Musicians Disappointed by Finland’s Visa Participation: An Incredibly Shocking Alternative

Despite a petition signed by a group of Finnish music professionals urging withdrawal from Eurovision, Finland will still be participating in the event scheduled to be held in Malmö in May. This decision has been met with disappointment from those opposing the participation, particularly due to Israel’s involvement in the competition amidst its ongoing war on Gaza. A number of Finnish artists have called for a boycott of Eurovision if Israel is allowed to participate.

As per the latest information, Israel will be participating in the competition. Finnish representatives at Eurovision will be Teemu Keisteri and Henri Piispanen, winners of the New Music Competition (UMK), who perform under the name Windows95man. Their decision to participate had been uncertain due to Israel’s involvement in the competition.

Several Finnish music professionals signed a petition in January demanding Yleisradio, Finland’s national broadcaster, to pressure the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to exclude Israel from Eurovision or boycott the event if Israel participates. This petition, bearing approximately 1,500 signatures, was delivered to Yle, but the authenticity of all signatures has not been confirmed.

Christel Roosberg, known by his stage name Chisu, signed the petition in hopes of achieving a ceasefire in Gaza. He expressed his opposition to the bombing of children and civilians and urged Yle to provide more information about the motivations behind their decision to participate in Eurovision. He called for a more open discussion and more transparency in the decision-making process.

Ville Vilén, head of creative content and media at Yle, stated in a press release that the broadcaster respects the EBU’s ability to evaluate the eligibility of TV companies participating in the competition. Despite understanding the differing viewpoints, Yle has informed the EBU of the discussions held in Finland and the Finnish representative’s perspective on the situation. They expressed their hope for peace in the Middle East.

Karri Miettinen, a rapper known as Paleface, believes more pressure should be applied to the EBU and individual countries’ broadcasting companies rather than the artists representing them. He sees a contradiction in the attitudes towards Russia, which was banned from Eurovision following its invasion of Ukraine, and Israel, whose participation is permitted despite its war on Gaza. He attributes Israel’s participation to the influence of sponsorship agreements, particularly with Moroccanoil, an Israeli-owned hair brand.

Renaz Ebrahimi, a radio reporter, feels that the petition signed by music influencers has not had the desired impact on Yleisradio. She believes that the petition could have been more impactful if it had been signed by more prominent artists. She also suggests that signing the petition and publicly criticizing the decision may lead to reduced job opportunities. Despite this, Ebrahimi believes that music industry professionals will continue to advocate for the issue in the future.

Lukas Korpelainen, a member of the group that initiated the petition, stated that similar petitions have been made in all the Nordic countries with plans to issue a joint press release to draw attention to the issue. He expressed disappointment with Yle’s decision to participate in Eurovision despite Israel’s involvement and suggested that Yle should have withdrawn from Eurovision before the UMK if Israel was allowed to participate. He believes that Yle holds the key to resolving the issue and should take responsibility rather than placing the burden on individual artists.