Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

The rumours have been confirmed today apparently and Madonna will indeed be the interval act during the Eurovision song contest final in Tel Aviv. She will perform two songs - one new maybe called Indian summer and one classic - and arrive in town four days before the final with a team of 60 persons. Apparently her act will include also two other surprise artists. Possible names ar Brazilian Anitta and Colombian Maluma, both have been spotted in studio with Madonna while she's been working on her new album. Israeli-Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams is behind the whole affair funding the costs that are 1,3 million dollars to Madonna alone.... She's releasing a new album shortly and was rumored to be involved already last year when the contest took place in her present home town Lisbon. Only she didn't have anything to promote back then.

The controversy with Russia and the entry ban against the Russian Julia Samoylova probably has a post-match for Ukraine: The chairman of the EBU Reference Group Frank-Dieter Freiling considers it is not excluded that the Ukrainian TV station is awarded with a participation lock until 2021. But the same goes for Russia, as he commented the possibility for ZDF. The Ukraine and the hosting station PBC have committed themselves to welcome all countries - therefore, in the case of the Russian singer Julia Samoylova, who was not allowed to go to Kiev, a breach of the EBU statutes must be sanctioned. It is a basic value of the ESC that any EBU member can participate, "no matter who the host is". "But there must also be sanctions against Russia, because the Russians had not participated in several our presidency meetings in Kiev. Because of the violations of the statutes on both sides there should be penalties. EBU statutes provide for a number of violations, from a fine,...

Portugal is riding high in the odds, better than ever I can remember of, and well deserved. Salvador Sobral's Amar pelos dois is a fantastic song. Maybe the most autenthic and real one in the whole contest this year, or even in years. It's not powing or written for Eurovision standars and clichés, it's heart felt, real piece of musical art, masterfully performed. They might be closer than ever to break the spell of 6th place, their best since 1964 and Portugal holds the longest run of no win in the contest's history, beating Finland already by a decade. But there are dark clouds in the Portuguese Eurovision success in the making.  It was already reported during the Portuguese national final season, that Salvador Sobral performed with serious hernia problems and basicly went from the semifinal straight to the operation. Before the final he had two hernia operations and we thought that was it...... Now it emerges that isn't all of it at all. He has also a seve...

The rumour from Greece is that ERT has changed their plaans about a zillion times and then eventually asked both Stereo Soul and Demy and to their surprise both agreed and instead of just having one of them, they will now let both of them prepaire two songs and have a mini national final after all. Maybe. Time will tell. Dimitra papadea aka Demy (25) won the award as the best new artost in MAD Awards in 2012. She has released two albums, a couple of EPs and about 20 singles, the latest being Isovia mazi a cover of Bulgaria's Eurovision entry this year.  Stereo Soul made themselves known in X Factor 2016 . They are Bradley White-Dale and Panayiotis Pallis. 

ABBA's Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus are planning and considering a possible comeback concerts and tour with the British music mogul Simon Fuller - as holograms. "Nobody wants to see us old people on stage" they have stated many times before and are searching through the material from their 1977 and 1979 world tours that could possible used for the project. Techically it would be possible as likes of Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and Frank Sinatra regularly keep on performing in Las Vegas shows these days. Björn and Benny and their represants don't want to comment the plans at the moment except with "there are always all kinds of plans in the air"....  Meanwhile you can enjoy them as holograms in Stockholm's ABBA Museum. 

Another classy article from Daily Star I just have to share. LOL. Apparently the Serbian sassy Sanja Vucic ZAA is all over Joe and Jake's Joe, "like a rash. She's obsessed with him." Eurovision officials and fellow acts have been "shocked" by Sanja's antics. It all started at the Welcome Party and she allegedly tried to get Joe back to her hotel room. Yup. Poor little Joe has resisted her charms. 

What would be Eurovision without rumours? When these people spend time together for two weeks, and even meet each other all over Europe the weeks before every year there are some minor or major romances, some getting public most being kept secret. Not all end up Like Finland's Kaija Kärkinen falling for her composer Ile Kallio under the magic spell that is Rome 1991. Ten albums and two sons later they are still together..... The whispers from Stockholm tell Moldova's Lidia Isac and yet unnamed member of Cypriot Minus One are hitting it off ..... so it's not Juri, the cosmonaut. Is she seeing falling star with an alter ego? And then every year someone seems to be pregnant, or at lest rumored so. Lat year it was the Dutch Trijntje Oosterhuis. This year it's apparently Malta's own Ira Losco. That would explain that horrible sack she's wearing and the shapeless rack under it. Oh, we do like a bit of a juicy gossip. Stay tuned. Update May 8: Ira Losco ...

The rumour is Nicky Byrne has been selected by RTE for the Eurovision song contest 2016 in Stockholm. Earlier this season they let us believe there will be an internal choice instead of the usual Late Late Show national final and then nothing. Ireland seems to be panicking a little as if Sweden was to win again they would equal their seven wins but being the latest winner Sweden would count more. Ireland's last win is in 1996, 20 years ago while she has won twice recently. If Ireland fails to qualify this year it will be their worst run of failure ever.  Anyways, last time Ireland chose internally, in 2007, Dervish finished last in Helsinki...... So, it's time to bring in the big guns? Nicky Byrne was a member of Westlife, that sold over 50 million records between 1998-2012 and scored 10 #1 albums, 14 #1 singles and 26 top-10 singles in UK alone. After Westlife he's become a succesful radio DJ besides being singer-songwriter, radio and tv host, actor and dancer. He h...

The fan lottery for the possible #UMK16 names goes on and on. Some new names have been digged out, but they seem more like wild guessing than anything based on proper facts like it could be the case here . Maybe. Those who know must be having a laugh, and over the past days I have started wondering one thing: How come all the instrumental demos sound so similar, with a couple of exceptions? Has someone played them again with the same programming just to confuse fans even more? ;-) Ok, that was my contribution to this mystery. I can't even bother to think myself who these could be, I am just curiously waiting for January 12 and the revelation. As it seems we might be having quite a good year ahead of us.....  Meanwhile enjoy their music after the jump....

Since YLE published this morning clips of the 18 entries for the #UMK16 the fans have been searching for clues for who they could be and by now there seems to be a majority believing the following artists are in: Cristal Snow (5), Eini (6), Pää-äijät (11), Saara Aalto (14) and Sandhja (15) and quite a few seem sure also that Tea & Kana (2) and Mikael Saari (9) are in there... More insecurity for Diandra (17), Stina Girs (13), Erja Lyytinen (16)....  Let the guessing continue. 11 days for the reveal :-) After the jump some videos from the beforementioned ones...... Enjoy!

Or so the story goes. Apprently the Soviet propaganda wanted to take also the Eurovision trophy in the crazy years of change in the late 1980's. Back in 1987 the Minister of Education for the Soviet Union Veselov brought out the idea. He even had proposed popular singer Valery Leontiev as the ideal debut artist but both president Gorbachev and the leaders of Communist Party considered the idea "too radical". LOL. The talk continued until the whole union was gone by 1991. Russia did enter the contest in 1994 and despite sending local superstars Philip Kirkorov and Alla Pugatseva among others failed to make an impact, even not qualifying in the 1996 pre-selection. They took a break of a couple of years before re-entering and have been very succesful ever since with one victory, 4 second places and two third places so far.... Nine other former republics of the Soviet Union have entered the contest since 1990's though: Lithuania 1994, Estonia 1994, Latvia 2000, Uk...

The Netherlands have become in the past few years the Eurovision rumour country. Also this year it's the first one to kick off the game, first with Dotan and now with Douwe Bob. This soon to be 23-year-old, winner of The Best Singer-Songwriter in the Netherlands is also connected to Anouk and has the country-pop style with a hint of the 50's and 70's rock continuing the trend if chosen. Two albums to his credit and five singles and a duet with Anouk to throw in he's one to watch out. With the right song that is. (I'm not totally convinced with his back catalogue tbh) Apparently he hasn't been so fond of Eurovision only a year ago but maybe Anouk who is becoming the Dutch Eurolady has made him change his mind? I wouldn't be surprised she's got her hands on the song again - despite last year's failure that is only remembered for the frock. And I don't wonder why-ay-ay..... Below is his latest single..... UPDATE: Dutch delegation...

While waiting the annual rumors of Sergey Lazarov, one of the Spice Girls, Mihai Traistariu and others emerge again we have a new entry: Dotan for the Netherlands. He was heavily rumoured already last year ( read more here ) and now the Dutch media is again "sure" AVROTROS wants him while either of the parties comments in any way. Maybe this time around he is hungry for Eurovision as one of his most recent singles suggests? Let's wait and see if he will be the very first known act for Stockholm 2016 Eurovision?

Remember Hayk Kasparov? He has tried to get to Eurovision before (in 2009 Give me an answer  and year later with Du gites ). He has done festivals and won awards over the years in Armenia and abroad and his songs like Siro toghe r, Gta  or Ay ay ay wouldn't have been miplaced in Eurovision. His  other songs include  Sirelis from a recent Tv-show and a duet with Marine Petrosyan a year ago. It seems he's living in Germany now ready to launch his international career. What would be more fitting than Eurovision then? Armenian TV will do official announcement next month. Who knows?

Russia remains the country with very little news about their participation. A national final was scheduled originally for the new year's 2013 but then cancelled. Some have made themselves available like the Buranovskye Babushki but now another rumor has emerged: Sergey Lazarev. More credible this one. The eternal competitor with Dima Bilan for the most popular male artist in the country has tried to get to Eurovision in the past ( Flyer in 2008, when he lost to.... Bilan, as well as a member of a boyband some moons ago before that). He's also a popular TV-presenter and household name in Russia. Just like Bilan he has also tried an international career, that is yet to explode outside the ex-USSR countries.  Here he makes fun of Bilan, with Bilan himself. Lazarev's songs include Cure the thunder , В САМОЕ СЕРДЦЕ , СЛЕЗЫ В МОЕМ СЕРДЦЕ , Unreal love , Vspomonai .... This blogger has been waiting for this happen for a few years now, so hopefully it's true. At least ...

A hip-hop duo Who see (aka Who see klapa?) has been chosen for Montenegro for Malmö 2013. The act seems to be as fitting as last year's Rambo Amadeus but that's the beauty of Eurovision and it needs also something out of the box. The duo (Dedduh and Noyz) started working together in the early 2000's and have released two albums so far (2006 and 2012). They also won the MTV Music Award's Best Adriatic act in 2012. Here is Reggaeton Montenegro . 

The season is in a full swing and so are the rumors. The most bizarre one is that of Lys Assia going fro San Marino instead when she failed to qualify in Switzerland for the final and win it. Hello, how's the flow? would be a nice follow up to last year's Facebook , wouldn't it? :-) It's true Sammarinese tv is in a difficult situation being partly owned by RAI and Italy going into elections again and all is out in the open and the money for the participation just isn't coming in.....  Ireland is heating up as well when Damien McGinty of Glee fame and Melanie McCabe of X Factor fame are frequently dropped. Now Shane Filan of ex-Westlife has been put into the spotlight but apparently he has already denied the rumors in his Twitter. But then, Eurovision is full of denies and confirmations. We'll see. Anyways, Ireland is repeating the five artists selection with mentors like the past two years. Jedward are not in so someone else may win this year....

The Voice has reached Russia and the coaches are Dima Bilan, Pelagea, Leonid Agutin and Alexander Gradsky. It's on Channel One and there's a rumor it could be used as the national selection, meaning the winner would get besides the usual recording deal also chance to represent the country in Malmö 2013.  You can watch videos of it here . 

Rylan Clark of The X Factor UK fame has declared he wants to represent UK in Malmö 2013 because it would be "amazing" ! If Jedwards did it for Ireland and even twice, why not give Rylan a chance? What he lacks in voice department he certainly has in personality department and showmanship. Or judge yourself here and here  and here , too. I think it would be amazing, too! He would certainly be a fun addition to the short list of artists in the next Eurovision, and most likely would secure good ratings and visibility for BBC! And here's one more example of his fashion sense...... 

And while we are at the rumor mill let's see what the little birds tell from France. Fabrice Mauss. Never heard of him, I must admit. He's been around for almost ten years now with his band Mauss, three albums on his credit and fourth probably coming if he's aiming for Eurovision I guess. His songs include C'est la vie  and Je mens . If France wants to send a guitar troubadour, why not? It would also continue the French string of trying different things....