Finland

Liverpool Live: something is happening at the betting odds

The day with the most rehearsals continue. Eight more countries rehearsed today, only 20 minutes each. That means we can inform you if there were major changes in the act. photo credits: EBU/Chloe Hashemi/Sarah Louise Bennett Switzerland Remo Forrer performs in his black jacket and black plastic pants again. It seems there are not many changes since the last performance: Remo with his four dancers, who at a moment wrap him in long ribbons. It is something that reminds us of Sertab (2003) and the late Toše Proeski (2004). Switzerland is currently number 13 in the betting odds, so the final doesn’t seem far away for Remo. Israel The Israeli act is one where a lot happens. She and her dancers are standing in front of a bunch of squares. The dancers bring their hands to their heads, to depict the horn of a unicorn. And of course there is a lot of fireworks in this performance. Israel is currently number 7 at the betting odds. Definitely an entry to look up to, Noa can do very well. Moldova There seem to be no changes in the Moldovan entry: Pasha Parfeni is, in his second Eurovision performance, still surrounded by two backing vocals with a horn, made out of their hair. Two guys accompany them playing the drums. Moldova is currently number 20 at the betting odds. But with a 6th place in the odds for the first semifinal it feels pretty safe for Pasha. Sweden And than there is the other returning participant from 2012, Loreen. Of course there are no changes in the performance, as everything was already there way before the rehearsals… as always in Sweden. All the eyes are at Sweden at this moment, as she leads at the bookmakers. But note that there is something going on: she has now 42% chance of winning, while the runner up has 23%. They are coming closer to eachother. Azerbaijan What we didn’t hear from the first rehearsals but what we know now: the performance of Azerbaijan on screen starts in black and white. Later it fades to colour. It seems to fit to the combination of sixties-like music and rap. However, Azerbaijan is at this moment number 32 at the betting odds. So far that doesn’t give the twins much hope for a place in the final. Czechia Finally a country were there have been some changes: Czechia. The Vesna ladies have altered their hairstyle. During the opening verse, there is some intricate hair choreography, and their braids have become notably longer and weightier than they were on Monday. At this moment Czechia is number 11 at the bookies. The Netherlands We don’t know if there are any changes in the performance of The Netherlands. The people of eurovision.tv say they got goosebumps of the intimate performance Mia and Dion gave. When they are singing the camera turns around them. That seems to work. The bookmakers seem to be more positive about The Netherlands than they were, with currently an 18th place. However, they are 11th at the specified list for the 1st semifinal. Finland The last one is Finland with the same energetic performance we saw Monday. Today a video went viral where Käärijä dances on the music of “Tattoo”, Loreen’s song. At the betting odds something is happening. Finland is coming closer and closer to the first place. Yesterday they had 18% winning chance, now it is already 24%. That might make Finland a serious contender for the victory. in collaboration with Eurovision Artists

Liverpool live: rehearsal schedule

The rehearsals continue with the 2nd rehearsal of 15 countries. The countries now have only 20 minutes to rehearse. 11.30 – 11.50 Norway11.55 – 12.15 Malta12.20 – 12.40 Serbia12.45 – 13.05 Latvia13.10 – 13.30 Portugal13.35 – 13.55 Ireland15.00 – 15.20 Croatia15.25 – 15.45 Switzerland15.50 – 16.10 Israel16.15 – 16.35 Moldova16.40 – 17.00 Sweden17.05 – 17.25 Azerbaijan17.30 – 17.50 Czechia17.55 – 18.15 The Netherlands18.20 – 18.40 Finland

Liverpool Live: a favourite in green

photo credits: EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett/Corinne Cummings Finland After the lunch break, it is time for a lot of energy: Finland. As expected, Käärijä wears the green bolero jacket we know so well. He is accompanied by four dancers wearing pink. The show starts with Käärijä in a huge wooden box, climbs on top of a couple of pallets and sings there before he goes to the floor to continue his performance. We can at least say Käärijä’s performance spots a lot of energy. With Käärijä’s rehearsal, we saw all the participants in the first semifinal rehearse. It is time to continue with the second semifinal. Denmark Reiley’s performance is cleverly designed with a revolving structure that showcases three different colored rooms as he passes through doorways, utilizing the LED floor and projected graphics to special effects. The visuals range from swirling clouds to hearts and emojis, creating an atmosphere that gives the performance a dreamy feel. It’s very much in line with Gen Z sensibilities according to Eurovision.tv. Reiley himself is wearing pink, a colour we saw before today. Armenia Brunette is wearing a white dress with black sewings. She starts her performance on a sloped structure that is put upright. The structure has blue and pink swirls projected on it. The graphics and lightning change halfway as the song is changing it’s tempo. Brunette leaves the sloped structure, the stage is quite white with white squares in the background. Eurovision.tv speaks of strong vocals. Romania Yellow is the colour when we talk about Romania. Yellow suits, a yellow jacket and even yellow Pikachu socks! Theodor Andrei starts off with only a guitar on an empty stage. In the second half of the song, that all changes with much more energy. There is a dancer on stage as well. The end of the presentation seems to be quite dramatic, although eurovision.tv does not give more details about it. Belgium Belgium surprises with a completely different outfit than he had in the national final. Gustaph wears a white suit and a white hat, and a pink blouse. Gustaph has his own flight of stairs, which he intensively uses. He is supported by three backing vocals who play a main role in the entire show. He has a LED backdrop of vogueing, drag queens. A dancer also has a role in the act. Cyprus Eurovision.tv mentioned being impressed by Andrew’s vocal capacities. Andrew is wearing a black sleeveless vest. There’s an exciting energy in the way this song gradually intensifies from its opening note to an even more explosive conclusion. The LED background alternates between serene waterfalls and fiery flames. The floor has smoke and four banks of flames. in collaboration with Eurovision Artists

Liverpool live: rehearsal schedule day 2

Today is already the 2nd day of the rehearsals. What to expect today? After Sweden, we have another favourite in the contest today: Finland. But there is more: 11.30-12.00 Israel12.10-12.40 Azerbaijan12.50-13.20 Czechia13.30-14.00 The Netherlands15.10-15.40 Finland15.50-16.20 Denmark16.30-17.00 Armenia17.10-17.40 Romania17.50-18.20 Belgium18.30-19.00 Cyprus

Käärijä

© EBU/Chloe Hashemi About Quick Facts NameJere Pöyhönen Born21 October 1993 Nationality🇫🇮 Finnish National SelectionUuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2023 In Eurovision2023 Liverpool SongCha-cha-cha (2023) Biography Käärijä (real name Jere Pöyhönen, born October 21, 1993 in Helsinki) is a Finnish rap artist who records for Monsp Records. Käärijä has spent most of his youth in Ruskeasanta, Vantaa. He played hockey for a long time and played the drums. The enthusiasm for making his own music started in 2014. In the beginning, Käärijä’s themes revolved very strongly around gambling, and the same theme is partly present in today’s productions as well. His stage name comes from a joke among friends and refers to winning money, or “rolling” in gambling. Käärijä published music on his own until the end of 2017, when Monsp Records released his first double single “Koppi tules” / “Nou roblem”. The A-side of the single was well received, and Käärijä signed an extension contract with Monsp Records. From the beginning, Aleksi Nurmi has been responsible for the production of Käärijä, who has also produced, for example, the music of Töölö Ketterä, Sonny and Adi L Hasla. In 2023, Käärijä won UMK, the Finnish national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. At the contest itself, he was one of the favourites for the victory. The televoting audience voted him to the first place. In the overall result Käärijä became 2nd. Entries Cha-Cha-Cha Country🇫🇮 Finland Year2023 LanguageEnglish LyricsJere PöyhönenJohannes NaukkarinenAleksi NurmiJukka Sorsa MusicJere PöyhönenJohannes NaukkarinenAleksi NurmiJukka Sorsa BackingsAija Puurtinen DancersMatti MyllyahoKatri MäkinenEtel RöhrJesse Wijnans Results Semi Points: 177Position: 1Running order: 15 Results Finals Points: 526Position: 2Running order: 13 https://youtu.be/l6rS8Dv5g-8

Käärijä wins UMK for Finland 2023

Tonight was the big final of Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2023! Just like last year, the Finnish national final was really strong. We’ve had big superstars, and new talent compete at this years UMK. The most famous one being Robin Packalen. He’s a been singer in Finland since 2008. The newest talent tonight was female pop singer Keira with “No Buisness On The Dance Floor”. She was the runner up of last years The Voice Of Finland. However the most popular superstar of tonight was Käärijä. He began his music carreer in 2016 with Urheilujätkä. The song didn’t blow up, but also didn’t stay unheard as it has gathered one million streams. He has been able to find himself in this music industry, as he released “Cha Cha Cha” for his UMK entry. The song went viral on Spotify, and was the number one in the Finnish charts for several weeks. Tonight he competed and won over the public & jury vote. He has been number one in the odds for a month, and now recieved the ultimate price. Käärijä will represent Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, in the first Semi Final.

Finland selects for Liverpool

Tonight Finland will decide which song will represent the country in the Eurovision Song Contest. Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK) is the name of the national selection. Just as the last few years, seven songs will compete in the contest. The show starts at 20:00. You can choose to watch it without commentary, or with English, Swedish, Ukrainian or Russian commentary. Below you will find the field of songs for tonight: 1 Robin Packalen Girls like you 2 Kuumaa Ylivomainen 3 Käärijä Cha cha cha 4 Keira No business on the dancefloor 5 Benjamin Hoida mut 6 Lxandra Something to lose 7 Portion Boys Sama taivasta katsotaan None of the artists took part in UMK before.

Vesa-Matti Loiri passed away

This week, Finnish singer and actor Vesa-Matti Loiri passed away. Loiri, who was nicknamed Vesku, was a Finnish actor, comedian, singer and musician. He is considered one of Finland’s most versatile entertainment artists. He was one of the biggest names in Finnish art and entertainment. Loiri has acted in theatre, films and television. As a comedian, he is known for television programs and movies. As a singer, Loiri gained popularity, especially as an interpreter of songs composed to Eino Leino’s poems. He has also recorded Finnish hits. In 1975, he took part in Euroviisut, the Finnish national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. His song “Laulu” became 3rd. Four years later, with “Huilumies”, he was more succesful. He was chosen to represent Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest. Unfortunately, in the international final in Den Haag, it was not a great success. He became last. In 2014, Loiri appeared in the third season of the Finnish TV series Vain läämää. Loiri died of cancer on August 10, 2022. “He was one of Finland’s most well-known, most loved and most successful entertainment artists of all time,” music editor Ilkka Mattila describes Loiri.’s career in the death news.

Sebastian Rejman

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameSebastian Rejman Born13 January 1978 Nationality???????? Finnish National SelectionUuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2019 In Eurovision2019 Tel Aviv SongLook away (2019, with Darude) Biography Sebastian Rejman (born 13 January 1978 [1]) is a Finnish musician, actor and presenter. He was the lead singer of the Giant Leap, a melodic rock band formed in 2005 in Helsinki. The band includes, beside Sebastian Petri Somer and Sami Lehto. The Giant Leap changed to its current form when founding members Sebastian and Petri became acquainted with Sami Lehto in the summer of 2005. Sebastian and Petri are responsible for writing the songs and arranging and producing the songs for Sami. All members of the band have years of musical background. The songs on the band’s debut album, released in the fall of 2007, have been released over the years. The band’s first single, “All In My Head,” was distributed to radio stations in late May, and in the summer of 2007, it became one of the radio’s most played songs. The second single “Somebody Else” was broadcast on radio on September 17, 2007, and a music video was also made for the song. The band’s first two singles can be found on the October 31, 2007 album “Another Day Rising”. On December 7, 2007, the band acted as warmer for Bryan Adams at his Finnish gig. The band’s second album, The Giant Leap, was released in 2010. After Giant Leap froze for a while, Sebastian formed a new band called Sebastian & The 4th Line Band. Rejman is from a bilingual working-class family in eastern Helsinki and has lived in Kallio, Helsinki. He started playing guitar and singing at the age of 14. He cites Elvis Presley and Bruce Springsteen as his musical role models. Rejman participated in Nelonen’s Choir War , where he conducted the Helsinki Choir. The Helsinki Choir dropped out of the race first. In addition to the songs from The Giant Leap, Rejman and Somer did a song “Hauraalla jäällä” with Lasse Wikman and Samppa Komokallio. Rejman also composed the song “Hetki me vaan lennettiin” for Riku Torkkel with Esa Nieminen. Since 2012, Rejman has also been a TV presenter as he co-hosted Talentin with Lorenz Backman. Since then, he has hosted Splash and worked as a backstage reporter for The Voice of Finland. In 2014, he hosted the tv-show Jukebox and also co-hosted the final concert of the show We Want More program with Kristiina Komulainen. In 2017, he starred in the film “Kuudes kerta”. Since 2018, Sebastian has a role in the hospital series Syke. Rejman represented Finland at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv, Israel, together with Darude. Entries Look Away (with Darude) Country???????? Finland Year2019 LanguageEnglish LyricsSebastian RejmanVille Virtanen MusicSebastian RejmanVille Virtanen BackingsPetri SomerMatti LeinoHeini IkonenEtel Röhr Results Semi Points: 23Position: 17Running order: 3 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/VSPhIwOJfRs

Darude

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameTone-Ville Henrik Virtanen Born17 July 1975 Nationality???????? Finnish National SelectionUuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2019 In Eurovision2019 Tel Aviv SongLook away (2019, with Sebastian Rejman) Biography Darude (real name Toni-Ville Henrik Virtanen is a Finnish DJ and composer. He was born in Eura, in the Southwestern part of Finland. Virtanen started his career when attending highschoo. He was enthusiastic about making music at the computer at the time. He played the song “Rude Boy” by Swedish eurodance artist Leila K four times at a school party. He then began to be playfully called Rude Boy. Rude Boy later changed to Da Rude, who eventually became Darude. Darude eagerly pursued his career and in 1997 his demos were played on some radio stations. His songs were also available for download on MP3.com. In 1999, he made a demo of “Sandstorm” for his producer Jaakko Salovaara (JS16). Darude signed a record deal with Salovaara’s 16 Inch Records and “Sandstorm” was released as a single shortly thereafter. The track proved to be a big hit around the world. In addition to Finland, the song did particularly well in the United Kingdom. In Finland, the single sold platinum and remained on Finland’s official singles chart for 42 (!!) weeks. “Sandstorm” sold 2 million units worldwide. By March 2015, more than three million units had been sold. Darude’s debut album “Before the Storm” sold 800,000 copies worldwide. The album’s second single, “Feel the Beat”, was a great success. In 2001 Darude had a tour, the “Before the Storm: Australian Tour Edition”. “Before the Storm Special Edition” was released in 2002, which included remixes of the original songs as well. In 2003, Darude’s second studio album, “Rush”, was released. The album contained the singles “Music” and “Next to You”. Darude’s third studio album “Label This!” was released in October 2007. It contained the hit singles “Tell Me” as well as “My Game”.Darude co-founded the record label EnMass Music in 2011. With that label, he released a DJ Mix compilation called “Salmiakki Seasons Vol. 1”. Darude kept on touring and playing in clubs. On August 14, 2015, Darude released a new studio album, Moments, from which the single “Beautiful Alien” was released on March 20. Together with singer-actor Sebastian Rejman, Darude represented Finland at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv, Israel with the song “Look away”. The song became last in the first semifinal. Darude reported on the TV show Villa Hintikka in January 2020 that one of his ears has become deaf due to illness. Entries Look Away (with Sebastian Rejman) Country???????? Finland Year2019 LanguageEnglish LyricsSebastian RejmanVille Virtanen MusicSebastian RejmanVille Virtanen BackingsPetri SomerMatti LeinoHeini IkonenEtel Röhr Results Semi Points: 23Position: 17Running order: 3 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/VSPhIwOJfRs