Category: FINLAND

🇫🇮 Watch Dana International and Saara Aalto performing at the Helsinki Pride 2018

FINLAND – Some 100,000 people flocked to the Senate Square in Helsinki on Saturday for Helsinki Pride, an annual march promoting LGBTQ rights and community spirit. That many people have never before taken part in Helsinki’s version of the march.

Organised by human rights organisation Heseta, the march began at 1 pm and made its way through the city centre to Kaivopuisto park some two kilometres away by the sea. Police say the whole event featured no incidents, although changes to traffic were imposed in certain areas until 4 pm.

“Clearly more marchers this year than before,” Helsinki police tweeted on Saturday. In fact attendance figures nearly tripled from the estimated 35,000 people that police say has remained a fairly steady number in recent years, until now.

SAARA AALTO

The march concluded in the traditional outdoor Party in the Park in Kaivopuisto, which featured many speakers, DJs, performers and sponsors. Numerous politicians across party lines also tweeted and published photos of the march.

This year particularly many sports associations – from horse riding and badminton to judo and boxing – gave their support to Helsinki Pride, which lasts from 25 June to 1 July.

Singer Saara Aalto has participated in many Pride events worldwide, and told Yle she wants to continue working for people’s right to love.

“I’m so grateful to all the people in my life who have given me the opportunity to become who I am,” said Aalto, who showed up in a large truck fitted with a dance stage. “Love is the most important thing!”

The final event of Pride week is Saturday’s party at Hernesaarenranta, headlined by trans pop icon Dana International, pop star Zühlke, indie rock band Fresh Tides, YouTuber and singer Tuure Boelius and Jytää ja Iskelmää DJ.

DANA INTERNATIONAL

More

Finland 2018 🇫🇮 everyone to the rescue as Finnish (and LGBT) sweetheart is most likely not going back home with the trophy

FINLAND 🇫🇮 It was first the British commentator who thought that Saara Aalto could win the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest. Saara arrived in Lisbon with high hopes to finally get what she deserves. And that is nothing in compare with the runner up position in UMK and X-Fctor UK. She wants the trophy and the polls / betting odds thought she might do it. But after the first rehearsal it was clear that Saara is indeed a good singer, a show woman but she cannot be that strong to bring the trophy back home.

She has been given few interviews to the media focusing on specific sites and big broadcasters. But it seems that she has started to socialise the past few days as she and the Finnish delegation see her odds for the victory soar and iff act big time. Today they had a surprise meeting at the press centre with Mr Lordi, the lead singer of the band who won for Finland in thee 2016 Eurovision Song Contest. Monster-styled himself what a better date with the woman who sings “Monsters”.

Dozens of media attended and capture the moment but still it was impossible to organise this thing and have a proper question asked. Although in a few hours we will see again Saara’s effort in the Grand Final and she might actually score well, at the moment she features low in Europrediction 2018 and 14th in the odds for the trophy.

Saara Sofia Aalto is a Finnish singer, songwriter, and voice actress. She placed second in the first season of The Voice of Finland in 2012. Aalto also competed in the Finnish national selection to represent Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest twice, with self-penned songs; first in 2011 with “Blessed with Love” and then in 2016 with “No Fear”, placing second both times. She has taken part in musicals on stage and has done a great number of dubbings for feature films and foreign television series. Saara Aalto is the voice of Princess Anna in the Finnish version of Disney’s animated movie Frozen. She has dueted with Adam Lambert, and had concerts together with Andrea Bocelli, José Carreras and pianist Robert Wells. She has released 5 albums on her own record label Yume Records.

In 2016, Aalto came runner-up in the thirteenth series of The X Factor UK, which gained her international recognition. Every fourth Finn watched The X Factor final. Aalto was the most googled person in Finland in 2016. Tabloid newspaper Iltalehti readers voted Saara Aalto as Finnish person of the year 2016.[10] Following the show, she was signed to both Sony Music UK and Finland. In June 2017, Aalto announced via social media that she will be a judge on season two of X Factor Suomi. Four months later, Aalto announced she had left Sony Music for Warner Music Group, citing that her previous deal did not feel like the “right team”.

On 7 November 2017, it was announced that Aalto would represent Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal. In February 2018, the Finnish broadcaster held a national final to select a song for Aalto. The Finnish public chose the song “Monsters”.

Doesn’t seem that her LGBT exposed love life and her big fat contract with Sony Music will save her.

More

Finland 2018 🇫🇮 a spice girl guest star in UMK final!

FINLAND – It’s all gearing up for the Finnish song selection, at the Espoo Arena in Helsinki and Saara Aalto is more than excited. Not only because she considers her three bidding songs as masterpieces (after all she worked very hard for them) but because she had the pleasure to announce the special guest star of the night.

Thee big guest star of the evening is going to be former Spice Girls member. She is one of the five members of the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Sporty Spice and with whom she sold over 85 million records worldwide. Chisholm (as her real name is) began her solo career in late 1998 by singing with Canadian rock singer Bryan Adams on the worldwide hit “When You’re Gone”. Her solo debut album Northern Star was released in 1999, reaching number 1 in Sweden and number 4 on the UK Albums Chart. It was certified internationally with seven platinum and three gold certifications, including triple-Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry, selling over 4 million copies worldwide, and becoming the best selling solo album of any Spice Girls member. It produced four top 5s and a top 20 single, two of which reached the number 1 spot in the UK. The album was certified multi-platinum worldwide.

Saara Aalto though has made an equally big steps on her way to stardom. Aalto auditioned for the thirteenth UK series of The X Factor in 2016, singing a cover of Sia’s “Chandelier”, which earned her three yeses from the attending judges. At the boot camp, she performed “On the Radio” by Donna Summer and was sent through as part of the over-25s category with Sharon Osbourne as her mentor. At the six-chair challenge, she performed “I See Fire” by Ed Sheeran and was sent home by Osbourne who stated a lack of connection. However, after the crowd chanted to bring her back, Aalto was given a chance to perform Serge Lama’s “Je Suis Malade”, which caused the crowd to turn on her, while Nicole Scherzinger criticized her song choice stating “we ain’t in France”. Aalto was therefore asked to leave by Osbourne.

Aalto was brought back as Scherzinger’s wildcard pick for the over-25s category and therefore went to judges’ houses. She managed to proceed until the final. In the Final on 11 December, she performed “It’s Oh So Quiet” and “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength”. In the ensuing public vote, she placed as the runner-up to eventual winner Matt Terry with 40.4% of the votes.

More

Finland 2018 🇫🇮 Saara Aalto releases one song per week

FINLAND – Saara Aalto, internally selected by YLE for the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest recently confirmed she concluded the recording and production of her songs and now she is ready to reveal them to us. Starting from February 9th, every week one song will be aired on the web.

Finland will participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018. The entry will be selected in the national final Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2018 on 3 March 2018, where all three entries will be performed by the singer Saara Aalto who was internally selected by the Finnish broadcaster Yle on 7 November 2017 to perform the nation’s entry at the 2018 contest in Lisbon, Portugal.

The Finnish national broadcaster, Yleisradio (Yle), broadcasts the event within Finland and organises the selection process for the nation’s entry. Yle confirmed their intentions to participate at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest on 28 January 2017. Finland’s entries for the Eurovision Song Contest have been selected through national final competitions that have varied in format over the years.

Between 1961 and 2011, a selection show that was often titled Euroviisukarsinta highlighted that the purpose of the program was to select a song for Eurovision.

However, since 2012, the broadcaster has organised the selection show Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), which focuses on showcasing new music with the winning song being selected as the Finnish contest entry for that year. Along with their participation confirmation, the broadcaster also announced that the Finnish entry for the 2018 contest would be selected through Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2018.

More

Finland 2018: what happens after the Saara Aalto announcement with UMK

FINLAND – Finnish national broadcaster finally did the smart move and internally selected Saara Aalto, the woman who made huge media impact with her participation in the UK X-Factor last year.

But in the meantime YLE has to deal with their call for songs for the 2018 edition of UMK, the show through which the previous years Finland selected its entries and artists for the Eurovision Song Contest.

YLE has proudly announced they have received over 300 songs for UMK 2018. Since YLE made internal selection those submitted the songs are free to publish their entries as UMK 2018 will be used to select the song for Saara Aalto.

UMK 2018 will take place on March 3rd at Espoo Metro Arena where international jury and public voting will decide the song for Saara Aalto’s Lisbon venture.

Krista Siegfrids (Finland 2013) will host the show along with Mikko Silvennoinen by YLE.

More

Finland 2018: surprise announce by YLE; Sara Aalto internally selected for Lisbon

FINLAND – In a surprise announcement which was suppose to be for the 2018 UMK participants, YLE announced Saara Aalto as internally selected for the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest. Krista Siegfrids and Mikko Silvennoinen hosted the press conference and a video tribute to Sara was also aired. Sara was excited for the announcement. Her song will be decided through a revamped Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK).

Saara Sofia Aalto is a Finnish singer, songwriter, and voice actress. She placed second in the first season of The Voice of Finland in 2012. Aalto also competed in the Finnish national selection to represent Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest twice, with self-penned songs; first in 2011 with “Blessed with Love” and then in 2016 with “No Fear”, placing second both times. She has taken part in musicals on stage and has done a great number of dubbings for feature films and foreign television series. Saara Aalto is the voice of Princess Anna in the Finnish version of Disney’s animated movie Frozen. She has dueted with Adam Lambert, and had concerts together with Andrea Bocelli, José Carreras and pianist Robert Wells. She has published 5 albums with her own record label Yume Records.

In 2016, Aalto came runner-up in the thirteenth series of The X Factor UK, which gained her worldwide recognition. Every fourth Finn watched The X Factor final.[7][8] Aalto was the most googled person in Finland in 2016. Tabloid newspaper Iltalehti readers voted Saara Aalto as Finnish person of the year 2016. Following the show, she was signed to both Sony Music UK and Finland. In June 2017, Aalto announced via social media that she will be a judge on season two of X Factor Suomi. Four months later, Aalto announced she had left Sony Music for Warner Music Group, citing that her previous deal did not feel like the “right team.”

More