Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Oh dear. If you thought Paradise had some questionable lyrics be lucky if you don't underdtand Finnish :-) My First Band has done the Finnish version with the help of the hottest sex God of the moment Pete Parkkonen, and ex-UMK artist Stig. Have a listen and ... enjoy! :-)

The Finnish Grammy, Emma, will be handed out once again in March. The nominees are out and here are the ones for the Best Song. The industry has been taken over by humour rap. Sigh. Do you agree? Who is your favorite? Among them we have Sanni and JVG from Vain elämää series, Stig from UMK, and also Roope Salminen, the UMK host last year and also this year. And the tongue twisting SAARA.

Tähdet, tähdet or Stars, stars is a variety show that premiered last year and was won by Eurovision veteran Jari Sillanpää (ESC 2004) and featuring also Vicky Rosti (ESC 1987) and UMK participants Diandra and Stig. This year it is even more Eurovision connected when Krista Siegfrids (ESC 2013), Laura Voutilainen (ESC 2002), Markku Aro (ESC 1971), Jarkko Ahola of Teräsbetoni (ESC 2008) join national selections veteran Arja Koriseva  and #umk15 host Roope Salminen among others in the line. In this series artists perform each week music from different genres from rap to opera, from heavy rock to schlager and pop and everything in between. One of the most talked about performance last season was Jari Sillanpää's Gangnam style .

The Finnish Grammy or Emma nominations have been revealed today and Krista Siegfrids picks up a nomination as the Newcomer of the year 2013. She's also shortlisted in the People's Choice award for the Best artist/group. Emma Gaala will take place in Barona Areena in Espoo March 7, 2014. All nominees here . Here are the main categories and nominees: Female Artist: Erin, Jenni Vartiainen, Jonna Tervomaa, Sanni, Suvi Teräsniska  Male Artist: Anssi Kela, Cheek, Ismo Alanko, Jesse Kaikuranta, Juha Tapio, Robin Group: Haloo Helsinki!, J.Karjalainen, Michael Monroe, Pariisin Kevät, Sunrise Avenue Album of the year: Robin, J.Karjalainen, Cheek, Juha Tapio, Haloo Helsinki!, Jenni Vartiainen Newcomer of the year: Isac Elliot, Jannika B, Krista Siegfrids, Lost Society, Sanni Pop album of the year: Robin, Haloo Helsinki!, Jenni Vartiainen, Sunrise Avenue, Isac Elliot Schlager album of the year: Lauri Tähkä, Juha Tapio, Jonne Aaron, Suvi T...

The 37th Syksyn Sävel was held in MTV3 studios in Helsinki tonight. Unfortunately it was a poorly staged rather amateurish offering this year with songs that could have taken part in the 70's or 80's mostly but that's no wonder when you look at the artists internally selected for it - most of them had their last hit in the 70's or 80's, or in some cases 90's. With a few exceptions who indeed turned out to be the best ones. Suvi Teräsniska was high above the rest with her elegant, dramatic pop perfection Täydellinen elämä . No wonder she scored almost 30% of the votes. Milana Misic had also a very strong song, with a touch of French chanson. Stig from UMK continues going more and more mainstream and he was rather enjoyable. Finally Neljän Suora , one of the rare acts actually being popular in the 2010's also had a song that will be another hit for them for sure. Finally, a hands up for Vicky Rosti , who looked more stunning than ever and also seemed ...

I will be here from 19.30 CET to blog UMK+ and then UMK 2013 the final. Various polls and Spotify listenings and such show that it's still an open race: Diandra? Mikael? Krista? Arion? Or even Great Wide North? Stay tuned! 19.30 Here we go. The UMK+ from backstage of Barona Arena in Espoo has started. Yesterday's and today's snowing has made the surrounding pure and white but inside the atmosphere is surely far from frosty! Let's see if there's something interesting happening backstage.... Meiju Suvas is interviewed and she recalls her Euroviisut participation in 1983.... How time flies! Then we have Mikael Konttinen talking about his ladies.... Next Pernilla, the reigning UMK queen. Apparentlly some new music is coming from her. And she wants Mikael Saari to win...Then we move into the arena and green room and Elina and her girls get to sing a new version of Ring, ring with new lurics and we move on to Arion.... And yes, the green room is in the middl...

YLE has revealed the running order for the UMK 2013 final and info on the voting. Strangely there will be no superfinal and it will be 50-50 with the jury and televote. That's good news for Arion and Great Wide North, clearly so far the jury's favorites while fan and televote favorites Diandra, Mikael and Krista may be punishd by them if they decide they don't like them... are we heading for a compromise here à la 2000? If you don't remember what happened then, check your history books.... Arion – Lost Elina Orkoneva – He’s Not My Man Lucy Was Driving – Dancing All Around the Universe Krista Siegfrids – Marry Me Last Panda – Saturday Night Forever Mikael Saari – We Should Be Through Great Wide North – Flags Diandra – Colliding Into You The interval acts will be Teflon Brothers featuring Euroviisut veteran Meiju Suvas and last year's UMK participant Stig. Mikael Konttinen (Euroviisut 2008 fan favorite) will bring his popular musical talk show t...

A special treat awaits in the UMK final in Barona Arena, Espoo in February. Hanna Pakarinen, Pernilla Karlsson, Kaisa Vala, Emma Salokoski, Johanna Iivanainen and Suvi Teräsniska will perform together in a number inspired by YLE's program Mikaelin naiset . In this program Mikael Konttinen, also Euroviisut veteran himself chats with female artists about a song they have chosen and has meant something special to them. In the end they perform it together with Mikael and his grand piano. I wonder what will they sing in UMK? Another confirmed guest will be Teflon Brothers featuring Meiju Suvas and Stig. 

UMK or Uuden musiikin kilpailu or ex-Euroviisut kicks off tonight officially with a presentation program that you can also watch in YLE Areena (in Finland only). In this program the 12 chosen once are shortly presented and you can hear their songs in the background and also the jury is presented and their thoughts about these songs. A short look back to last year - or rather Stig's moderate success and Pernilla's already forgotten win. There's nothing else to tell about the 2012 edition I'm afraid. In the program there are also some songs and presentation videos of the weird stuff that didn't make the cut. You may find some of them in Youtube but the ones in YLE's page are once again visibly only in Finland (and it may be a good thing after all....). Next week the jury will meet the contestants for the first time and they will perform for them in the studio and the contest really starts.... Stay tuned. 

Carly Rae climbs un top #1 after three weeks in the charts with Call me maybe . Loreen drops to #4 this week and Stig is also dropping at #14 with Ryyppy . In albums Anna Eriksson stays at #2. 

Just a few hours before the final Iltalehti's readers have said their opinion: Stig will win tonight's UMK and represant Finland in the Eurovision song contest 2012 in Baku. He got over half of the votes (52%) while his runner ups Pernilla Karlsson and Kaisa Vala got only 12,8% and 10,0%. The fans are apparently for Pernilla Karlsson, Iconcrash and Kaisa Vala, while Stig is second to last in their poll. In Oikotimes poll Pernilla and Kaisa are in the lead and Stig last. The results are similar elsewhere. Will Finns stick to their own mind and send a domestic hit that will bomb in Baku big time or search for something else? We will know later tonight.... Stig used to be Stig Dogg and do this sort of thing before: Stigidilaatio , Kullii , Häsleri , Rakkauden Bermudan kolmio.....  if you don't know Finnish for once you can be very happy about it! All this considered Laululeija isn't that bad after all, is it?

The long and confusing Finnish national final concept called UMK aka Uuden musiikin kilpailu comes to an end tonight in a live show from Helsinki's Ice Hall. I don't know if it's going to be a full house aas at least in last night's programme they said go and get your ticket and come see the show live as tickets are still available. There will be 14 cameras, the sage looks pretty enough and YLE apparently has put an effort for the final with guest stars like The Rasmus world premier of their comeback single I'm a mess, the "biggest show ever seen by a Finnish artist" by Anna Abreu, last year's Euroviisut winner Paradise Oskar will perform, too, and even the current #1 in the single's chart Robin is there. Six songs made it this far and even if I may not agree with the results I do have a favourite, Kaisa Vala. I also like Mica Ikonen. Many Eurovision fans favour Ville Eetvartti and Pernilla Karlsson. Then we have Iconcrash and Stig. I just don'...

The last qualification round of UMK came from Helsinki Ice hall where we had the stage, the greenroom but empty hall giving a very strange feel to the whole thing. Anyways after the interview with The Rasmus , the round up how the 540 songs came 40, then 12, then 8 and finally only six tonight they started telling us who the online voters had sent to the final: Mica Ikonen, Pernilla Karlsson, Ville Eetvartti while Kaisa Vala was in danger of dropping out. Then Iconcrash and Stig to the final and Freeman joins Kaisa Vala on stage tonight and faces the judges. They performed again after Anna Abreu was interviewed. She will have her biggest show ever on UMK stage. After the Madonna's SuperBowl performance it was reported she was mad about her as her planned show was very similar to Madonna's and now needed to be redone to avoid copycat label. (Yeah right!). So then to the judges Anna Laine, Jorma Hietamäki, Vallu Vaipio, Anna Puu and Tomi Saarinen. They praised Kaisa Vala, the w...

Tonight there will be the last qualification round for the seven entries left in UMK aka Uuden musiikin kilpailu, ex-Euroviisut. First they were 540, then 40, then 12 and tonight they will be only six. Televoters will take five of them to the final, and the judges will send there also one of the two leftovers. So, one will be so close, 24 hours, from the final but will be left out. I would kick out either Freeman or Stig (for the simple fact he can't sing) but I'm afraid both will go on tomorrow's final. My favourites are Kaisa Vala as she is the most intteresting, fresh new artists here, and Mica Ikonen for the simple stage presence and voice!The songs still in the run are: Freeman & Uusi Fantasia - Noitanainen Iconcrash - We are the night Kaisa Vala - Habits of the human beings Mica Ikonen - Antaa mennä Pernilla Karlsson - När jag blundar Stig - Laululeija Ville Eetvartti - Lasikaupunki