YLE published the song titles and authors earlier today and more news on Euroviisut 2007 is coming up. The stage design, inspired by space and hard rock will be about 500 m2 in the semi finals in Tampere and will double it size for the final in Turku. Also the special guests were made public. Nine out of 24 songs are performed in Finnish.
The Finnish selection will kick off in two weeks, on Saturday January 20. Jani & Jetsetters, Hanna Pakarinen and Thunderstone will be listened, watched and judged by the televoters in he first semi final. Ann Christine (Finland 1968 with Play-boy) and Taiska will be the guest stars. Taiska scored a big hit in the national final 1981 with Hiroshima and recently scored a big flat zero in Ogae Song Contest and was also the Finnish entry in the World Song Festival.
The second semi final’s guest stars are Katri Helena (Finland 1979 with Katson sineen taivaan and 1993 with Tule luo) and Kim Lönnholm. Kim didn’t do well in the national selection 1989 but his song Minä olen muistanut later became the biggest hit of the year, an evergreen and a karaoke nightmare. He was also in1986 national final both solo and in a duet with Kirka.
Päivi Paunu & Kim Floor (Finland 1972 with Muistathan) and Anneli Sari will be the guest stars in the third semi final.Anneli Sari is maybe the most famous Finnish gipsy singer. Her career started with a cover of Non ho l’etá (Italy 1964) when she was as young as Gigliola Cinquetti. Later she took part in two national finals (1974 with Jäähyväiset and 1976 with Mustalaiskaravaani).
Jari Sillanpää (Finland 2004 with Takes 2 to tango) and Sari Kaasinen in the fourth semi final. Sari Kaasinen, ex-Värttinä, took part in the national final of 1998 with Mielessäni.Nine out of 24 songs will be performed in Finnish at least in the semi finals. Jani & Jetsetters will sing At the front seat and Black groom, Jukka Kuoppamäki Spread your winds and Express train, Katra Lady of danger and Seer, Johanna Kurkela You’re my most beautiful dream and Somewhere behind the forests and Laura will sing one song, Touch me, in Finnish, the other in English.
At least Jukka Kuoppamäki has announced he will sing in Finnish if he wins.The songs will be played on radio the Monday before the semifinal, and the televoting starts immediately at the beginning of the show at 19.00 EET and will go on about an hour.
No names for the special guests for the final have been released, but we would be highly surprised if 2006 Eurovision Song Contest winners, Lordi, are not in town to perform and present the prize to the winners who will for the first time, be under pressure to perform for Finland on home ground.
