Finnish - Blog Posts
I just saw this… too high to think of a response… but laughed pretty hard xD
Canada Lugia
beware the vicious aerohonk attack
Brick making in the city of Pori in Finland. Photographed by Kustaa Emil Klint. 1910-1939.
Source: https://finna.fi/Record/satakunnanmuseo.15977E94-053D-447C-9C8F-0C15C034A372
Suomalaiset elokuvat vuonna 2016
2016 on tullu mun mielestä erityisen paljon uusia suomalaisia leffoja. On saanut ravata leffateatterissa tai sit mä oon vuokrannut leffoja, et pääsee näkemään uudetkin leffat eikä aina vaan kattelemaan läpi vanhempia leffoja. Leffoja saa jo tosin hyvin vuokrattu netistä eikä hinnatkaan oo pahoja. Löytyy myös näitä suomalaisia leffoja eikä pelkästään ulkomaisia. Melkein jokaisen oon saanu vuokrattua, jota oon ettiny. Kun tykkää suomalaisista leffoista ni mä kyllä aktiivisesti koko ajan seurailen milloin tulee mitäkin uutta suomalaista elokuvaa, kuka ohjaa, ketä siellä on näyttelemässä ja tietty tärkeimpänä milloin se leffa ilmestyy eli koska pääsee kattomaan uutuutta! Tuntuu et tänä vuonna on tullut erityisen paljon uusia suomalaisia leffoja ja hyviäkin ovat olleet.
Tänä vuonna on tullu muutama dokumenttielokuva mitä oonki jo odottanut siitä asti kun kuulin, että ne on tekeillä. Nimittäin Eput-elokuva, joka kertoo Eppu Normaalin taipaleesta sekä Apulannasta kertova dokumentti nimeltään Teit meistä kauniin. Dokumenttielokuva Apulannasta oli mulle pienoinen pettymys. En tiedä tarkalleen mitä mä nyt odotin, mut ne odotukset ei oikein täyttynyt. Eput-leffasta pidin enemmän ,vaikka suurinosa olikin täysin tuttua juttua. Kiva se oli kuitenki nähdä ja kokea saman elokuvan sisällä. Erikoisin leffa, jonka tänä vuonna katsoin läpi oli Äpärä – suomalainen leffa täynnä inhorealismia ja jossakin määrin se meni niin kovasti yli, että vaikka elokuvasta nyt ei olisi pitänyt pitää alunperinkään niin tuntui vaan että överiksi menee. Erilainen leffakokemus on kuitenki aina hyvä kokemus.
Albert Edelfelt Water Lilies, Study for the Youth and a Mermaid, 1896 Oil on canvas 38.5 x 61.5 cm Credit: Wikimedia Commons [Public Domain]
When I am listening to songs in Finnish or whatever, I often get stuck up on translating some of the words to english. Not like in an "I cant think of a translation" kind of way, but in an "I wonder how translating this like that would affect the flow of the song" kind of way.
Anyways, today I was listening to a song that had the words "olen surullinen", or "I am sad" in English. I noted how the Finnish version is much longer than the English one, that "sad" translates to "surullinen", a much longer word.
Then I that rabbit hole of a thought went a bit further, and I realized that the the Finnish word for "sadness" is much shorter, "suru", even though it is longer in English.
A nice enough thought on its own, but the hole goes deeper. I went on to think about why this is, and realized that in English, the adjective "sad" is the base form from which the language derives the other forms. In Finnish though, the base form is "sadness", which basically is the essence of being sad, the noun, from which the language gets the other words. And from this perspective of having the noun be the base form, being sad could be interpeted as having the essence of being sad. Thats what the "-llinen" ending in "surullinen" (the adjective, the feeling) means, having something or similar.
Not really sure if there is a point to any of this, just reflecting on how different languages "think" and also discovering a part of why translating songs between English and Finnish is so hard.
I recently encountered our elderly neighbour's granddaughter(?) in the elevator, and learned that she's one of those people who refer to a dog as "hän". I started thinking about pronouns. While a lot of western european languages have gendered pronouns, finnish just doesn't do that. Written finnish has two separate pronouns, "hän" - he/she/they for humans and any being that can be considered a person, and "se" - "it" for objects and animals. Many finns who are awkward with the english rules startle people by referring to a beloved pet as "it", because they don't quite notice the difference in tone that it has in english - that's what they've learned in school is the pronoun for animals in written finnish, so they apply the same principle.
So while this is how it works in written finnish, very few dialects of spoken finnish actually regularly use "hän", as it comes off as far too formal, and refer to people regardless of who they are as "it". The pronoun "hän" is too formal, to the point that people don't even use it to refer to anyone as a sign of respect unless they're being sarcastically over-polite - much like one would sarcastically curtsy or bow at a person of authority they have absolutely zero respect for. As a matter of fact I've only ever seen the two gestures done in the same context. Finns can be slavishly obedient but they don't bow for anyone.
The only other context I've heard "hän" being used in a normal conversation are religious people referring to god, as a sign of reverence. God is never "it", even in the same sentence where your own mother is. And the other one is for beloved pets. Cats, however, do sometimes get the double-context, being sarcastically referred with the honorary pronoun while also being a pet. Everyone knows you're talking about a cat if you're saying something like "Hänelle ei nyt uusi hiekka kelvannut niin Hän päätti paskantaa lattialle" - "She was displeased with the new kitty litter so She decided to shit on the floor."
UMK 2024 Song Review - Vox Poppuli
The hype is very real around Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), the Finnish national selection for Eurovision and the race to Malmö ends with another rap entry!
Mikael Gabriel x Nublu - Vox Poppuli
Mikael Gabriel is one of the best known Finnish artists who started his career back in 2007 and has since released 7 studio albums and multiple smash hits. He's had more number #1s than one can count!
A big name UMK audience has been requesting to participate to the contest for years.
His mother is estonian which might explain why he is collaborating now with Nublu, highly succesful rap artist in Estonia. This is surely one of the most interesting UMK entries this year.
Vox Poppuli means in Latin the voice of the people. The song begins with eurodance entry but moves quickly to the 90's / 2000's rock-pop sound that will continue throughout the song. This reminds me of Blink 182 or similar rock band. There's a young energy here despite of its nostalgic sound for older generation.
As a rap song and as a non-rap music fan - this might be the least irritating of the rap songs in UMK24 - also even though musically this seems to be a bit tedious, one note kind of thing, I think this is delivering the crazy fun act better than Windows95man which had kind of similar idea with his performance. I like the choir a lot! Also points for Nublu's rap part in Estonian and not in English.
This has already become somewhat a domestic hit gathering views on Youtube and streams on Spotify. This is easy to listen even though not your cup of tea, it's radio friendly with a catchy memorable chorus and therefore a potential UMK winner. Also MG enjoys a loyal and young fandom so it is expected them to pick up their phones and vote on Saturday night.
Video clip keeps you hooked and we can expect a crazy staging at Nokia Arena at Tampere!
What do you think of the seventh UMK24 track and would you vote for Mikael Gabriel x Nublu to go all the way to Malmö? UMK final takes place on February 10th!
UMK 2024 Song Review - Sini Sabotage
The hype is very real around Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), the Finnish national selection for Eurovision and the race to Malmö continues with another rap entry!
Sini Sabotage - Kuori Mua
Sini Sabotage is one of the best known Finnish artists but at the same time one of the rare female rappers in the country. She started her career with a banger Levikset Repee roughly a decade ago and has since released 3 studio albums and multiple radio hits. She has fought her way to the top.
Despite of being somewhat a dream name for UMK for years the idea of sending her new Kuori Mua song to the competition was actually proposed to her by the songwriters and producers.
Kuori Mua which means peel me in Finnish is bold even as a title. If you're familiar with her personality and music you'll notice how this instantly fits her like a glove.
Kuori Mua begins with inviting piano notes and moves quickly to the electronic beat. The song has heat, rush - it tells you how to move and focus. This screams gay anthem. All the banger elements are here and they're well produced.
The lyrics and beat are energetic and sensual - some might be irritated by the Finglish here but I'm not a Finnish rap expert enough to say if this is common for Finnish rap. Chorus is a bit flat, it doesn't bunch me as I'd wish it would. This needs several listens even though it is memorable though. Musically I especially enjoy the beginning of the second verse and the bridge here. The piano based moments give the juiciest sounds. The song improves towards the end but still doesn't meet the expectations in my opinion.
Kuori Mua is not on top of the Youtube and Spotify lists when comparing the UMK24 tracks and I think it hasn't grown to become the banger they'd hoped for even in domestic levels.
What comes to the live performance music video promises several options and it must be big since this has been chosen to start the UMK show on Saturday (Feb 10th). I have no doubt she wouldn't be able to deliver this live.
What do you think of the sixt UMK24 track and would you vote for Sini Sabotage to go all the way to Malmö? UMK final takes place on February 10th!
UMK 2024 Song Review - Windows95man
The hype is very real around Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), the Finnish national selection for Eurovision and the race to Malmö continues with another entry!
Windows95man - No Rules!
Windows95man is a shy family man from the Finnish capital area who's made a name for himself as multitalented entertainer. The man is a visual artist and a photographer plus owns his own gallery in Helsinki but is the best known aka Windows95man. It all started from Youtube but quickly grew to become famous as a DJ who wears cut off shorts (magic shorts according to him) and Windows95 t-shirt.
He represents the same liberated crazy spirit as Käärijä last year. He does a lot of things that are not seen suitable for a Finnish man of his age in style and in music and feels no shame of doing so! Good for him!
No Rules is his first song in which he collaborates with Henri Piispanen who delivers the vocals.
No rules is a throwback from the 90's which according to Windows95man influenced his musical style the most (as born in the mid 80's). Musically this is part of the eurodance genre and reminds many of E-Type.
Musically it holds all the necessary elements that a proper 90's banger needs and Piispanen impresses with his high notes (can he deliver live?). However, what is a strong point for No Rules can be also its death.
This is a nice, funny, catchy add to UMK24 selection but doesn't really meet the high quality of the previous songs, does it. This can be seen as a joke entry especially with the music video which reminds me a sketch on TV. Musically this can be quite irritating for many. It doesn't offer anything new and some listeners might tune off before the song has reached its 3-minute run.
Last year Portion Boys delivered a similar entry but still bringing their own musical value to the table. I just don't see No Rules doing the same despite of possibly becoming a guilty pleasure for some UMK fans. In Eurovision this is something what we could have sent a decade ago but now UMK as Eurovision has topped its game since. Wiwibloggs were on point with their a Nokia reference - it's nice to down a memory lane for a moment but would someone still buy one? No.
This is still a decent first single and I hope nothing but the best and love in the future!
What do you think of the fifth UMK24 track and would you vote for Windows95man to go all the way to Malmö? UMK final takes place on February 10th!
UMK 2024 Song Review - Jesse Markin
The hype is very real around Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), the Finnish national selection for Eurovision and the race to Malmö continues with another entry!
Jesse Markin - Glow
Jesse Markin is one of the most promising upcoming Finnish indie artists who released his debut album Folk in 2019 and was widely awarded for it for example with an Emma (Finnish Grammy) as the best newcomer in 2020. He released his follow-up album Noir in 2021. Musically he would be categorized as a rap artist but his music is greatly influenced by other genres which shows also in his UMK 2024 entry.
He is one of the rare UMK artists taking a stand announcing that in case of winning UMK he would not go to Malmö if Israel participates ESC 2024.
Glow written partly in Finnish toilets but also in the streets of Ghana, is definitely something else. A fresh summer breeze in the middle of cold January - this is a song that no one expected to receive from Finland.
This ain't a simple track, instrumentally rich, would even call it noisy - a lot is going on in here. I hear reggaeton, afro-beats, hip hop / rap, electro / house well, smoothly produced urban sounds - musically this reminds me of Black Eyed Peas a bit. Chorus is memorable and uplifting with "you're gonna make it" where the verses tend to remain a bit flat.
The song doesn't have really a proper bridge and I don't think the rap section in the halfway of the song should be considered as such. And I don't think it's giving the correct energy here but this might be a personal preference. The track seems then a little long and repetitive. Visually this is on of the weakest of UMK video clips this year. Even though the lama is kind of cute!
However, there's a lot of love for this song out there. For those into this kind of genre, the track is an instant earworm but for others it has a risk of disappearing in the background as.. well background music. When speaking about views on YT and streams on Spotify Glow is losing in both lists for its competitors (being 7th and 6th). But Glow does serve a strong feel good vibe and I'm so glad it's here! It does bring light and different perspective to the 2024 UMK line up.
What do you think of the fourth UMK24 track and would you vote for Jesse Markin to go all the way to Malmö? UMK final takes place on February 10th!
UMK 2024 Song Review - Sexmane
The hype is very real around Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), the Finnish national selection for Eurovision and the race to Malmö continues!
Sexmane - MANIA
Max Scene aka Sexmane is currently the most streamed artist in Finland and also he has a connection to UMK. His little brother Isaac Scene competed in 2022 with Kuuma Jäbä.
Since releasing his debut album Sextape in 2019 he has been Emma awarded (Finnish Grammys) and he's managed to beat his previous successes with each release. He will no doubt have a lot of loyal young voters out there!
As a background info he and his brother grew up in a religious community where hymns were in and commercial music was not. He mentions this fairly often in the interviews so I believe it had an impact on his creativity and that he even ended up in the music industry.
MANIA is a song about mental health. "It's ok not to be ok" he says.
The song slaps you right at the face with MANIA. There's a lot of autotune in here from the very beginning and many have questioned if he can pull this through live. This is no basic pop tune you can put into a box within a certain genre. This is a hip hop / rap song with a heavy rock push. Music experts can peal this like an onion because it has plenty of layers to go around for all.
The song goes on smoothly having a strong pre-chorus and the anthemic MANIA is catchy and difficult to forget. I'm not a fan of rap music but I do enjoy listening to this even though my very first reaction was fear. The guitar solo at the end of the song is impressive and much needed add. The song ends with a scream.
Musically there's a strong pull towards our last ESC entry and a lot of people are criticizing of sending MANIA right after Cha Cha Cha (can anything be better?). In contrast to Käärijä's drinking party hit, there's some real pain and seriousness here. The beat is pushy and urges you to rush to act. And him desperately screaming in his pain and getting it out of his space - we see a lot of symbolism in the videoclip.
I kind of play with the idea of this winning because of the orange theme. In 2022 we had The Rasmus with Jezebel having a yellow staging, Käärijä last year obviously with his green effect, this would be a great continuity with the orange look.
What do you think of the second UMK24 track and would you vote for Sexmane to go all the way to Malmö? UMK final takes place on February 10th!
UMK 2024 Song Review - Cyan Kicks
Again the hype is very real around Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), the Finnish national selection for Eurovision and the race to Malmö has officially started!
Cyan Kicks - Dancing With Demons
Cyan Kicks is a Finnish alternative rock/electric pop band established back in 2016. They had their big break in UMK 2022 when they came second with Hurricane losing to The Rasmus. I do remember for rooting for Hurricane two years ago!
Since then, they've been busy with making music and touring around Europe. This shows. They've also mentioned themselves the growth of confidence and experience, and especially the vocalist Susanna. This time around they're bolder and loader but still not losing their familiar energy and sound. But it's inevitable to compare their 2024 entry to Hurricane of UMK22 and perhaps their biggest contestant might actually be themselves from two years ago.
For many the 22 entry was instantly memorable and still is and the question is can DWD do the same?
Dancing With The Demons is the first of seven UMK24 entries to be released. And what a start it is!
The song is kicked off with a promising electronic beat and it builds up nicely towards the first chorus which I have to admit I'm slightly disappointed that it's not grabbing enough. Personally I'm liking the second verse and Susanna's interpretation of the lyrics here. I even saw somewhere a Lady Gaga comparison.
Instrumentally this is very rich and there's a lot to take in. Lots of volume which makes me worry if Susanna's vocals which are rather light in here, are strong enough to carry it through? Even though I know she can sing live obviously. As seconds turn into minutes there's more volume, more instruments and more noise coming up!
A lot of people have criticized the bridge but my musical (rock) taste is generic enough to love it actually. I'm loving the "follow me's" here. In three minutes it's tricky to get an instrumental part squeezed in but DWD manages to do just that. The whole band is clearly involved in this with 150% and musically this can be quite overwhelming. The ending is as load as the beginning. Lyrically not the best of songs but this wasn't the band's strong suit in 2022 either.
This is well and heavily produced track that can be blamed of sounding a slightly bit too mainstream and plastic lacking originality and organic sound. However, this is a question of personal taste. Live performance we don't need to worry with this entry because as we remember from UMK 22 - they'll nail it.
Visually this is impressive. Susanna and the band rocking under the rain (she was actually with fever when shooting the video!) and everything we see supports what we hear. Sexy, load, wet, explosive. It's actually difficult to listen the song without its video because that's how astonishing it is! And the pair clearly belongs together. UMK music videos have come a long way!
What do you think of the first UMK24 track and would you vote for Cyan Kicks to go all the way to Malmö? UMK final takes place on February 10th!
UMK top 3 worst and best stagings (recent years)
All Eurovision fans out there know that the staging is half of the performance and it can either kill you or raise you.
Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu has had a track record of producing both over the recent years. Here are my top three for each category. The performances do not appear in my favourite order!
TOP3 THE BEST UMK STAGINGS that have managed to elevate the songs :
The Rasmus - Jezebel (2022 UMK winner)
Despite of being the biggest favourite when going in to UMK last year The Rasmus’ song didn’t quite reach the hights as a studio cut. However, the playful and colourful live performance elevated this one for me
Akseli Kankaanranta - Looking back (2020 winner)
Akseli pushed through passed the fan favourite Cicciolina back in 2020 with his well balanced and stylish live performance!
NormaJohn - Blackbird (UMK 2017 winner)
Back in 2017 Blackbird left many people cold with its studio cut but when performed live.... the emotion was real and very atmospheric!
TOP3 THE WORST UMK STAGINGS that have ruined the song’s success in the contest :
Bess - Ram pam pam (UMK 2022)
Bess Ram Pam Pam eventually became the biggest hit in Finland last year but her UMK staging ended up being messy, confusing and not meeting the hype of the song before going in to the UMK live.
Erika Vikman - Cicciolina (UMK 2020)
Can someone explain me what those bears and forest do on the same stage with sinful Cicciolina? This performance made no sense to me at all. Not then or not now.
Saara Aalto - Monsters (winning song in 2018)
Despite of winning the entry ticket to Lisbon’s Eurovision back in 2018 Monsters live performance was complex to start with. I liked the beginning with the cape and all but they ended up adding here too many elements (this got worse in Lisbon).
Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu Final takes place tomorrow February 25th on Yle Areena at 9pm (FIN time zone)! Let’s see how the seven acts will do and if fan favourites are able to keep their positions!
UMK 2023 Song review - Portion Boys
The hype is very real around Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), the Finnish national selection for Eurovision and the race to Liverpool continues with glam rock anthem!
Portion Boys - Samaa taivasta katsotaan
Portion Boys have been around for a while. They originally started from Youtube back in 2010 and by releasing regurarly singles slowly but surely made theirselves a name in Finland. Especially the few last years have been succesful for them. They’ve become known as a positive dance-pop group with a lots of personality.
Samaa taivasta katsotaan represents quite well the band’s musical repertoire and style. It offers a great ending to UMK23 series (as it was released as the seventh and the last track) and also to UMK23 show on February 25th. This is a very rich song, we have several elements and genres mixed in this one and it is the thing that might keep the viewer hooked for the entire 3 minutes but it might also be the thing that breaks charm.
I get the feeling of the song trying too hard. It’s trying to please everyone - we have the rock rap, anthem like instrumental parts, heavy metalish screaming going on. Even the lyrics mention several countries and make references in foreign languages. It’s a mess and it’s up to one’s personal taste whether it’s a mess for your taste.
The song reminds a bit of Eurovision Movie: Fire Saga by its vibes and with its to be honest Eurovision clichés. Even reference to Latvian Pirates in 2008 has been made in social media. There’s a certain sillyness in here but also the spirit of becoming one despite all our differences. Usually these kind of entries haven’t done very well in ESC.
However, this might be one of the rare UMK23 entries that I do not wish to advance to ESC. On another year yes but not in 2023 when we have better options. However, I have to admit it does hold the strongest hook in UMK23. This might go against the lovers of Cha Cha Cha as it musically and spiritually stands completely on the other side of the edge. However, I can see this becoming a true Finnhit classic and bringing people together on the dancefloor.
What do you think of the seventh UMK23 track and would you vote for Portion Boys’ Samaa taivasta katsotaan to go all the way to Liverpool? UMK final takes place on February 25th!
UMK 2023 Song Review - Kuumaa
The hype is very real around Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), the Finnish national selection for Eurovision and the race to Liverpool continues with another nostalgic retro banger!
Kuumaa - Ylivoimainen
Kuumaa had their breakthrough back in 2016 and their debut album came out three years later. They’ve also released several radio hit singles regurarly over the years and today they’re described as “most interesting pop group in Finland” Quite recently they also won Emma Award (Finnish Grammy) for being the best group so they’re surely becoming hot in the Finnish music scene (their name actually means hot!) Again another entry that has a full package and vision ready even before entering to UMK.
Ylivoimainen is another retro entry in UMK this year and it’s being seen competing directly with Benjamin’s Hoida Mut. However, this perhaps gives more indie pop vibes and it reminds me a bit of A-ha’s Take on me actually. This sounds very Kuumaa and this kind of contemporary nostalgic tunes are what they do the best. I cannot praise the chorus enough - it’s catchy, it’s warm, irresistable, probably the strongest chorus in UMK23,
Ylivoimainen is super easy to listen, easy to sing and dance along and it actually invites you to do so. It’s an embrace that will instantly make you feel safe. Ylivoimainen is a crowd pleaser and well produced radio hit (reached number one in Finnish Spotify already!) but it still has authentic sound without being too slick (Robin - Girls like you). BUT as we saw last year’s with Bess’s entry Ram Pam Pam, becoming a hit is not enough to get you a ticket to Liverpool - you need to get the Finns to vote also. However, they do have a solid fan base in Finland who might be showing their loyalty on February 25th.
As a package - this might be the best UMK23 entry. The song ticks all the right boxes and we have a band that we know can deliver energetic live performance. However, if this did advance to ESC - we already have several more or less nostalgic boy band entries (Slovenia, Latvia, Ireland) which Kuumaa would go against and to be honest I’d worry if we’d stand out enough as we could do perhaps with another artist (let’s say Käärijä?)
What do you think of the sixth UMK23 track and would you vote for Kuumaa’s Ylivoimainen to go all the way to Liverpool? UMK final takes place on February 25th!
UMK 2023 Song Review - Käärijä
The hype is very real around Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), the Finnish national selection for Eurovision and the race to Liverpool continues with ..... I don’t know what this is actually!
Käärijä - Cha Cha Cha
Most of Finns had never heard of Käärijä before the artist release of UMK23 a month back. Including me. So zero expectations. I didn’t know the language he was gonna perform, I maybe expected some dancy sounding tune based on the title. However, he described his song that “this track combines all three big Finnish loves together: party, pop and heavy music”. Should have known something crazy will be coming up ever since I read he’s a ESC Verka Serduschka fan (Ukraine 2007).
Cha Cha Cha gets your attention from the first second untill the last one. You know right away that you have something in here. The song kind of starts with rap, there’s techno sounds also, the darkness reminds me of Hatari (Iceland 2019) the chorus is aggressive almost violent but catchy and memorable as hell. The music video is a perfect fit to this! Be prepared to be knocked out by some Cha Cha Cha!
There’s no one like this in UMK or in Eurovision. Then when you think you’re figured out the song everything turns upside down and the song becomes this pop-folk banger. I can hear Verka here actually! A definite late night dancefloor hit in a Finnish bar! The ending is explosive, just pure fireworks and you’re like WTF did I just hear.
There’s a wide selection of genres here, just take your pick while trying to put this guy into one box.
Käärijä likes to confuse people and traditional sounds aren’t his thing. This is definitely clear! Cha Cha Cha will surely test boundaries, push some people away as it will cheer up and encourage others. This will surely cause a reaction and sometimes that’s all it’s needed from a decent hit and Eurovision song. In the end lovers count more than the haters. This is by far the most played and watched UMK entry this year in all the platforms. Foreigner ESC bloggers have been mostly excited about this and highlighting how Finnish language fits these hard sounds perfectly.
I can definitely see this advancing to ESC (I don’t think even a bad UMK staging might stop people from voting for this!) and put my money on it that Europeans will this time around understand a piece of Finnish crazyness!
What do you think of the fifth UMK23 track and would you vote for Käärijä’s Cha Cha Cha to go all the way to Liverpool? UMK final takes place on February 25th!
UMK 2023 Song Review - Benjamin
The hype is very real around Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), the Finnish national selection for Eurovision and the race to Liverpool continues with another banger!
Benjamin - Hoida Mut
Benjamin is a fairly well known popstar in Finland who has released hit songs mostly in English and now quite recently switched back to his native Finnish. He also made a name to himself by winning Dancing with the Stars last year. He is now competing in UMK with his song Hoida Mut (do me).
UMK apparently is something he’s been eager to do for a while but has felt the Finnish music industry as less ESC-friendly so he’s pushed his participation for years. He’s being seen now as the main competitor for another UMK23 artist Robin who more or less represents the same genre as him.
Benjamin’s 80′s disco pop tune Hoida Mut is an erotic, solid banger which he wishes to break some of the male sexual stereotypes by singing about surrendering to someone. Despite of the 80′s vibes in here which have been compared to Weekend, the song sounds fresh and current.
The lyrics are hot and steamy and so is the video. Benjamin’s dance moves come accross definitely and there are some very high expectations now to be met with his live performance in UMK final on February 25th. I don’t think of him as much of a vocalist though but the song fits perfectly for his voice and vocal capacity. I hope he’ll be able to execute this well vocally too when on stage.
Hoida Mut is one of the four UMK23 entries in FINNISH this year. As Finnish I cannot imagine how the language sounds like for a foreigner but the international reactions have been utterly positive. If this wins the ticket to Liverpool, I really hope and pray they won’t be changing the language. There are a few English verses in here and they feel natural and on spot.
This is catchy as hell and might be on the road to become the next Ram Pam Pam (UMK22). Even without winning UMK the publicity, visibility he is receiving will surely lift him to hights of the Finnish pop music scene. Out of all the seven UMK23 entries, this is probably what I enjoy listening the most. I’m defintely hooked. However, the song offers a lot of foreplay but does it actually get to the climax? They could have added a trick or two in here to spice up the things even more (musically I mean!). Anyway, in a another ESC selection, Finnish or elsewhere, in 2023 or before - this could win the whole lot!
What do you think of the second UMK23 track and would you vote Benjamin’s Hoida Mut to go all the way to Liverpool? UMK final takes place on February 25th!
UMK 2023 song review - Keira
The hype is very real around Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), the Finnish national selection for Eurovision and the race to Liverpool kicked off with a banger!
Keira - No Business on the Dancefloor
The 18-year-old Keira became known to Finnish audience in Voice of Finland where she did fairly well becoming third on the final last year. Since then while waiting and searching for her momentum UMK came up in the discussions quite early on but finding “her hit song” took its time.
This is her first single and what a hit indeed it has become! Currently it’s in top 10 most listened tracks in Finland on Spotify and on Youtube it’s the second most watched UMK23 clip with over 440 000 views! But as we saw last year becoming a hit song is not enough to win the ticket to ESC!
No Business on the Dancefloor was written actually by Finnish ESC representative from 2011 Axel “Oskar Paradise” Ehnström (can you believe it?). The Finns will probably also recognize the other songwriter Teemu Brunila (Jenni Vartiainen, Anna Abreu) and how the song definitely has some familiar Brunila vibes.
Keira herself tells her song that she wants people to liberate their “inner party animals”. I’m not quite sure if it manages to do that but this still ticks all the right boxes for a catchy dance entry and it’s completely stage and Eurovision ready. Well done UMK and Finland!
Some compare her to Rihanna - I can recognize some resemblence there also. Vocally this is a safe effort, they could have gone further with her vocal range but maybe she will surprise us in the live show of UMK on February 25th?
Track like, this is strong. The beat is memorable, the flute gives an ethnic vibe to it and sets the song apart from other dance tracks of UMK. Lyrics are cheeky and full of pop references which some find them corny but for me they add personality instead. However, would I have added some volume, some power to this - yes I would and I’m really hoping the live performance gives to it its much needed extra spice!
What do you think of the first UMK23 track and would you vote this to go all the way to Liverpool? UMK final takes place on February 25th!
WHO WILL BE THE FINNISH ENTRY AT EUROVISION 2019?
We do have the date and the location (March 2nd, Espoo Finland) but what we do not have is the actual artist. It has been pain to be waiting for the news and here is what I think of the guesses, speculations of the Finnish ESC entry 2019.
WHO IT WILL NOT BE:
Every year people name these artists who are fabulous and the best what this country could offer musically but give it up. They won’t be doing it!
Alma – she’s already said no. Our brand shining star on an international music scene sees ESC as a competition only and has declined it. Pity.
Jenni Vartiainen – too popular and will not be humiliated by Finnish press
Vesala, Janna, Sanni, Chisu, Mikael Gabriel – just don’t think that they’re that interested
Nightwish – they already tried in 2000 but didn’t get selected (don’t ask me why)
Old school stars such as Jari Sillanpää, Kaija Koo etc – the time has passed them.
INSTEAD I HAVE FAITH IN:
Benjamin - Juon sut pois (2018)
Young talents and artists such as Benjamin, Robin, Evelina, Venior, Vilma Alina, Diandra, Ellinoora who are younger and have not labelled Eurovision as the older generation. They could actually see ESC as an oppurtunity even without winning the whole damn thing.
Venior - Sugar Rush (2015)
UMK competitors from the previous years: Mikael Saari and Emma – they’ve got the passion and the spirit. Even though I wasn’t too impressed by Mikael’s singing or songs when he was in UMK (2013 and 2016) and he has actually said that he wouldn’t do it again as a performing artist. But what if he was invited to be THE artist? Emma was my favourite in 2017 but she failed miserabily in 2017 UMK final (singing and technical issues). Emma also competed to be San Marino’s repesentative this year. Despite of the struggles gotta love her anyhow.
Tarja Turunen, the formed vocalist of Nightwish has been on ESC wishlist for being the Finnish entry for quite some time now! She would be such a professional, well known, interesting entry nevermind the song. And I even believe she might have that ESC spirit somewhere there inside of her if we just dig it out!
Tarja Turunen - Never Enough (2017)
ESC representatives: Krista Siegfrieds (2013) and Softengine (2014). She’s crazy enough and Eurovision fan so no doubt about it that she’d do it again! But she’s hosted UMK so they’d have to find another host….Softengine is our biggest success after Lordi and one of our few success stories in ESC to be honest so why not!
Softengine - Something Better (2014)
Eva & Manu are the hottest rumour out there to be the Finnish entry 2019 and I wouldn’t mind them being so. They could offer some fresh air (from a finnish perspective) and they are not a totally brand new duo since they have released albums. Plus they have an interesting story.
Eva & Manu - Empty (2014)
What do you think?
Lisbon / Portugal blogs
Lisbon and Portugal isnpire hundreads of travel posts, bloggers and videos but there are a few that stand out for me which I check out regurarly.
HERE TO GO TO
http://www.wheretwogoto.com/category/around-portugal/around-lisbon/
A travel blog for Portugal and outside of it. Good tips for day or weekend trips from Lisbon. Written by expat couple in English.
SALT OF PORTUGAL
https://saltofportugal.com/about/
Mainly about Lisbon and Portugal. Different themes you can search for posts produced by small group of posts. I like that concept how they create this thing together. Nice artwork. They also have their own voicemap tour of Lisbon! And scarfs inspired by Lisbon tiles.In English.
LISBON BY LIGHT
https://www.lisbonbylight.com/lisbon-stories/
This is lovely even though more like a design blog. I love the idea of ’stories of Lisbon’ as locals of the city, often artists. Great strories and inspirations. Great way to discover portuguese brands and artists. Very ’arty’, very Lisboa.
THE LITTLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
http://www.littleupsidedowncake.com/category/lisbon-stories/
Like the name tells you already this about eating in Lisbon and elsewhere in the world. Another not a travel blog. You can look for recipes according to the time of the year, which is a fun idea. Love the posts of different cafés of Lisbon. Also stories behind the counter. Amazing photos!
LISBOA COOL / LISBON SECRETA / TIME OUT
Available in Portuguese as in English. These are all quite similar, commercial websites about Lisbon. Tips for visiting and learning more of it but also events, restaurants, cafes… Time Out comes out as a magazine once a week if you prefer.
VISUAL DIARY
https://www.lily.fi/blogit/visual-diary
In Finnish. Written by a graphic designer living in Lisbon for over 3 years. She writes about life, in general but especially in Lisbon. Great lists. Also about design. I love her photos. She also has a great instagram account worth following if you speak Finnish.
LISBON ME PLEASE / LISBOA LIVE / LISBOA COME
https://www.instagram.com/lisbon_me_please/
https://www.instagram.com/lisboalive/
https://www.instagram.com/lisboa.come/
Do you follow blogs about your home city /country?
Lisbon and the Tagus river!
They’re just clouds
Can I jump into that part when I’ll have it all it figured out?
Month has passed by in Lisbon for me and I feel like I’ve done nothing! #Patience
I cannot help but to compare these first weeks to my last adventure in French speaking Canada. Shouldn’t do it cause the situation I’m in now is very different than what I lived back in 2013. In Mtl in the beginning I had 1,5 month time to look for a trainee job, make friends, get the official stuff sorted out and to know my new environment - pretty much against my own wish cause original plan was way more efficient and didn’t include that much “wasted time”. It wasn’t untill now that I realized how important that time off was in that moment.
But this time around, I started to work only after three days after my arrival here and even though there has been some extenuating facts like that I had an actual job waiting here for me, my employer did almost all the official paper (tax, bank account etc) work for me and that I’m working in an EU country now without visas and even in my own language. Still these days and weeks have felt pretty tiring and I miss the times like the first weeks in MTL without schedules and doing things in my own pace.
But things are good. I still haven’t been robbed, raped or attacked in any other way. Safety first, right?. Even though to be honest living in Portugal feels weird. Sometimes I’m caught up with this thought that how did I end up here (more like a confused kind of way than in a negative one) until I remember all of this is a result of my own terminated work and planning. I haven’t quite been caught up by the local life rhythm yet. I still don’t have a phone number, ACTIVE bank account, washing machine has been broken on and off at the flat, things work still in an incredible slow motion for me (especially the official ones) nor do I speak the language. Luckily these things are temporary and fixable in time especially that I have a NIF (local tax number now which is the key to everything here). #Patience
But inspiring factors do come in my way every day. Small things whether it’s the beautiful morning scenery over the river, a brand new day rising on my way to work OR the lively street with its coffee and ice cream shops I found around the corner from home, meeting new people, even just for a once and being exposed to the new life stories that are educating and different from my own.
The city is cool though! It has a spirit and I’m liking it! I’ve been through most of the main areas of it and I do have a thought in which part you do this or that. The same areas may offer you a totally different things during the day and night. Been walking a lot... and how do I love that everything is pretty much in a walking distance here! And for every day there’s a new door or a window, balcony filled with interesting details. How can anyone get tired of these streets!? Been to a beach couple of times also (where you do have to go by train though). It was alright, you know very... sandy. Discovered some cool areas beyond the beach also.
Portuguese learning is kind of slow. Surprisingly. The waiting list for the free (offered by my employer) language courses is over six months long so in the meantime I have to figure something else out. I try to watch youtube videos, listen the language being spoken around me, read the news in portuguese and do some serious studies by myself with the book I bought. #Patience.
I have new room mate. The french girl moved out leaving a disaster behind her… HUUUGE mess in her room, kitchen and elsewhere in the flat. She even threw a party which the neighbours called the police for. Clearly the best thing is that she is gone. I try not to be judgemental but in my experience the french GIRLS make the worst roommates (and trust me I’ve had some back in Mtl). I’m sure there must be better ones but I just seem to have an incredibly bad luck of always bumping into the messiest, noisiest and the most selfish ones. Feel free to proof me wrong in here anytime! Now me and the austrian girls are living with this hungarian guy which we’re not sure either but I guess it’s better. #Patience.
Work is a bubble where you spend most of your day, your week and forget that you ever left home because all I do is to speak Finnish/English and have quite little touch with the Portuguese way of life. My choice though. It has its ups and downs. For a week we did take some actual calls and tried to help the customers in the best way that we could and hopefully without screwing things up too much. Despite of huge amount of information we’ve already been exposed and that we’re still not aware of, I still think this is the coolest job I’ve ever had! But it is hard to try to learn so much in such a short period of time. #patience
We’re back at the class room for another week or so before we can call ourselves actual travel advisors. I know there will be frustration and bunch of other negative emotions caused by endless list of reasons I can already think of. I have a feeling the road is gonna be long. But through it all, at the end of the day I know I’ll be enjoying this once I get the hang of things! It’s not one of those many jobs you do just to survive, to get by through another day while you’re keeping your eyes open for something else. More right, more suitable, more you.
This is right. This fits. This is me.
(God, I really hope I can still stand behind these lines after months from here. Nor get fired :D)
Welcome
Even though it’s still early days of my life in Portugal - here’s a ”quick” update about my first 9 days in Lisbon! Tons of things I’m still missing, practical things like having a local bank account or a phone number and obviously the city, the country within its culture and language haven’t still quite opened for me yet.
Back in Finland I did manage to squeeze the last 30 years of my life into two luggage (apart from a few bags of clothes and dvd’s and cd’s which my mom took in) and get rid of everything else that didn’t fit in. People wondering how do you do that, but it is literally like peeling an onion. Prioritizing. One layer at the time. And yes it can make you even cry – or at least sad. Not everything you want or even need does fit in. Farewells were as expected but it was comforted by the thought in my head that leaving Finland felt still very natural and necessary thing to do. I was on the right track.
(Not all in that pile ended up coming with me)
My first down side came along already back at home when I was trying to get a travel insurance (or any insurance) which no finnish insurance company will provide me cause I don’t have a permanent address there anymore and I’m moving permanently out of the country. So I went on as insuranceless and hoped that all my stuff, all 56 kg of it would arrive safely in Lisbon with me. Luckily no problems there. I’m covered in health issues by my employer but not sure if I can get some insurance for my stuff from a portuguese insurance companies. Still working on that one.
In my new employer’s support package for foreign employees included a pick up from the airport which was super handy since I didn’t know where I was gonna live (the flat was also provided by Teleperformance). And the guy picking me up wasn’t part of any international human trafficking as mom was so afraid. Positive things, you know. No, he was very friendly and professional.
But to be honest - I was super relieved that the company I applied EXISTS and everything was what they said it would be. Because when you agree online to something - you never know. But everything went fine and I didn’t become one of those horror stories you hear out there.
(My new home - My room, the two pics, the messy ones above in the left)
The neighborhood gave me first a chill and not in positive sense of the word. It didn’t exactly wow me even though I wasn’t expecting any Ritz – I do pay only a few hundreds of euros monthly. The flat was nice though. A lot of light. There are 3 other people, at the moment all girls (2 from Austria, 1 French). Not super close with them but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However they’re friendly and helpful.
In a nutshell there are washing machines (dishes, laundry + tumble dryer), one broken coffee maker (working on that), freezer (ice cream), two bathrooms, no balcony. And basically I have the other bathroom for my use only – a bit confused about why that is but apparently it has something to do with the locations of the rooms I guess (not complaining). Down sides.. we could have more kitchen wear, I CANNOT ACCOMMODATE ANYONE and it could be tidier here... but oh well it’s a start. I can look for something else if I get super irritated. Oh and we have a cleaning lady coming in once a week but she doesn’t touch the rooms naturally. And yes still people can’t mind their own messes! Apart from once locking myself outside of the flat even with a key (don’t ask me) there haven’t been any difficulties.
(Not my photo - I live 10min to the left from this traffic circle)
But the location is really good. I guess I live somewhat in the Areeiro neighborhood. Feels safe. Lots of people with children, old couples.. Not a party district clearly. 10min away from the metro, train stations. Bus stops, pharmacy, groceries are right in front of my house. In the next block there are cafes, gym, more grocery stores, banks, hotels, restaurants… Airport is super close also. Not prettiest neighborhood in the city but living here – it works!
About the work. Well haven’t started that one yet properly. I’m having four weeks of training with 4 other Finns. It’s been confusing, interesting, cool, difficult, horrifying, fun and the list goes on… Tons of things to learn! But overall so far so good! I do feel like I’m at the right place and this is what I wanna do!
The city itself! Haven’t had much chance to discover it yet. Just the weekends basically. And there are so much to see here! I wonder what kept me away before. The city doesn’t exactly have that one, clear, symbolic sight which the people recognize the destination for but to be honest Lisbon doesn’t need one cause the entire city with its warm atmosphere and relaxed spirit is a landmark itself. It does remind me of Rome (old), Barcelona (green areas, palm trees, mediterranean atmosphere) or Québec City (stairs, hills). This is a perfect city just to get lost. Narrow old streets with tons of colours and details. Hundreds of hills and stairs make sure that wondering around here will go for a work out. People are friendly. They might not always speak English but they understand it pretty well. Super handy when you don’t speak a word of Portuguese! But I have managed with the help of my knowledge in Spanish, French, Italian and English – which ever language you manage to find the word the other person understands. I have a feeling I’m gonna be here for a while.
The weather hasn’t been that bad as I expected. And yes by bad I mean HOT. I’m afraid of melting, you see. There were some +30 degree days but the there’s always such a strong wind in Lisboa that makes it feel cooler and then when it’s actually +20 it has a tendency to feel actually cold.
When moving abroad what helps and has helped me tremendously in the past is to have someone at the destination. In Spain I had my future room mate getting me started with things. In Montréal and here in Lisbon I had a friend (THANK YOU!!) – and they were huge help when you just don’t have a clue about anything and for a brief moment you can just trust someone else to take the lead or you’ll always have someone to turn to.
In general during this week there have been ups and downs. I have LOVED and then I have just HATED living in Lisbon and Portugal. Strong emotions indeed. And so damn small things but very every day like! If I’ve learnt anything at all during these 9 days is patience! Not the thing itself but basically just that you should have it. I clearly don’t. I knew this and I was reminded of it but still somehow I was surprised.
Always prepare yourself to have time and effort to have a second or third round of doing things before successfully finishing them. Especially if they are official ones. Forget customer service. Forget doing things online. And like I said in the beginning I haven’t even got myself a phone number or bank account yet. But like they say, no country was made to feel foreigners comfortable. I have definitely been feeling uncomfortable. But so did I in Québec and Spain. This is all part of the fun, the things you’ll be laughing about in a year. In the end things have a way of working out. You’ll find your way. You’ll learn how things work. You’ll adapt. You’ll have a different attitude. And that’s what I’ll be doing.
What More Can I Give?
After I returned from Canada in 2014 I knew already then that my next adventure would be in Europe. Even after my long time passion for Montréal and the French speaking Canada and the wonderful experience I had while living there.. I didn’t see the return or going to Americas, Australia etc. worthy of hours of paper work for Visas and work permits which I might not even get! Especially when you think that as an european I have 28 countries to choose from where I can live and work freely.
I started planning my departure last winter. Mostly from the financial point of view and decided the summer season being perfect time for my move since I could get my full vacation pay and to have been able to save enough money by then.
So how to choose the DESTINATION? It’s better to have several options in case something goes wrong with your first choice. When travelling always have a plan B! After googling for Finnish speaking jobs on several job boards I ended up with PORTUGAL, IRELAND and MALTA. Spain and some Western European countries were also possible but they had less customer service openings in Finnish so I focused mainly on these three. I also had some friends who’ve lived or live in these countries who could give me answers about living and working in there. This is the part where you gotta be realistic. Even though you’d love India as an holiday spot, are you set up for the everyday life in there? Practical things matter as much as the attitude you’re doing this with.
“I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way” - Carl Sagan
I had already found out about the most common recruiting companies (MGI recruitment, Morgan McKinley etc) and companies (Teleperformance) out there so I would have some sort of idea which ones to trust. Couple of applying situations during the winter taught me that MAY (1-2 months before my availability date) would be more ideal because no one posts an add about job 6 months before opening.
To look for the jobs I used basic multilingual job boards but especially LinkedIn which I upgraded it to Premium (first month free trial). Especially on LinkedIn it was easy to check the company, employees etc. backgrounds. Despite of the work I did to find out the company’s background and whether it was even real or up to its reputation – there’s no guarantee that you still wouldn’t be screwed over. But I do trust my instincts (if it feels wrong - don’t do it!) and I do try to find out as much as I can in advance to avoid unpleasant surprises – and then you just go and hope that the bumps on the road wouldn’t hit you too hard.
Same thoughts I would wanna share also about the safety in general. Especially after this morning’s news from London… you always stop to think about this stuff but unless you’re moving to Afghanistan or in some other country with high rate of crimes and killings, there’s not much you can do about it. You just have to believe that you’re safe by using common sense. You can have your hundreds of check lists, be paranoid, stay in and never go to a big event but frankly I just don’t believe in it. In the end whatever you do in life, you buy a house or you have a kid – you need to have the courage and faith that things will be okay.
“Pray when you feel like worrying. Give thanks when you feel like complaining. Keep going when you feel like quitting.” - Dave Willis
Once I started my active search things happened with a quick pace. Basically in two weeks from pressing the ”apply” button for the first time I had created several useful contacts across Europe (networking!) and nailed a job offer from Ireland and Portugal. Several interviews, language tests, all of been done. The first one I declined basically because of the pay wasn’t enough. After taxes (which are quite high) and accommodation and everything else necessary (the price range is similar to Finland) there wouldn’t have been much left. And I do recommend of finding these things out! How much do you pay taxes? How much does a cup of coffee or a room in a shared flat cost? These are pretty crucial figures in every day life and especially when living abroad you do wanna do things just to ENJOY life and not just the necessary ones to survive.
PORTUGAL was my first and the most potential choice since the beginning. FIRST of all the culture and the language are similar to Spain where I’ve done trainee and exchange periods and where I could see myself living and adapting to the way of life. I could really fit in! Secondly there is somewhat heavy selection of jobs for Finnish speakers in customer service area. I would survive! Third and forth, many jobs are located at the capital area with more international atmosphere and services etc. which I appreciate. Despite of living expenses being always more expensive in the capital area than in a smaller city, still in Portugal the price range is fairly affordable. It could be fun! Also the job description and the pay ain’t bad.
And after this looong prattling, if you did make it untill here...if it isn’t clear enough already for someone - I AM GOING TO LISBON! Heading out on June 30th with no return date! The blog is reopened as a traveling blog what it originally was now that my life will be worth writing for! More posts with funny titels (LP inspired) to come!
Probably the most iconic sights of #Helsinki, the #RockChurch and #SibeliusMonument