Category: Article

KEiiNO returns to Melodi Grand Prix

KEiiNO returns to Melodi Grand Prix

It is time for a new round of Norway’s largest music competition, and many artists return to the MGP stage.

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BACK IN THE MANEGE: KEiiNO is among the artists returning to Eurovision

PHOTO: JULIA MARIE NAGLESTAD / NRK

The trio, KEiiNO, is back for the third time, after they won the popular vote in Eurovision 2019 and came second in MGP 2021.

Is the third time the one to strike luck?

“We hope so! Its been a dream of ours to win Eurovision since we were children. And now we’re back with an energetic song that hopefully gets people to enjoy themselves. We’re excited,” said Keiino member, Alexandra Rotan.

Third semi-final, January 27 – KEiiNO: “Damdiggida”

Lyrics and music: Alexandra Rotan, Fred Buljo, Tom Hugo Hermansen, Alexander N. Olsson and Jakob Redtzer

Indsæt billede:
FOTO: JULIA MARIE NAGLESTAD / NRK

Listen to, “Damdiggida”, on Spotify

Five years have passed since KEiiNO combined indigenous Norwegian melodies, joik and danceable pop for the first time, and the unique sound has gained a large international audience. Since KEiiNO won the hearts of viewers in Eurovision in 2019, they have released 28 songs, topped the charts, become radio favourites, won awards and been nominated for the Spellemann award.

Most of the trio’s 150 million plays on Spotify and YouTube come from abroad. KEiiNO has, among other things, toured Australia twice and played to large crowds in Europe several times.

For Alexandra, Fred and Tom Hugo, the Eurovision Song Contest is the European Pop Championship. When they suddenly had a song they thought would engage a lot of people, they wanted to make another attempt to take the victory home.

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KEiiNO in MGP 2024

By Linda Karina Brandt, KEIiNO NEWS, January 5th, 2024

After KEiiNO reached 6th place in Eurovision 2019, the speculations have gone on yearly, wether or not they would participate in Melodi Grand Prix again. Every year, fans have speculated, hoped, crossed their fingers and they were THRILLED when the announcement came in 2021, that KEiiNO would participate that year, with their amazing song, Monument, where during the filming of the music video, in Norway’s most beautiful places, Fred slipped and nearly fell off a mountain. A big scare, which we all didn’t know about until a few months later, when it was revealed in an article. Thank goodness he “only” hurt his head, and it didn’t go worse than that.

As all fans know, in the MGP finale, Monument came in second after “Fallen Angel” with Tix. Fans were bummed, disappointed and some also angry, although we have to admit that Fallen Angel WAS a good song, and Tix presented it beautifully at Eurovision that year. I think it grew on all of us, once the disappointment had settled.

Since 2021, fans have again speculated, yearly, wether or not KEiiNO would join MGP again. In 2022, no. in 2023, no. but around new year 2024, little hints in form of recap videos began showing on their instagram. Very soon fans picked up the hints and the theory of them joining THIS year was larger than the two years before. As the week went by, more and more hints, fans became more and more sure – in fact so sure that the KEiiNO Fan Group Official on Facebook, last night had a special balloon made for KEiiNO with, “good luck” printed on, for the fan group manager to hand to them at the MGP reveal today.

It was a very long hour from 12.50 and the news started, and when the participants were presented one by one, from 13.00, but FINALLY all the fans’ hopes and expectations were fulfilled – KEiiNO was presented as participants, with their brand new single, “Damdiggida”, written by Alexander N. Olsson, Tom Hugo Hermansen, Alexandra Rotan, Jakob Redtzer, and Fred Buljo.

With this to look very much forward to, we wish KEiiNO all the best of luck in MGP 2024, can’t wait to see them perform again.

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Alexandra (27) shares happy news with her boyfriend, Markus (29)

Alexandra Rotan (27) shares happy news with boyfriend Markus (29)

Aexandra Rotan (27) is a Norwegian artist, who has really shown that she is skilled and talented.
We know her best as the lead vocalist of the band “KEiiNO”, which back in 2019 won the Norwegian Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Spirit in the Sky”.
The song was a huge hit and in the Eurovision final, held in Tel Aviv, the band finished in sixth place.
In 2021, the band tried again with the song “Monument” but finished in second place behind artist TIX.
Alexandra impressed again when she participated in “Battle of the stars” in 2021. She then finished in second place, after Bjorn Tomren who won the title.
It was last year that the artist was able to reveal that life also smiled in private. Rotan confirmed that she had a boyfriend.
“Yes, I’ve got a boyfriend! I’m happy. Have no comment beyond that,” Rotan told Dagbladet.
Alexandra’s chosen one is guitarist Markus Maaren Bastøe (29).
Alexandra Rotan reveals new step in their relationship.
The KEiiNO artist has until now lived at Eidsvoll Verk, but now Rotan announces that the couple is moving to the capital together, she tells Eidsvoll Ullensaker blad.
Thus, the 27-year-old has put her apartment up for sale.
– It is quite sad as I have enjoyed it immensely, and have spent time and effort to make the apartment gorgeous if I dare to say so myself. But then my boyfriend is gorgeous too, and he drew the longest straw,” she told the newspaper.
Alexandra adds that her heart will always belong to Råholt, but that “it will be very exciting to try out living in the city”.
Lovely Alexandra! Congratulations and good luck with your move.
This article Alexandra Rotan (27) shares the happy news with her boyfriend Markus (29) was first published by Newsner Norsk.

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NEW PLANS: Alexandra Rotan opens up about new plans. Photo: Andreas Fadum/See and Hear

New step with the boyfriend

New step with the boyfriend
– He drew the longest straw

Dagbladet.no Monday, September 18th, 2023
Translated by Karina Brandt. KEiiNO NEWS

Last year, artist and KEiiNO star Alexandra Rotan, 27, shared the pleasant news that she had a boyfriend.
“yes, I’ve got a boyfriend! I’m happy. Have no comment beyond that,” Rotan told Dagbladet, while choosing to keep her chosen one secret.
Later that year, however, she revealed that it was guitarist Markus Maaren Bastøe (29) who had captured her heart.
To Eidsvoll Ullensaker Blad, Rotan can now reveal that they are taking their relationship a step further and moving to the capital together. Until now, she has lived at Eidsvoll Verk, but now the apartment has been put up for sale.
– It is quite sad as I have enjoyed it immensely and have spent time and effort to make the apartment gorgeous if I dare to say so myself. But then my boyfriend is gorgeous too, and he drew the longest straw,” she told the newspaper.
The 27-year-old does not hide the fact that her heart will always belong to Råholt, but that she thinks “it will be very exciting to try out living in the city”.
Earlier this year, Rotan revealed to Se og hør, that she met her boyfriend when he was a guitarist in KEiiNO.
“I noticed right away that he’s the right one,” she said.

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CONCERT: Lindebøskauen school at Flekkeroy has cancelled the concert with Tom Hugo Hermansen after complaints from several parents. Photo: Google Street View

People at Flekkeroy react after cancelled concert:- Embarrassing to be associated with

Several have expressed great disappointment after it became known that Lindebøskauen school at Flekkeroy has cancelled the concert with Tom Hugo Hermansen.

It was announced on Friday, that several schools have cancelled concerts with artist, Tom Hugo Hermansen, known from KEiiNO, as a result of several complaints from parents.
The concert is part of Den KulturSkolesekken and contains love songs written by the artist and his husband Alexander Olsson. It is the content of some of the songs that should be the reason for the concerts have been cancelled.

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CONTROVERSIAL: Tom Hugo Hermansen (43), known from MGP and the group KEiiNO, is currently performing the performance, "Eden – Straight pop with queer role models", at schools in Kristiansand. Photo: Tom Hansen

It affects innocent children who work to accept their differences

Tom Hugo Hermansen (43), known from MGP and the group KEiiNO, is currently performing the performance, “Eden – Straight pop with queer role models”, at schools in Kristiansand. Photo: Tom Hansen

I really feel sorry for the children who had been looking forward to going to a concert with their role model, Tom Hugo, as part of the cultural schoolbag, but is deprived of the opportunity.

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School cancels concert with Tom Hugo after reactions From parents

KRISTIANSAND: – It is a bit special that they cancel because of one group of parents who will censor culture. The only thing we want is to make difference harmless. They probably haven’t seen the concert or misunderstood what the lyrics are about, says Tom Hugo Hermansen, to Fædrelansvennen.
Among other things, he is known from the group KEiiNO, which has won Norwegian
Eurovision Song Contest.

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The dream scholarship is a unique opportunity for cultural practitioners who dare to dream big

EIDSVOLL: She has been a smash hit with the band KEIINO and established herself as one of the country’s most popular artists. Alexandra Rotan herself has no doubt that the ability to dream big has been important to her now living solely on music. Therefore, the chairman of the jury for the Dream Scholarship 2023 hopes that young artists and cultural practitioners will make the trip to the application portal by Tuesday 15 November at 12.00 and give themselves the chance to become one of 50 scholarship winners in 2023.

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Song review: “Alt for Norge” – finally in a new version

Football songs that are made solely to be there, tend to be a bit small, full of bragging and nationalistically charged words.

For someone who for 28 years has had a strained relationship with the football song “Alt for Norge”, first and foremost due to Jørn Lande’s affected and pompous “heavy ballad vocals” full of emotion, it is liberating to hear the new version with Alexandra Rotan, from Keiino, as a vocalist.

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