Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Most of Europe, and world, in in various stages of quarantene or lockdown (except Sweden...) and Eurovision artists and winners are finding ways to spend their time at home like the rest of us. Social medias are more vivid than ever and home made concerts and performances are in offer almost every day if you just keep up with them, including EBU's Eurovision Home Concerts series that you all are surely following every Friday, and last night's PrePartyES at home .  Let's have a look at some winner's activities during this #COVID-19 aka #Coronavirus pandemia, including reigning champion Duncan Laurence (above) who celebrated his birthday. Alone. Taking an extra long shower..... Dima Bilan has been entertaining himself with the dress challenge. Check his Instagram for more and in motion pictures as well, aka videos.....  Salvador Sobral will be having tomorrow already a third (and last) episode of his live Instagram concerts at 22.30 CET singing Spanish so...

Finland's top singers and musicians gathered together virtually by invitation of Lauri Tähkä, singer-songwriter Timo Kiiskinen and producer Jukka Immonen to record a charity song to collect money and give comfort in the middle of corona epidemy. Everyone worked for free (including labels, all profit goes to charity) from home sending their self recorded parts to Immonen who with help of other producers Jurek, Antti Riihimäki and Eppu Kosonen put it all together. The artists involved only got a rough demo version and they could sing or play whichever part they wanted to and the result is pretty amazing! All this one in three weeks. A real puzzle work. Each and every artist has a part in song's 150 tracks. The lyrics deal about the new situation we all find ourselves being apart not being able to be together and facing this new situation no one has experienced before.  You can also help by streaming the song on Spotify. Let's be together or at least one in our he...

Hurricane was only formed in November 2017 but has already taken the Serbian (and not only) music scene by like a.... hurricane. The three girls all have already experience in the music business before their joint effort. Sanja Vučić (26) is no stranger to Eurovision having already represented Serbia back in 2016 with Goodbye (Shelter) . She studied opera singing before joining band ZAA that did most everything from ska to dub and punk. She studies philospohy and Arabic among other things. Ivana Nikolić (24) has studied moderm dance and music and has done some collaborations before joining Hurricane. Ksenija Knežević (23) has done Eurovision as backing singer to her father Knez in 2015 for Montenegro with Adio . She started as a child star and has ended in Hurricane after being in various other groups. Hurricane has been busy releasing singles and videos, and Hasta la vista is their 9th but they have already released another two after that, Guellame el pantalon and Roll ...

Arilena Ara (21) won the Festivali i Këngës 58 last December with Shaj and therefor was ment to represent her country in the Eurovision 2020, with the revamped and in English translated Fall from the sky .  Arilena started with singing and dancing competitions for children and won the X Factor Albania already at the age of 14. Other national and international festivals followed, she became one of the judges in the Voice Kids Albania, she released singles and scored hits along the way. Her winning entry is already her 12th solo single and she's currently working on her debut album. Who knows, maybe she will give Festivali i Këngës another go next year and to secure her spot in Eurovision 2021 as well?

Larisa Roxana Giurgiu (20) was internally selected for Romania for 2020, and people got to choose the entry out of five songs she performed, not without controvercy. Later it has been confirmed she'll still be the Romanian act for 2021 as well. Roxana started with music as child taking piano and singing  lessons. In 2019 she was signed to a label and featured vocals to Sickotoys's Romanian Top-3 hit You don't love me . The song got airplay also internationally from the United States via France and Spain to Russia. Another collaboration, this time with PAX followed with her first solo singles, all that have had a major radio play in Romania.  Alcohol you is her third solo and fifth single overal. Included here in videos also fan favorite Cherry red. 

Ulrikke Brandstorp (24) is a singer, songwriter and musical actress. She's one of those seeking for notoriety in various talent shows having done Idols (2013), The Voice (2015) and Stjernekamp (2018). In 2019 she starred in The Sound of Music in Oslo. She's also wellknown from various television productions in Norway. The 2020 MGP was her second after placing fourth in 2017 with Places . She has no album released yet but Attention is her eighth single already.  After the cancellation of Eurovision 2020 NRK apparently offered her a spot in the MGP 2021 line up but so far she has declined the offer for the time being. This blogger thinks Attention was one of the strongest contenders for the trophy in Rotterdam....

Eurovision 2020 maybe cancelled but the songs keep living also as the official CD will be released and hooray for that! Just what I wrote before . France's Tom Leeb has finally released the revisited version of his entry that has also added the French title Mon alliée to the title. More acoustic and simple fitting better his folksy back catalogue , rather than the more boombastic original . This said I never disliked this song like most of the fandom that seemed to hate this with passion. Pourquoi?

Eurovision 2020 may be cancelled but the various broadcasters are filling the empty hours with Eurovision related programmes and their plans are slowly coming out. Besides the specials in the making in Germany and Sweden, and EBU's own Love shine a light show airing on May 16 that should involve all the artists of Eurovision 2020 somehow there are alternative ideas. Yle has decided to celebrate the brightest moments of Finland in recent years instead. On May 14 Krista Siegfrids and Mikko Silvennoinen will be hosting a Top-10 show (19.00-20.30 local time). Finns have an opportunity vote online before hand the Eurovision 2020 songs and they will reveal and showcase the top-10. The voting opens on May 8 and the show will feature also other performances and guests. After that Yle will broadcast again the Eurovision 2014 final , where Softengine placed 11th with their Something better .  On May 15 we will have Krista and Mikko again (19.00-20.30 local time) and this tim...

Natalia Gordienko (32) was ment to do his solo debut at the Eurovision 2020 after representing Moldova already in 2006 with Arsenium and Connect-R with Loca . Natalia, of Ukrainian descent, sung, studied piano and dance at school and at the age 15 started participating in various song and talent competitions. She sung in Millenium band, worked as DJ, released an album and string of singles and videos over the years. And then came the big step back to Eurovision, until it was cancelled.  So far there has been no news if she will do it in 2021 or if Moldovan television will go for another selection. Somehow, cosidering she got a little help from Kirkorov this year, she might be back in 2021...

In a perfect world without worries the Eurovision 2020 pre-parties would be in full swing from London to Amsterdam last and next weekend while in Rotterdam's Ahoy the construction for the Eurovision 2020 stage would be kicking off as we speak with other building preparations. The fandom would be arguing who's good and who's not, and the betting odds were read every day, several times a day to keep up on what's going on. Instead all the parties have been cancelled and fans and artists are spending time online in lockdown and Rotterdam's Ahoy is busy with building up a temporary care center and hospital to cure Corona virus patients and we are reading the charts of how many infected people there are in various countires, how many deaths instead. This said, Rotterdam's Ahoy isn't the only one. Also Helsinki Fair center that was housed the press center during Eurovision 2007  has offered its now empty spaces and staff that has been left without work to ...

Daði Freyr Pétursson (27) was born in Reykjavik but grew up in Denmark and now lives in Berlin. He plays bass, drums and guitar, started in bands in early age and already back in 2012 was chosen the electric musician of the year. His band RetRoBot released also one album . In 2017 he tried for the first time to reach Eurovision with Is this love? (Hvað með það?) and finished second. This year he was back with his band Gagnamagnið and won. Plus became an internet phenomenon before Eurovision 2020 was cancelled. He has then announced he's not interested in taking part in 2021.... He has released one album and one EP plus a string of singles, Think about things being his seventh. He's married to Árný Fjóla Ásmundsdóttir, also in his band and the 2020 winning song is dedicated and about their newborn daughter. 

Mahmood stays at home like rest of Italians and to thank all his fans for messages and supports has released some joy to enjoy: his first social media gift: Eternantena . The lyrics deal with how it feels like in an eternal quarantene, eterna quarantena. 

Athena (25) was born in Athens. She started her musical career at 11 winning an international talent show and at 12 she tried her luck in the Greek selection for the Junior Eurovision with To fili tis Aphroditis placing 7th. A few years later, at 17, she featured vocals to Party like a freak , a big hit in Greece. A couple of solo singles followed, and then in 2014 followed XO , that went international with Swedish production and winning an award in Armenia. Since then she's been writing songs for others (including Eurovision winner Helena Paparizou ), auditioned for The X Factor UK in search of fame and then finally came Eurovision 2020. There no no news from Armenia yet if she will be the one for 2021 as well, but she sure is eager to do it.

Finland joins Sweden and Estonia confirming they will have a new national final in 2021 and this year's winner has no direct access to Eurovision 2021. Where as Estonia offers Uku Suviste a spot in the semi-final line up Finland joins Sweden stating "Aksel can always send in a song and professional jury will pick up the finalists".  Ops! A bit harsh... The process will be in 2021 like it was in 2020. The song submission opens on September 1, 2020 and a certain number of songs will be chosen for the final. The 2020 season was both viewing and rating success and obviously Yle wishes to continue the good trend creating a state-of-the-art music show.  This year's big favorite and runner up in the end, Erika, does not rule out a possible return, nor does her record company Mökkitie Records. "We keep on eye on UMK and we are very Eurovision friendly. We couldn't have had a better kick off for Erika's new career path" they say. A few days ago A...

Eden Alene (19) is one of those already confirmed for Eurovision 2021. Born in Jerusalem of Ethiopian parents, but her dad left when she was two and they haven't been in contact since. Eden did religious schools before serving her army duties. Between school and army she won The X Factor Israel and released her debut single. The Israeli production of Little Shop of Horrors was next for her before doing Rising star and winning it, too, and therefor earning the right to represent her country at the Eurovision 2020. One EP and three singles preluded her four excellent songs for Eurovision, this blogger liked them all. Feker libi was my favorites along with Rakata . 

Uku Suviste (37), singer-songwriter, pianist and producer will not a direct pass to Eurovision 2021 according Estonian television but only a free pass to the Eesti laul 2021 semi-finals that he's willing to use. He was third time lucky winning it this year with What love is. Uku has been around already for almost 20 years. In his early career 2004-2008 he took part multiple times in Uno Naissoo and Kaks takti ette competitions winning awards every time. Numerous television appearances followed, he did Estonian Tour Face sounds Familiar as well as Dancing with the Stars and was a regular on musical stages. He also did New Wave placing third and took part in the Russian The Voice. On top of that in 2010 he was voted The Sexiest Man in Estonia. What love is his 16th single but he hasn't released an album so far....