Axel Åhman from KAJ on the Journey to Eurovision - Aurora Music Forum 20.09.2025

Axel's full talk from Aurora Forum in September. Many thanks to Brenna for the visual footage! Audio recording and the final video by me, teamwork prevails :) Videos start from 3:30, detailed timestamps below.
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Join a personal interview with Axel Åhman — comedian, writer, and artist — as he shares his path from the Swedish-speaking Finnish comedy group KAJ to performing on Europe’s biggest music stage. How did a Finland-Swedish comedy group end up winning Melodifestivalen and reaching the Eurovision Song Contest? An open and entertaining conversation about creativity, identity, and daring to step into the spotlight.

Axel Åhman is a Swedish-speaking Finnish author, comedian, and artist, known both as a member of the comedy group KAJ and for his acclaimed literary works. During Aurora Music Forum, we will have an exclusive Spot On interview with Åhman, where he shares his journey from humor and storytelling to the world’s biggest music competitions. With KAJ, he won Melodifestivalen 2025 with the song Bara bada bastu and is representing Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest. What is it like to bring his unique humor and music to Europe’s biggest music stage? What happens behind the scenes at Eurovision?
(from auroramusicforum.com/events/axel-ahman-on-the-journey-to-eurovision/)

0:00:00 intro
0:01:40 Axel's quote
0:03:20 summary of how KAJ started
0:03:55 first gig story; more gigs
0:05:15 learning and growing
0:06:18 gradual progress is better than immediate stardom, especially for young people
0:07:27 Wasa teater and Pjäs elo pjas
0:08:13 DIY music videos
0:08:43 bad at setting big goals; KAJ 10 and afterwards
0:10:37 contacted for Mello and considering
0:12:16 why did you say yes to Mello?
0:12:59 next step: song
0:13:47 how musicals helped
0:15:05 first BBB demo
0:17:37 Jåo nåo and fans mention
0:18:11 "wacky quota"
0:20:55 vintage retro group
0:22:59 end of underdogs run
0:25:50 vibe from Mello stage
0:28:35 crazy and weird "might eat at Mello"
0:29:57 record label and handling sudden popularity
0:32:45 chances of winning Mello
0:35:24 odds at Eurovision and expectations pressure
0:37:01 Swedish delegation help, hectic spring
0:38:30 Swedish vs Italian approach to media
0:40:13 placing 4th
0:42:31 new audience and old KAJ-style
0:43:40 KAJce mention
0:44:09 new fans who like the old stuff and will stick around (true!)
0:45:22 deeply rooted KAJ songs take time to make
0:47:33 Q&A: changed perception of oneself
0:50:22 Q&A: favorite thing to do with KAJ
0:52:43 Q&A: mental preparation and coping
0:55:39 would have been worse if it was 10 years ago
0:56:45 Q&A: friendship and support
0:58:59 Q&A: balancing own projects with KAJ stuff
1:00:06 what contributed to the Mello win
1:02:31 Thanks!