Kreisiraadio
is an very popular three-man team, who
first met up in the city of Tartu. Having
recognised each other’s hidden comedic
desires Peeter Oja, Hannes Võrno and Tarmo
Leinatamm immediately decided to crack some
jokes and this is what they are still doing
today. In April 1993, the trio started their
radio careers and continued onto Estonian
national television, and in many other places
where people have tolerated them. They do not
set limits in their activities and could care
less about established practices. And this is
why they have no real competitors in Estonia.
Kreisiraadio
has tried their hand at everything during
their lifetime. They have performed in opera,
conducted a symphonic orchestra and acted in
films, not to even mention their countless TV
and radio performances. Kreisiraadio has a
section named after it under the Estonian
National Culture Fund and soon Kreisiraadio
will publish a book and open a pub also called
Kreisiraadio.
Hannes Võrno
has a higher education in fashion design and
is most widely known as a TV show host. For
years, Hannes has been voted one of the best
compères around. He is the host of the
Estonian version of "Who Wants To Be A
Millionaire?" He has been a member of
parliament and was recently awarded the rank
of junior lieutenant by the President of the
Republic of Estonia. Hannes is also a reserve
army officer.
Peeter Oja
is a actor, who stopped working as an
on-the-staff actor in the mid-1980s and has
enjoyed the joys and sorrows of a freelancer
now for a couple of decades. Peeter is one of
the hosts of the most viewed socially critical
ridicule show on an Estonian commercial TV
channel and the recognised author of widely
commented newspaper articles.
Tarmo
Leinatamm is a orchestra conductor, whom the
viewers of the 1996 and 1997 Eurovision Song
Contest would have seen conducting the
orchestra. Tarmo also finds time to host TV
shows for almost ten years. Tarmo has also
been a member of parliament. All counted, he
has nine professions.
Once the
trio announced their plans to enter the
Estonian Eurovision selection, they became the
hot favourites to take the Estonian ticket to
Belgrade. They involved two songwriters which
extensive Eurovision experience, to help them
on their way. Priit Pajusaar has composed
three previous Estonian Eurovision entries;
Kaelakee Hääl (Sound of Necklace) which
finished 5th in Oslo in 1996, "Diamond Of
Night" which finished 6th in Jerusalem in
1999 and "Tii" which failed to
qualify for the final in 2004. Priit has also
been involved in several other songs in the
Estonian national finals. Fellow songwriter
Glen Pilvre was the co-composer of
"Tii" and "Diamond Of
Night" and his first experience of the
Eurovision Song Contest came as a backing
singer in 1996.
"Leto
Svet" was a controversial choice of
winner in Estonia, as like in Ireland many
people felt that the high public profile of
the performers meant that a novelty song had
an unfair advantage over musically more worthy
songs in the selection.
Unlike other
novelty entries, the Estonian entry has not
gained international attention and is not one
of the favourites to qualify from the
semi-final, perhaps because of its unfortunate
position in the running order and the poor
recent record of Estonia at Eurovision. The
song has also failed to gain much support in
internet fan polls.