Check out my new video reviewing the UK and Finnish entries to Eurovison!

I made this video because Heart n Soul, London’s leading disability arts organisation, gave me the heads up about a band from Finland that have learning disabilities, that have been picked to represent their country in the Eurovison Song Contest this year.

Obviously I was very excited about this. I went away and researched as much as I could about this band, and read-up what people were saying as this was the first ever act with learning disabilities to be entered into Eurovision!

The band’s name is Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät – say that 3 times fast when drunk! – or PKN for short. They are a punk band from Helsinki in Finland. And that’s another Eurovision first as there has never been a punk entry before.

I listened to the PKN entry and the UK entry and compared them. I won’t say too much before you have seen the video and heard a clip from each song – make up your own mind, and comment below to let me know what you think.

I thought it was important – as a disabled journalist – to make a video about this as it’s such an important event for disability.

As I said before, and in the video, this has never been done before. A band with learning disabilities has made it into Eurovision. We are making history! Not we as in just you and I, but PKN, Finland and the whole world.

It is important to have a band like this in such a high profile event because it shows that people can do what they want to do. It’s not all about the money. They do it because they love it. It’s not all about being famous and being the ‘big I am’ all the time.

And what are their prospects in the competition?

Well I’m not going to say either way. Whatever happens, happens. They’re making history and they’re having fun with it, which is what Eurovision is all about. I want them to win, for them. I’m just repeating the video now! You’ll see this later, I promise! What will be, will be.

What’s important is that it hasn’t stopped being spoken about because it’s news. It’s really cool that a band with learning disabilities are going to be on TV; they are going to represent their country. I know musicians with learning disabilities that are in bands and PKN could be the breakthrough that they need to get more mainstream recognition.

And what do I think of their music?

It’s an acquired taste. Am I the biggest fan of their music? No. But am I because of their story? Absolutely.

I know bands with learning disabilities like The Fish Police and Too Hot For Candy that are slowly getting more recognition. It is going up in the world. And it will happen eventually our end but I think Finland have beaten us. I don’t like to say we’ve been beaten. And it’s not all about the time it takes, but they have beaten us and why not be happy for them.

The PKN song is called ‘Aina mun pitää’ and the band entered to raise awareness about Down’s Syndrome. And for me it’s great as it’s exactly the type of story I love reporting on. I want to open people’s eyes, and to encourage them to not be scared to do whatever they want to do with their lives.

However, since writing this original blog post, I have learned that sadly PKN and the UK entry haven’t made it into the Eurovision final on Saturday. I think it’s great that they made it this far. It’s a really positive story. So let’s all jump on the learning disability music bandwagon!!