Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

The Eurovision song contest 2023 in Liverpool on behalf of Ukraine is turning out very Ukraine as promised with a string of Ukrainian artists coming back to belt out their Eurovision successes. Throw in a bit of British by giving a slot also to last year's runner up (and not only), invite some Eurovision favorites to sing Liverpool Songbook. Add Rita Ora and some drag queens (because why not?) and me thinks it looks like a very nice mix! Grand final Opening act: Kalush Orchestra - Stefania Interval act: Sam Ryder - Space man  Flag parade: Go_A - Shum, Jamala - 1944, Tina Karol - Show me your love, Verka Serduchka - Dncing lasha tumbai Liverpool Songbook: Mahmood, Netta, Dadi Freyer, Cornelia Jakobs, Duncan Laurence, Sonia Semifinal One Opening act: Julia Sanina - Mayak Interval acts: Rita Ora - Medley of hits + Praising you,  Alyosha with Rebecca Ferguson - Ordinary world Semifinal Two Interval acts: Maria Yaremchuk, Otoy, Zlata Dziunka - Medley of Ukrainian Music Podilya dan...

  Another week, another dose of new #Finpop with some summer flavour from charts and radio waves of Finland. Enjoy! Benjamin - N-Y-T Sonia - Kirjeistäsi Erin - Päivii niit Hesaäijä -  Hyppääpä kyytiin

Every now and then Eurovision song contest winners come back to the contest and looking back quite often it hasn't been such a good idea. A total of 14 previous winners have managed to return (and even more have tried but failed to win the national final. Latest of them is Swedish Loreen last year). In this series I have a brief look at them and how did it go..... Niamh Kavanagh first came to Eurovision in 1993 giving Ireland the second of its third consegutive wins with In your eyes . Niamh was rather unknown back then even if she had already sung in The Commitments soundtrack but no doubt it one of the finest vocalists in the contest ever. She battled it with UK's Sonia until the end but secured a 23 point lead with seven 12s and votes from each and every country. In 2010 she was back with It's for you . Placing 9th in her semifinal (12 points from Switzerland and 10 from UK clearly saved her) she qualified for the final where she collected 25 points and ...

Dima Bilan with Edvin Marton has been moving towards west in his winner's tour. From Helsinki to Stockholm, further west to Oslo where he performed with the Norvegian entrant Maria (who came 5th). Now he is in Dublin Ireland before tomorrow's stop in London and the big winner's party organized by esctoday.com where also the runner up, Ukrainian Ani Lorak will perform along with Bucks Fizz, Sonia and Nicky French. After that the busy schedule will still include Belgium where he will meet again the Belgian represantives Ishtar, France and San Marino! In San Marino he will meet Miodio and many OGAE fans from Italy and elsewhere....