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 ->

Shava takes us to a mall with Ostarilla .  The group has been together since 2004 but only a few years ago they have moved from private settings to public when they realized the world needs bhangra music in Finnish. Since then they have been spreading the bhangra virus besides Finland also abroad, from Iceland to Vancouver and New York. They love to eat and confess being addicted to coffee and chai. Their aim is to spread some happiness and show that bhangra is something that unites suburbian nomads from Bombay to East-Helsinki. They are also the only bhangra group in the world singing in Finnish.  Timo: Ok, now we go to Bollywood. I have to say they have selected very different songs this year. All in all this isn't so special, could have been better but it's interesting anyhow 2/5 Jack : Shava are bringing Bollywood to Finland's Eurovision selection it seems. I do actually really like their song because it's different. However I don't think it'...

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

I digged into this year's UMK artists musical past already here  and here , and now let's have a look at some others. We have the Voice of Finland 2014, Finnish bhangra, a possible joke entry, a boyband with the hottest Scandipop guy , and disabled punk. Make your pick.  Siru (Airistola), the Voice of Finland 2014 took the spotlight after the leak when it was discovered her entry was the only one available online. YLE is investigating and she could be disqualified, but let's see about that in due time. She has released one EP so far including Kaksi naista , Sä et kulu pois , and she has a lot of videos on her youtube channel . Check out also her The Voice videos here . Despite winning her career hasn't went anywhere so far. Shava is a Finnish bhangra band doing Indian music in Finnish. If that sounds weird, check out these videos to judge yourself: Onkimiehen bhangra and 79 (Hertzigassa aamubussissa) . The latter was a tiny minor local hit in Helsinki. ...