Lopez Blogs

I met with two tango royalties in connection with the rehearsal of Euroviisut. Marko Maunuksela became the Tango-king 2010 and Suvi Karjula became second in the female section 2010. The tango competition is very popular in Finland and takes palce every summer. The winner gets a free ticket to Euroviisut. Marko has now qualified to the final together with Suvi. 

First of all I would like to ask if you have changed anything in your performance since the semifinal?
Yes we have. The lightning is different, we have more people on stage and we will have some pyrotechnics as well. But the song has not changed.

Marko – has the winning of the tango king competition changed your live?
Yes it has. From having a job as a nurse I’m now a full time singer.

Suvi – you are also in the tango celebrity.
In this last contest I became second. 

How come that you decided to work together in Euroviisut?
Marko and met in 2009 because we both participated in the tango contest that year and then we met again in 2010. It is very common that artists participate several times in the tango contest.

Do you think it will be an advantage for you in the Euroviisut final?
Maybe. Hopefully because people know us.

Tango is a big art in Finland.  When and why did you started to sing tango?
Tango has a lot of emotions and maybe is a way for us to express ourselves.
Suvi: My roots are in soul and rock music and continue later on with tango
Marko: I started to sing tango in the age of 20. Before that I was more into opera and musicals and during ten years I was also singing dance or entertainment music.

How would you describe your song for those who do not understand Finnish?
It’s a song and the lyrics is about the Finnish people and why we are living in a cold, dark, melancholy country. Despite this we do not want to move anywhere and in the end we do not want to have a warm, sunny climate anyhow. A kind a hate-and-love-song.

What’s your relation to ESC? Something you follow?
Marko: I have been following Eurovision since I was a small boy and I one of my favorites were Herreys and Digi-loo-diggi-ley. I think that the reputation of the Finnish contest increased because of Lordi.
Suvi: Yes I agree. The Finnish winners nowadays are getting a lot of attention around Europe.

Your musical role models and any Eurovision favorites?
Marko: Not really. I’m very broad in my taste and like all kinds of styles. In Eurovision I liked Norway 2010 very much – Didrik Sollen-Tangen.
Suvi: Many. I think it will take too long time to go through them. If I mention some Finnish Eurovision artists it would be Paula Koivuniemi and Laila Kinnunen.

If you win, will you sing in Finnish?
Yes we will not change the language. The song is about Finland and the people here.

If you win what will happen then?
Marko: After the celebration I will start en intense language course in English.

Now it’s soon time for the final and Marko feels confident and appreciated his good team which will back him up on stage. We wish you all the best in the final. Marko Maunuksela is performing “Synkän maan tango”and start as number 8.

The most popular evening during Stockholm Pride Festival is the Eurovision evening.  This year’s event was accompanied by grey clouds but compared to the heavy rain earlier a small dripping and dropping might be seen as a tribute to Safura, one of the guest artists. Me and my good friend JP, were in front of the stage to film and take photos. Dressed up in rain coats. The show was in two acts. Some of the artists have been announced in beforehand but this is an evening where the surprise element is important.

Act one included Swedish Eurovision and Melodifestivalen artists performing with a live band. The host was Anne-Lie Rydé (MF 2004, 2005, 2007) and she presented the artists with humor and happiness. The first  on stage was Shirley Clamp, followed by many beloved artists who we remember from the early days of Eurovision. The last one in the cavalcade was Björn Skifs who is still one of the most popular singer, entertainer and actor in Sweden with long career which started already during the 60ies.











Act 1: List of artists - some including the video from the performance
Shirley Clamp (MF 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009 + backing for Antique 2001):
- "Med Hjärtat Fyllt Av Ljus" and "Att älska dig"
- "Min kärlek"
Claes-Göran Hedenström (MF 1968)
Jan Johansen (ESC 1995): "Se på mig"
Christer Sjögren (MF 2008): "I Love Europe"
Nanne Grönvall (MF  1998, 2003, 2005, 2007)
Nanne Grönvall together with Angelique Widengren (MF 1986, 1987)
Göran Fristorp (ESC 1973 with the group Nova): "Sommaren som aldrig säger nej"
Svenne och Lotta (MF 1975): "Bang A Boomerang"
Blond (ESC 1997)
Jill Johnson (ESC 1998, MF 2003)
- "Crazy in love"
- "Kärleken är"
Björn Skifs (MF 1975, ESC 1978, 1981)
- "Fångad i en dröm"
- "Michelangelo" 













Act two was hosted by the entertainment group Schlagerfeber and with Mr Melodifestivalen himself, Christer Björkman, acting as master of ceremonies. The live music was gone and we were back in the modern, pre-recorded time. The cavalcade was very much a flash back of Melodifestivalen and ESC 2010 with a hint of earlier years. Anna Bergendahl was greeted as a queen and it was easy to understand the disappointment Swedish people must have felt when she didn’t qualify for the final in Oslo.

Great applauds were also given to Chiara from Malta, dressed in a rainbow colors and Norway’s Didrik Solli-Tangen. It was very nice to see a relaxed Didrik, dressed in jeans and with a twinkle in his eye, far away from the proper and strict Didrik we met on stage in Oslo. In the interview we made before the concert he confirmed that a new album with up-tempo song is under production.











Last but not least, the rumor was confirmed. Lena, the winner, Meyer-Landrut entered the stage. She is on a promo tour right now and she arrived directly from the airport. She is as charming and relaxed as ever before. Maybe it was because of the late evening but somehow I felt that her English accent was a bit softer that it used to be.
All in all the Schlager evening of 2010 was far more better than last year. The surprise element was found mainly in act one and I have to say that nothing compares to a good live band. Act two was okay but maybe Melodifestivalen and ESC 2010 are too close in time and therefore it sometimes felt a bit boring. An extra praise to Christer Björkman and the small stories he told in between the performances.









Act 2: List of artists - some including the video from the performance:
Elin Lanto (MF 2007, 2010)
Sofia (MF 2007, 2009)
Chiara (ESC 1998, 2005, 2009):
- What if we
- Angel
Sibel (MF 2008, 2010)
Jenny Silver (MF 2010)
Neo (MF 2010)
Hanna Lindblad (MF 2010)
Linda Pritchard (MF 2010)
Didrik Solli-Tangen (ESC 2010): "My Heart Is Yours"
Anna Bergendahl (ESC 2010): "This Is My Life"
Safura (ESC 2010): "Drip, Drop"
Hera Björk (ESC 2010): “Je Ne Sais Quoi”
Lena Meyer-Landrut (ESC 2010): "Satellite"

Videos, photos: Lilian, JP
Source: stockholmpride.com

Lite kulturella har vi ändå varit under denna två-veckors vistelse. För första gången har jag varit i Vigelandsparken. Givelvis måste det dokumenteras och med lite fantasi kan man alltid hitta en Eurovisionskoppling.




Foto, video: Lilian, Roger

Under lördagen repade Norge, Spanien, England, Frankrike och Tyskland för första gången. Många säger att årets tävling inte håller speciellt hög kvalitet. Det är helt fel anser jag. Snarare är det så att det finns inga bottennapp. I år är det de stora rösternas år och Norges Didrik Solli-Tangen tillhör den gruppen liksom Spaniens Daniel Diges. Spanien har helt klart avancerat på min topplista över favoriter. Kan nästan känna att jag blir lite förtjust i krulltotten Daniel och hans “Algo Pequeñito”. Frisyrmässigt påminner han om Salem Al Fakir. Även Didrik och varit hos en stylist. Håret och blivit längre och lockigare och det gör att han ser mer fullvuxen ut.

Nu verkar alla har anlänt och under gårdagens grekiska party var det idel bekanta ansikten. Årets grekfest ordnades av fanklubben. Ett tydligt tecken på att ERT, statliga TV-kanalen, sparar pengar. Oavsett arrangör så var stämningen var på topp och Antonios, agapi mou, var både värd och DJ. Ett flertal artister tittade förbi och alla drog vidare till Euroklubben.

Frankrikes Jessy Matador verkar gilla Greklands OPA-låt. Jag behöver knappast säga vilken låt jag personligen fördrar. Jessys "Allez! Ola! Olé!" är Frankrikes officiella låt i fotbolls-VM i Sydafrika och där platsar kommer den nog att ha större framgång.

Jag har också tänkt mig en framtida karriär inom fotbollsbusiness och tagit fram denna promotion video.

När fan siten Oikotimes lanserade röstningen för ca en vecka sedan blev Anna Bergendahl genast ledande men nu har hon blivit omkörd av Danmark och Kroatien. Över 14.000 röster har inkommit och bland topp-10 finns alla Nordiska länder utom Finland.  Märkligt - men smak är individuellt och det är långt kvar till slutet av maj.

De som röstar är huvudsakligen Eurovision fans och i verklighetens Oslo kommer rösterna från en betydligt bredare skara. Att vara förhandsfavorit är inte alltid något eftersträvansvärt - ibland är underdogläget betydligt angenämare. Intressant är att alla “svensk-låtar” (= svenska kompositörer helt eller delvis) är bland topp-10: Danmark, Sverige, Irland, Norge, Azerbaijan.












Hela listan hittar ni på:
http://www.oikotimes.com/v2/index.php?file=articles&id=7665

Chanée & Tomas N'evergreen tog hem vinsten Danmarks Melodi Grad Prix igår kväll med svensklåten "In a moment like this" skriven av Thomas G:son, Henrik Sethsson och Erik Bernholm. Det är en pop-schlager-låt där refrängen fastnar omgående och givetvis finns modulationen med. Det är bara att gratulera svensktrion till segern.

Gratulationer går också till förhandstippade Didrik Solli-Tangen som tog hem vinsten i Norges Melodi Grand Prix med ännu en svensklåt "My Heart is Yours"skriven av Fredrik Kempe. Som kanske framgått så var det inte min favorit direkt. A1 som borde ha vunnit slutade tvåa. I och med Didriks vinst så behöver i alla fall inte Norge vara rädd för att vinna Eurovision ytterligare en gång.


Samtidigt med dessa finaler pågick Melodifestivalens första semifinal i Örnsköldsvik. Något förvånande tog Salem Al Fakir hem flest röster med sin något flummiga låt "Keep On Walking". Förhandstippade Ola med "Unstoppable" tog sig också direkt till Globen. Pain of Salvation och Jessica Andersson är vidare till Andra chansen i Örebro. Pain of Salvations låt "Road Salt" måste gå till historien som Melodifestivalens mest sparsmakade låt. Jessica Anderssons ballad "I Did If For Love" framfördes även den utan en massa kringtjafs. Salem satt lugnt och still bakom sitt piano. Inte ens Ola hade nån annan än sig själv på scenen. Kvällens mesta favoriter präglades av temat "less is more".

En timme senare startade Islands final och veteranen och förhandsfavoriten Hera Björk vann med "Je ne sais quoi".Jógvan Hansen slutade tvåa med "One more day". Congratulations to the winner!







Resultatlistan från Ö-vik:
Direkt till finalen i Globe:
- Salem Al Fakir - "Keep On Walking" 
- Ola - "Unstoppable"
Till Andra Chansen:
- Pain of Salvation - "Road Salt"
- Jessica Andersson - "I Did If For Love"

Utslagna:
5. Linda Pritchard - "You're Making Me Hot-Hot-Hot"
6. Anders Ekborg - "The Saviour"
7. Frispråkarn - "Singel"
8. Jenny Silver - "A Place To Stay"

(Foto: NRK, DR, SVT, RUV)