Kari Kuivalainen
Encyclopedia
Kari Kuivalainen is a Finnish
singer-songwriter
, best known for his participation in the 1986 Eurovision Song Contest
.
Kuivalainen was primarily a composer rather than a singer, and in 1985 he submitted his song "Haaveissa vainko oot mun?" ("Am I Only Dreaming You?") to the Finnish Eurovision selection, where it was performed by Finland's 1981 Eurovision
entrant, Riki Sorsa
and finished second.
In 1986, he entered another song, "Päivä kahden ihmisen", which was originally intended for singer Kaija Koo
. However, she declined the chance to participate, so Kuivalainen decided to perform the song himself at the National Final, where he was the choice of the jury (by a margin of only one point over former Eurovision participant Kirka) to go forward to represent Finland at the 31st Eurovision Song Contest
. Prior to the contest, Kuivalainen changed some of the lyrics to the song, and although it was sung in Finnish, the title was changed to "Never the End
", which appeared on screen on the night of the contest and is the name by which the song is commonly known. The 1986 contest took place in Bergen
, Norway
on 3 May, with "Never the End" finishing in 15th place of the 20 entries.
Kuivalainen subsequently became a member of band Menneisyyden Vangit, alongside another Eurovision veteran, Vicky Rosti
.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, best known for his participation in the 1986 Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
.
Kuivalainen was primarily a composer rather than a singer, and in 1985 he submitted his song "Haaveissa vainko oot mun?" ("Am I Only Dreaming You?") to the Finnish Eurovision selection, where it was performed by Finland's 1981 Eurovision
Eurovision Song Contest 1981
The Eurovision Song Contest 1981 was the 26th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 4 April 1981 at the Simmonscourt Pavilion of the Royal Dublin Society in Dublin. The presenter was Doireann Ní Bhriain...
entrant, Riki Sorsa
Riki Sorsa
Esko Richard "Riki" Sorsa is a popular pop Finnish singer. He has started his career in 1975 in the band ZOO. In Eurovision Song Contest 1981 has represented his country with the entry Reggae OK, a typical rock song in Finnish which has ended in 16th...
and finished second.
In 1986, he entered another song, "Päivä kahden ihmisen", which was originally intended for singer Kaija Koo
Kaija Koo
Kaija Kokkola , better known by her stage name Kaija Koo, is a Finnish singer.Kaija began her career when she was 17 years old, as a member of a band Steel City, later known as Kaija Koo Band, until it broke down and Kaija Koo became a soloist. Her debut solo album Kun savukkeet on loppuneet was...
. However, she declined the chance to participate, so Kuivalainen decided to perform the song himself at the National Final, where he was the choice of the jury (by a margin of only one point over former Eurovision participant Kirka) to go forward to represent Finland at the 31st Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1986
The Eurovision Song Contest 1986 was the 31st Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 3 May 1986 in the Grieg Hall in Bergen, Norway. It was the first occasion on which Norway played host to the contest...
. Prior to the contest, Kuivalainen changed some of the lyrics to the song, and although it was sung in Finnish, the title was changed to "Never the End
Never The End
"Never The End" was the Finnish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1986, performed in Finnish by Kari Kuivalainen...
", which appeared on screen on the night of the contest and is the name by which the song is commonly known. The 1986 contest took place in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
on 3 May, with "Never the End" finishing in 15th place of the 20 entries.
Kuivalainen subsequently became a member of band Menneisyyden Vangit, alongside another Eurovision veteran, Vicky Rosti
Vicky Rosti
Virve "Vicky" Rosti is a Finnish singer of popular music. Her most famous songs include "Kun Chicago kuoli" , "Tuolta saapuu Charlie Brown" , "Menolippu" , "Oon voimissain" , "Sata salamaa"...
.