| Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eurovision Song Contest 2011 | ||||
| Participating broadcaster | Yleisradio (Yle) | |||
| Country |  Finland | |||
| Selection process | Euroviisut 2011 | |||
| Selection date | 12 February 2011 | |||
| Competing entry | ||||
| Song | "Da Da Dam" | |||
| Artist | Paradise Oskar | |||
| Songwriters | Axel Ehnström | |||
| Placement | ||||
| Semi-final result | Qualified (3rd, 103 points) | |||
| Final result | 21st, 57 points | |||
| Participation chronology | ||||
| ||||
Finland was represented at theEurovision Song Contest 2011 with the song "Da Da Dam" written byAxel Ehnström, and performed by Paradise Oskar, which is the artistic name of singer Axel Ehnström. The Finnish participating broadcaster,Yleisradio (Yle), organised the national finalEuroviisut 2011 in order to select the Finnish entry for the contest. 15 entries were selected to compete in the national final, which consisted of three semi-finals and a final, taking place in January and February 2011. Ten entries ultimately competed in the final on 12 February where votes from the public selected "Da Da Dam" performed by Paradise Oskar as the winner.
Finland was drawn to compete in the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest which took place on 10 May 2011. Performing during the show in position 10, "Da Da Dam" was announced among the top 10 entries of the first semi-final and therefore qualified to compete in the final on 14 May. It was later revealed that Finland placed third out of the 19 participating countries in the semi-final with 103 points. In the final, Finland performed in position 1 and placed twenty-first out of the 25 participating countries, scoring 57 points.
Prior to the 2011 contest,Yleisradio (Yle) had participated in theEurovision Song Contest representing Finland forty-four times since its first entry in1961.[1] It has won the contest once in2006 with the song "Hard Rock Hallelujah" performed byLordi. In2010, "Työlki ellää" performed byKuunkuiskaajat failed to qualify Finland to the final, placing eleventh in the semi-final.
As part of its duties as participating broadcaster, Yle organises the selection of its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest and broadcasts the event in the country. The broadcaster confirmed its intentions to participate at the 2011 contest on 6 June 2010.[2] Yle had selected its entries for the contest through national final competitions that have varied in format over the years. Since 1961, a selection show that was often titledEuroviisukarsinta highlighted that the purpose of the program was to select a song for Eurovision. Along with its participation confirmation, the broadcaster also announced that its entry for the 2011 contest would be selected through theEuroviisut selection show.[2]
Euroviisut 2011 was the national final that selected Finland's entries for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011. The competition consisted of four shows that commenced with the first of three semi-finals on 14 January 2011 and concluded with a final on 12 February 2011. The four shows were hosted byEurovision Song Contest 2007 hostJaana Pelkonen andYleX DJ Tom Nylund. All shows were broadcast onYle TV2 and online atyle.fi.[3] The final was also broadcast on Yle HD and via radio onYle Radio Suomi with commentary by Sanna Kojo.[4][5]
The format of the competition consisted of four shows: three semi-finals and a final. Five songs competed in each semi-final and the top three entries from each semi-final as well as a wildcard act selected by a jury from the remaining non-qualifying entries qualified to complete the ten-song lineup in the final. The results for the semi-finals and the final were determined exclusively by a public vote. Public voting included the options of telephone and SMS voting.[6][7]
Twelve artists, including the winner of the Finnish tango contestTangomarkkinat in 2010, Marko Maunuksela, were directly invited by Yle to compete in the national final following consultation with record companies, while an additional three acts were selected through a public online selection.[8] For the online selection, a submission period was opened by Yle which lasted between 6 June 2010 and 31 August 2010. At least one of the writers and the lead singer(s) had to hold Finnish citizenship or live in Finland permanently in order for the entry to qualify to compete.[2][9] A panel of experts appointed by Yle selected fifteen competing entries from the 277 received submissions, which were presented on 30 September 2010 atyle.fi for the public to vote through SMS until 15 October 2010.[10] The twelve invited artists were announced during a press conference on 30 September 2010, while the three entries that qualified from the online selection and were presented during a televised programme on 16 October 2010. Among the competing artists was former Finnish Eurovision entrantSampsa Astala (lead singer of Stala and So.) who representedFinland in 2006 as part of the bandLordi.[11][12][13]
| Draw | Artist | Song | Songwriter(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christa Renwall [fi] | "Fool of Yourself" | Nalla Ahlstedt,Fiora Cutler, Jim Lazer | Eliminated |
| 2 | Tony Green | "Miracle" | Toni Ruohonen | Eliminated |
| 3 | Suvi [fi] | "We Are One" | Teemu Roivainen [fi], Leevi Lauri | Eliminated |
| 4 | Sara Sayed | "Shallow Waters" | Sara Sayed | Eliminated |
| 5 | Paul Oxley | "The Prisoner" | Paul Oxley, Janne Hyöty | Eliminated |
| 6 | Pauliina Salonen | "Every Day" | J-P. Järvinen | Eliminated |
| 7 | Emilie Untamala and Jole Nissilä | "It Is You" | Emilie Untamala | Eliminated |
| 8 | Joel Främling | "Man in Squalor" | Joni Masko | Eliminated |
| 9 | Anfisa | "Give Me Power to Resist" | Anfisa Proskuryakova | Eliminated |
| 10 | Chorale [fi] | "Share Your Life" | Minna Immonen, Markus Ahola | Eliminated |
| 11 | Cardiant | "Rapture in Time" | Antti Hänninen [fi], Lauri Hänninen | Advanced |
| 12 | Saara Aalto | "Blessed with Love" | Saara Aalto | Advanced |
| 13 | Sonja Bishop | "This Is My Life" | Sonja Bishop, Jorn Lendorph, Elton Theander, Jesper Zar | Eliminated |
| 14 | Father McKenzie | "Good Enough" | Tobias Granbacka [fi] | Advanced |
| 15 | Blackbird | "Gooseberry" | Jussi Petäjä | Eliminated |
| Artist | Song | Songwriter(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic Eye [fi] | "I'm Not the One Who's Sorry" | Pete Murto,Jonas Olsson, Heikki Hiekkasalmi, Antti Aalto, Lauri Uusitalo |
| Cardiant | "Rapture in Time" | Antti Hänninen [fi], Lauri Hänninen |
| Eveliina Määttä [fi] | "Dancing in the Dark" | Axel Johansson, Mats Tärnfors,Tracy Lipp [fi] |
| Father McKenzie | "Good Enough" | Tobias Granbacka [fi] |
| Jimi Constantine | "Party to Party" | Jimi Pääkallo, Axel, Pekko Haimi, Tracy Lipp |
| Johanna Iivanainen [fi] | "Luojani mun" | Johanna Iivanainen,Edu Kettunen [fi] |
| Jonna | "Puppets" | Jonna Pirinen, Miika Colliander |
| Marko Maunuksela [fi] | "Synkän maan tango" | Mika Toivanen [fi] |
| Milana Misic | "Sydämeni kaksi maata" | Juha Tikka [fi],Susanna Haavisto |
| Paradise Oskar | "Da Da Dam" | Axel Ehnström |
| Saara Aalto | "Blessed with Love" | Saara Aalto |
| Sami Hintsanen [fi] | "Täältä maailmaan" | Antti Kleemola [fi], Mikko Karjalainen |
| Soma Manuchar [fi] | "Strong" | Ellen T., Antti C. |
| Stala and SO. [fi] | "Pamela" | Sampsa Astala, Sami J. |
| Tommi Soidinmäki [fi] | "Seis!" | Petri Laaksonen [fi],Kyösti Salokorpi |
The three semi-final shows took place on 14, 21 and 28 January 2011 at the YLE Studios inHelsinki. The top three from the five competing entries in each semi-final qualified to the final based on the results from the public vote. "Dancing in the Dark" performed by Eveliina Määttä was awarded the jury wildcard and also qualified to the final.[14]
| Draw | Artist | Song | Place | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Automatic Eye | "I'm Not the One Who's Sorry" | 4 | Eliminated |
| 2 | Marko Maunuksela | "Synkän maan tango" | 2 | Advanced |
| 3 | Johanna Iivanainen | "Luojani mun" | 3 | Advanced |
| 4 | Jonna | "Puppets" | 5 | Eliminated |
| 5 | Cardiant | "Rapture in Time" | 1 | Advanced |
| Draw | Artist | Song | Place | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soma Manuchar | "Strong" | 5 | Eliminated |
| 2 | Paradise Oskar | "Da Da Dam" | 1 | Advanced |
| 3 | Jimi Constantine | "Party to Party" | 4 | Eliminated |
| 4 | Milana Misic | "Sydämeni kaksi maata" | 3 | Advanced |
| 5 | Father McKenzie | "Good Enough" | 2 | Advanced |
| Draw | Artist | Song | Place | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eveliina Määttä | "Dancing in the Dark" | 4 | Wildcard |
| 2 | Sami Hintsanen | "Täältä maailmaan" | 2 | Advanced |
| 3 | Tommi Soidinmäki | "Seis!" | 5 | Eliminated |
| 4 | Saara Aalto | "Blessed with Love" | 3 | Advanced |
| 5 | Stala and SO. | "Pamela" | 1 | Advanced |
The final took place on 12 February 2011 at the Holiday Club Caribia inTurku where the ten entries that qualified from the preceding three semi-finals competed. The winner was selected over two rounds of public televoting. In the first round, the top three from the ten competing entries qualified to the second round, the superfinal. In the superfinal, "Da Da Dam" performed byParadise Oskar was selected as the winner.[15] In addition to the performances of the competing entries, the interval act featuredLinda Lampenius and Gentlemen.[16]
| Draw | Artist | Song | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eveliina Määttä | "Dancing in the Dark" | 5 |
| 2 | Sami Hintsanen | "Täältä maailmaan" | 7 |
| 3 | Milana Misic | "Sydämeni kaksi maata" | 9 |
| 4 | Paradise Oskar | "Da Da Dam" | 1 |
| 5 | Cardiant | "Rapture in Time" | 6 |
| 6 | Johanna Iivanainen | "Luojani mun" | 10 |
| 7 | Father McKenzie | "Good Enough" | 2 |
| 8 | Marko Maunuksela | "Synkän maan tango" | 8 |
| 9 | Saara Aalto | "Blessed with Love" | 3 |
| 10 | Stala and SO. | "Pamela" | 4 |
| Draw | Artist | Song | Televote | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paradise Oskar | "Da Da Dam" | 46.7% | 1 |
| 2 | Father McKenzie | "Good Enough" | 12.6% | 3 |
| 3 | Saara Aalto | "Blessed with Love" | 40.7% | 2 |
Paradise Oskar specifically promoted "Da Da Dam" as the Finnish Eurovision entry on 14 April 2011 by performing during theEurovision in Concert event which was held at the Club Air venue inAmsterdam, Netherlands and hosted byCornald Maas,Esther Hart and Sascha Korf.[17]
According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big Five" (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final progress to the final. TheEuropean Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into six different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot. On 17 January 2011, a special allocation draw was held which placed each country into one of the two semi-finals, as well as which half of the show they would perform in.[18] Finland was placed into the first semi-final, to be held on 10 May 2011, and was scheduled to perform in the first half of the show.[19] The running order for the semi-finals was decided through another draw on 15 March 2011 and Finland was set to perform in position 10, following the entry fromGeorgia and before the entry fromMalta.
The two semi-finals and the final were televised in Finland onYle TV2 and Yle HD with commentary in Finnish by Tarja Närhi and Asko Murtomäki.[20] The three shows were also broadcast onYle FST5 with commentary in Swedish by Eva Frantz and Johan Lindroos as well as via radio with Finnish commentary by Sanna Pirkkalainen and Jorma Hietamäki onYle Radio Suomi.[21][22] The Finnish spokesperson, who announced the Finnish votes during the final, was member of2010 Finnish Eurovision entrantKuunkuiskaajat,Susan Aho.
Paradise Oskar took part in technical rehearsals on 1 and 5 May, followed by dress rehearsals on 9 and 10 May. This included the jury show on 9 May where the professional juries of each country watched and voted on the competing entries. The Finnish performance featured Paradise Oskar performing alone in a shirt and pants made of recyclable fabrics with the LED screens displaying an image of the Earth turning.[23][24]
At the end of the show, Finland was announced as having finished in the top 10 and subsequently qualifying for the grand final. It was later revealed that Finland placed third in the semi-final, receiving a total of 103 points.[25]
Shortly after the first semi-final, a winners' press conference was held for the ten qualifying countries. As part of this press conference, the qualifying artists took part in a draw to determine the running order for the final. This draw was done in the order the countries were announced during the semi-final. Finland was drawn to perform in position 1, before the entry fromBosnia and Herzegovina.[26]
Paradise Oskar once again took part in dress rehearsals on 13 and 14 May before the final, including the jury final where the professional juries cast their final votes before the live show. Paradise Oskar performed a repeat of his semi-final performance during the final on 14 May. Finland placed twenty-first in the final, scoring 57 points.[27]
Voting during the three shows consisted of 50 percent public televoting and 50 percent from a jury deliberation. The jury consisted of five music industry professionals who were citizens of the country they represent. This jury was asked to judge each contestant based on: vocal capacity; the stage performance; the song's composition and originality; and the overall impression by the act. In addition, no member of a national jury could be related in any way to any of the competing acts in such a way that they cannot vote impartially and independently.
Following the release of the full split voting by the EBU after the conclusion of the competition, it was revealed that Finland had placed twenty-first with the public televote and seventeenth with the jury vote in the final. In the public vote, Finland scored 47 points, while with the jury vote, Finland scored 75 points. In the first semi-final, Finland placed third with the public televote and fifth with the jury vote. In the public vote, Finland scored 111 points, while with the jury vote, Finland scored 86 points.[28]
Below is a breakdown of points awarded to Finland and awarded by Finland in the first semi-final and grand final of the contest. The nation awarded its 12 points to Hungary in the semi-final and the final of the contest.
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|
| Score | Country |
|---|---|
| 12 points |  Hungary |
| 10 points |  Azerbaijan |
| 8 points |  Ireland |
| 7 points |  Serbia |
| 6 points |  Iceland |
| 5 points |  Austria |
| 4 points |  Italy |
| 3 points |  France |
| 2 points |  Lithuania |
| 1 point |  Georgia |
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