Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Another song with certainly not a mainstream video but then Johnny is better known in some other entertaining business than music...  Deeper into you would fit nicely into some discos playlist at late hour. But maybe his audience is and stays marginal even if vocally he sounds better than many other "artists"....

In the 1950's and 1960's many classic covers were born and one of them is Fred Buscaglione's Guarda che luna that Olavi Virta, one of the most loved Finnish singers ever, recorded as Hopeinen kuu . Ever since this song has been part of most every tango singers repertoire and his been recorded dozens if not hundreds of times by various singers. A real classic and evergreen in Finland.

Forget Saturday night , Whigfield's back with C'est cool ! And if you thought she's been gone all this time she has not, check out Naan and Benassi Bros. For example.

Another milestone for this blog that despite the slow summer season keeps getting regular daily visits and hits 650.000 last night. Thank you everyone who follow me and... have a great summer !

American act Christian TV surely has a weird name that makes online search a bit difficult but they are enjoying some sort of popularity and their latest single I'm in love could make it big this summer. It's already climbing the charts here and there....

Anna Tatangelo, that many fans wanted to represant Italy in this year's Eurovision with her Sanremo entry Bastardo , has released a follow up Sensi , also off her album Progetto B . It's hard to think she's only 24 as it's already nine years since Anna won the Sanremo newcomers with Doppiamente fragili (Doubly fragile) at the age of 15. Then she went on with Ragazza di periferia (Suburban girl) and Essere donna (Being a woman) and finally Profumo di mamma (Scent of a mother), like re-announcing her coming motherhood. And the came bastard and senses.... Maybe her music will finally start to reflect her real age? (Or then not...)

Mylène Farmer goes from success to success and this RedOne production Lonely Lisa is her third single off her latest album Bleu noir . Will it be her 8th #1 in row and 12th in total in France? UPDATE: Yes indeed. This song went to #1 again!

The Swedish TV-stations TV3 and TV4 are fighting over Carola. Both channels are having talent shows coming up and they both want Carola as one of the judges. For TV4 it's X Factor and The Voice, both already familiar to most of the readers I believe while TV4 is going for Copycat singers and True talent . Copycat singers is as the title suggest an imitation show for singers, and True talent... well, an imitation of The Voice. Carola has already been involved in Copycat singers recording the pilot programme but nothing is signed yet and now as TV4 is interested in her she has all the options open and can choose. If she can fit it into her tour schedules in the fall. UPDATE: Tommy Körberg, Danny Saucedo and Pernilla Andersson have been confirmed as coaches in True Talent. Carola seems to be going for The Voice.

Not too difficult to guess who is Matt's target group but the song's catchy and the wtf will send censors wild in some parts of the world but maybe that's the purpose ;-) But the song does have a message... And don't let the video fool you, Matt has a career on Broadway, TV and as a singer-songwriter and started in bsuiness at the age of 12. And yes, he's out and gay. So, wtf, here's the song .

Estonia gave Czech Republic's first and only point in Eurovision song contest 2007. Therefor the country's debut with Malá dáma finished in the 28th place in the semifinal. This must have been a disappointment for the band that had been around for years and gave a good performance and I really do like the song, too. At home they were fresh with yet another success album Corrida (#1)  the year before and had released 11 albums in the past 15 years. After Eurovision? They released a DVD from their Corrida tour and then in 2009 a live album Po čertech velkej koncert was released and finally in 2010 when a new album Banditi di Praga . The first video for the album is the title track . They may have needed a break after Helsinki 2007 from recording but are back filling stadiums again it seems. Well done.

Gina G, the bubbly Aussie that made us all go ooh aah back in 1996 is making a comeback in homeground with Next 2 U .

Ictimai TV's people that will produce the next Eurovision song contest together with EBU next May in Baku have visited EBU's headquarters in Geneva to learn all there is to know about the happening. Special point was made of security guarantees and freedom of expression for all participants, fans and accredited journalists and the individual citizens than will come to Baku for the event, as well as the entry visa issues. Also the usage of the official logo will be strongly monitored by EBU as it can be only used by EBU, Ictimai TV and the official partners bien sur.  No change for the dates, it seems, and it will be May 22 and 24 for the semifinals, 26 for the final.  Still nothing sure on the arena but that will be decided at latest in the next reference group meeting in Baku in August. At this point it seems the time for building a brand new arena is running out... Another piece of news is EBU restores the televoting window only after the last song has been heard, which this...

Katri Helena has recorded dozens of cover version, like the stars of the 60's and 70's used to do. Vasten auringon siltaa has one of the most famous of them, a real classic in Katri's repertoire and not only. The original version is of course Gigliola Cinquetti's Alle porte del sole . She won Canzonissima 1973 with that song and earned another try in Eurovision the year after with it.

Alcazar is taking "a creative break" after the Stockholm Pride in August but one can read between the lines this time it might be forever. The group, formed in 1998 by Andreas Lundstedt, Tess "Tessa" Merkel and Annika "Fiore" Kjaergaard, already took a break in 2005 but re-emerged two years later without Annika and Magnus Carlsson who had joined in 2002 and with Lina Hedlund instead.  Three studio albums, one compilation and one live album but 21 singles, that entered the charts in 13 different European countries along with Australia and the US and four Melodifestivalen participations later it seems it's the end. Here are their MF entries: 2003 Not a sinner, nor a saint (3rd), 2005 Alcastar (3rd), 2009 Stay the night (5th) and 2010 Headlines (-). Their other hits include Crying at the discotheque , Sexual guarantee and This is the world we live in . They also covered Don't you want me and samples most every hit in Physical - and indeed their...

Matia Bazar has released a 36 track 2-cd with the hits and rarities from the era when Antonella Ruggiero was still the vocalist. Besides the biggest hits including Stasera che sera , Per un'ora d'amore , Solo tu , Vacanze Romane , Souvenir , Stringimi , La prima stella della sera and Ti sento also Sanremo winner E dirsi ciao and Eurovision entry Raggio di luna are included, latter also in Spanish ( Rayo de luna ) and in English (Moonshine), for the first time on cd. There is also a remix of Elettrochock . Various Spanish versions and English version of Ti sento ( I feel you ) and Noi ( Life ) complete the set. A must for Antonella era Matia lovers.

One of my ultimate favourites and finest singers in Finland, fabulously fantastic Marjorie is coming back! I don't know about you but I have surely missed her since she disappeared ten years ago. Her new single is Mun elämää (My life) and it's a nice follow up to Täyttä elämää , a song that showcases her vocal skills. Or what about Warum?   or one of the best Winner takes it all covers there is? She has released three albums in the 1990's and Rakkauden kiertokulku together with Anneli Saaristo and Eija Kantola in 2001. Good to have her back and can't wait for the album! She has participated in Euroviisut 1988 with Tie , 1989 with Kahden juhla , 1990 with Tuuli and 1993 with Legenda and Aika eteenpäin vain kulkee as one of the four invited artists, the others being Katri Helena, Paula Koivuniemi and Arja Koriseva - however these are not amongst her best songs. Maybe it's time to set her Euroviisut record straight in 2012?

Björn Ulvaeus reveals in radio programme Pop och politik that ABBAs songs were not so innocent as we are tend to believe. "I'm sure most people didn't even think the possibility we would have a politic messages. After all it was just ABBA, happy little pop songs" he says "but The Visitors for example. I got the inspiration when thinking how it would be living in a dictatorship lead by Breznev. Living in the middle of the cold war and the Sovjet regime. I imagined myself having a secret meeting in an appartment in Moscow about freedom and what it is. The word would leak out and how it would be when there's a sudden knock at my door at night." According Ulvaeus many ABBA songs have a sharp political message hidden in the lyrics.So that you know.

News from Planet Jedward. The twins have had to reschedule their coming Carnival tour that kicks off now in the end of July. Meanwhile their follow up single to Lipstick , Bad behaviour has been released and on top of that they have been apparently offered one million pounds to participate in the next season's Celebrity Big Brother in the UK. If that happens that will be a show I would like to see, just to see if their ADHD-like energy never stops and what they come up with!

I don't know about you out there but Finns are celebrating Juhannus, Midsummer, tonight. The longest day of the year already passed this week with 22 hrs 45 mins of sun in the south and Helsinki while sun never set in the north but as the wise men stripped us off the holidays during the week in the past it is celebrated on nearest Saturday, so tonight's the Midsummer Eve. Meaning shops and everything closes at noon and most everyone will emigrate to the countryside, have a party and get a little drunk. The whole country is filled with happenings, festivals, concerts and traditional midsummer bonfires are lit all over. Not even the bad rainy stormy chilly weather will stop us.... Happy midsummer folks!

Hercules gay club in Helsinki will be having a Spanish week celebrating the Pride 2011. The fun starts on midsummer eve tomorrow when Jose Galisteo takes the stage. He returns the day after with Venus . Then on Sunday it's all about Venus again. On Monday it's Miriam Segura and Rebeka . Rebeka return on Tuesday with Baltanas , who returns the day after with Anael who returns alone on Thursday. On Friday it's the men only party in the club with D'Nash . D'Nash will entertain the crowds also on Saturday with Dj Gallo. Is that enough of Spanish Eurovision for one week?

As an artist that is. This fall he will release his fifth album and the first after his coming out in Vanity Fair last year. The same magazine already featured him in the cover back in 2006 as "Tiziano Ferro is a lonely man", a fact that would become painfully evident in his autobiography Trent'anni e una chiaccherata con papà (Thirty years and one talk with dad) released also in 2010. He may have never been very comfortable with the fame but his is one real success story once it got going. After several refusals by producers and not being accepted for Sanremo festival 1998 and 1999 ( Quando ritornerai ) he finally gets his first single recorded and released. Xdono becomes a #1 hit in Italy and charts all over Europe and is the third most sold single in Europe in 2002. Versions in Spanish , French ,  English and Portuguese are also released. His debut album Rosso relativo sells over 400.000 copies in Italy and almost 2,5 million in the world producing other hits L...

In 2001 two songs finished last in the Eurovision song contest - Norway and Iceland. Norway was represanted by Haldor Lægreid , then 31-year-old rather unknown singer, dancer and actor with On my own . The over dramatic performance didn't really go down well with the juries and the song scored only 3 points, all of them from Portugal. (The Icelandic song scored points from two countries so this Norwegian entry came ultimate last. Kind of). The result may have been a surprise for Norwegians who had high hopes for their entry. Haldor studied musical theatre in Sweden and has since made a rather succesful musical career in Germany and has been performing also in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. He lives now in Berlin. Here are some of his more recent performances: How am I supposed to live without you , Calling you and Just tell me when .

Eurovision laulukilpailu (Eurovision song contest) turned into more familiar Euroviisut in Finland in the 1960's and has stayed under that name even if YLE has labeled it since mid 2000's as Eurovision - Suomen karsinta (Eurovision - Finnish selection) but now.... it seems it's gone! YLE's announcement today that they will introduce a new musical contest next spring promising it to be the biggest and best musical show in the country searching for the best singer and song. Only after a lot of bla bla bla it is mentioned the winner will represant Finland in the Eurovision 2012 as well. Isn't that a bit ignoring Eurovision? Why not calling it still Eurovision and just revamp the contest and selection process? Something isn't right here... Anyways, anyone can send in a song. One per artists but the authors can send more than one song. At least one of the writers and the lead singer(s) must be of Finnish citizen or have a permanent residence here. Demos can be sent f...

Katri Helena has been singing since 1963 and Provinssirock has been an annual event since 1975. But only know these two institutions united and it was a hit. Katri Helena is living a new youth when her audience is not only filled by her generations but also their children and grandchildren! Schlager is in and what's better than the queen of schlager and her hits from the past five decades? And to be up with the times she also performed a rock classic Hetken tie on kevyt (by Tehosekoittaja) together with Negative 's lead singer Jonne Aaron. Her set finished with Katson sineen taivaan , a song that has been widely rediscovered the past few years and has a cult status by now. She is also recording a new album to be released later this year with new and young writers and producers. After Katri Helena the stage was taken over by System of a down .

Last night Bon Jovi were once again in Helsinki and played the sold out Olympic Stadium and despite the chilly weather and at times pouring rain Jon and the guys were in excellent shape and gave a great show - despite John hurting his leg halfway the show.. Talk about slippery when wet ! John Bongiovi surely is one of the best singers around, whether it's uptempo like You give love a bad name or a mega ballad like Always . The highlights of the show were of course the classics Livin' on a prayer and It's my life , and my personal favourite Runaway (that I remember listening along with Främling all summer back in 1983....) The band has sold over 132 million albums since 1984 and continues to play for sold out stadiums all over the world. They have also scored four US #1's. Their latest single and video is No apologies . It follows nicely the trend of their biggest hits, rock with pop touch and catchy choruses. And here's Livin' on prayer last night. And It...