Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Sandhja turns 26 today and surely sings it away ! Congratulations! As life goes on she has released recently a new video from her forthcoming album:

Sandhja has released the first single off her new album in the making. It features also Gracias and Ekow. She sings it away and goes on with We go on !

Now this is surprising. One would think Sandhja's Sing it away was a kind of a flop, but here comes Radio Yle Suomi's most played songs chart of 2016 and guess what? It's number one! And even more so, Eini's entry Draamaa is n.o 3. Now that pretty much sets the tone this radio channel is; schlager and and pop schlager.  Further down the shart Kuunkuiskaajat's Unelmaa is n.o 24, Laura Voutilainen at n.o 35 with Miks ei and at n.o 49 with Olet mulle enemmän . This year's UMK entrant Zuhlke is n.o 54 with Huominen on meidän . Eurovision winner Celine Dion is there, too, N.o 68 with L'étoile . Previous Euroviisut entrant Mikael Konttinen n.o 82 with Ei koskaan and Hanna Pakarinen n.o 84 with Herrojen kanssa pellon laidassa , UMK entrants Hukka ja Mama n.o 91 Sun pitäis olla mun ... Check out the full listing here

A lot have been said about Sandhja's dress or rather catsuit in the past 24 hrs. Social media in Finland has heated up.  The designer Jukka Puljujärvi (left) who himself comes from Lapland contacted Sandhja's stylist the moment she won the UMK2016 as he had a vision. The suit is made of reindeer leather and it's really turquoise reflecting her Caribian roots while the waist decoration reflects her Carelian roots and the material of course Finland. Leather isn't the best material for dancing, so he asked her to "warm up" her suit well before the performance to be able to dance and move freely in it. And besides, if you haven't noticed catsuits are back and very cool and in. Azeri Samra is wearing one for example.  But celebrity stylist Riku Campo says the catsuit was horrible, make up and hair wrong. The whole visual image of Sandhja and Akkabellas was a disaster. It looked like they were going to a suburbian mall, according him. It was a mess in sho...

People haven't been exactly kind in social medias after Finland's Sandhja's Sing it away was shown on television last night, even before the results were in and Finland was out from the final on Saturday. Chatrooms are filled with nasty comments and critic, and some constructive views of what went wrong. Some are demanding the whole YLE's Eurovision team to be sacked, some blame Sandhja and her backings singing out of tune. Her dress gets a lot of critics as well, so does the whole team lookwise. Everyone's opinion seems to be it was too plain and simple, and it's not enough just to walk on stage and dance it away when you have the world's largest stage and the most imaginative props and lights in use, if you want to. One doesn't have go to the Russian way but at least something. Anything! It seems it worked in arena but on tv screen no. To this blogger this seems a dejà vú from 1978 when Seija Simola was crushed in media and eventually her long and...

Sandhja tells YLE today about her feelings the day after. She says she has hopped off the Bubble and is feeling good if worn out. Last night after the emotional post-broadcast where a tear or two have been shed in the backstage the Finnish team entered the press center smiling and singing. After that off to the EuroClub with the intention to party on and dance it away but so many people wanted to tell how unfair it was and take photos and all that so she didn't manage to dance a lot really. Then just off to bed and after good sleep and proper breakfast today's a new day. Now she feels just empty, has given it all. She tells she can feel it in the girls, too, and therefor they have decided to meet up only next week to talk it over. Now she just wants to eat and sleep and think about something else. Being inside the bubble was so intense. She thinks this whole Eurovision has been a school; how to deal with pressure and stress, huge audience, media.... very important for he...

Since the semifinals were introduced back in 20014 Finland has now qualified seven times, and not qualified six times. This is however only the second time Finland fails the final two years in a row, the first being the first two semifinal years 2004-2005 and then Finland came and won it all the year after. Let's hope that's a good omen for 2017.  I still stand by our choice and think she was the best. I don't think any of the UMK2016 finalist would have done any better. I'm talking about fan favorites Saara Aalto and Mikael Saari. UMK2016 was great but none of the songs was really outstanding with that special "it" that would have made miracles. To prove the point none of them have become even a minor hit.  As for the running order, I totally understand why Sing it away was chosen as the opener. This said, it wouldn't have done any better elsewhere in the running order I suppose. I'm always saying less is more and keep it simple, but this st...

There are familiar names and faces in the Sandhja's backing group Akkabellas. Besides being her friends for a long time, they are all true professionals.  Jenni Lambert may not ring a bell but if I say Lili Lambert and UMK 2014 and The Voice? She's been also backing names like Snoop Doggy and Elastinen besides her solo career.  Reetta Korhonen as a name may not also be familiar but if I say she's the girl who kissed Krista in Marry me in Malmö? Yup, she's the one.  Then we have Linda Ilves and sisters Heini and Tuuli Ikonen from the talented Ikonen family, that includes also among others their bother Osmo who almost got to Moscow back in 2009 with Signmark. All three have a lot of talent and experience in music. 

Sandhja wishes a great Eurovision journey for all us. For me, it's been one so far.  Sing it away!

The cold is gone and Sandhja is feeling gooood. The staging is the same but they have tired to pump it up with more energy, sass and class and Sandhja's new shoes with high heels and bunny ears (Minna Parikka's I suppose) Overall better vocally and better in every way it seems. But yet maybe there's a bit missing, me wonders. But then Sandhja is one who lights up with the audience so all is not lost yet. I notice the stage and catwalk seem rather low. Are getting another Monetta gate when people walking the catwalk will be hidden behind the waving flags? 

Finland was the first one to rehearse on the stage in Globen. What I hear from the spot the stage isn't that great really, or rather it has surprised. Negatively. But let's see how it develops in general.  Back to Finland. Blue, yellow and purple in the backdrop, turquoise jumpsuit made of reindeer suede for Sandhja that maybe isn't that flattering really, and black for the ladies in black doing a few Lena Philipssons with microphone stands. Some comments say the party never started and that Sandhja was holding back. At some point there's also a huge pink triangle in the backdrop but it doesn't help to fill the stage. A lot of long wide shots that are not very good it seems and Sandhja seems a bit lost alone in the catwalk. All this said we can only hope the Finnish delegation makes the necessary changes to give the act the energy and joy it has also on television screen where it counts.  In the Meet & Greet the kickboxing nurse who's also Eurovis...

Sandhja releases her second album Freedom venture today. It follows the debut Gold that was released in May 2014. The new album has ten songs, including obviously her Eurovision entry Sing it away and the first single off the album, My bass , released earlier this year.  Tonight's the release party at DTM in Helsinki.  Get yours here or here Her new single is Love me high

Sandhja will released her new and second album Freedom venture next week, and today the new single Love me high is already out.  Order your copy from here or here . 

Photo by Ronen Akerman Hovi Star is representing Israel in the Eurovision song contest 2016 in Stockholm fulfilling a life long dream. He become household name in Israel in 2009 after taking part in a reality TV show Star is born . He didn't win but he's been around ever since thanks to his unique persona and voice. He has continued to release songs, doing gigs and even has been dubbing a lot of Disney and is known for his interest in fashion. Doron Medalie who also wrote Israel's succesful Golden boy last year, is behind his song and tells: "This emotional ballad was written about our lives as human race, about the here and now. We are all connected in the virtual world while in real life we are disengaging from one another. The differences between human beings are getting stronger and the reality forces us to choose - shall we reconnect and help one another in real lifeor should we keep distancing ourselves and stay indifferent. Made of stars remind us that ...

Sandhja is not taking backing tapes to her gigs and when she performed at Stockmann's  Crazy Days she had only her guitarist and one backing lady with her and they rocked live and acoustic. (In Stockholm she will have five backing singers and it's going to be awesome, believe me.) And Sandhja herself is one force of nature: that woman oozes joy of live, good vibes and positive energy topped with excellent live vocals. Her 15 minute minigig included four songs, the final one being of course Sing it away , before she set free hundreds of balloons from the ceiling, some of them including prizes like a new Mercedes car, flight tickets and a lot of minor ones.... for the joy of the shoppers and her fans. See you in Stockholm!!!

Also Finland's postcard for the coming Eurovision song contest 2016 in Stockholm has been filmed. It seems Sandhja is having a special guest star in it.... 

While the other Eurovision 2016 stars are running from one promotional event to another in April, Finland's Sandhja is putting finishing touches to her second album to be released in the end of April and guess what? She's also back to work as nurse! She did took some time off for UMK and all that but yes, she's back at nursing people and most likely singing it away. She has been doing some press and appearances in TV like this one (singing starts at 54'45) where she belted out the accapella version with two of her home girls.  And this Saturday she will be singing in the sold out Hartwall Arena, the venue of Helsinki 2007 Eurovision. And nothing less but the national anthem before the boxing worldchampion game of Robert Helenius, a Finn Vs. Frenchman Duhaupas.

Sandhja is 24 half Finn-half Indian from Guyana in South America. She's already been loved by the critics but her music has remained marginal so far so for her this is a way to make herself known to the masses. Even to those who might know her but didn't know she's a Finn with a Finnish music team behind her. he never studied music but wrote poems that turned into songs. She met a procuder when she was 18, at 21 she got a recording deal and now she's here. She's a storyteller and one of her songs Ladaria tells about her greatgrandmother who worked long days at sugar cane plantage, had 11 children and still managed to go out and party every weekend. The same energy seems to run in greatgranddaughter... Sandhja's familly, especially aunts are huge Eurovision fans so she'd be thrilled to represent Finland.  14/20