Bio

Aksel Kankaanranta comes from the city of Turku. Aksel's music journey began with violin, as his father was violinist, and mother also has the experience of playing. However, at the Secondary Music Lesson, Kankaanranta realized his talent as a singer, when he played bass and sang backing vocals to the school performance of the hit song of Zen Café "Todella kaunis". Kankaanranta is studying at the Turku Vocational Institute but is now taking a break from studying.

In 2017, Kankaanranta participated in the The Voice of Finland's seventh season as his mother and sister encouraged him to apply. He finished second in the competition. During the show, competing for Team Anna Puu he performed "Riptide", "Blank Space", "When I Was Your Man", "Sinuun minä jään", "Let Me Love You", "Hymn for the Weekend", "Thinking Out Loud". He also featured in the prize-winning megahit Jättiläinen (Giant) of the Finnish artist Pyhimys which won the song of the year and the most streamed song of the year at the 2019 Emma Gala.

Aksel is determined to show that being shy shouldn't prevent you from performing before an audience. "People ask me why I want to appear before an audience of one million, even though I'm shy. Why should that be a problem? I want to fulfil myself and provoke strong feelings and reactions. I want to transmit emotions with my singing". For Aksel, Voice of Finland was a great learning experience and the best thing was the chance to perform before large audiences. "It was like a baptism by fire. I realised that I'm not nervous almost at all when on stage. I'm also looking forward to the Eurovision and expect that it will be an equally great experience. There I'll have the chance to concentrate on my performance; in fact, I can be the personal radio beacon of my song," Aksel explains.

Aksel's piece Looking Back is a sensitive song telling about world-weariness, love and the feeling of inadequacy. "We set all kinds of milestones for our lives. Are they actually of any value and does achieving them really make us happy?" Aksel asks, describing the song. When not working, Aksel listens to vinyl records and spends time with his dog to whom he also sings.

"Looking Back could very well be an international TOP 10 hit by Sam Smith or James Arthur. A really great piece from Joonas Angeria and a fantastic interpretation by Aksel Kankaanranta." – UMK jury of professionals

Latest news

20/01: UMK 20 participants presented

Preselection

Finnish national preselection show Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK, Contest for New Music) is back to the open preselction format. "It has been great to work with top Finnish professionals and produce great performances in Lisbon and Tel Aviv. Now, next year, we are going back to open search and will be creating a music competition for the next few years, "says Anssi Autio, Producer at YLE UMK. Open enrollment and the joint selection of YLE and the public has also received the most support in the YLE feedback survey - 53% (849 votes) voted in favor of the open competition.

This year, the competition will be co-produced by UMK team together with YleX radio station. "We want the strength and power of collaboration to find the best new songs. This also opens up new opportunities for participating artists. YleX, awarded Music Media of the Year essentially loves a new music. It has always been an important task for us to raise and support new Finnish musical talent, "says Hanne Kautto, Program Manager at YleX. In the project will also be closely involved YleX Music Manager Tapio Hakanen who leads an ambitious team that selects artists for the UMK final.

On 3 June 2019, YLE has released regulations of the competition. Submission period run from 1 to 8 November. The entry must be unpublished. At least one of the songwriters and singers must have Finnish citizenship or permanent residence in Finland. A performer may enter the competition as a soloist for a maximum of three songs. A total of 426 entries have been received, the six qualifiers have been informed by 30 November and to the public contestants will be revealed on Thursday, 21 January.

"The music industry's response to the return to open competition was really positive. In the participating songs, there were featured some of Finland's best songwriters, composers and producers. The songs were selected by a jury of ten music experts from inside and outside of YLE. The final line-up is of a very high standard and the tracks are varied in terms of style and performers. I hope that as many Finns as possible find an artist and song that is perfect for representing Finland in Eurovision Song Contest", says Tapio Hakanen, Music Manager at YleX and head of UMK's expert jury.

Competing acts were presented to the public on a special press-conference on 21 January hosted by 2013 representative Krista Siegfrids and commentator Mikko Silvennoinen. Six artists are competing for the win in the Contest for New Music UMK: Tika, Erika Vikman, Aksel Kankaanranta, and, Sansa ja Catharina Zühlke. Starting on Friday 24 January, the entries will be released, one by one, at midnight in Yle Areena and via several music streaming services (e.g. Spotify, Deezer, YouTube).

Sketches of the UMK20 stage designed by Ari Levelä were revealed on 17 February. Clarity is the main theme of this year's stage design. Clear lines, graphic scenes and precise lighting design provide the perfect setting for UMK20. The stage is equipped with the latest show technology.

Finland's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 will be selected at the UMK Final, which will be held at the Mediapolis TV studio in Tampere on Saturday 7th March and the event will be shown live on Yle TV1 and in the free Yle Areena streaming service, starting at 9 pm. Eurovision fans living outside Finland can also follow the event in Yle Areena and on the Eurovision.tv website. The event will be hosted by Krista Siegfrids and commentated on by Mikko Silvennoinen. YleX Aamun presenters Ville "Viki" Eerikkilä and Juuso "Köpi" Kallio will be interviewing participating acts in the Green Room and the Swedish commentaries will be provided by Johan Lindroos and Eva Frantz. The winner will be selected jointly by TV viewers and an international juries from Bulgaria, Estonia, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Russia and the United Kingdom. Tickets for the event are not sold due to limited capacity, but it is possible to register for the broadcast audience. The registration will open on Monday 3 February at 9 am and you can send your registration to yle.fi/umk.

Tika - I Let My Heart Break
Tika, the winner of the 2018 X Factor competition, is a real power ballad powerhouse. "I applied for UMK because I love the Eurovision Song Contest and I think that UMK is a great concept. I was given the chance to be a part of this and I really feel fantastic! Whitney Houston and Celine Dion are my greatest idols because they are strong women and they really bring it," Tika explains. In fact, with her magnificent I Let My Heart Break, the artist follows in the footsteps of these two singers. Tika, who was adopted from Nepal at the age of one, has already taken part in the Idols Sweden and Voice of Finland contests. She has also appeared in the Swedish Find my Family series, which helped her to find her brother and other family members living in Nepal. She loves travel and nature and is also a fan of crime and murder mystery podcasts.

"This would be at home in the latest James Bond movie. A great song! Her magnificent voice and personality combine into a strong performance. The M-Eazy production team knows how to turn out pop hits and this is a fine world-class power ballad." – UMK jury of professionals

Erika Vikman - Cicciolina
Erika Vikman's piece is the boldest entry to this year's UMK. She sings pop songs in Finnish and even though they are made with a tongue in cheek, they also have a message. "When we made this song, I instantly felt that this would make a great entry to the Eurovision Song Contest. In a fantastic coincidence, I then heard that UMK is reinstating the open application process. We first thought that this is a crazy idea, but then we realised that this is how it should be," Erika says, describing her feelings at the time. "I'm looking forward to a great and exciting trip! Even if I don't make it, for me personally, this will be an exhilarating and liberating experience." Cicciolina is an energetic Finndisco piece, where no attempts are made to hide female sexuality. The influence of Kikka and the past decades come across clearly in the song. With this piece, Erika wants to remind us that a bold female touch and feminism are by no means mutually exclusive. "I really believe that my song conveys an important message and I believe in it 100 percent. I hope that this will also empower the listeners and make them think."

"This song may very well become a pop hit that will still be played at Finnish bachelorette parties ten years from now. The songs of Mökkitie Records are in many ways at the heart of Finnishness and with her charismatic artist personality, Erika is the right person to perform it." – UMK jury of professionals

Aksel Kankaanranta - Looking Back
Aksel Kankaanranta took part in the Voice of Finland 2017 contest and he also featured in the prize-winning megahit Jättiläinen (Giant) of the Finnish artist Pyhimys. Aksel is determined to show that being shy shouldn't prevent you from performing before an audience. "People ask me why I want to appear before an audience of one million, even though I'm shy. Why should that be a problem? I want to fulfil myself and provoke strong feelings and reactions. I want to transmit emotions with my singing". For Aksel, Voice of Finland was a great learning experience and the best thing was the chance to perform before large audiences. "It was like a baptism by fire. I realised that I'm not nervous almost at all when on stage. I'm also looking forward to UMK and expect that it will be an equally great experience. There I'll have the chance to concentrate on my performance; in fact, I can be the personal radio beacon of my song," Aksel explains. Aksel's piece Looking Back is a sensitive song telling about world-weariness, love and the feeling of inadequacy. "We set all kinds of milestones for our lives. Are they actually of any value and does achieving them really make us happy?" Aksel asks, describing the song. When not working, Aksel listens to vinyl records and spends time with his dog to whom he also sings.

"Looking Back could very well be an international TOP 10 hit by Sam Smith or James Arthur. A really great piece from Joonas Angeria and a fantastic interpretation by Aksel Kankaanranta. Aksel is a fine personality and it is great to see him at UMK." – UMK jury of professionals

F3M - Bananas
F3M wants to be the Spice Girls of the 2020s. Their music is full of wild energy and with their highly distinctive personalities, the members of the trio show that we are all great in our own way. Bananas is a catchy and dance-inspiring pop song performed with an anarchistic touch. It has uncompromising tolerance and boisterous partying as its themes. Viv, Baby O and MIARA, the members of the band, describe themselves as walking jukeboxes. "We decided to take part in the UMK because we want to show everybody what we can achieve as a band. And of course, because this is what we want to do: sing and perfom. We are really looking forward to showing our talent in the Eurovision Song Contest."

"F3M is a combination of the early 2000s power pop á la Gwen Stefani and Britney Spears and the super-energetic bands of today, such as Blackpink and Little Mix. The positive energy of the trio is reflected in the song itself and the Kaiku Songs team has ensured that each second is packed with strong pop hooks." – UMK jury of professionals

Sansa - Lover View
Sansa, a long-term musician, is bringing a touch of club atmosphere to UMK. After a love affair with indie folk, Sansa has adopted a more electronic style and is now writing timeless pop music. Her cooperation partners include the EDM artist Kaskade, a far cry from the days when she was performing warm-ups for Bryan Adams and appeared in Provinssirock Festival. Sansa names Sia and Robyn as her main musical influences at the moment. Representing Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest would be a dream come true: "I have always been fascinated by this event and I have dreamed of taking part since I was a little girl. I now feel that the time has come and that I finally have the right song," Sansa explains. Sansa's entry, Lover View, is a cool and sensual piece of electropop. "It tells about the ultimate connection and love, something that we all need," Sansa says, describing her entry. Sansa values healthy life, which means that when not writing and performing music, she spends time with friends, does physical exercise or enjoys books and television series.

"This is the UMK 2020 finalist who would be a perfect fit for the Helsinki's Flow Festival. Sansa's voice and the way in which she performs are classic Nordic pop at its best and the production of Yotto and Anton Sonin, two of Finland's top DJs, could well be from Robyn's latest album." – UMK jury of professionals

Catharina Zühlke - Eternity
Catharina Zühlke, who came second in the Contest for New Music UMK in 2017, is an experienced artist: She has loved performing since she was a little girl and has worked as a professional musician for many years. In 2013, she came fifth in the Finnish Idols contest. Catharina Zühlke is known as a performer of melodious and empowering pop music. She has German roots, but grew up in Vantaa, Finland listening to Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson. "I have always admired female artists with a powerful voice and this has greatly influenced my own singing style." Eternity, the song performed by Catharina Zühlke, tells about the power of love. "When this song was born, all the pieces just fell into place. I got a strong feeling that this song has a greater meaning," Catharina explains. In addition to singing, Catharina also likes dancing and spending time with her friends.

"A touching story, a dynamic song and a great interpretation by Catharina all make this a potential world-beater at the Eurovision Song Contest. Henrik Tala, the Finn behind the successful Norwegian entry in the 2019 contest, has again shown that he is a world-class writer and producer of pop music." – UMK jury of professionals

#	Performer	Entry	Songwriter(s)	Jury	Tele	Total
01.	Catharina Zühlke	Eternity	Marcia "Misha" Sondeijker, Roel Rats, Josefine Myrberg, Henrik Tala, Catharina Zühlke
02.	Erika Vikman	Cicciolina	Janne Rintala, Mika Laakkonen, Erika Vikman, Saskia Vanhalakka
03.	Aksel Kankaanranta	Looking Back	Joonas Angeria, Whitney Phillips, Connor McDonough, Riley McDonough, Toby McDonough
04.	F3M	Bananas	Olli Äkräs, Hanna Ollikainen, Rafael Elivuo
05.	Sansa	Lover View	Sansa, Yotto, Anton Sonin
06.	Tika	I Let My Heart Break	Neea Jokinen, Timo Oiva, Oliver@ i-One Music, Lotus Wang, Sami Tamminen, Kalle Mäkipelto

Биография

Аксель Канкаанранта родом из города Турку. Музыкальное путешествие Акселя началось со скрипки, так как его отец был скрипачом, и мама также имеет опыт игры на ней. Однако в старших классах музыкальной школы Канкаанранта реализовал свой талант певца, когда играл на бас-гитаре и пел бэк-вокал для школьного исполнения популярной песни Zen Café "Todella kaunis". Канкаанранта учится в профессиональном институте Турку, но сейчас взял академический отпуск.

В 2017 году Канкаанранта принял участие в седьмом сезоне "Голоса Финляндии", так как его мать и сестра побудили его подать заявку. В итоге он занял второе место в конкурсе. Во время шоу, выступая за команду Анны Пуу, он исполнил "Riptide", "Blank Space", "When I Was Your Man", "Sinuun minä jään", "Let Me Love You", "Hymn for the Weekend", "Thinking Out Loud". Также он исполнил вокал на мегахите Jättiläinen (Giant) финской группы Pyhimys, который выиграл Песню года и самую Прослушиваемую песню года на церемонии Emma Gala 2019 года.

Аксель намерен показать, что застенчивость не должна мешать выступать перед аудиторией. "Люди спрашивают меня, почему я хочу выступать перед аудиторией в миллион человек, хотя я и стесняюсь этого. Почему это должно быть проблемой? Я хочу реализовать себя и вызвать сильные чувства и реакции. Я хочу передать эмоции моим пением". Для Акселя "Голос Финляндии" стал отличным опытом обучения, и лучшим, что он дал - выступать перед большой аудиторией. "Это было похоже на крещение огнем. Я понял, что я почти не нервничаю, когда на сцене. Я также с нетерпением жду Евровидения и ожидаю, что это будет столь же большой опыт. Там я буду у меня есть шанс сконцентрироваться на своем выступлении, на самом деле, я могу быть радиомаяком моей песни", - объясняет Аксель.

Произведение Акселя "Looking Back" - чувственная песня, рассказывающая об усталости, любви и чувстве неадекватности. "Мы сами устанавливаем все виды вех в нашей жизни. Действительно ли они имеют какую-то ценность и действительно ли их достижение делает нас счастливыми?" спрашивает Аксель, описывая песню. Когда Аксель не работает, он слушает виниловые пластинки и проводит время со своей собакой, которой он также поет.

"Looking Back вполне могла бы стать хитом TOP 10 международного масштаба Сэма Смита или Джеймса Артура. Действительно замечательное произведение от Йоонаса Ангерия и фантастическое исполнение Акселя Канкаанранты". - UMK жюри профессионалов

Новости

20/01: Представлены участники UMK 20

Национальный отбор

Финский национальный отбор Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK, Конкурс новой музыки) возвращается к формату открытого отбора. "Было здорово поработать с ведущими финскими профессионалами и продюсировать отличные выступления в Лиссабоне и Тель-Авиве. Теперь, в следующем году, мы вернемся к открытому поиску и будем создавать музыкальный конкурс в течение следующих нескольких лет" говорит Ансси Аутио, продюсер YLE UMK. Открытая регистрация и совместный отбор YLE и общественности также получили наибольшую поддержку в опросе обратной связи YLE - 53% (849 человек) проголосовали за открытый конкурс.

В этом году отбор будет совместно проведен командой UMK совместно с радиостанцией YleX. "Мы хотим, чтобы сила и мощь нашего сотрудничества помогла нам найти лучшие новые песни. Это также открывает новые возможности для участвующих исполнителей. YleX, удостоенная награды Музыкальное СМИ Года, по сути, всегда поддерживала новую музыку. Для нас всегда было важной задачей воспитывать и поддерживать новые финские музыкальные таланты", - говорит Ханне Каутто, программный директор YleX. В проект также будет активно вовлечен музыкальный директор YleX Тапио Хаканен - он возглавит амбициозную команду, которой предстоит отбирать артистов для финала UMK.

3 июня 2019 года телекомпания YLE выпустила правила конкурса. Срок подачи заявок установлен с 1 по 8 ноября. Конкурсная песня должна быть неопубликованной. По крайней мере, один из авторов и исполнителей должен иметь финское гражданство или постоянное место жительства в Финляндии. Исполнитель может принять участие в конкурсе в качестве солиста максимум трех песен. В общей сложности было получено 426 заявок, шесть финалистов были проинформированы к 30 ноября, а публика узнает их имена в четверг, 21 января.

"Реакция музыкальной индустрии на возвращение к открытому конкурсу была действительно положительной. В заявленных песнях фигурировали лучшие финские композиторы, авторы текстов и продюсеры. Песни были отобраны жюри из десяти музыкальных экспертов из YLE и со стороны. Окончательный состав получился очень высокого стандарта, треки разнообразны с точки зрения стиля и исполнителей. Я надеюсь, что как можно больше финнов найдет для себя исполнителя и песню, которые бы идеально подходили для представления Финляндии на Конкурсе Песни Евровидение, говорит Тапио Хаканен, музыкальный директор YleX и глава экспертного жюри UMK.

Участвующие артисты были представлены общественности на специальной пресс-конференции 21 января, которую провели представительница 2013 года Криста Зигфридс и комментатор Микко Силвеннойнен. Конкурсные песни будут представлены публике в ряде специальных телевизионных программ, которые выйдут в эфир 24 и 27-31 января, в эти же дни в полночь песни станут доступны на Yle Areena и стриминговых сервисах.

Эскизы сцены UMK20, разработанной Ари Левеля, были обнародованы 17 февраля. Ясность - главная тема сценического дизайна этого года. Четкие линии, графические сцены и точный дизайн освещения обеспечивают идеальные условия для UMK20. Сцена оснащена новейшими шоу-технологиями.

Представитель Финляндии на Конкурсе Песни Евровидение 2020 будет выбран на финале UMK, который состоится в субботу, 7 марта, в студии Mediapolis TV в Тампере. Конкурс будет транслироваться в прямом эфире на Yle TV1 и Yle Arena. Ведущей шоу станет Криста Зигфридс, комментировать его будет Микко Силвеннойнен. Ведущие YleX Aamun Ville "Viki" Eerikkilä и Juuso "Köpi" Kallio будут брать интервью у участвующих артистов в гринруме, а Йохан Линдрос и Ева Франц станут комментаторами на шведском языке. Победитель отбора будет выбран совместно телезрителями и международным жюри из Болгарии, Эстонии, Германии, Нидерландов, Швеции, Испании, России и Великобритании. Билеты на мероприятие не будут продаваться из-за ограниченной вместимости студии, но для желающих с 3 февраля, 9 утра, будет возможность подать заявку на попадание в студию в качестве зрителей на сайте YLE.

#	Исполнитель	Песня	Авторы	Жюри	Теле	Итого
01.	Catharina Zühlke	Eternity	Marcia "Misha" Sondeijker, Roel Rats, Josefine Myrberg, Henrik Tala, Catharina Zühlke
02.	Erika Vikman	Cicciolina	Janne Rintala, Mika Laakkonen, Erika Vikman, Saskia Vanhalakka
03.	Aksel Kankaanranta	Looking Back	Joonas Angeria, Whitney Phillips, Connor McDonough, Riley McDonough, Toby McDonough
04.	F3M	Bananas	Olli Äkräs, Hanna Ollikainen, Rafael Elivuo
05.	Sansa	Lover View	Sansa, Yotto, Anton Sonin
06.	Tika	I Let My Heart Break	Neea Jokinen, Timo Oiva, Oliver@ i-One Music, Lotus Wang, Sami Tamminen, Kalle Mäkipelto