Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

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 ->

Siru Airistola is the latest The Voice of Finland winner last April. Since then she has released two singles ( Sä et kulu pois and Kaksi naista )and is currently working on her debut album. She has done also musicals and operas and studies musical theater. She is yet to breakthrough though so let's see if UMK will finish what The Voice started. She says her music is soul influenced pop with big emotions, and her entry Mustelmat (Bruises) is about being imperfect and accepting it. Or is it about domestic violance? Three songs that have made her are Lara Fabian's Adagio (in Italian ), Alicia Keys' Fallin' and Eva Cassidy's Over the rainbow . Without them she wouldn't be here now.  Timo : Siru has a strong voice that makes me listen to her. She even made me think about the lyrics and what they are all about and I'm not so sure I really got the point but then that's nothing new for me. I kinda liked this even if the main thing or the melody remain...

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. ...

YLE has been investigating the leak and the blame is on the record label. "It was record label's mistake" says YLE's Anssi Autio. "All is automatic these days, even the digital releases. Aso many different parts have access to manipulate the data, includig date of release. It's very sad the artists names and song titles were leaked this way. But we still have a lot to reveal next Tuesday so all is not out there, including the songs itself." Only one of the songs, Siru's Mustelmat has been online and now YLE is investigating how that has happened. "If it's intentional, she will be disqualified and may be replaced with another song and artist". UPDATE: It seems with the latest comments by Autio the leak has been intentional. Stay tuned for updates.

YLE was to announce the names and songs of the UMK 2015 artists only next week but just like 2012, they were leaked by accident before. Back then it was cdon.com that published the album info too early, with artists and song titles but this time it was Spotify that did the same. But not only, apparently the album artwork was published also in Facebook with the artists names even earlier. YLE's Anssi Autio comments in Iltalehti - liberally translated - "Sh*t happens". However, the songs are not listenable in Finland but abroad it is/was possible it seems. YLE is investigating the leaks. The presentation takes places on January 13 at 1pm local time on webstream as planned.  Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät, currently in British tour, has taken the most spotlight so far. The band was a project for handicapped people, with Down syndrome and turned into a film and real punk band.  Listen them here . It is also noted their entry last 1:28. This blogger is ready to believe th...