Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Two May born men, two classy ballads. United Kingdom is the most successful Eurovision nation overall with 5 wins and 15 runner ups, but it's been already 14 years since they got one of those. Estonia has a string of great success in 1999-2002 but has been less fortunate since, with the exception of 2009 . Now these two countries go to Baku with pretty much the same recipe. While Estonia's Ott (25 in May) is still a quite a newcomer with a couple of years adult fame to his credit, United Kingdom's Engelbert (76 in May) has over 45 years of career and worldwide success behind him. This is 5-4 for Estonia. United Kingdom - Engelbert Humperdinck - Love will set you free ****1/2 Is this the right card to turn the UK's Eurovision bad record in recent years? If you can overcome Engelbert's age - as it is clear many Eurovision fans are age racist but then, the hardcore fans have no power in the final result whatsoever, even if some seem to...

If Romania was difficult Estonia was extremely easy as there was and is only one favourite for me, Ithaka Maria's Hopa'pa-rei . This multi-intrumentalist singer-songwriter is so much better than plastic made winner that got what it deserved in Germany. Or actually I would have left it in semifinals really.... Anyways, this is a nice cocktail of things that have provided Eurovision classics; a bit of Wild dances, a bit of Rändajad to start with without being obvious. Still, not the greatest song on earth but very entertaining 3 minutes. Great stuff!

Some good news for a change: Estonia has confirmed after all its participation in Oslo 2010 (well, I for one never doubted it in the first place) as they've got a sponsor, Enterprise Estonia that promotes Estonia abroad. Finally some organisations put the money where they are noticed! Serbia will be also in Oslo 2010 hoping to keep the record straight with their successes after the drop this year - I would have put the Serbian song in 2009 to the final as well btw - but both broadcasters have announced a smaller scale national final. Which makes me think that some countries may have lost the plot. Cut the expenses and drop the national finals if that's what it takes you to participate; just invite an artist and send him/her off! Estonia has sent some great songs over the years including Keelatud maa (8th/1997), Diamond of night (6th/1999), Once in a lifetime (4th/2000) and Rändajad (6th/2009) while Serbia made history in Helsinki 2007 by winning with its first participati...

The news about the possible withdrawal of Estonia from Oslo 2010 spread over the internet last night but I didn't pick up the news as it seemed like one of those common rulmors who's in, who's out that keep circulating in the websites. Even if I spotted it in YLE's website first. Tonight, YLE2 tv-news had it, too, so it made me think it is more serious than usually. It would be such a shame as Estonians pulled their act together this year and scored a splendid and well deserved 6th place with Rändajad after some obscure entries....

Urban Symphony has been busy recording their debut album and the second single Päikese poole is out and sounding mighty fabulous. In August they will be on the road with my favorite Estonian singer Laura Põldvere and other folks (see the poster). I think I'm gonna check my possibilities to go and see them.... http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=djeWw4WKNYI http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdxhMALAUb8

The listeners of Escradio have had their say this year again. Five countries managed to get a top-5 placing in both Best song and Best Male artist/Female artist/Group category: Norway, Iceland, France and maybe a bit surprisingly Estonia, and even more so Denmark. The listeners agreed with the overall result when Norway and Iceland take the top-2 places in best song category while France comes a well deserved third followed by Estonia and Denmark. Alexander Rybak wins also the best male artist category leaving Sakis Rouvas second while Yohanna wins the female one, followed by Patricia Kaas. Aysel & Arash win the group category followed by Urban Symphony. Full results here: http:// www.escradio.com/awards2009/results.asp?id=1

Three Eurovision songs enter the Finnish top-20 this week. Alexander Rybak's Fairytale enters at number 2, Yohanna's Is it true at number 4 and Urban Symphony's Rändajad at number 10. Waldo's People's Lose contro l drops to number 3 on its 23rd week in Top-20. In albums Patricia Kaas's Kabaret debuted at number 7 but drops to number 33 while Waldo's People's Paranoid is at number 38. Eurovision 2009 stays at number one for the second week after being number two for two weeks.

For making me believe there is some sense to this after all. No changes here but they are not needed. Urban Symphony was perfect both vocally and visually from the beginning. I'm loving more and more this oriental feeling of the song and soon really start mind traveling the silk road or something under a starry night riding a camel.... Oh dear, am I still suffering the Albanian-Ukrainian hallucination cocktail? Well, Estonia it is. Is it? http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQN0W11Ro5s&feature=channel_page

Phew, this is pure delight to ears and eyes after Ukraine! Estonian urban Symphony travel through mist and fog on stage without moving anywhere. Fantastic. Once again less is more and when you have a song and a singer that's all you need at times. One of the best songs this year and should move on to the final without difficulties. Or at least it deserves it. Could it be another violinist will give Rybak a run for his money? If Estonia will not make it but Ukraine will I might have to do some post-Eurovision soul searching... http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2CZFanNk7E

Urban Symphony has released the single Rändajad , the Estonian entry in Moscow 2009. Besides the familiar Eurovision mix is also includes rather groovy Lazy Drumbeat mix that I like a lot! Estonia is doing well in the polls and should finally qualify to the final for the first time since the semifinals were introduced back in 2004. This year's entry has Diamond of night kind of qualities and that one ended up 6th ten years ago. http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=U29y5bjJ92c http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFK9TU9G4AI