Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

The Ukrainian Eurovision song contest 2022 winner Kalush Orchestra is returning to front and other military and humanitarian services to help and support their nation under Russian bombardment and war right after returning home today. Instead of going on international tour promoting their entry and all that usual stuff. They have declared that all the profits from their winning entry Stefania will be handed over to organisations that help people and provide arms to the fighters against Russian aggressors. But that's not all. They are going to auction the Eurovision crystal microphone to raise funds for before mentioned aids. Now it's your chance to get this unique piece AND help suffering people in Ukraine. Meanwhile stream Stefania . Over and over again! Deatils about the auction and how to participate and donate here.

The Eurovision song contest final is over and we have a winner: Ukraine! Some random thoughts: The show went on smoothly despite a few wrong camera angles, spotlights and impromptu nonsense from the hosts to cover up some time while the stage wasn't ready.  Most artists did really save their beast for tonight, including Italy, Romania, Armenia, Germany, Belgium and Greece.... No one really did badly which is always wonderful. Italy, Moldova, Romania, Ukraine, Finland, Serbia and Spain really got the arena wild. Laura's opening number was a real wardrobe gimmick extravaganza she did a pretty good job with Cattelan and Mika.  Ankle injured Damiano and Måneskin came and sung but I was more thrilled for Gigliola Cinquetti to be honest.  The voting...... well, the juries were all over the place really! And the juries are supposed to be professional but they just vote their neighbors worse than locals....And Martin gave so many votes like no one ever before, wtf? And as expecte...

Ukraine has re-chosen after Alina Pash, the winner withdrawn from Eurovision due travel document scandal and backlash on social medias etc. Among other things. Long story short the runner up (and televoting winner) Kalush orchestra was asked to do the honors and after few days of thinking they have accepted.  Kalush is Ukrainian rapper Pleh Psiuk, multi instrumentalist Ihor Didenchuk (also a member of Go_A) and DJ MC Kilimmen. The band was formed in 2019. Last year Kalush became a parallel project with added multi instrumentalis members Tymofil Muzychuk and Vitali Duzhuk and added folk and traditional music to the sound, just like their Eurovision entry Stefania. Today the full results of Vidbir 2022 were also published: 1. Alina Pash - Tini zabutykh predkiv (jury 8 + televote 7) 15 , total televotes 19.535 2. Kalush orchestra - Stefania (6 + 8) 14, 31.634 3. Wellboy - Nozzy bossy (7 + 6) 13 , 5.642 4. Roxolana - Girlzzzz (3 + 5) 8 , 5.034 5. Barleben - Hear my words (4 + 3) 7 , 2....

Here is the next set of today's second rehearsal for the semi final two ones. Check out the previous post for more information here . Czech Republic gets critic online for bad vocals and lack of energy but hard to say more from this short clip. To me this looks a bit boring and unoriginal staging and unless Benny turns on all his charm and quirkiness this could be a NQ after all even if I thought pre-rehearsals he would qualify easily. Well, you can't win always, can you? Greece is using the green screen for most of the performance and I wonder will it get a bit annoying once the novelty wears off? Especially if they don't fix the minor errors in using it before the live shows and I'm not sure if this is the staging I wanted for this, as the song itself is one of my favorites. It's also surprisingly low in the odds so I can only hope this would be the dark horse that does the  Olsen Brothers/Marie N in the end. As this is sure finalist and Stefania looks and sounds...

Third song release today comes from Greece, and yes, it's Stefania who was internally selected last year at it again this year. And it's with delight I see the lovely revisited 80s sound so much present in most national finals makes its way to Eurovision 2021 as well. This one, too, could be straight from Flashdance soundtrack. In my book it's a good thing.

AUSTRALIA - MONTAIGNE - DON'T BREAK ME First thing: the staging in the national final - I don't get it. It distracts completely from the song that when only heard is pretty fantastic. One of my favorites this year in fact. I like the sound, lyrics and her vocals on it. It's catchy and somehow melancholic that fits me perfectly. Great song that doesn't sound like an Eurovision taylor made entry, which is always a positive thing. Montaigne is interesting and a bit nuts in a good way. I have no idea how this would have done in Rotterdam though, especially with a staging like that. Could have been a non qualifier or who knows mid table in the final? Hard to say and we'll never find out. I give anyways 9/10 AZERBAIJAN - EFENDI - CLEOPATRA Cleopatrrrrrrra! Everyone's talking about the staging here. Actually it's the most interesting thing of this; How would have it been? How they were supposed to bring this live? And that's about all there is t...

Stefania Liberakakis (17) was internally chosen by Greece to represent them at the Eurovision 2020 in her other home country the Netherlands. She's a singer, actress, voice actress and ex-child star and Junior Eurovision veteran having represented the Netherlands as a member of girlgroup Kisses in 2016 with Kisses and dancin' . She also did The Voice Kids and joined a child choir Kinderen voor kinderen. In 2018 she launched her solo career and the year after also her career in Greece. Is she their next superg!rl?

It's been a busy week in the Eurovision world and bresides various national finals - the last ones being tomorrow in Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Portugal - the previously announced artists have finally revealed their entries.....

  The rumors running wild the past few weeks have been confirmed tonight: Stefania will represant Greece in Rotterdam 2020 Eurovision song contest. She doesn't have to travel far as she was born and lives in the Netherlands. Her song titled  Superg!rl will be released in coming weeks, She had three songs in the running and the chosen one is by the usual Dimitris Kontopoulos, Sharon Vaughn and ARCADE team.  Stefania Liberakakis (17) has already a lot of experience despite her young age. She took part in The Voice Kids in 2013 in the Netherlands. Three years alter she was part of girl trio Kisses, that finished 8th in the Junior Eurovision with Kisses and dancin '. Since 2018 she's been releasing solo singles, acted in tv-series and movies.  Below are some of her previous songs ...