The Return of the 'Disco Defenders'

One of the most exciting artists on the comeback trail is Alcazar as a three piece group.They began back in 1998 with Andreas Lundstedt Tess Merkel & Annika Kjaergaard & soon after had an international worldwide hit with "Crying in the Discoteque" 
The bands major success in their homeland came with Melodifestivalen 2003 when royal highness 'schlager' king himself Magnus Carlsson from Barbados joined Alcazar to make a 4 piece "Sinner nor a saint" The song finished 3rd  in MF yet became the public's favourite of that year as well as a massive No; 1 Gold selling single.This was followed by the suberb studio album 'Alcazaized' that perfectly shows the bands continued tribute to Disco dance sound of the 70's in a new modern way. More great singles followed "This is the world we live in" & "Start the fire" and another blast of disco stardust with "Alcastar"This was the bands song in Melodifestivalen 2005 once again finished 3rd place. Then in the autumn of 2005 the band announced they would take an Abba-style break to work on other solo projects. 
They had a massive hit with "We Keep on rockin" in 2008 in Sweden, Andeas & Tess are back with former MF star Lina Hedlund, alot like the original line up back in the late 90's.If the new song for MF 2009 "Stay the night" is anything like 'Keep on rockin' we could seeAlcazar pass the previous third placing record.... 
The glitter ball spins as we prepare to be Alcazared 

Alcazar "We Keep on Rockin" - They are back : )

SMILEY MARTIN Will he return?

Martin Stenmarck represented Sweden with 'Las Vegas' Eurovision 2005. "7milakliv", a follow up in 2006 became certified Platinum and spent over 10 weeks at #1 on the Swedish singles chart.
Martin Stenmarck's Melodifestivalen winner "Las Vegas" hit the top spot the week after the 2005 MF Final, while Nanne Grönvall's "Håll om mig", favorite from public tele-votes topped the charts the week after that.
       Meanwhile a new Martin Stenmarck album for 2007 "Nio sanningar och en lögn" (Nine truths and one lie) mirrored the success of "7milakliv" by topping the Swedish albums chart & spending three weeks at #1.
After all his chart success will he come back to Melodifestivalen stage again? I like Martin's music a lot ( even if its not very schlagistic! ) Last week he brought us another great single "A million candles burning" this time in english, so a new english album is on its way (see clip below) now many of his tunes are wrote with younger brother David Stenmarck who has wrote "1000 Miles" one of the song for MF 2009 The artist is to be revealed next week .. its rumoured to be The Poodles (again?) I am hoping it will be Martin's MF comeback.....      (come back Marty, Nanne's forgiven you now)

Martin Stenmarck "A Million candles burning" Sweden's NEW Hit

Schlager goes to The Opera

For the second round of Melodifestivalen artists released, 

there is not as 

  many 'hot' favouries as in round one last week. 

Such names as The Scotts, ( a famous dansband!) Molly Sanden, Jonathan Fagerlund

     Maja Gullstrand, Next  3.   and Mikael Rickfors.

Then the wild card 2 we have an internationally famous Opera superstar 'Malena Ernman' she will sing "La Voix" this song is wrote by Fredrik Kempe who wrote "Hero" ( MF 2008 winner ) & sung his own Mf song "Finally" back in 2003. 

Fredrik will be in high demand in 2009. He has given his songwriting sparkle to "You're not alone" a BWO electro-power-gospel-drama ballad gosh!  "Moving on"  is 'nuther Sarah Dawn Finer ballad & our  Måns singing 'Hope and Glory' 

        Its my guess we will see Fredrik on a few of the songwriters tables in the Globen Mf Final night .. can't wait.

       Check out Malena clip from this year, and what she can bring to Mf with her Opera Schlager Tune....

introducing Malena Ernman a 'wildcard' for Melodifestivalen 2009 !!

The stars are coming for Melodifestivalen 2009

Its official,

Måns Zelmerlöw, Alcazar

B W O, Emilia

Sarah Dawn Finer,

Jennifer Brown,

Caroline af Ugglas & Lasse Lindh

The first eight artists made public this week, and one

wild card..........

Christer Björkman was joined by Jennifer Brown and Måns Zelmerlöw on 'Good Morning Sweden' to reveal the ninth act confirmed for the competition. As Markoolio, Finnish-Swedish multi platinum musician is massive in Sweden, & someone Christer has wanted to have in Melodifestivalen for several years. See clip interview with Mans below...he looks as smiley & fab as ever.

Is everyone now schlaga-x-cited !

Måns Zelmerlöw in Godmorgon SVT after MELODIFESTIVALEN 2009 announcements

From 'MAKING YOUR MIND UP 2004' to HOLLYWOOD !

    

 that's Ben Barnes he is being

called the new Orlando Bloom, and was picked from hundreds of actors to take on the major role in Chronicles Of Narnia new movie Prince Caspian. More movies are coming up for this 

hot property in Hollywood as he will star in 'Stardust'  and 'Picture Of Dorian Gray' (currently being filmed)  

      In 2004 the Londoner's career began when he was one step away from Eurovision Song Contest 2004. Part of boy band Hyrise, Ben who looks better now, with his longer hair. They came 2nd to 

James Fox with  "Hold on to out Love"  in MYMU check out the clip below. 

So there is hope for all Euro- rejects there is a place in Hollywood movies when you don't make the big ESC....

HYRISE Leading Me On 2nd MYMP 2004 Feat.BEN BARNES

SHOCK Schlaga-Swap is Van der Boom-Boom.

Jeroen Van der Boom-Boom ! has been now named as a 'New' replacement 

  in the dutch top schlager act 'De Toppers' this is the band hand picked 

by Netherlands Tv.   They were all set to take the dutch entry to Moscow

for Eurovision 2009 and make, A Big Toppers-schlager performance to put Holland back on the Euerovision map.

When 'tragedy' (que Steps intro ) struck the band! one of the lead singers Gerard Joling 

 left the group who are approaching  their 5th anniversary year, and a large tour. Leaving 

only 2 Toppers brothers Gordon & Rene Froger, shortly after the shock of

  the news. The brothers found Jeroen as a happy replacement for Gerard,  and Jeroen seems

highly qualified, just take a look at his recent Video below. 

With a couple of  No 1 singles up his sleeve back in Holland he will be making hearts go a boom-boom!  

                           in fact,  it makes you wonder...............

  Could he be related himself in someway to that famous Song , Lulu's  Eurovision winner 

   'Boom Boom Bang-a-bang"  of 1969. ................ see what ya think.