Elina Orkoneva: "Last year I didn’t have the courage but this year I was ready to join the party!"

Im excited cause this is going to be the 3rd interview of the year YAY! Its the turn of ahother UMK 2013 finalist, here are the answers of the lovely and talented ELINA ORKONEVA:


Name: Elina Orkoneva 
Zodiac sign: Virgo
Height: 1.63cm 
Favorite Color: Orange
Favourite food: Italian food! 
Eye color: Mixture of green, blue and grey. 
Where are you right now?: Where I want to be with my life (physically I'm at home :) )
3 Fears: Naive but losing a loved one. Losing my voice. Spiders. 
What’s your strangest talent?: It's not that strange but I love to crochet, for Christmas I did something with my own hands to my family. I'm just not sure if I'm talented at it..... 
Do you have any nicknames?: Many. Eppu to mention one. Lelu to mention another one. That means ”toy” in Finnish! :D 
Home alone and you're bored. What do you do?: Practice and sing. Or watch movies. 
What are you really good at?: Cooking and listening. 
What are you really bad at?: Haha, many things! :D 
Childhood idol: Lauri Ylönen from The Rasmus.
Favorite movie: All the Disney-movies! 
Tell me something no one knows about you: Someone always knows, I don't really have any dirty secrets. Sorry!
What would you do if you were invisible?: Follow some truly famous people to see how their normal life goes on with paparazzi's and all the traffic around them all the time.
Tell me a super power you wish you had: I would love to be a time traveler.
What is your guilty pleasure?: Weird tv-series that no one has ever heard of. At least none of my friends! 
Name a song that never fails to make you happy: Emma Salokoski Ensemble - Veden alla. Absolutely a beautiful song. Or Sinne Eeg – Waiting for Dawn or Higway One. There are so many! When I was younger ”Killing Me Softly” was my favourite. 
Tell me one of your bad habits: I stress too much, that could be counted as a bad habit right? 
Can you teach me some interesting words in finnish: Järjestelmällistyttämättömyydelläänsäkäänköhän, that used to be the longest word in Finnish. I have no idea how to translate it to English. I don’t use that word at all either.
When did you start singing & writing?: I started singing when I learned how to talk. Writing my own songs couple years later, okay, probably ten years later. 
If you were me what would you ask to Elina? and tell me your answer:
Hmmh. Why should you win and represent Finland in Eurovision? 
Well, I have the best song! :D And I’m working very hard. It’s my dream to get to play my own music to people. In Eurovision I would play my song to millions of people! And I believe dreams come true if you keep trying very hard. (: 

We're getting closer to the live shows, how do you feel right now?
Pretty good, I've been getting some good and constructive feedback, I have my music video done and all is good :) I’m ready! 

How would you describe yourself as an artist?
I'm really hardworking. I love the gigs, I love performing my own songs and I love to be with the people. I do my music for the people. And I get so much out of it for me too. (: 

I read on facebook that you have a band and you are a vocal teacher, what can you tell me about that?
I have many bands! But this one with my own name on is my dearest one, because it performs my own music. (: I also have a pedagogical education and I focused to be a vocal teacher. I just don’t have time to teach right now because of musician work that I’m doing. I still have my masters to finnish at Sibelius Academy. 

You are one of the 12 acts that are participating in the UMK 2013. How did it all begin?
One of the pre-jury-members heard my gig over a year ago and he told me I should participate this competition. Last year I didn’t have the courage but this year I was ready to join the party! (; 

Photo: anatom.fi (Tom Hakala)

He's not my man is the title of your song. What is the song about? and what made you write it?
I wrote it from my own experience. When studying abroad there was a man that was a bit too interested and I wasn't too keen on him, and he didn't really catch my hints of not being interested. I wrote the song that would tell the message clearly. 

Describe your song with 4 words
Rhythm, fun, strong, love

What can you tell me about the performance of He is not my man? 
It’s a secret! (; You’ll have to watch the show! 

Did you listen to the other songs in the competition? what do you think about them?
Yes, and I can point out Iina Salin's Last Night. Iina is very talented and the song is really good. She’s also very nice! 

What do you like about Eurovision?
It's Europe-wide, something that brings the whole Europe together, a little different from football or ice-hockey. 

What do you dislike about Eurovision?
This is not really a dislike to Eurovision, but it should be advertised more.

Do you like any Eurovision song from Finland?
Katri Helena's Katson Sineen Taivaan, is a good one, Kirka's Hengaillaan also, Vicky Rosti's Sata Salamaa... There are good ones. 

Did you watch Eurovision 2012? what do you think about the winner?
Yes, and the song is really catchy. Its not usual Eurovision song, but it's good. I like it!! 

Apart from this eurovision experience, what are your plans for this year?
Keep on with the normal life (gigs, more songs) and releasing my first record. 

(C) Antti Kokkola 2912

Do you have a message for the Eurovision fans?
I hope you're all having a lovely beginning of the year 2013 (and not as cold as in Finland)! Take care! 

Thank you very much Elina for such a lovely interview, i wish you the best! Good luck on the selection!!

If you want to get more info about her, like her facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/elinaorkonevaensemble

Now lets watch the video of her song:

He's not my man

A little smile and winking eyes

But I can see right through his disguise, 

I know what he's looking for and I know he's looking for some more, but no, 

He's not my man

He asks me if I feel the same

That between us there’s fire and flames, 

Oh boy if he haven't learned it yet, 

That there’s more than one right one that we meet

But only one that can be my man. 

He's not my man, he's not my man,

Oh, I have a master plan, 

I'm gonna do, what I know is right, 

I'm gonna prove that love can last, 

It won't be something that will pass, woo-o-o

I stick to my man, woo-o-o

I stick to my man

He says it's hard to understand

What makes me wanna stay with only one man,

But there's a ring in my left hand, 

That should make him understand,

That I only love my man

He's not my man, he's not my man,

why, I have a master plan, 

I'm gonna do, what I know is right, 

I'm gonna prove that love can last, 

It won't be something that will pass, woo-o-o

I stick to my man, woo-o-o

I stick to my man

It's not because of you,

It’s not the things that you do, 

I have this one love, oh, believe it’s tried and true

It's not because of you,

It's not the things that you do, 

I have this one love, oh, believe it’s tried and true

Oh, It's true

He's not my man,

Oh I have a master plan, 

I'm gonna do, what I know is right, 

I'm gonna prove that love can last, 

It won't be something that will pass, woo-o-o

I stick to my man

But he's not my man,

Oh I have a master plan, 

I'm gonna do, what I know is right, 

I'm gonna prove that love can last, 

It won't be something that will pass, woo-o-o

I stick to my man woo-o-o

I stick to my man woo-o-o

I stick to my man