Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

The 2025 was kinder to Eurovision family than some previous ones but we did lose some Eurovision artists and personalities, let them rest in peace and live forever in our collective memory.  Here they are in random photo (above) order: Tapani Kansa (1949-2025): He took part in the Finland's national selection Euroviisut with 13 different songs between 1975-2009. He may have not hit it big in Euroviisut but his biggest hits came from somewhere else . He recorded 39 albums and had countless hits, awards and nominations and was one of the most loved and versatile artists. Tali Eshkoli (1964-2025): israeli producer and Eurovision personality. She launched The Next Star national selection and Israel Calling event, produced a documentary on Harel Skaat where he came out, she was the executive producer of Eurovision song contest 2019 in Tel Aviv and she was a regular in juries across Europe to select songs for Eurovision. Shpat Kasapi (1985-2025): Albanian singer-songwriter. He took part...

If Diggiloo is going strong in Sweden, in Finland the second leg of popular Finnhits tour has been cancelled, apparently because of money (the exact fate of Vain elämää further gigs....) The artists counted that their cut was less than 12% of the turnover divided by the five of them! The tour was a success last fall and was ment to continue this spring but was first postboned to autumn, and now cancelled altogether. The cast was Vicky Rosti, Eini, Frederik, Danny and Tapani Kansa, all of them Euroviisut veterans and having countless hits of the 70's to their catalogue. Finnhits was a hugely popular compilation LP series that originally had 14 albums released in the 1970's and early 1980's packed with hits of the moment, most of them covers. With the nostalgy and retro schlager being popular again even the younger generation of today are listening classics like Menolippu , Kun Chicago kuoli , Yes sir, alkaa polttaa , Volga , R-A-K-A-S , Seikkailija ....again. Nothing ...

The countdown continues with more Eija Kantola and Tapani Kansa added with more Euroviisut participants: Antti Kleemola and Annika Eklund. And Antti Kela who enjoyed a megasuccess for a period of two years or so with his two first albums. The rest is pretty much Tangomarkkinat artists.... 281. KARHUSAARI - ANSSI KELA 282. VALVOTKO VUOKSENI - EIJA KANTOLA 283. NAINEN KUIN KULTAA - MARKO LÄMSÄ 284. JENNIFER ANISTON - ANSSI KELA 285. TIMO TAHTOO - ANTTI KLEEMOLA 286. PUUTTUVA RENGAS - MARKO LÄMSÄ 287- SATAA, TUULEE JA SALAMOI - JANNE TULKKI 288. SALAISUUDESSAIN - TAPANI KANSA 289. SINUSSA ON JOTAIN - ANNIKA EKLUND 290. PAREMPAA - JOHANNA DEBRECZENI

The listeners of Iskelmäradio or Schlager radio, a popular middle of the road channel playing  almost only Finnish music, have been voting the best Finnish songs of 2000-2009 and over the midsummer weekend the results were played in marathon programmes. I will publish the list over this July and hope you will find some new artists, and some good songs. Beware, it's very schlager! 88 different singers or bands got their songs in. One got in 12 songs, three others 11, and 2 more acts got 9 and 8 songs and to complete the dominators 7 acts got 7 songs in. That's 43% of the songs by 15 acts! Who they are and how many Eurovision songs are there, you will find out by July 31!  In this first part we have amongst others Johanna Pakonen, Tapani Kansa and Eija Kantola - all Euroviisut participants. Happy listening! 291. MUUKALAINEN - TOPI SORSAKOSKI 292. TULVII POHJANMAA - JANNE TULKKI 293. TANSSIN PÄIVÄT, TANSSIN YÖT - ANNELI MATTILA 294. SATOI TAI PAISTOI - MATTI JA TEPPO 29...

Not only the Swedish artists like to take the road and spread the Christmas all over the country, so do the Finnish ones. Most everyone from Tapani Kansa to Arja Koriseva are doing it once again but the big production featuring Jari Sillanpää and Katri Helena that has dominated the scene the past couple of years is not happening this year. Instead Jari will be doing a solo tour that kicks off  November 28 in Palacio de la paz in Fuengirola, Spain, passed Kulturhuset in Stockholm, Sweden on December 13 and end in Finlandiatalo in Helsinki on 19th. Laura Voutilainen instead will be doing Ave Maria - Lauran tarinallinen joulu, a Christmas spectacle that tells a story besides singing the songs and will mainly perform in churches all over Finland in December. And many more Christmas show to come as usual...

Jaana Pelkonen and Peltsi Peltola are presenting live from Tampere Fair and Sports Center the Finnish final for Eurovision song contest 2009 in Moscow. Tonight's propably the coldest night of the year with temperatures around -20C in most parts of Finland but in the sold out hall it's hot with 1.800 people! Before the final there will be a second chance round for the songs that didn't qualify directly. The entry chosen tonight will be Finland's 43rd entry. Finland has had a very rocky past in the contest finishing usually in the last places until the monstreous victory of Lordi in 2006. Finland has now been present in the final ever since. The show has started with Teräsbetoni presenting a new version of their last year's winner Missä miehet ratsastaa .The stage looks pretty fantastic! Jaana looks very glamorous tonight and Peltsi, well... casual as always. THE SECOND CHANCE ROUND : 01. Passionworks fr. Tony Turunen - Surrender Passionworks is the big fan favourite...

Kwan (31,9%) and Tapani Kansa (37,4%) qualified as expected to the final directly from the first semifinal. So we cannot count Tapani Kansa out.... As we remember Kari Tapio almost made it last year.... Double sigh.

It's here finally. Euroviisut 2009 kicks off tonight at 8pm CET when Kwan, Riikka, Tapani Kansa and Tiara battle it out for the two places in the final. If we believe the polls it's a piece of cake for Kwan to qualify, and Riikka should easily follow, but Tapani Kansa might get all the elderly votes when they tune in to televote. Tiara's chances are considered rather slim. 1. Kwan - 10.000 Light years 2. Riikka - Meren 3. Tapani Kansa - Rakkautta on, rauhaa ei 4. Tiara - Manala

The talk about the Finnish Euroviisut entries is hot on many chatrooms and blogs and it seems, as usual, that foreign people think it's a very good selection of songs while Finns tend to think it's worthless, there's nothing good and whoever go to Moscow will put us in shame. Things never change! Passionworks seems to be the favourite but I don't see, or hear, why? It's not bad. But it's nothing special unless they're really really good on stage. But I will judge and comment once we get into the business for real. For now just groups of songs without further comments based on 2-3 listenings. The songs I'd love to see and hear in Moscow: Kwan, Remu, Janita The songs I will be less passionate if they win: Sani, Passionworks, Waldo's People The songs I would hate to see going to Moscow (it doesn't mean they are bad necessarily): Riikka, Tapani Kansa, Tiara, Jari Sillanpää, Vink The outsider: Signmark What do you think? Vote for your favourite in my ...

"After my last participation in the 1980's I was left with a bad taste of Euroviisut and I swore I would never take part again. In the past few year's the contest seem to have changed a lot, it's more open and professional so I took the invitation gladly. I look for a good show, a good song and performance, that's all!" says Tapani Kansa

Tapani Kansa (59) is this year's dinosaur in Euroviisut following Jukka Kuoppamäki and Kari Tapio in this new format. He has been singing since 1967, recorded over 400 songs and is the Finnish singer who has participated with most songs in Euroviisut never winning! Total of 12 songs (1975, 1980 (2 songs), 1981, 1982 (4 songs)1983 (2 songs) and 1985 (2 songs) - will his fate change this time? I don't think so... In 1970's he was one of the top Finnish singers scoring hit after hit, many of them being covers as it was the trend. He has continued with pop and covers all through his career but has been moving the past 20 years or so to more demanding and serious music. He has recorded musicals and many songs written to poems, Argentinian tangos, Finnish movie music and a full album of Tapio Rautavaara covers. He has done also theater, TV and movies. He's know to be doing big concert tours every year and is soon starting yet another one all around Finland. Here some of his ...