Meet the representative of OGAE Finland:
Jarkko is no stranger to FANvision. He represented OGAE Finland before and even won the contest back in 2021 with the Finnish version of “Rise Like A Phoenix” called “Saan voiman uuden”.
This year Jarkko will try his luck once more and will represent OGAE Finland. Back in December he won the preselection at the Christmas Party of OGAE Finland, where he sang “We Should Be Through“ by Mikael Saari. Mikael was competing with this song in the Finnish Preselection UMK in 2013, but missed out on winning the ticket to Eurovision.
| NAME | Jarkko Timonen (Stage name: Jake) |
|---|---|
| FAN CLUB | OGAE Finland |
| SONG | We Should Be Through (Mikael Saari - Finnish preselection 2013) |
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Why did your choose this song, what does it mean to you!
Back in 2013 I was living in Lahti as a newly graduated radiographer. Back then I had only trained my voice all by myself, mostly at home and I realized that I need some assistance to improve my vocal abilities and to become a better singer. I contacted a male vocal coach who was a classical/opera style vocalist. I had multiple lessons with him and one time he told that he would be attending UMK with a guy named Mikael Saari whose vocal coach he also was. So my vocal coach would play cello alongside Mikael in the UMK final performance! I thought how cool is that! Once I heard the song ”We Should Be Through” it instantly resonated in my body in a very emotional way. It feels like if the song was written from the past events of my own life and that is why it feels so personal and I get very emotional every time even when I only rehearse it. Watching UMK 2013 I thought that someday I want to know how to sing that ballad in a way Mikael does. Mikael has a great voice and I’ve always wanted to sing like him. I was not able to do that in many years but last November I finally felt confident and I performed the song live for the first time in the Finnish OGAE pre-Christmas party. And here I am now.
What did you feel when you were nominated by your Fanclub to represent at FANvision?
I thought that it is a privilege to get to do this again. The Eurovision fan audience has always been and always will be the best audience for me. I’m really excited to get to perform this song again in Hamburg.
What are your personal interests?
I love karaoke and singing of course and that is my hobby number one. I also love to do sports and nowadays I go to Crossfit classes every week.
What is your personal connection to the Eurovision Song Contest? Maybe you want to share your first Eurovision memory with us?
My first memory of Eurovision is when CatCat competed with ’Bye Bye Baby’ in Eurovision 1994. I was only five years old. I also remember ’Love Shine a Light’ and ’Diva’ from 1997 and 1998. When I was growing up I always watched Eurovision with my mom and in 2006 I wanted to even come home from a party with my friends to watch the Eurovision results with my family. My mom had always told me that someday if Finland wins Eurovision, they would play ’Porilaisten marssi (March of the Björneborgers)’ after the show which is traditionally played after huge Finnish achievements. And they played it right after the show just as my mom had predicted! I´m not a nationalist but back then I was really honoured to be Finnish.
What do you do apart from being a Eurovision Fan?
I live together with my fiancé and two cats. And I am still a radiographer/X-ray therapist and I work in a hospital emergency unit.
What’s your favourite Eurovision song of all time?
I Can I mention three? Doris Dragović - Marija Magdalena, Pastora Soler – Quédate Conmigo and of course Conchita Wurst – Rise Like a Phoenix. I really like big ballads with strong vocals. Of course I love some goofier stuff too, such as Dancing Lasha Tumbai from Verka Serduchka. Oh well that was four combined.
Meet the Finnish
Head of Delegation:
Meet Heljä, a long time Eurovision Fan from Finland. She’s been following Eurovision since 1975, with only one show back then. She used to sing in a choir in her teens and is still using her voice when listening to Eurovision songs - but now in the audience. Being a Eurovision Fan and travelling to see ESC live events has created many new friendships for her and she appreciates to meet each other in different cities every May.
| NAME | Heljä Heineman |
|---|---|
| CLUB | OGAE Finland #euroviisuklubi and/ or #ogaefinland |
| FUNCTION IN THE CLUB | Head of Delegation (after 2021, when OGAE Finland won FANvision) |
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How did your club find your representative?
We have an annual Show Contest in OGAE Finland's Xmas party and the winner receives the privilege to represent Finland in the FANvision contest. Last time we had 9 competing acts.
Does your club bring a lot of supporters for your act?
I wish, the more - the merrier!
What do you wish for your contestant
As I know his performance is very emotional I hope those emotions will be reflected to the audience too!
Your club is in the race for winning FANvision, what’s outstanding about your club?
OGAE Finland is the oldest and one of the largest clubs for Eurovision Fans. We are a club with members from whole families. We have been organising the Eurovision Cruise in August since 2010, meet for preview parties, summer picnics and certainly the annual Xmas party, where fans all over Finland com together.
What’s your favourite Eurovision song of all time?
Spain 1990 Bandido and Iceland 2007 Valentine Lost are my favourites. Recently I have been listening to Cha Cha Cha a lot!
What do you appreciate in particular in a performance in FANvision ? What would you want to see on stage and what might convince you to give a high vote?
The ability to make me feel something special - sadness or joy, it does not really matter - is more important than the pitch perfect vocal capability. I have to be able to connect to the emotion that the performer expresses on stage.
