Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Thank you to everyone who voted. I must admit I agree with the top-5 in my poll and hope at least someone of them will eventually make the semifinals in the real thing. Tomorrow we will know... 1. Camilla Petra  19% 2. Bääbs  17% 3. Saga Bloom  9% 4. Villieläin  9% 5. Janne Raappana  5%

It didn't took long for the Swedish papers to come out with "sure" or possible names of the artists to perform the final songs. Jessica Andersson, Pernilla Wahlgren, Ola, Sibel, Getty Domein, Andreas Johnson, Eric Saade, Anna Bergendahl, Elin Lanto, Lovestoned, Erik LInder, Errika Selin, Kalle Moaeus.... We will see. Sadly, Lili & Susie are not going to sing the song Susie co-write it seems, and apparently the entries sent in by Nordman, Scotts, Pandora, Linda Bengtzing and Style didn't make it!

Sweden started, Finland closes. Tomorrow at noon (11am CET) the voting in Finland closes and the results will be announced on Friday night at 6.45pm local time. It's your last chance to hear the songs in one place and also to vote in my poll. Right here on your right!

I have an early favourite in the Melodifestivalen webjokers: Stai stai! Listen here . Otherwise it's been rather uneventful listening to #140 that is this Italian electro number. Is it me or are the guys singing well with good voices while the girls are rather dull and even lacking voice completely? Listening through these makes it so obvious how easy it is a well produced number to advance instead of a home made low quality demo... Videos made in bedrooms, living rooms, bathrooms, kitchens.... Special mention goes at this point to Do what you believe in , Redline and Tribute to Michael Jackson - no further comment! UPDATE: Ok, I have now given my ruthless one minute (or less in many cases) listening to the 181 songs and shortlisted them to 60. Let's see how many of them will make the 100 next week, and then 50 and so on...

And here you can listen the internet joker songs. 181 of them will become 100 in a week, then 50, then 10 and only one will reach the Melodifestivalen semifinals next year in this four week long voting.

SVT announced 27 titles and their authors today so the gossiping and guessing for the artists can start! As always many familiar names amongst writers from Fredrik Kempe to Py Bäckman, from Susie Päivärinta to Andreas Johnsson and always present Bobby Ljungren and Marcos Ubeda. Here are the titles and their authors of the songs that a jury chose (incl. Thomas Lundin from the Finnish TV, Cypriot Alex Panayi and Barry Vineker from esctoday.com): A Place To Stay , m & l: Torben Hedlund                                 Doctor Doctor m & l: Tony Nilsson, Mirja Breitholtz Headlines , m & l: Tony Nilsson, Peter Boström Heaven And Hell ,m & l: Håkan Larsson, Jörgen Svensson, Björn Lönnroos Hippare Hoppare , m & l: Vlatko Ancevski, Vlatko Gicarevski, Mats Nilsson, Teddy Paunkoski, Otis Sandsjö, Stevan Tomulevski, Do...

Yet another country finds its way to this blog: Ghana, making it a total of 158 so far... Welcome!

Signmark will be in Helsinki's Narinkkatori October 24, 2009 from 2pm to 4pm for human rights giving a silent shout! Together our voice is stronger against discrimination. Silent shout –group wants to draw attention to human rights. Human rights belong to everyone everywhere without any discrimination. The sign language Silent Shout will take over Helsinki city Kamppi. This is your chance to be a part of the positive movement right from the start. World’s first Deaf rapper Signmark is leading the silent chorus and his music video is filmed at the event. Come and be a part of the performance, movement and chorus. Make a difference using sing language. This Flash mob is a unique chance to be a part of live rap chorus signing for the human rights. Come along and sign with us in the first Silent Shout event. We are signing Signmark’s song Against The Wall. You will also take part of Signmark’s music video that is been filmed in the event and it will be released February 2010. More...

That is, a raise in the TV-license to cover the cost, 25 million euros, of hosting the show. Well, I wouldn't mind paying that if Finland hosted it again.... I remember there was a similar thing in 1992 when LEX CAROLA was introduced in Sweden, and also in Finland there were talks about it in 2007 but YLE managed not to do it (but then they raise it every year anyways.... and now they will make everyone pay, whether you have TV or not, just in case you watch some YLE stuff on internet, or in your cellphone, or...) sigh...

The past few days there have been London/UK related news about the Finnish Idols. The most recent winner Koop Arponen will perform in London on October 15 in Samsung Pink Ribbon charity gala with his new single I love it when I see you smile , specially written for the campaign. Anna Abreu, the runner up two years ago, has managed to get her video Vinegar in rotation in music channels in the UK and the single will be released there shortly, followed by the album release a bit later.

Dima Bilan is aiming for his 5th consegutive MTV Europe Award next month in Berlin as the best Russian act and has also released an English version and video of his Bol'no titled Changes , one of his better songs. The Spanish album still remains unreleased.

Time is running fast but you still have time to vote in my poll your favourite in Euroviisut 2010 internet selection to choose the 3 qualifiers to the semifinals in January. Almost 300 people have voted already and Camilla Petra is still leading followed closely by Bääbs. Saga Bloom and Villieläin come next followed by Janne Raappana and Linn Nygård. Agree? Disagree? Vote and change it all.... before Wednesday! Listen to the entries here .

Finally I get a visitor from San Marino in flagcounter, making it the 157th country (or "country") to visit my blog, thus completing the Eurovision countries. Mille grazie! To Celebrate here is the (so far) only Sammarinese entry Complice by Miodio.

Club fior Five is a Finnish accapella group has just released their fourth album and will hit the road with a special guest, Johanna Kurkela. Some of you who were in Helsinki 2007 ESC may have got their CD as a freebie in the press center. Club for Five released their first album Ensi-ilta (in Finnish) in 2006 and soon won over both critics and buying public. Since they have released an award winning Christmas album Rekiretki , another album in Finnish Uni and here comes You're the voice with songs like Sweet dreams , Brothers in arms and Nothing else matters . Remember all sounds and voices are made by them! Amazing stuff!

For once the Eurovision reference group's decision seems to please most everyone: the jury vote will be introduced also to the semifinals, as wished and hoped by many delegations and fans. This means also change in the wildcards that will no longer be. As we remember in 2008 Sweden gained entry to the final dropping out Macedonia and in 2009 the same happened to Finland dropping Macedonia again in the first semifinal, and Croatia dropped Serbia in the second semifinal. Macedonia threated to withdraw for this but now they have to face the juries instead so...

One of the members of Boyzone, Stephen Gately (33) was found dead yesterday in Majorca. The cause of death is yet not known. Ronan Keating. ex-Eurovision host, is devastated by the news. Stephen's coming out as gay ten year's ago was a sensation in the pop world. He leaves a married partner Andrew Cowles behind. Here he sings solo or with Boyzone Better (that features their real life partners)  No matter what   Chiquitita ,  I believe

Amanda and The Black White Boys will fly the Finnish flag in Stockholm in MGP 2009 on November 28, 2009. In all a enjoyable show with some good songs, some not so great and a lot of shaky vocals. Amanda's winning entry Jag vill leva is a typical up tempo schlager that didn't impress me much but The Black White Boys's Kommer du ihåg mig is very good catchy pop rock. I also liked Lucas's Saknad (even if I kept thinking of The River by Bruce Springsteen all through it) and hey Presto's Sluta älska dig . Miranda came third, Paula fourth and Fe-Male fifth. All the rest 6th. Listen all the songs here .

You can watch it in webcast here.

I don't know if she doesn't want to, or didn't YLE ask. Chisu would be so great for Eurovision! She is the Finnish version of Myléne Farmer (and yes, that i s a compliment). Not meaning that she would be a copycat, just that she makes her own kind of music and being rather unique in her own recognizable sound in Finland. She has written songs and produced artists like Jippu , Antti Tuisku , Kristiina Wheeler , Tarja Turunen and Kristiina Brask before finally releasing her debut album Alkovi (#5) last year.She basicly recorded it alone in her bedroom. It delivered a megahit Mun koti ei oo täällä that stayed #1 for 8 weeks, Muut and Tämä rakkaus . The second album Vapaa ja yksin (#10) was released not a long time ago and its first single Baden-Baden is already a #3 hit.

Franco Battiato's art as a musician, singer, writer, painter, director... you name it gets into spotlight in the Hit Week L.A. festival in Los Angeles next week. More info here . But he is not the only artists there so if you are one of my Californian readers, please take a bit of the Italian way of life and get to know this genius! Just to be able to listen La cura live alone is worth the visit...

Icelandic Yohanna will come to Finland next week. She will perform in the opening ceremony of the Helsinki International Horse Show on Ocotber 16 which is very fitting as Yohanna has been riding horses all her life. It is also her birthday! Yohanna was the well deserved runner up in Moscow with Is it true . It made it to #4 in the official Finnish Top-10.

The voting is still going on for another week but YLE has revealed the current top-10 in alphabetical order: Saara Aalto, Aia, Saga Bloom, Bääbs, Daisy Jack, Linn Nygård, Rock'n Roll Sensation, Geir Rönning, Sister Twister and Roni Tran. Only the top-3 will move on to take part in the Euroviisut 2010 semifinals in January. The list is quite different from the fan voting in Viisukuppila . Saga Bloom is in the lead there, followed by Roni Tran and Aia so will these three be the qualifiers? Villieläin and Janne Raappana are doing well in the fan voting but are not in the top-10 in the official one. Sister Twister, Saara Aalto and Bääbs also are in both while Geir Rönning just misses the top-10 in Viisukuppila and Daisy Jack, Rock'n Roll Sensation and Linn Nygård can be found in the bottom of the list instead of the top-10. I must admit I was a bit surprised about the list but then Geir and Roni do have a lot of fans, and both Sister Twister and Linn Nygård have a name in the ...

"It's about time we can enjoy some schlager with friends! That's what we thought, when we decided to just arrange it. On 9 October we all invite you to Venise bar in Breda, to have a drink with us, and enjoy Eurovision music, with a lot of Melodifestivalen too. Come join us, dance with us, enjoy with us. It's free!" If around do drop in!

Lauri Tähkä & Elonkerjuu keep Madonna behind and their #1 spot in albums charts. Vesa-Matti Loiri stays at #6 while Antti Tuisku drops to #7. Ex-Eurovision stars of the 2000's Jari Sillanpää and Laura Voutilainen enter at #13 and #14 and future (?) stars Pentti Hietanen and Maria Lund at #19 and #27. Petri Laaksonen drops ten places to #29 and completes the set.

Finland is not taking part in the Junior Eurovision song contest, but the pan-Nordic MGP Nordic. The 2009 edition will be the 5th one but only Finland's third participation. The final songs are picked out from 111 songs sent in. Denmark won the two first editions in 2002 and 2006 (in between the JESC was born of this idea but Nordic countries soon pulled out and restarted their own one). Norway has won the next two editions in 2007 and 2008 . The Finnish participants in 2007 - winner Sister Twister and runner up Linn Nygård - are both running to enter Europviisut 2010 in the internet selection. Like in the first ESC each country sends in two songs. Here you can listen to this year's participants in the Finnish MGP 2009. The final is tomorrow Friday October 9 live on FST5. The international final will be on November 28, 2009.