Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1981

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Eurovision Song Contest 1981

Participating broadcaster| Yleisradio (Yle)
Country|  Finland
National selection
Selection process| National final
Selection date(s)| 21 February 1981
Selected artist(s)| Riki Sorsa
Selected song| "Reggae OK"
Selected songwriter(s)|

* Jim Pembroke
* Olli Ojala

Finals performance
Final result| 16th, 27 points
Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest
| ◄1980 • | 1981 | • 1982►

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Finland was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1981 with the song "Reggae OK", composed by Jim Pembroke, with lyrics by Olli Ojala, and performed by Riki Sorsa. The Finnish participating broadcaster, Yleisradio (Yle), selected its entry through a national final.

## Before Eurovision

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### Semi-final

[edit]

The semi-final was held on January 29. From the 15 songs eight finalists were chosen by postcard voting, of which a total of 265 573 were sent. The winner of the postcard voting was "Titanic" performed by Frederik.

Songs eliminated in the semi-final  Artist  | Song  | Songwriter(s)

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|

Aija Pentinmikko  | "Virta"  | Yari [fi], Hector
Cumulus [fi] | "Jos vielä ees kerran sais kunnon jenkan"  | Kim Kuusi[a]
Eija Ahvo [fi] | "Allegro"  | Jukka Linkola[a]
Leevi and the Leavings | "Sinisilmä, mansikkasuu"  | Gösta Sundqvist
Marketta Joutsi  | "Tangetto"  | Rauno Lehtinen
Pepe Willberg | "Nouse aamuusi"  | Mikko Jokela [fi][a]
Tomas Ek [fi] | "Tuhlaajapoika"  | Tomas Ek

### Final

[edit]

The final was hosted by Finnish television producer and singer Erkki Pohjanheimo, at Yle Studio 2 in Helsinki, which took place on 21 February. The winning song was selected by a national jury, two of which included former Finnish Eurovision contestants Marion Rung and Lasse Mårtenson.

Final – 21 February 1981  Draw  | Artist  | Song  | Songwriter(s)  | Points  | Place

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1  | Tapani Kansa | "Sunnuntailapsi"  | Esko Koivumies  | 5  | 6
2  | Paula Koivuniemi | "Ei tule toista kertaa"  | Esa Nieminen [fi], Juha Vainio | 1  | 8
3  | Mikko Alatalo | "Leuhkat eväät"  | Mikko Alatalo, Harri Rinne [fi] | 30  | 2
4  | Frederik | "Titanic"  | Jori Sivonen [fi], Raul Reiman [fi] | 3  | 7
5  | Taiska | "Hiroshima"  | Raul Reiman  | 27  | 3
6  | Markku Aro and Nisa Soraya [fi] | "Mun suothan tulla vierees sun"  | Veikko Samuli [fi], Juha Vainio  | 13  | 5
7 | Riki Sorsa | "Reggae OK" | Jim Pembroke, Olli Ojala | 66 | 1
8  | Juice Leskinen Slamfonia | "Ilomantsi"  | Juice Leskinen | 26  | 4
Jury Votes  Song  |

>Åke Granholm

Marion Rung

John Wikström

Arto Pajukallio

Upi Sorvali

Liisa Lääveri

Jarmo Porola

Kati Bergman

Lasse Mårtenson

| Total

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"Sunnuntailapsi" |  | 2 | 1 | 1 |  | 1 |  |  |  | 5
"Ei tule toista kertaa" |  | 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1
"Leuhkat eväät" | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 30
"Titanic" |  |  |  |  | 1 |  | 1 |  | 1 | 3
"Hiroshima" | 2 |  | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 27
"Mun suothan tulla vierees sun" | 1 | 5 |  |  |  |  | 2 | 3 | 2 | 13
"Reggae OK" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 66
"Ilomantsi" | 5 |  | 2 | 8 | 5 | 5 |  | 1 |  | 26

## At Eurovision

[edit]

On the night Sorsa performed eighth (following Yugoslavia and preceding France). For the first time in 15 years regular Finnish conductor Ossi Runne did not conduct the Finnish entry (instead he was providing the Yle television commentary) and was instead conducted by Otto Donner. At the close of voting "Reggae OK" had picked up 27 points, placing Finland in 16th place out of 20.[1] The Finnish jury awarded its 12 points to Switzerland.

### Voting

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Points awarded to Finland[2] | Score  | Country

|

12 points  |
10 points  |
8 points  |
7 points  |
6 points  |  Sweden
5 points  |

* Ireland
* Netherlands
* Switzerland

4 points  |
3 points  |
2 points  |

* Israel
* Spain

1 point  |

* France
* Portugal

Points awarded by Finland[2] | Score  | Country

|

12 points  |  Switzerland
10 points  |  France
8 points  |  Yugoslavia
7 points  |  Germany
6 points  |  Israel
5 points  |  Turkey
4 points  |  Luxembourg
3 points  |  United Kingdom
2 points  |  Belgium
1 point  |  Sweden

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Lyricist unknown

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Final of Dublin 1981". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
2. ^ a b "Results of the Final of Dublin 1981". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.

## Sources

[edit]

* Viisukuppila – Muistathan: Suomen karsinnat 1981 (in Finnish)
* Finnish national final 1981 on natfinals
* Finnish semi-final 1981 on natfinals

## External links

[edit]

* (in French) Finland's national final

* v
* t
* e

Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest

Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu

Participation|

* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1996
* 1998
* 2000
* 2002
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* ~~2020~~
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

Artists|

* Saara Aalto
* ~~Aksel~~
* Markku Aro
* Ami Aspelund
* Monica Aspelund
* Nina Åström
* Beat
* Blind Channel
* Boulevard
* Carita
* CatCat
* Darude
* Edea
* Kim Floor
* Fredi
* Laila Halme
* Kristina Hautala
* Jarkko and Laura
* Jasmine
* Käärijä
* Kaija
* Katri Helena
* Laila Kinnunen
* Kirka
* Viktor Klimenko
* Koivisto Sisters
* Kojo
* Kari Kuivalainen
* Kuunkuiskaajat
* Laura
* Vesa-Matti Loiri
* Lordi
* Sonja Lumme
* Lasse Mårtenson
* Norma John
* Ann-Christine Nyström
* Hanna Pakarinen
* Päivi Paunu
* Paradise Oskar
* Pave
* Pernilla
* Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät
* Pihasoittajat
* The Rasmus
* Sebastian Rejman
* Geir Rönning
* Vicky Rosti
* Marion Rung
* Anneli Saaristo
* Sandhja
* Krista Siegfrids
* Jari Sillanpää
* Seija Simola
* Softengine
* Riki Sorsa
* Teräsbetoni
* Waldo's People
* Windows95man

Songs|

* "Aava"
* "Addicted to You"
* "Aina mun pitää"
* "Anna rakkaudelle tilaisuus"
* "Aurinko laskee länteen"
* "Blackbird"
* "Bye Bye Baby"
* "Cha Cha Cha"
* "Da Da Dam"
* "Dark Side"
* "La dolce vita"
* "Eläköön elämä"
* "Fantasiaa"
* "Fri?"
* "Hard Rock Hallelujah"
* "Hengaillaan"
* "Huilumies"
* "Hullu yö"
* "Jezebel"
* "Katson sineen taivaan"
* "Keep Me Warm"
* "Kuin silloin ennen"
* "Kun kello käy"
* "Laiskotellen"
* "Lapponia"
* "Leave Me Alone"
* "A Little Bit"
* "Look Away"
* ~~"Looking Back"~~
* "Lose Control"
* "Marry Me"
* "Missä miehet ratsastaa"
* "Monsters"
* "Muistathan"
* "Muistojeni laulu"
* "När jag blundar"
* "Nauravat silmät muistetaan"
* "Never the End"
* "Niin kaunis on taivas"
* "No Rules!"
* "Nuku pommiin"
* "Old Man Fiddle"
* "Playboy"
* "Pump-Pump"
* "Reggae OK"
* "Sata salamaa"
* "Sing It Away"
* "Something Better"
* "Takes 2 to Tango"
* "Tie uuteen päivään"
* "Tipi-tii"
* "Tom Tom Tom"
* "Tule luo"
* "Työlki ellää"
* "Valoa ikkunassa"
* "Varjoon – suojaan"
* "Why?"
* "Yamma, yamma"

* Note: Entries scored out signify where Finland did not compete

* v
* t
* e

Eurovision Song Contest 1981

Countries|

* Austria
* Belgium
* Cyprus
* Denmark
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Ireland
* Israel
* Luxembourg
* Netherlands
* Norway
* Portugal
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Turkey
* United Kingdom
* Yugoslavia

Artists|

* Bacchelli
* Marty Brem
* Bucks Fizz
* Debbie Cameron and Tommy Seebach
* Yiannis Dimitras
* Jean Gabilou
* Habibi
* Island
* Finn Kalvik
* Seid Memić Vajta
* Modern Folk Trio and Ayşegül
* Carlos Paião
* Jean-Claude Pascal
* Peter, Sue and Marc
* Sheeba
* Björn Skifs
* Riki Sorsa
* Emly Starr
* Lena Valaitis
* Linda Williams

Songs|

* "Aldri i livet"
* "C'est peut-être pas l'Amérique"
* "Dönme Dolap"
* "Fångad i en dröm"
* "Feggari kalokerino"
* "Halayla"
* "Het is een wonder"
* "Horoscopes"
* "Humanahum"
* "Io senza te"
* "Johnny Blue"
* "Krøller eller ej"
* "Lejla"
* "Making Your Mind Up"
* "Monika"
* "Playback"
* "Reggae OK"
* "Samson"
* "Wenn du da bist"
* "Y sólo tú"

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