Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

  Let's kick of this year's #FinPop2026 series with Kaj's answer to Tommy Cash's Espresso macchiato, you do need also an ice cream don't you? Then we have two new fresh names along with already seasoned Karim B who's still waiting for the Big one, maybe UMK 2027? KAJ - GELATERIA MIMI MENDINE - R.I.P. SAMUEL SHIPWAY - INFERNO KARIM B - ONGELMA

Franco Battiato was very much considered as a Sicilian artist besides Italian and after his professional adventures up north in Milano he returned to his beloved Sicily under the shadow of Mount Etna where he was born. Now Riposto (ex-Ionia) where he was born, Milo up the Etna hill where he had his house for decades and where he died plus the capital of region Catania all have plans to commemorate the music legend. "The spectacular nature of our lungomare (waterfront) that visually unites Etna with the Ionian sea, in the context of the lava rock of the ancient eruptions of our volcano - explained Mayor of Catania Pogliese - will become a symbol of a man, an artist who has magnificently interpreted the values ​​of nature, transcending the borders of Sicily and Italy for its innate ability to grasp the deepest feelings of humanity. The great emotion that the death of Franco Battiato aroused throughout Italy convinced us that to remember a personality who has marked the feelings of g...

What a sad day. Somehow I knew it was coming but still it is a shock. I'm just too sad and numb to say anything now, I'll do proper post for his honor after Eurovision. His music has been such a big part of my life since 1980's and shaped my music taste more than I ever know. Rest in peace. You won't be forgotten.

Sad news from Portugal. Dina or Ondina Maria Farias Veloso, has died of polmonary fibrosis at the age of 62. Her Eurovision 1992 entry Amor d'água fresca is on of this blogger's favorite entries ever and I remember loving it to bits back in the day, despite being a bit di sappointed  for the staging , I even bought her CD when in Portugal later.... She released six albums and wrote a lot of music for films and television dramas. As she sung in her hit  Há sempre música entre nós , there will always be music between us.... 

Legendary French star France Gall has passed away. She brought an Eurovision victory to Luxembourgh with the very first modern and up tempo winner, Serge Gainsbourg's Poupée de cire, poupée de son back in 1965. Since then she became one of the biggest stars in the French language music scene (and not only having a career going also in Germany), and even crossed over to the world in the 1980's with hits like Ella elle l'à and Babacar , penned for her by her late husband and also a big star in music business, Michel Berger. They married in 1976 and she only sung her songs after that. including Declation d'amour . He died in 1992 and Gall retired from the business. Gall herself was dignosed with breast cancer the year after, and in 1997 their daughter died. She only appeared rarely in public after that and in two documentaries in 2001 and 2007 and apparently never sung live again.

Finland has lost one of its Eurovision stars. Seija Simola passed away August 20 but made public only today. She would have been 73 next month. She was one of the brightest stars in the music business until her unfortunate Eurovision adventure (read more here ).  Rest in peace, your voice lives forever.

Today we remember the amazing Mia Martini, twice the Italian entrant. Rest in peace.

Tonight is two years since one of the greatest Italian voices passed away singing his song live on stage amongst his public. Rest in peace, you are not forgotten.... Tutto è pensare a te. e cosi ti penso Tu sei, tu sei lo so, cosi vicino.....

This has been a sad Eurovision weeks for Finland. Riki Sorsa (ESC 1981) passed away just before the first semifinal, and now we are reached with news that Lasse Mårtenson (ESC 1964) has left us, too. Besides his own song he was very much involved in the Finnish Eurovision history as composer.  He wrote a total of 14 Euroviisut entries, winning twice: Marraskuu (1963), Laiskotellen (1964) , Iltaisin (1965), Ge mig en grabb (1965), Pieni sana (1966), Ken hän on? (1966), Revontuli (1967), Sua kutsun, Maarit (1967), Varjoon - suojaan (1967 ), Pilvilaulu (1971), Hän on mennyt vuorten taa (1973), Laulun kuulen (1974), Fasten seatbelts (1975), Kuusitoista hyvää vuotta (1977) He was 81.  Rest in peace.