best cover so far. Excellent, I almost like this more than Sanni's original! Incredible but true. His falsettos and Sanni's tears mean a success. This could become the next iTunes chart topper. VilleGalle Vs. Sanni - Prinsessoja ja astronautteja Sanni's debut single. The one that m...

Anssi is a very talented songwriter, and this episode turned out to be one of the most interesting ones when his songs with minor changes turned out something different and in most cases something very good. In his own words: These kids come and show how it's done. Damn! He also confessed enjoying being the Artisti Anssi Kela these days more than ever. He came down hard from his debut albums 160.000 sales (13th most sold album ever in Finland) but is back in business today enjoying his fame and success.  Pave Maijanen Vs. Anssi Kela - Milla Pave turned this originally for a movie written song into a rockabilly swing affair. Nice and fun, but that's all I guess. The original is great. Antti Tuisku Vs. Anssi Kela - Kaksi sisarta Antti gave this a makeover modernizing the sound and bringing out the melody. The result is rather etheric and epic. Antti lost himself in the interpretation but in a good way. He has really proven he can transmit emotions and bring out ne...

This week it was Antti Tuisku's day, and one of the episodes I looked forward the most.  Meanwhile his version of Vicky Rosti's Eurovision 1987 entry Sata salamaa stays as number on both on official singles chart as well as download and streaming chart. In the radiolay it jumps from 71 to 19. And as we talk about charts Maija Vilkkumaa's day last week created to hits: Anssi Kela's Kasarin lapsi made an apperance in the download charts at 17 while Sanni's Ei entered the charts at number 4.  This week Vicky Rosti made wonders with Antti's Hyökyaalto and I wouldm't be surprised at all t see it charting next week..... But now to Antt's songs. VillaGalle Vs. Antti Tuisku - Peto on irti Antti's latest hit gets a makeover by VilleGalle with the usual rap, vocal samples and lyrics changes. With added jungle bet as the title (Beast is loose) suggests. Not my cup of tea, as is Antti's original.  Anssi Kela Vs. Antti Tuisku - Vaarallin...

This episode was one of the most awaited by this blogger as I'm a huge Maija Vilkkumaa fan. I was curiously waiting how these artists would treat her usually rather aggressive pop-rock songs, most sticking very much to the same formula. And indeed they all arranged them in an all new way, making them all quite different from the original. All had picked up one of her biggest hits and from her solo career. Pave Maijanen Vs. Maija Vilkkumaa - Satumaa tango Maija originally had wanted Pave as the producer for her debut solo album but he had turned the offer down. Now he gave us a taste how it could have been in this more middle-of-the-road version of her first hit. More polished, tuned down if compared to Maija's in-your-face approach. Vicky Rosti Vs. Maija Vilkkumaa - Ingalsin Laura Vicky turned this another angry song into an American line dancing kind of country schlager, but her voice fits is perfectly without the need of being angry-aggressive like Maija...

Second episode was dedicated to rapper VilleGalle. Most of his songs as JVG are all about what they enjoy the most in life: ice hockey and Playstation. Most songs also are rapped with featured singers so the covers by his fellow Vain elämää stars were mostly completely reworked, most of them by lyrics, too. This was the episode I maybe waited the least as I thought I wouldn't know his music at all but then.... four of these were such big hits you couldn not have not heard them.... In the end a very enjoyable evening after all and if the first three seasons have been marked by tears and artists crying their eyes out this season so far it's been mostly laughter and good vibes! Vicky Rosti Vs. JVG feat Anna Abreu  - Huominen on huomenna Vicky as a 50something grandmother had turned the teenager party song into an anthem for a hot mama who goes for holidays and parties all night with her daddy man. Very well done and she already declared this one's going in to her gig ...

Vicky Rosti had the honor to open the fourth season of megapopular Vain elämää series. Over one million Finns tuned in to see it on television and streaming continues online. Antti Tuisku's Sata salamaa has got already over 300.000 views. This season the artists doesn't seem to know each other beforehand that well or at all so the first lunch and dinner were still a bit akward but surely when the season goes on they loosen up. As expected all but Anssi have searched a song from Vicky's early years and 70's cover hits - besides her Eurovision entry 1987 of course that was sure to be in the line up.  VilleGalle Vs. Vicky - Menolippu ( One way ticket ) Him being a rapper the song had gone through a total make over and gotten new lyrics sampling Vicky's original vocals. Good start but not outstanding or quite totally there.  Maija Vilkkumaa Vs. Vicky - Näinkö meille aina täällä käy ( Ain't that just the way ) This song fitted nicely Maija's voic...

The series will air on Nelonen next autumn. It was recorded in June 2015  when the artists spent a week together 24/7. I will then follow it episode by episode right here.  Vain elämää S4 E7 - Pave Maijanen Vain elämää S4 E6 - Sanni Vain elämää S4 E5 - Anssi Kela Vain elämää S4 E4 - Antti Tuisku Vain elämää S4 E3 - Maija Vilkkumaa Vain elämää S4 E2 - VilleGalle Vain elämää S4 E1 - Virve Rosti Vain elämää - Anssi Kela Vain elämää - Pave Maijanen Vain elämää - Virve Rosti Vain elämää - Sanni Vain elämää - Antti Tuisku Vain elämää - Maija Vilkkumaa Vain elämää - VilleGalle Vain elämää - with Eurovision stars (again)

Last but not lest in this series: Maija Vilkkumaa. She's been leading Finnish rock stars for years, delivered countless hits and this blogger is a huge fan: Her lyrics are always original, playing with words and double meanings - you can hear she studied Finnish language for sure! Her album sales are over 300.000 and all her albums have sold gold and/or (multi)platinum. She has won 5 Emma awards (aka Finnish Grammy) among others, and she has also written a book and done a lot of television. Her latest album is from 2010 as she has been concentrating on her two kids and marriage but is about to come back this fall.

When Sanni's name was announced as one of the artists taking part in Vain elämää 4 it caused quite a social media stir. Because she's kinda new. And young (22). Only two albums, the debut coming out only two years ago. But she has been flirting with stardom for a long time and has scored half a dozen hits already. 

Antti Tuisku may have finished only 3rd in Idols (won by Hanna Pakarinen) but since then he has become the one who has sold most. he has been very active in studio and has released already 8 albums and two Christmas albums and the sales are over 250.000 and has scored a string of hits. He is also the one and only real male pop star in Finland if a popstar is one with catchy songs and great stage shows with choreographed acts. Three platinum records and five gold records on his wall he's ready to take on his second tv reality, as he has already won Strickly come dancing in 2010.

Ville-Petteri Galle aka VilleGalle is another half of rap duo JVG. He follows Cheek and Elastinen in the rap genre to make it to a household name in this reality and who knows, he (or JVG) will move on to the next level of notority? He broke through in summer 2011 when Häissä went to number one in all possible charts and was declared the summer hit of 2011. They have released three albums so far and all have went to #1 in the official album chart. He says this is a huge opportunity for him, and hopes he is worth it, and hopes to make some great covers.

Anssi Kela is one of those artists who shot to the fame and success with his debut album, then sales and popularity dropped by each album until he was dropped by his label. A break, new label, still a lot of loyal fans in social medias got him back on top last year. And now he gies his song repertoire to other artists to cover and he sure has a lot to choose from. And it will be interesting to see what he makes of the songs of the others, having quite a personal style. He says he hopes the other artists will make his songs as different as possible, showing also him a new side of them. On the other hand he says sky's the limit in his own versions, as there's no need to think they would fit into any album context or whatever - they can be anything!

We all remember Pave Maijanen for unfortunate Yamma yamma and his last place in the Eurovision song contest 1992. But he is so much more: He's been in the business for 45 years. He's singer, songwriter, basist, keyboard player, drummer, guitarist, producer. He has done a lot of backing singing, including multiple Eurovisions. Before his solo career he was in several succesful and popular bands (Pepe & Paradise, Royals, WigWam, Pave's Mistakes just to name a few). He's the surprise name in Vain Elämää 4 , and already maybe the most interesting one.

The artists for fourth season of megapopular Vain Elämää (originally Dutch De beste zangers van Nederland , Så mycket bättre in Sweden etc) have been released today and once again it's a mixed lot but Eurovision veterans are in again: Vicky Rosti and Pave Maijanen. Maijanen's presence is quite surprising but maybe this will be his revenge? More about that later.... The season four singers are: Anssi Kela (six albums to date), VilleGalle (part of Jare & JVG rapper duo, three albums to date), Antti Tuisku (10 albums, including Christmas ones), Pave Maijanen (11 solo albums between 1983-2010, in various bands and combinations since 1964), Sanni (hottest female pop star of the moment (?), with two albums), Maija Vilkkumaa (8 solo albums) and Virve "Vicky" Rosti (10 solo albums between 1975-2014).

Pyhä Unplugged has become a very popular music event since it's debut in 1998. Over the years dozens of front line artists have performed their own songs and covers with the Pyhä houseband SYY. Now for the first time they will also release an album due September 14. Amongst the artists we have Paula Koivuniemi, Irina, Laura Voutilainen-Pave Maijanen duo and Hanna Pakarinen. And the good news is one of the two songs Hanna has recorded for the album is none other than Penkki, puu ja puistotie aka Un banc, un ambre, une rue or the Eurovision 1971 winner for Monaco.

Pave Maijanen has released this fall a greatest hits 2-cd Kaikki nämä vuodet 1969-2010 and despite it including 32 tracks his Eurovision 1992 winner Yamma yamma is not included. How about the 4-cd+dvd box? Yep, not there either. Looks like Mr Maijanen wants us forget that unlucky incident....  Instead we get hits like Lähtisitkö, Ikävä and Jano.