Käärijä live at the Fusion Club – 10 May 2023. Picture by Laura Slominski.
Liverpool’s Fusion Club was set ablaze on May 10 as Finland’s new national treasure Käärijä graced the stage for an exclusive pre-contest gig.
The news of a Käärijä live appearance at the WiwiJam had sent a wave of anticipation through the city, with Eurofans from all corners of the globe turning out at Fusion to catch a glimpse of Eurovision 2023’s hot fan favourite.
Dedicated supporters queued for hours lining Fleet Street in hopes of bagging tickets on the door…
However the overwhelming demand resulted in disappointment for some, with the venue gaining full capacity in the blink of an eye.
Inside the cramped club a slew of fans gathered to press tightly against the barricade, keen to secure prime position for a more personal piece of the “crazy, party” action.
Opening the line-up for a string of other Eurovision acts that night, the pint-sized powerhouse descended the stairs from on high to unrelenting chants of “Käärijä!”
There was no denying that the simmering crowd had officially been cranked up to boiling point as the rapper swaggered to centre stage.
He had ditched his trademark neon green bolero – instead stripped back to his classic bare torso form.
This was a care-free and liberated Käärijä, embodying the true ‘paidaton riehuja’ (translating to ‘shirtless rampager,’) spirit.
With his two backing singers in tow, Käärijä wasted no time in pouring his gasoline charisma on the already fired up crowd.
Growling out the menacing opening bars of his Eurovision hit “Cha Cha Cha,” a bellow of “LETS GOOOOO!” signalled an eruption of mayhem on the dancefloor.
“Cha Cha Cha” is a track penned entirely in Finnish, and though the lyrics may have been lost on non-natives, it didn’t matter one bit.
The audience could echo back the simple “Cha Cha Cha” hook with a fervour strong enough to shake the very foundations of Fusion.
Käärijä — modern day man’s Dionysus
Käärijä had total command of the rowdy rabble before him, soaking up the excited energy while serving the chaotic and confident aura of Dionysus –
A fitting comparison as the Greek god of wine and pleasure, where Dionysus’ ecstatic dance was said to free his followers from self-conscious fear and care – just like the message conveyed in “Cha Cha Cha.”
This intimate event organised by Wiwibloggs was just one of many Eurovision festivities being held in the beating heart of Liverpool during the Eurovision week.
It provided a golden opportunity for those competing in the 2023 edition to engage with fans and fine-tune their skills for the upcoming televised events.
At the Eurovision Grand Final, Käärijä took the silver medal finishing in highly commendable second place and achieving the second highest number of televote points ever (376 points,) after last year’s champions Kalush Orchestra from Ukraine.
From artist anonymity back in his home country of Finland, to reaching the dizzying heights of viral fame overnight – Käärijä has proved himself as a cultural phenomenon and master of his craft.
“Cha Cha Cha” is a genre-bending, risk-taking package that has certainly paid off, the Euro-banger already solidifying itself as a timeless and record-breaking classic that transcends European borders.
No, Käärijä didn’t win. He conquered.
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