MOLDOVA - Zdob şi Zdub have released the video of their entry "So Lucky". It was filmed at a theatre in Tirana and so has that concert type feel. The video has a lot of atmosphere in it and the tone is very much different to their live performance during the Moldovan final.
PORTUGAL – Homens de Luta have finally produced their official video. Most if the video was filmed during the recent unrest and demonstrations regarding the current political situation in the country. Not exactly the view of a country that want the contest next year!
SLOVENIA – Maja Keuc presented the new version of her winning Eurovision song this weekend. The song, now entirely in English, is called “No One” The song, although mimed shows that her accent is not bad, but could be better. The presntation on the night will be alot different.
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Sunday 27 March 2011
Friday 18 March 2011
UPDATE 5
More news and videos !
MALTA -The official video came out this week. The vocal and background of the song has changed very little but I think that the video is very clever. Shame that such enthusiasm and message cannot be relayed onto the ESC stage.
SAN MARINO – As partially previewed in the TV presentation, Senit has released a video for “Stand By” It was filmed in a very snowy San Marino, which is a bit strange for a summer song contest!
ICELAND – Firstly, the boys have decided to sing their entry in English – which I am a little disappointed at. The song is now “Coming Home” and a video for this new version was realised this week.
NETHERLANDS – Like Iceland, 3JS will be singing in English. The video for “Never Alone” can be found below.
POLAND – Magdalena has released an English version of “Jestem” called “First class ticket to heaven”. However, due to a poor reception of the song, it has been confirmed that she will be singing in Polish in Germany.
UKRAINE – The controversial winner of the pre-selection, Mika Newton, has released an official video of her song, to be sung in English, “Angel”
FYROM – Vlatko has been very busy in the studio. As well a the Macedonian version, he has been working on an English, Russian and Serbo-Croat version on his song “Rusinska”, however it looks like he will be signing the original Macedonian version during Eurovision. His new video clip of the song is below.
TURKEY – The internally selected Yüksek Sadakat have finally released their video clip of “Live it up” I think the video clip re-affirms that their show at Eurovision will not be much of a ‘show’
MALTA -The official video came out this week. The vocal and background of the song has changed very little but I think that the video is very clever. Shame that such enthusiasm and message cannot be relayed onto the ESC stage.
SAN MARINO – As partially previewed in the TV presentation, Senit has released a video for “Stand By” It was filmed in a very snowy San Marino, which is a bit strange for a summer song contest!
ICELAND – Firstly, the boys have decided to sing their entry in English – which I am a little disappointed at. The song is now “Coming Home” and a video for this new version was realised this week.
NETHERLANDS – Like Iceland, 3JS will be singing in English. The video for “Never Alone” can be found below.
POLAND – Magdalena has released an English version of “Jestem” called “First class ticket to heaven”. However, due to a poor reception of the song, it has been confirmed that she will be singing in Polish in Germany.
UKRAINE – The controversial winner of the pre-selection, Mika Newton, has released an official video of her song, to be sung in English, “Angel”
FYROM – Vlatko has been very busy in the studio. As well a the Macedonian version, he has been working on an English, Russian and Serbo-Croat version on his song “Rusinska”, however it looks like he will be signing the original Macedonian version during Eurovision. His new video clip of the song is below.
TURKEY – The internally selected Yüksek Sadakat have finally released their video clip of “Live it up” I think the video clip re-affirms that their show at Eurovision will not be much of a ‘show’
Tuesday 15 March 2011
THE DRAW
The Eurovision semis and final draw took place on the 15th March at the Düsseldorf Arena hosted by Judith Rackers and Sabine Heinrich. Earlier in the year during the a draw was made to select the semi finals that countries would be split into and as to whether they would be drawn the first or second half of their respective draw.
There were wildcards available for 5 lucky countries. The first two countries drawn out of the hat for each of the semis, and the first from the final, would be able to select their own starting position. Then the remaining countries would then be drawn in order.
Semi-Final 1
Poland and Greece are the wildcards and choose 1 and 19 respectively. The whole draw is as follows
Semi Final 2
Slovakia and Latvia are the wildcards and choose 5 and 17, respectively. The rest of the draw is as follows.
There were wildcards available for 5 lucky countries. The first two countries drawn out of the hat for each of the semis, and the first from the final, would be able to select their own starting position. Then the remaining countries would then be drawn in order.
Semi-Final 1
Poland and Greece are the wildcards and choose 1 and 19 respectively. The whole draw is as follows
Semi Final 2
Slovakia and Latvia are the wildcards and choose 5 and 17, respectively. The rest of the draw is as follows.
For both semis, there will be breaks after song 5 and song 14.
Final
Spain is the wildcard and selects place 22.
France draws 11, followed by Italy at 12. UK is at 14 and Germany picks 16.
The other slots in the final will be selected straight after each semi-final by the qualifying artists.
During the final there will be one break, situated after song 12, which is from Italy.
As you can see, this list has some potential for elevating certain entries and deflating the chances of others.
S-F 1
- Norway has drawn the dreaded number 2 slot, however as this is such a fan favourite I don’t think the draw will have much effect on its qualification chances.
- Finland’s entry is stuck between the rock of Georgia and the high energy of Malta. This could swamp the song, or this difference could make it stand out more.
- Hungary’s well fancied entry comes straight after the break, which is never a good place, as potential voters tend to miss the act straight after a run in proceedings.
- The Greek entry gained last place but I am unsure if this preferential placing will gain them many more votes with their slightly strange song.
- Azerbaijan are second last and this placing has almost guaranteed them a place in the final
SF 2
- Ireland has bagged the coveted final place. Beforehand I would have said this was a borderline case for qualification, but now their chances have increased greatly.
- Israel on the other hand is squashed between FYROM and Slovenia, two very dramatic songs and Dana may well be forgotten about (quite easily)
- We also then have a run of songs (14,15,16, 17) which are all Eastern European pop songs. Will they all run into each other and merge as one?
- Following this run is Denmark’s entry. Again not a favourite to qualify but this draw might give them the few extra votes to gain entry to the final.
This draw has really opened the field up and everthing is to play for!!!
Let's await more news, views and performances to come in the next 8 weeks !
Monday 14 March 2011
BELARUS
A few weeks ago the dong “Born in Belorussia” was presented on TV. Soon after, the song was re-written to be more modern. It was then revealed that the son had been performed as early as April last year, and so the song was officially disqualified. In the meantime a new song has been recorded and a new film clip made. On March 14th, the last official day for entries, Anastasia Vinnikova’s new song “I Love Belarus” was previewed.
The song has a rock mix of traditional and modern instruments, and does sound very Eastern European. The song is quite formulaic and the chorus is quite simple. Anastasia’s voice does not co across very well and at times her voice seems garbled. This type of song is also not the type of song people vote for, especially if the title is “I love (insert country name here that is not your own!)”
I am still not 100% convince this girl will be able to put this off live, especially the middle parts which are quite strained, even with help from several backing singers. I thin she will be able to perform and emote to the audience and camera, but if the voice us bad, she will have no chance.
As far as the presentation in the video, I found that the mix between modern and folk in the music was not matched in the video. I also found the backing singers punching the air very predictable. I think the whole thing would have been much better if it was all one or the other. I think the more folk way of dressing up the song would be softer, as the more modern take, sounds and looks a bit too threatening. I will be very intersted how they decide to style this on the stage.
This is a shame as I don't think this is anywhere as immediate a song as "Iam Belarussian" and not as catchy. I think the song title may well put people off voting for it.
SINGER – Anastasia Vinnikova
SONG – I Love Belarus
MUSIC – Evgeny Oleynik
WORDS – Evgeny Oleynik, Svetlana Geraskova
The song has a rock mix of traditional and modern instruments, and does sound very Eastern European. The song is quite formulaic and the chorus is quite simple. Anastasia’s voice does not co across very well and at times her voice seems garbled. This type of song is also not the type of song people vote for, especially if the title is “I love (insert country name here that is not your own!)”
I am still not 100% convince this girl will be able to put this off live, especially the middle parts which are quite strained, even with help from several backing singers. I thin she will be able to perform and emote to the audience and camera, but if the voice us bad, she will have no chance.
As far as the presentation in the video, I found that the mix between modern and folk in the music was not matched in the video. I also found the backing singers punching the air very predictable. I think the whole thing would have been much better if it was all one or the other. I think the more folk way of dressing up the song would be softer, as the more modern take, sounds and looks a bit too threatening. I will be very intersted how they decide to style this on the stage.
This is a shame as I don't think this is anywhere as immediate a song as "Iam Belarussian" and not as catchy. I think the song title may well put people off voting for it.
SINGER – Anastasia Vinnikova
SONG – I Love Belarus
MUSIC – Evgeny Oleynik
WORDS – Evgeny Oleynik, Svetlana Geraskova
UPDATE 4
Lots of official videos have been released this week.
GEORGIA – As revealed in and earlier update, Eldrine have a new lead singer, Sopho Toroshelidze. They have finally finished the new version of “One More Day” and the new song can beard in their brand new video clip below.
ITALY – the official video clip for the Italian Eurovision entry has been released. As well as showing Raphael and his trumpeter, it also shows inserts of a film. The song is slightly different to the one Raphael sang at San Remo it has been re-written with a few more lines in English, but is also still a bit too long.
FINLAND –We have not heard much from the Finnish entry since it was chosen back in January, however Paradise Oskar has released his official video clip. The video tries to focus on the environmental message of “Da Da Dam” as well as focusing on the artist.
UK – Just 2 days after the song “I can” was premiered on the BBC, Blue have released their pop video. The song is centred around the skyline of London, possibly with some very subconscious references to the upcoming Olympics. 2012 could be a very British year !
ROMANIA – It was way back on New Year Eve when Hotel FM was announced as the Romanian entry. They group has been doing a lot of promotion (as well as being involved in a minor sex scandal!) but they have finally released their promotional clip for the song “Change”. Like last years video, a lot of video trickery is used as well as being a ‘Visit Romania’ showcase!
ALBANIA – It was further back in December when Aurela Gace was voted as the Albanian winner for the ticket to Germany. However it was announced that an English version would be presented at the contest. The preview clip of the new song “Feel the Passion” has been released. The video shows lots of views of Albania whilst Aurelia, in a very strange dress flies about. Note also that the clip is still way over 3mins.
CROATIA – As suggested on the previous update, Daria’s song has had a total overhaul. “Lahor” was changed to “Break a leg” and that English version has been re-written to make the finalised entry “Celebrate” The track has been available for a while but the promo video has just been released. The clip has a party atmosphere as well as lots of costume changes.
GEORGIA – As revealed in and earlier update, Eldrine have a new lead singer, Sopho Toroshelidze. They have finally finished the new version of “One More Day” and the new song can beard in their brand new video clip below.
ITALY – the official video clip for the Italian Eurovision entry has been released. As well as showing Raphael and his trumpeter, it also shows inserts of a film. The song is slightly different to the one Raphael sang at San Remo it has been re-written with a few more lines in English, but is also still a bit too long.
FINLAND –We have not heard much from the Finnish entry since it was chosen back in January, however Paradise Oskar has released his official video clip. The video tries to focus on the environmental message of “Da Da Dam” as well as focusing on the artist.
UK – Just 2 days after the song “I can” was premiered on the BBC, Blue have released their pop video. The song is centred around the skyline of London, possibly with some very subconscious references to the upcoming Olympics. 2012 could be a very British year !
ROMANIA – It was way back on New Year Eve when Hotel FM was announced as the Romanian entry. They group has been doing a lot of promotion (as well as being involved in a minor sex scandal!) but they have finally released their promotional clip for the song “Change”. Like last years video, a lot of video trickery is used as well as being a ‘Visit Romania’ showcase!
ALBANIA – It was further back in December when Aurela Gace was voted as the Albanian winner for the ticket to Germany. However it was announced that an English version would be presented at the contest. The preview clip of the new song “Feel the Passion” has been released. The video shows lots of views of Albania whilst Aurelia, in a very strange dress flies about. Note also that the clip is still way over 3mins.
CROATIA – As suggested on the previous update, Daria’s song has had a total overhaul. “Lahor” was changed to “Break a leg” and that English version has been re-written to make the finalised entry “Celebrate” The track has been available for a while but the promo video has just been released. The clip has a party atmosphere as well as lots of costume changes.
Sunday 13 March 2011
AZERBAIJAN
After a long delay the song for Azerbaijan was revealed on the 13th March. Ironically, ITV had had a mammoth selection process to select the participants to represent Azerbaijan, to which the professional jury surpusingly chose 2 winners - Nigar Camal & Eldar Qasimov , mow known as Ell & Nikki (Ell being the male and Nikki the female.) The song internally chosen for them to sing is called “Running Scared”.
The song is a very contemporary sounding ballad with so rock influences. The verses are quite short and lines are shared between the couple whilst the choruses are sung together. The chorus is very well structured. Usually these kinds of octave moving change can bee very jerky, but this one makes it really stand out. As the song progresses the beat in the background gets stronger but the finish is very weak as the song just kind of stops. Ironically the song is about 12 seconds under so a more memorable finish could be made. As the song progresses you realise that most of the song is sung by Ell. His voice is much more reliable and stronger than hers.
The video is very simple and I suspect that the setting of the ESC performance will be simple too. There will need to be at least 2 backing singers and possibly some dancers to ‘act out’ the story of the song. In addition to this the video tries to make them work together as a couple (considering she is about 10 years his senior… or thereabouts :oP ) There are no other duets in the contest to I feel it will definitely stand out visually.
A much better song than last year. A definite finalist.
SINGER – Ell and Nikki
SONG – Running Scared
MUSIC –
WORDS –
The song is a very contemporary sounding ballad with so rock influences. The verses are quite short and lines are shared between the couple whilst the choruses are sung together. The chorus is very well structured. Usually these kinds of octave moving change can bee very jerky, but this one makes it really stand out. As the song progresses the beat in the background gets stronger but the finish is very weak as the song just kind of stops. Ironically the song is about 12 seconds under so a more memorable finish could be made. As the song progresses you realise that most of the song is sung by Ell. His voice is much more reliable and stronger than hers.
The video is very simple and I suspect that the setting of the ESC performance will be simple too. There will need to be at least 2 backing singers and possibly some dancers to ‘act out’ the story of the song. In addition to this the video tries to make them work together as a couple (considering she is about 10 years his senior… or thereabouts :oP ) There are no other duets in the contest to I feel it will definitely stand out visually.
A much better song than last year. A definite finalist.
SINGER – Ell and Nikki
SONG – Running Scared
MUSIC –
WORDS –
SWEDEN
The final of the Melodifestivalen was held at the Globe Theatre in Stockholm. The share of the voting was 50% international jury and 50% televoting. The favourite with both jury and televote and therefore winning the ticket to Düsseldorf is Eric Saade singing “Popular”
The song is a dance number with lots of repetition. The beginning of the song has a slight military feel with the drumming and whistling parts. This is also emphasised with the dancers’ choreography at the start. The dance routine also centres on some glass panels which the dancers dance behind. These panels are them over to make a cube around him which then explode and shatter the glass so he can escape again. This is a very clever gimmick although I am not sure how pleased the ESC producers will be to have to clear this up in under a minute!
Eric is wearing black underneath a red leather jacket and white trainers. The whole performance as you can probably expect is quite visually outstanding. Eric’s voice is OK and seems to keep the song going with all the distractions around him. The song though is very disappointing. I keep on thinking it is going to turn into “Gasoline” by Dieter Bohlen, or any other Modern Talking song. The chorus is so cheesy and repetitive that although it is the type of song you pick up very easily, it is also the type of song you will hate that you are singing along to.
Although the song is memorable but I don’t think it is they type of song people wil vote for.
Another semi-final fail for Sweden, I think. I also think that the Melodifestivalen needs a revamp and a rethink. The song quality was not up to scratch this year and this has to be rectified.
SINGER – Eric Saade
SONG – Popular
MUSIC – Fredrik Kempe
WORDS – Fredrik Kempe
The song is a dance number with lots of repetition. The beginning of the song has a slight military feel with the drumming and whistling parts. This is also emphasised with the dancers’ choreography at the start. The dance routine also centres on some glass panels which the dancers dance behind. These panels are them over to make a cube around him which then explode and shatter the glass so he can escape again. This is a very clever gimmick although I am not sure how pleased the ESC producers will be to have to clear this up in under a minute!
Eric is wearing black underneath a red leather jacket and white trainers. The whole performance as you can probably expect is quite visually outstanding. Eric’s voice is OK and seems to keep the song going with all the distractions around him. The song though is very disappointing. I keep on thinking it is going to turn into “Gasoline” by Dieter Bohlen, or any other Modern Talking song. The chorus is so cheesy and repetitive that although it is the type of song you pick up very easily, it is also the type of song you will hate that you are singing along to.
Although the song is memorable but I don’t think it is they type of song people wil vote for.
Another semi-final fail for Sweden, I think. I also think that the Melodifestivalen needs a revamp and a rethink. The song quality was not up to scratch this year and this has to be rectified.
SINGER – Eric Saade
SONG – Popular
MUSIC – Fredrik Kempe
WORDS – Fredrik Kempe
RUSSIA
The Russian song was revealed on the 12th March. The Russians decided on an internal selection and chose the song “Get You”. This is sung by Alexey Vorobyov, also known as Alex Sparrow.
Alexey is dressed very casually in black. He is joined of stage by male dancers dressed in white shirt, black trousers and black waistcoats. It all looks a bit formal for the style of song. Alexey also moves around the stage well and does join in with some choreography. He interacts with the crowd well, but saying that the crowd are really enjoying his performance.
The song has been written by prolific Swedish producer RedOne and has a distinct international-pop feel to it. In this respect I feel it will feel and look very familiar to viewers which will gain it more votes, but in the same breath it also feels a bit samey and not new, which may lose it votes.
It has to be said that his voice is not bad. Considering he is singing live and moving around his voice maintains its level throughout the song. If I had one very small criticism I would say that at time (especially the first verse) he has a very strong accent and is not particularly attractive.
Something will have to change for the ESC performance. Firstly, he will need some backing singers, possibly two or three. It would possibly be beneficial for him to find a couple of backing dancers who can also sing as the visual of this song worked really well in this performance. Alexey also had a tendency to focus on the crowd and spent most of the performance with his head down. He will need to learn to focus a little bit more on the cameras and emote a bit more to the voting public.
This is not a bad song for Russia, but also in the current music scene a very up-to-date song. It will get a lot of votes but I am not sure this deserves to be a winner.
SINGER – Alex Sparrow
SONG – Get You
MUSIC – RedOne
WORDS – RedOne
Alexey is dressed very casually in black. He is joined of stage by male dancers dressed in white shirt, black trousers and black waistcoats. It all looks a bit formal for the style of song. Alexey also moves around the stage well and does join in with some choreography. He interacts with the crowd well, but saying that the crowd are really enjoying his performance.
The song has been written by prolific Swedish producer RedOne and has a distinct international-pop feel to it. In this respect I feel it will feel and look very familiar to viewers which will gain it more votes, but in the same breath it also feels a bit samey and not new, which may lose it votes.
It has to be said that his voice is not bad. Considering he is singing live and moving around his voice maintains its level throughout the song. If I had one very small criticism I would say that at time (especially the first verse) he has a very strong accent and is not particularly attractive.
Something will have to change for the ESC performance. Firstly, he will need some backing singers, possibly two or three. It would possibly be beneficial for him to find a couple of backing dancers who can also sing as the visual of this song worked really well in this performance. Alexey also had a tendency to focus on the crowd and spent most of the performance with his head down. He will need to learn to focus a little bit more on the cameras and emote a bit more to the voting public.
This is not a bad song for Russia, but also in the current music scene a very up-to-date song. It will get a lot of votes but I am not sure this deserves to be a winner.
SINGER – Alex Sparrow
SONG – Get You
MUSIC – RedOne
WORDS – RedOne
Saturday 12 March 2011
UK
The UK entrant was announced a few months back as the ‘boyband’ Blue. They have been working hard, writing and producing a song not only for Eurovision, but to make a comeback as a four-piece. The presentation of “I Can” was made on the Graham Norton Show on Friday 11th March.
The four guys were joined by 2 backing singers. They band did very simple choreography walking around the stage, singing in pairs and then forming lines for the choruses, where they did simple and memorable hand gestures to emphasise the lyrics of the song. They were dressed very casually, as Blue always seemed to, but each dressed in a slightly different style, which in part also mirrored their role in the song.
Now the boys were singling live and their performance was at a very high standard. The song is in a typical Blue style - a mid tempo RnB influenced number – and the boys seem very comfortable singing the song. The verses are quite straight forward with a good bridge part but it is the chorus when the song comes into its own. The chorus part is slightly chanted and the fact that there are so few words in the chorus and is repeated quite a few times during the song makes it easy to remember.
It is very much a contemporary song and could be heard on almost any radio station in Europe, not just because they are Blue, but because it is actually a well made song and fits today’s music scene. At this point I am tempted to say that we could be onto a winner, but the phrase ‘to goo for Eurovision’ is also at the back of my mind.
I am pleased to see the band taking this contest seriously, as it could have been too easy to just present a video clip or to mime. Let’s hope the boys get round Europe and get this song heard!
SINGER – Blue
SONG – I can
MUSIC – Lee Ryan, Duncan James
WORDS – Lee Ryan, Duncan James
The four guys were joined by 2 backing singers. They band did very simple choreography walking around the stage, singing in pairs and then forming lines for the choruses, where they did simple and memorable hand gestures to emphasise the lyrics of the song. They were dressed very casually, as Blue always seemed to, but each dressed in a slightly different style, which in part also mirrored their role in the song.
Now the boys were singling live and their performance was at a very high standard. The song is in a typical Blue style - a mid tempo RnB influenced number – and the boys seem very comfortable singing the song. The verses are quite straight forward with a good bridge part but it is the chorus when the song comes into its own. The chorus part is slightly chanted and the fact that there are so few words in the chorus and is repeated quite a few times during the song makes it easy to remember.
It is very much a contemporary song and could be heard on almost any radio station in Europe, not just because they are Blue, but because it is actually a well made song and fits today’s music scene. At this point I am tempted to say that we could be onto a winner, but the phrase ‘to goo for Eurovision’ is also at the back of my mind.
I am pleased to see the band taking this contest seriously, as it could have been too easy to just present a video clip or to mime. Let’s hope the boys get round Europe and get this song heard!
SINGER – Blue
SONG – I can
MUSIC – Lee Ryan, Duncan James
WORDS – Lee Ryan, Duncan James
UPDATE 3
Although most of the songs have been presented, songs are re-written, re-produced and changes made and finalised. Aslo offical video clips are madepublic. Here is around up of some news over the past few days.
HUNGARY – As reported a few days so, the Hungarian song “What about my dreams?” has finally been released with a very professional looking video clip. The song is mostly in English, but the second verse is in the original Hngarian
BELGIUM – Witloof Bay have finally released their video for their entry “With love, baby” The style of the video really suits the song but this type of visual with be almost impossible to recreate on the ESC stage.
SPAIN – Lucia Perez has been very busy over the past 2 weeks making her music video which was filmed during the carnival at Sitges. The song has been slowed very slightly and sounds much more folky than before with more instruments used rather than electronics. I think is needsto be speeded back up again slighty.
IRELAND – the video clip for “Lipstick” has been released. Not sure whether they are at the Eiffel tower or Blackpool tower XD I hope that Jedward are working hard on their choreography for the Semi-final and don’t do their Michael Jackson impressions half way through !
BELARUS – as expected the entry “I am Belarusian” has been replaced due to the fact it had been performed before the EBU opening date. A new song and video imaginatively titled “I love Belarus” has been recorded and filmed over the past few days. The song will be presented on March 14th.
HUNGARY – As reported a few days so, the Hungarian song “What about my dreams?” has finally been released with a very professional looking video clip. The song is mostly in English, but the second verse is in the original Hngarian
BELGIUM – Witloof Bay have finally released their video for their entry “With love, baby” The style of the video really suits the song but this type of visual with be almost impossible to recreate on the ESC stage.
SPAIN – Lucia Perez has been very busy over the past 2 weeks making her music video which was filmed during the carnival at Sitges. The song has been slowed very slightly and sounds much more folky than before with more instruments used rather than electronics. I think is needsto be speeded back up again slighty.
IRELAND – the video clip for “Lipstick” has been released. Not sure whether they are at the Eiffel tower or Blackpool tower XD I hope that Jedward are working hard on their choreography for the Semi-final and don’t do their Michael Jackson impressions half way through !
BELARUS – as expected the entry “I am Belarusian” has been replaced due to the fact it had been performed before the EBU opening date. A new song and video imaginatively titled “I love Belarus” has been recorded and filmed over the past few days. The song will be presented on March 14th.
Friday 11 March 2011
SAN MARINO
The tiny principality made its debut in the 2008 contest, where they sadly (and undeservedly) came last. After a 2 year break, they are making a comeback to the contest. Senit, a well known Italian singer of Eritrean origin, was announced as their singer a few months back but March 11th saw a special programme broadcasted to announce and present her entry called “Stand By”.
The programme consisted as a small interview finished with a prepared video clip of the song – so no live performance. The song is a mid tempo ballad with a kind of retro feel to it, almost Beatles like. The song is quite pleasant and goes by inoffensively, but with little drama. At times the background of the song swamps the vocals, evening a recorded track. I feel that a more stripped back and minimalist track would have made her voice really stand out and the words of the song more meaningful.
I feel that the song, if performed well, could gain some points but I feel this song will be swamped by some of the bigger songs during the semi-fanal. I just hope that another ‘failure’ does not mean another 2 year wait!
SINGER – Senit
SONG – Stand By
MUSIC –
WORDS –
The programme consisted as a small interview finished with a prepared video clip of the song – so no live performance. The song is a mid tempo ballad with a kind of retro feel to it, almost Beatles like. The song is quite pleasant and goes by inoffensively, but with little drama. At times the background of the song swamps the vocals, evening a recorded track. I feel that a more stripped back and minimalist track would have made her voice really stand out and the words of the song more meaningful.
I feel that the song, if performed well, could gain some points but I feel this song will be swamped by some of the bigger songs during the semi-fanal. I just hope that another ‘failure’ does not mean another 2 year wait!
SINGER – Senit
SONG – Stand By
MUSIC –
WORDS –
Thursday 10 March 2011
UPDATE 2
A few more odds and sods news stories from the last few days
SWEDEN – the “andre chansen” round of Melodifestivalen seemed to be in the middle of a voting fiasco. Many viewers and internet groups seemed to be a little surprised by the voting outcomes of the second chance round. From further viewing, it appears that not once, not twice but three times during the programme the wrong voting numbers were put up below certain songs. STV have maintained that this did not affect the end result and the result stands. Not all ESC fans will find this acceptable. I think this may run, even past the final on Saturday...
SLOVAKIA - Still no footage of the girls singing live, but they have released their official video. Am starting to wonder if no live performance up to now is suggesting they can’t do one… Still 2 months before they can hide no more!
CROATIA – it looks like the Croatian entry is getting a total overhaul and makeover. It also looks like the strange title “Break a leg” will be no more! Although the melody will be the same, the song will be re-written for the title “Celebrate” Lyricist Boris Djurdjevic has been working with Daria to make a final version of the song in time for the submission date of March 14th. Hopefully a video clip will be on the internet soon.
SWEDEN – the “andre chansen” round of Melodifestivalen seemed to be in the middle of a voting fiasco. Many viewers and internet groups seemed to be a little surprised by the voting outcomes of the second chance round. From further viewing, it appears that not once, not twice but three times during the programme the wrong voting numbers were put up below certain songs. STV have maintained that this did not affect the end result and the result stands. Not all ESC fans will find this acceptable. I think this may run, even past the final on Saturday...
SLOVAKIA - Still no footage of the girls singing live, but they have released their official video. Am starting to wonder if no live performance up to now is suggesting they can’t do one… Still 2 months before they can hide no more!
CROATIA – it looks like the Croatian entry is getting a total overhaul and makeover. It also looks like the strange title “Break a leg” will be no more! Although the melody will be the same, the song will be re-written for the title “Celebrate” Lyricist Boris Djurdjevic has been working with Daria to make a final version of the song in time for the submission date of March 14th. Hopefully a video clip will be on the internet soon.
Wednesday 9 March 2011
HUNGARY
After a year long break, Hungary decided to re-enter the 2011 contest. After careful consideration they decided to go for an internal selection. Many names and songs had been rumoured to have been put forward. On the 9th of March MTV held a public press conference to announce their entry. As it happened, one of the rumoured internet favourites for the ticket was chosen as their entry, as Kati Wolf will sing for Hungary with the song “"What About My Dreams?"
The song, which was released in February, had the Hungarian title “Szerelem, Miért Múlsz” (Love why do you pass?). The song is a dance song with different tempo changes. The verses are sung quite slowly, whilst the choruses are such quicker. The tempo changes work really well and the chorus itself is vey well constructed. She seems to have a good voice and good range and she can certainly sing live (as the live video below shows) This year’s Eurovision lacks a lot of dance numbers like this in this year’s contest and I think this is a very ‘Eurovision’ song without being overly cheesy or formulaic.
There are quite a few buts though.
The rumours seem to be that the song will be a partly Hungarian/English affair, which I am not sure I agree with. I think the Hungarian version itself stands alone and they need to be very careful with messing about with a proven format!
The live version does show that she can sing and move at the same time, which is a plus point for performance. She will probably need a number of backing singers on stage with her. Part of me thinks some dancers might emphasise the song whilst part f methinks that the song should be able to sell itself.
Plus it must also be pointed out that the full Hungarian version is over 4 minutes long. Now, this will need a severe cut for the Eurovision stage. There are a few instrumental points in the song as well as a few verses that could be omitted with would not detract the pull of the song.
I think the whole of the Eurovision community will be looking forward with some trepidation to the final version –however that might sound!
SINGER – Kati Wolf
SONG – What about my dreams?
MUSIC – Viktor Rakonczay, Gergő Rácz
WORDS – Johnny K. Palmer
The song, which was released in February, had the Hungarian title “Szerelem, Miért Múlsz” (Love why do you pass?). The song is a dance song with different tempo changes. The verses are sung quite slowly, whilst the choruses are such quicker. The tempo changes work really well and the chorus itself is vey well constructed. She seems to have a good voice and good range and she can certainly sing live (as the live video below shows) This year’s Eurovision lacks a lot of dance numbers like this in this year’s contest and I think this is a very ‘Eurovision’ song without being overly cheesy or formulaic.
There are quite a few buts though.
The rumours seem to be that the song will be a partly Hungarian/English affair, which I am not sure I agree with. I think the Hungarian version itself stands alone and they need to be very careful with messing about with a proven format!
The live version does show that she can sing and move at the same time, which is a plus point for performance. She will probably need a number of backing singers on stage with her. Part of me thinks some dancers might emphasise the song whilst part f methinks that the song should be able to sell itself.
Plus it must also be pointed out that the full Hungarian version is over 4 minutes long. Now, this will need a severe cut for the Eurovision stage. There are a few instrumental points in the song as well as a few verses that could be omitted with would not detract the pull of the song.
I think the whole of the Eurovision community will be looking forward with some trepidation to the final version –however that might sound!
SINGER – Kati Wolf
SONG – What about my dreams?
MUSIC – Viktor Rakonczay, Gergő Rácz
WORDS – Johnny K. Palmer
ISRAEL
The Israeli final took place on March 8th at the Culture Hall in Rishon LeZion. After a bizarre mix of televoting (48%) jury vote (40%) and fan vote (12%) the winning song was “Ding Dong” sung, written and composed by the 1998 winner, Dana International.
The song is a mixed tempo dance song. The first verse has not got much of a beat and she sings it quite slowly and tenderly. The chorus is when the beat kicks in and the song speeds up slightly. The song is mostly in Hebrew but there are a few lines spoken in English. The chorus is very simple and the use of the phrase “Ding Dong” actually doesn’t fit into the meaning of the song at all.
The song itself is quite simple but also not very memorable. The switching of languages is sometimes unexpected. I feel that the song would do much better if it were more clear cut (i.e. all Hebrew or all English, or verses Hebrew – chorus English) I don’t know if she was suffering from nerves, but the start of the song sounded very shaky if not a little high. She did get better as the song progressed but it all feel a little tense and not blasting out fully.
Dana is wearing a quite simple white dress with feathers she is backed by 5 female backing sings all wearing different coloured dresses and the visual of this is actually quite strong. Dana connects well with the camera and the backing singers do just enough choreographed swaying and arm movements to be noticeable but not distracting.
So, ANOTHER former contestant joins this year’s contest, but can she make is 2 wins?
With this song, I very, very, very much doubt it.
I even doubt it is a contender for the final…
SINGER – Dana International
SONG – Ding Dong
MUSIC – Dana International
WORDS – Dana International
The song is a mixed tempo dance song. The first verse has not got much of a beat and she sings it quite slowly and tenderly. The chorus is when the beat kicks in and the song speeds up slightly. The song is mostly in Hebrew but there are a few lines spoken in English. The chorus is very simple and the use of the phrase “Ding Dong” actually doesn’t fit into the meaning of the song at all.
The song itself is quite simple but also not very memorable. The switching of languages is sometimes unexpected. I feel that the song would do much better if it were more clear cut (i.e. all Hebrew or all English, or verses Hebrew – chorus English) I don’t know if she was suffering from nerves, but the start of the song sounded very shaky if not a little high. She did get better as the song progressed but it all feel a little tense and not blasting out fully.
Dana is wearing a quite simple white dress with feathers she is backed by 5 female backing sings all wearing different coloured dresses and the visual of this is actually quite strong. Dana connects well with the camera and the backing singers do just enough choreographed swaying and arm movements to be noticeable but not distracting.
So, ANOTHER former contestant joins this year’s contest, but can she make is 2 wins?
With this song, I very, very, very much doubt it.
I even doubt it is a contender for the final…
SINGER – Dana International
SONG – Ding Dong
MUSIC – Dana International
WORDS – Dana International
Tuesday 8 March 2011
FRANCE
The French song presentation took place during the entertainment show “Chabada” on the 7th of March. It was revealed in late January that 21 year old French Tenor, Amaury Vassili, was to sing the French entry. It was then revealed that he would be singing a song in the regional language of Coriscan called “Sognu” or ‘dream’.
The day before his performance on Chabada the official video was launched and immediately caused a lot of talk throughout the internet. This then caused a lot of interest in his performance on TV. The first time I heard it, it reminded me of 2 of my most facourite pieces of music - Vangelis “Conquest of Paradise” and Ravel’s “Bolero”.
Unfortunately, Amaury was not singing live, however unlike many cases I am not too worried about this. He is obviously a good singer and is used to giving live performances and show sand has a ‘back catalogue’. The stage was not particularly big and he stood alone, although he did have some instrumental backing. He was wearing a red and black leather jacket that seemed slightly military in style. He had very good stage presence and his facial expressions changed during the different tempos and moods of the music
During the instrumental part half way through the audience applauds quite madly and he seems very pleased with this reaction. Also at this point the music starts to grow and the beat of the music feel like it is going faster and more pronounced and makes it all very intriguing. At the end there is more applause and a standing ovation.
This song and this performer are very special. Compared to almost everything selected up to now it has a panache and a class nothing else has. No, it is not a Eurovision song but it stands out so much that the voting public, especially those classically minded will vote for it. He is also not that bad looking! I also think the juries will love this song. I think this song will shake up Eurovision and may well be a vote for the re-integration of the orchestra!
SINGER – Amaury Vassili
SONG – Songu (Dream)
MUSIC – Daniel Moyne, Quentin Bachelet
WORDS – Jean-Pierre Marcellesi
The day before his performance on Chabada the official video was launched and immediately caused a lot of talk throughout the internet. This then caused a lot of interest in his performance on TV. The first time I heard it, it reminded me of 2 of my most facourite pieces of music - Vangelis “Conquest of Paradise” and Ravel’s “Bolero”.
Unfortunately, Amaury was not singing live, however unlike many cases I am not too worried about this. He is obviously a good singer and is used to giving live performances and show sand has a ‘back catalogue’. The stage was not particularly big and he stood alone, although he did have some instrumental backing. He was wearing a red and black leather jacket that seemed slightly military in style. He had very good stage presence and his facial expressions changed during the different tempos and moods of the music
During the instrumental part half way through the audience applauds quite madly and he seems very pleased with this reaction. Also at this point the music starts to grow and the beat of the music feel like it is going faster and more pronounced and makes it all very intriguing. At the end there is more applause and a standing ovation.
This song and this performer are very special. Compared to almost everything selected up to now it has a panache and a class nothing else has. No, it is not a Eurovision song but it stands out so much that the voting public, especially those classically minded will vote for it. He is also not that bad looking! I also think the juries will love this song. I think this song will shake up Eurovision and may well be a vote for the re-integration of the orchestra!
SINGER – Amaury Vassili
SONG – Songu (Dream)
MUSIC – Daniel Moyne, Quentin Bachelet
WORDS – Jean-Pierre Marcellesi
Monday 7 March 2011
CROATIA
The Croatian final took place on the 5th of March at the HRT TV Studios in Zagreb.
The Croatian selection was not eh normal “DORA” as usual. The Croats decided to follow Germany’s lead last year and chose and song and singer similar to the “Unser star fuer Oslo”. After several weeks of knockout rounds, 3 songs were to be sung by the two finalists. The winning combination was German-born Daria Kinzer singing “Lahor”
The song revolves quite strongly around the use of a prop – at first it just looks like a spangly magicians table but ends up being used much more than that. Daria appears from behind it and starts singing. Concealed inside are her two backing singer/dancers who then join her on the stage proper. Then a DJ joins behind and starts spinning decks on the table. She is then further joined by two male break dancers who come on from the wings.
The songs starts off with Daria showing off her lower range, this also makes sure that as the song progresses she can show off the rest of the vocal range and that the song has somewhere to go, vocally. When the chorus kicks in the song really starts to come together. It also gives a chance for the backing track to kick up a gear. The broken down bit in the middle does break the flow of the song slightly and does feel a little out of place. However if more time is takes to make the visuals and choreography of this it fit in, it might make it really stand out as an entry.
This is actually not a bad song and does have quite a few memorable qualities. You actually feel like some car and attention and thought has gone into the song and performance itself. Daria may also benefit from some better choreography as well as a much more flattering dress!
As a winning reprise for having the winning song and being the selected singer, Daria sings it again (or should I say, mime) at the end – but this time in English. The English version is bizarrely called “Break a leg” :o/ I do hope they stay with the original version – or they re-write the English version to one that makes sense! Both entries can be found below so you can make your own minds up!
SINGER – Daria Kinzler
SONG – Lahor (Breeze) / Break A Leg
MUSIC – Boris Đurđević
WORDS – Andrea Čubrić
The Croatian selection was not eh normal “DORA” as usual. The Croats decided to follow Germany’s lead last year and chose and song and singer similar to the “Unser star fuer Oslo”. After several weeks of knockout rounds, 3 songs were to be sung by the two finalists. The winning combination was German-born Daria Kinzer singing “Lahor”
The song revolves quite strongly around the use of a prop – at first it just looks like a spangly magicians table but ends up being used much more than that. Daria appears from behind it and starts singing. Concealed inside are her two backing singer/dancers who then join her on the stage proper. Then a DJ joins behind and starts spinning decks on the table. She is then further joined by two male break dancers who come on from the wings.
The songs starts off with Daria showing off her lower range, this also makes sure that as the song progresses she can show off the rest of the vocal range and that the song has somewhere to go, vocally. When the chorus kicks in the song really starts to come together. It also gives a chance for the backing track to kick up a gear. The broken down bit in the middle does break the flow of the song slightly and does feel a little out of place. However if more time is takes to make the visuals and choreography of this it fit in, it might make it really stand out as an entry.
This is actually not a bad song and does have quite a few memorable qualities. You actually feel like some car and attention and thought has gone into the song and performance itself. Daria may also benefit from some better choreography as well as a much more flattering dress!
As a winning reprise for having the winning song and being the selected singer, Daria sings it again (or should I say, mime) at the end – but this time in English. The English version is bizarrely called “Break a leg” :o/ I do hope they stay with the original version – or they re-write the English version to one that makes sense! Both entries can be found below so you can make your own minds up!
SINGER – Daria Kinzler
SONG – Lahor (Breeze) / Break A Leg
MUSIC – Boris Đurđević
WORDS – Andrea Čubrić
PORTUGAL
The Portuguese Final was held on March 5th at Teatro Camões in Lisbon. Initially 24 songs were in the running for the ticket to Düsseldorf. The songs were placed on the RTP website and voted on for one week. The top 12 were then given a place in the televised final. The overall winner was chosen by a combination of 20 regional juries (50%) and televoting (50%).
1) Sete Saias - Embalo do coração
The all female group is all dressed in traditional clothing and playing interesting instruments. This is a very typical Portuguese folk song in the style of the 2009 entry and the girls seem to be doing their fair share of the singing. The visuals of this song are very striking and would look good on the ESC stage. The song is pleasant enough but not at all catchy.
2) Carla Moreno - Sobrevivo
Carla is backed by 3 female and 2 male backing singers/dancers. This is an electro up beat number, not normally seen in Portuguese finals which also has some English words.. Carla is wearing a very bright blue dress which is very noticeable. She also gets involved in the dancing too. Looks and sounds very polished. An English version could do very well.
3) Nuno Norte - São os barcos de Lisboa
This is a folk inspired number with what seems to be quite a large story telling quality to it. As the song progresses it has more dramatic rock qualities to it. Nuno is backed by 5 instrumentalists Nuno’s voice is a little thin at times and can be difficult to focus on. He is very passionate during the song. The song is very difficult to remember and has no typical structure.
4) Rui Andrade - Em nome do amor
This is a slow, moody, dramatic ballad and has does have echoes of “Senhora do mar” about it. Rui is alone on stage. His is the only person you see and hear on the track, which in itself is brave. However he is able to keep ones attention to the very end. The song progresses very well and he is putting a lot of passion and effort into his singing. A very strong ending too.
5) Henrique Feist - Quase a voar
Another folky song with strange instruments and dancers on stage. Henrique has an accordion player and 4 dancers onstage. They are all dressed in a kind of peasant way. The start of the chorus has more of a “Zorba” feel with the seed increasing as it goes. There is quite extensive choreography which the singer also does.. This set up to would also fit the ESC stage
6) Wanda Stuart - Chegar à tua voz
Another slow dramatic ballad. Wanda (who is no spring chicken) has blue hair and a very ‘uplifting’ top shall we say! She is backed by 5 others who are dressed in a kind of Medieval military way which lots of props. The song has a decent progression although is a little tricky to remember and follow along. Shame that there is not much movement in the song.
7) Tânia Tavares - Se esse dia chegar
Tania is backed by 4 backing singers, dressed in the same way as her, plus one male dancer. The dancer interacts quite a bit with the dancer but they also move together as a group and this mirroring makes the performance quite strong and memorable. The song is a dramatic ballad but does not seem to progress anywhere once it starts. Nota bad song.
8) Inês Bernardo - Deixa o meu lugar
Inês sings a slow song reminiscent of a rumba tune. She is joined by a male and female dander, 2 backing singers and a park bench. Inês has a strange voice that doesn’t seem to project well. This song feels like the type of muzak you might hear in any Mediterranean bar or restaurant. The whole song, performance and feel of the song do not fit together
9) Filipa Ruas - Tensão
This a dance type number. Filipa is dressed in a military style leotard dress with golden shoulder pads. She is supported by a band and 2 female singers/dancers. Filipas starts the song by sounding like she is shouting. She then sings most of the chorus badly as it is far to low for her. The choreography for the song is also quite strange and the whole thing does not fit together.
10) Homens da Luta - Luta é alegria
This group is all dressed in 60/70s hippy clothing and are all holding banners relating to the song. The songis very chanted and goes on and on. It feels like a really bad song from a failed musical from the time. I feel like this song needs to have a lot more movement and oomph rather than them just standing in a line. This looks promising but is a disappointment.
11) Axel - Boom Boom Yeah
Sounds like this should be a really fast up tempo number is more a medium paced drummy song. He has a DJ and accordion player behind him as well as three drumming backing singers. Axel moves around the stage in his sliver suit. The song feels a bit of a damp squib as you just feel that the song and backing have no oomph, which befits the title
12) Ricardo Sousa - O mar, o vento e as estrelas
The final song is medium tempo song with a very orchestral background. Behind the singer, 2 backing singers and 3 instrumentalists appear. The song is very Portuguese sounding. The tempo of the song is quite fast, and at times a little garbled which makes the song not very memorable. The backing track sounds much more interesting than the words.
The phone lines open.
After the odd recap of the songs, Glen Vella from Malta is introduced to the aduence. After a brief intro he sings an acappell verion of the chorus of"One Life" with audeicen clapping away to the beat. This boy is getting around - you got to give him some props for that! Then the audience is entertained by a dance troups dancing to "Waterloo" but in number of styles - the original version, a tango style, then a hip-hop version, samba version and elctro-disco style.
The voting window is now closed! So, the 20 regional juries now share their votes.
Before we hear the results of the televote we have last year's Portuguese entrant Filipa taking the stage. She also helps read out the votes.
The winner with a total of 6 points rom the juries and 12 from televoting is... "Luta é alegria" by Homes da Luta.
This win is not recieved well by the crowdin the hall
SINGER – Homes da Luta
SONG – Luta é alegria (The struggle is joy)
MUSIC – Vasco Duarte
WORDS – Jel
1) Sete Saias - Embalo do coração
The all female group is all dressed in traditional clothing and playing interesting instruments. This is a very typical Portuguese folk song in the style of the 2009 entry and the girls seem to be doing their fair share of the singing. The visuals of this song are very striking and would look good on the ESC stage. The song is pleasant enough but not at all catchy.
2) Carla Moreno - Sobrevivo
Carla is backed by 3 female and 2 male backing singers/dancers. This is an electro up beat number, not normally seen in Portuguese finals which also has some English words.. Carla is wearing a very bright blue dress which is very noticeable. She also gets involved in the dancing too. Looks and sounds very polished. An English version could do very well.
3) Nuno Norte - São os barcos de Lisboa
This is a folk inspired number with what seems to be quite a large story telling quality to it. As the song progresses it has more dramatic rock qualities to it. Nuno is backed by 5 instrumentalists Nuno’s voice is a little thin at times and can be difficult to focus on. He is very passionate during the song. The song is very difficult to remember and has no typical structure.
4) Rui Andrade - Em nome do amor
This is a slow, moody, dramatic ballad and has does have echoes of “Senhora do mar” about it. Rui is alone on stage. His is the only person you see and hear on the track, which in itself is brave. However he is able to keep ones attention to the very end. The song progresses very well and he is putting a lot of passion and effort into his singing. A very strong ending too.
5) Henrique Feist - Quase a voar
Another folky song with strange instruments and dancers on stage. Henrique has an accordion player and 4 dancers onstage. They are all dressed in a kind of peasant way. The start of the chorus has more of a “Zorba” feel with the seed increasing as it goes. There is quite extensive choreography which the singer also does.. This set up to would also fit the ESC stage
6) Wanda Stuart - Chegar à tua voz
Another slow dramatic ballad. Wanda (who is no spring chicken) has blue hair and a very ‘uplifting’ top shall we say! She is backed by 5 others who are dressed in a kind of Medieval military way which lots of props. The song has a decent progression although is a little tricky to remember and follow along. Shame that there is not much movement in the song.
7) Tânia Tavares - Se esse dia chegar
Tania is backed by 4 backing singers, dressed in the same way as her, plus one male dancer. The dancer interacts quite a bit with the dancer but they also move together as a group and this mirroring makes the performance quite strong and memorable. The song is a dramatic ballad but does not seem to progress anywhere once it starts. Nota bad song.
8) Inês Bernardo - Deixa o meu lugar
Inês sings a slow song reminiscent of a rumba tune. She is joined by a male and female dander, 2 backing singers and a park bench. Inês has a strange voice that doesn’t seem to project well. This song feels like the type of muzak you might hear in any Mediterranean bar or restaurant. The whole song, performance and feel of the song do not fit together
9) Filipa Ruas - Tensão
This a dance type number. Filipa is dressed in a military style leotard dress with golden shoulder pads. She is supported by a band and 2 female singers/dancers. Filipas starts the song by sounding like she is shouting. She then sings most of the chorus badly as it is far to low for her. The choreography for the song is also quite strange and the whole thing does not fit together.
10) Homens da Luta - Luta é alegria
This group is all dressed in 60/70s hippy clothing and are all holding banners relating to the song. The songis very chanted and goes on and on. It feels like a really bad song from a failed musical from the time. I feel like this song needs to have a lot more movement and oomph rather than them just standing in a line. This looks promising but is a disappointment.
11) Axel - Boom Boom Yeah
Sounds like this should be a really fast up tempo number is more a medium paced drummy song. He has a DJ and accordion player behind him as well as three drumming backing singers. Axel moves around the stage in his sliver suit. The song feels a bit of a damp squib as you just feel that the song and backing have no oomph, which befits the title
12) Ricardo Sousa - O mar, o vento e as estrelas
The final song is medium tempo song with a very orchestral background. Behind the singer, 2 backing singers and 3 instrumentalists appear. The song is very Portuguese sounding. The tempo of the song is quite fast, and at times a little garbled which makes the song not very memorable. The backing track sounds much more interesting than the words.
The phone lines open.
After the odd recap of the songs, Glen Vella from Malta is introduced to the aduence. After a brief intro he sings an acappell verion of the chorus of"One Life" with audeicen clapping away to the beat. This boy is getting around - you got to give him some props for that! Then the audience is entertained by a dance troups dancing to "Waterloo" but in number of styles - the original version, a tango style, then a hip-hop version, samba version and elctro-disco style.
The voting window is now closed! So, the 20 regional juries now share their votes.
Before we hear the results of the televote we have last year's Portuguese entrant Filipa taking the stage. She also helps read out the votes.
The winner with a total of 6 points rom the juries and 12 from televoting is... "Luta é alegria" by Homes da Luta.
This win is not recieved well by the crowdin the hall
SINGER – Homes da Luta
SONG – Luta é alegria (The struggle is joy)
MUSIC – Vasco Duarte
WORDS – Jel
Sunday 6 March 2011
UPDATE 1
As the songs are selected and time goes on, things change.
In these updates I hope to very briefly add any news (good or bad!!!) about the songs or acts chosen for this year’s Eurovision.
UKRAINE – Just like last year, this year’s national final turned out to be a total fiasco!
It was announced at the time that Mika Newton had won the final with her song “Angel”. After the result many, including some of the other participating singers, protested the results. After some investigating it was discovered that there was a major voting anomaly with the public televote. Although Mika recieved the most SMS and internet votes, those votes came from very few unique phone numbers and IP addresses, inferring block voting and rigged voting.
To try and address the situation NTU announced a “Top three run off” between Mika Jamala and Zlata. However just a few days later Jamala withdrew from this new final – then Zlata did the same. So NTU were back at square one and decided to just go with Mika. Rumours of a new song for Mika to sing were uncovered but both Mike and NTU have decided to keep with the original song.
GEORGIA – just a week after Eldrine won the ticket to Düsseldorf, the lead singer was sacked! Tako Vadachkoria has been replaced by Sopho Toroshelidze, one of the backing singers from last year’s contest. A video featuring the new singer is to be produced.
BELARUS – Firstly, it was decided that the lyrics to their selected song were to be changed, to reflect the new “Belarus” rather than of the nation during Soviet times. Then a video emerged of this song being played in April last year, well before the EBU’s cut off date. No official word yet has been made by Belarusian TV or the EBU about the song or country’s disqualification.
NETHERLANDS - As expected, the Dutch act, 3JS have decided to sing their winning entry in English. The song is now renamed “Never alone” and the song and video are being recorded as we speak. Rumours from the band suggest that the intro of the song will be changed and more guitar-led. In addition they will be doing all the singing themselves without the help of extra backing vocals.
SLOVAKIA – The selected act TWiiNS presented their song at the close of the Miss Slovakia contest on the 5th March. Unfortunately the girls were very much miming and the TV director seemed more interested in getting views of the winning (and losing) ladies f the competition. We are no closer to knowing if they can sing yet or what their presentation will be like.
In these updates I hope to very briefly add any news (good or bad!!!) about the songs or acts chosen for this year’s Eurovision.
UKRAINE – Just like last year, this year’s national final turned out to be a total fiasco!
It was announced at the time that Mika Newton had won the final with her song “Angel”. After the result many, including some of the other participating singers, protested the results. After some investigating it was discovered that there was a major voting anomaly with the public televote. Although Mika recieved the most SMS and internet votes, those votes came from very few unique phone numbers and IP addresses, inferring block voting and rigged voting.
To try and address the situation NTU announced a “Top three run off” between Mika Jamala and Zlata. However just a few days later Jamala withdrew from this new final – then Zlata did the same. So NTU were back at square one and decided to just go with Mika. Rumours of a new song for Mika to sing were uncovered but both Mike and NTU have decided to keep with the original song.
GEORGIA – just a week after Eldrine won the ticket to Düsseldorf, the lead singer was sacked! Tako Vadachkoria has been replaced by Sopho Toroshelidze, one of the backing singers from last year’s contest. A video featuring the new singer is to be produced.
BELARUS – Firstly, it was decided that the lyrics to their selected song were to be changed, to reflect the new “Belarus” rather than of the nation during Soviet times. Then a video emerged of this song being played in April last year, well before the EBU’s cut off date. No official word yet has been made by Belarusian TV or the EBU about the song or country’s disqualification.
NETHERLANDS - As expected, the Dutch act, 3JS have decided to sing their winning entry in English. The song is now renamed “Never alone” and the song and video are being recorded as we speak. Rumours from the band suggest that the intro of the song will be changed and more guitar-led. In addition they will be doing all the singing themselves without the help of extra backing vocals.
SLOVAKIA – The selected act TWiiNS presented their song at the close of the Miss Slovakia contest on the 5th March. Unfortunately the girls were very much miming and the TV director seemed more interested in getting views of the winning (and losing) ladies f the competition. We are no closer to knowing if they can sing yet or what their presentation will be like.
ARMENIA
The Armenian Final was held on March 5th and the winning song was chosen by a 50/50 mixture of televoting and an "expert" jury. Back in December, Emmy was revealed to be the singer of the song in Dusseldorf. The national final was supposed to be early February, but was moved back to allow more time for songs. The pre-selection was postponed again after Emmy’s after died suddenly.
The show starts with a solo performance by Armenia’s winning entry of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, Vladimir Arzumanyan
Emmy is then introduced to the crowd with enthusiasm from the crowd. She is wearing a nice black dress with oversized shoulder parts which have printed on them the Eurovision 2011 logo – nice touch! She then does a draw to see in which order the 4 selected songs will be sing tonight.
HI – This is an ethnic dance pop song. She seems to be constantly singing during the song. (although in this case I should say mime) The chorus is quite catchy although the structure of the whole song is a little confusing. The most redeeming factor of the song is the call and response part in the middle. Not a bad song, but I doubt if she could sing this live.
BOOM BOOM – Another ethnic dance song, with a slightly Spanish type feel to it. The verses of the song sound very familiar, but the chorus of this song is far too cheesy. Emmy seems to be moving around the stage much more comfortable to this song. Again, she is miming but I feel that this song would be much easier to sing live.
AYO – This is a more dramatic song. It starts off quite slow then the beat kicks in. The backing track feels much more electronic than the previous two. The chorus is again very simplistic and not very memorable. There is a heavy reliance on backing singers too for this song.
GOODBYE – This is the only ballad of the night. The song has a slight blue feel to it. The chorus is well constructed and is at least memorable after just one listen. As she is once again miming it is not clear how much strength and push she really has to get the high notes in the middle part. I get the feeling from the selection though that a up tempo song wants to be chosen.
I am actually quite disappointed in the selection process this year as very little effort seems to have been taken with the visuals of the songs (no dancers or backing singers) and that all the songs this year have been mimed. Either they have total confidence in Emmy’s ability – or they have none…
The phone lines are no open for 15 minutes.
In the mean time we are treated to some performances by previous Armenian Eurovision participants – Andre, Sirusho and Hayko – all performing recently released material.
The wining song is revealed to be …Boom Boom !
SINGER – Emmy
SONG – Boom Boom
MUSIC – Hayk Harutyunyan, Hayk Hovhannisyan
WORDS – Sosi Khanikyan
The show starts with a solo performance by Armenia’s winning entry of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, Vladimir Arzumanyan
Emmy is then introduced to the crowd with enthusiasm from the crowd. She is wearing a nice black dress with oversized shoulder parts which have printed on them the Eurovision 2011 logo – nice touch! She then does a draw to see in which order the 4 selected songs will be sing tonight.
HI – This is an ethnic dance pop song. She seems to be constantly singing during the song. (although in this case I should say mime) The chorus is quite catchy although the structure of the whole song is a little confusing. The most redeeming factor of the song is the call and response part in the middle. Not a bad song, but I doubt if she could sing this live.
BOOM BOOM – Another ethnic dance song, with a slightly Spanish type feel to it. The verses of the song sound very familiar, but the chorus of this song is far too cheesy. Emmy seems to be moving around the stage much more comfortable to this song. Again, she is miming but I feel that this song would be much easier to sing live.
AYO – This is a more dramatic song. It starts off quite slow then the beat kicks in. The backing track feels much more electronic than the previous two. The chorus is again very simplistic and not very memorable. There is a heavy reliance on backing singers too for this song.
GOODBYE – This is the only ballad of the night. The song has a slight blue feel to it. The chorus is well constructed and is at least memorable after just one listen. As she is once again miming it is not clear how much strength and push she really has to get the high notes in the middle part. I get the feeling from the selection though that a up tempo song wants to be chosen.
I am actually quite disappointed in the selection process this year as very little effort seems to have been taken with the visuals of the songs (no dancers or backing singers) and that all the songs this year have been mimed. Either they have total confidence in Emmy’s ability – or they have none…
The phone lines are no open for 15 minutes.
In the mean time we are treated to some performances by previous Armenian Eurovision participants – Andre, Sirusho and Hayko – all performing recently released material.
The wining song is revealed to be …Boom Boom !
SINGER – Emmy
SONG – Boom Boom
MUSIC – Hayk Harutyunyan, Hayk Hovhannisyan
WORDS – Sosi Khanikyan
Friday 4 March 2011
SLOVAKIA
The Slovakian entrant and song was internally selected and made known a couple of weeks ago. The act named is a relatively unknown band called TWiiNs and it was then made known that the name of their song would be “I’m Still Alive”. Unlike most of the previous unveilings and selections, their song was revealed on March 4th on their MySpace and Facebook pages.
There is no real ‘official’ video yet, as you will discover from the video below, just an audio. Although we can judge the merits of the song and to a point the act, seeing them actually perform a on a stage and/singing it live would be a much better barometer. Something tells me that the song has been revealed in this way for a reason…
The song is a ballad with a slight r’n’b edge. Unusually the song starts with the chorus. The chorus is quite simple with the same couple of line repeated twice before moving on. The chorus is repeated quite a lot during the song, which does reinforce it into your brain. Although you might not like it, you pick parts of it up through repetition.
Right from the start, you realise that there is a lot and I mean I LOT of backing vocal, almost like a dependency on them. At times you do start to wonder who exactly is doing most of the singing on this song! As the girls are obviously twins, their voices sound identical, so you cannot always tell if they are sharing vocals or one is doing the majority, or if one is joining I with the backing vocals. Their voices don’t sound too bad you can never know how much production has been used and if they can replicate this vocal performance live.
What else can be guess? Well they are pretty girls and will wearing something ‘memorable’ shall we say! Also as a ballad I guess there will not be an energetic dance routine. There will need to be backing singers at least 2-4. I can almost see something similar to the set up of Safura last year, with a dancer or dancers interacting between them all.
So, this review is a little muted but not a bad song, but reserve judgment on the singing ability
SINGER – TWiiNs
SONG – I'm Still Aive
MUSIC – Bryan Todd, Sandra Nordstrom, Brano Janich
WORDS – Bryan Todd, Sandra Nordstrom, Brano Janich
There is no real ‘official’ video yet, as you will discover from the video below, just an audio. Although we can judge the merits of the song and to a point the act, seeing them actually perform a on a stage and/singing it live would be a much better barometer. Something tells me that the song has been revealed in this way for a reason…
The song is a ballad with a slight r’n’b edge. Unusually the song starts with the chorus. The chorus is quite simple with the same couple of line repeated twice before moving on. The chorus is repeated quite a lot during the song, which does reinforce it into your brain. Although you might not like it, you pick parts of it up through repetition.
Right from the start, you realise that there is a lot and I mean I LOT of backing vocal, almost like a dependency on them. At times you do start to wonder who exactly is doing most of the singing on this song! As the girls are obviously twins, their voices sound identical, so you cannot always tell if they are sharing vocals or one is doing the majority, or if one is joining I with the backing vocals. Their voices don’t sound too bad you can never know how much production has been used and if they can replicate this vocal performance live.
What else can be guess? Well they are pretty girls and will wearing something ‘memorable’ shall we say! Also as a ballad I guess there will not be an energetic dance routine. There will need to be backing singers at least 2-4. I can almost see something similar to the set up of Safura last year, with a dancer or dancers interacting between them all.
So, this review is a little muted but not a bad song, but reserve judgment on the singing ability
SINGER – TWiiNs
SONG – I'm Still Aive
MUSIC – Bryan Todd, Sandra Nordstrom, Brano Janich
WORDS – Bryan Todd, Sandra Nordstrom, Brano Janich
Thursday 3 March 2011
GREECE
The 2nd March saw the Greek final held at the Alpha TV Studio in Athens. The winner would be chosen by a shared percentage of viewer voting (50%) and "expert" jury (50%).
The show starts with a very serious looking drumming act. Then the host, Lena Aroni, joins the stage and introduces her co host who is in a separate studio filled with ‘euro fans’. This means that the performances will be held in an empty studio apart from the production team and the jury (how strange!) Maybe this is really is on a tight budget !
Then the Jury is introduced - Marina Lachana (ERT official), Andreas Pylarinos (musician), Giorgos Pavrianos( lyricist), Bessy Malfa (actress), Michalis Tsaousopoulos (DJ and radio producer) they are stilling next to the stage.
Nikos Touliatos of the drumming act is back, accompanied by the acts performing today. In turn they sing parts of their own possible entry. They perform almost acapella except for one of the drummers banging a water cooler :o/ Actually a very nice way of starting the show, it at least makes them look like they are supportive of each other and have taken an interest in each others songs.
There is then a recap of Lena’s winning song from Oslo last year
Next on stage is a performance, but not for the pre-selection lovingly called “PIGS”, which is quite frankly weird and although the bloke is singing in English not a word can be understood. (After further research I discover the song in dedicated to Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain and was about the monetary crisis. I am still non the wiser!) Then we have a messages from Raphael Gualazzi, Paradise Oscar, Senit and Blue (Anthony shows off this Greek too!) Then we have one from slimy ol’ Sakis Rouvas *shudders*
1. Kokkina Halia - Come with me
This is a rock song with a very heavy drumming beginning. The singer of the song is not doing a bad job and looks quite confident although the choruses do seem a bit of struggle for him. The song is very pacy and moves from verse to chorus to verse and back again with almost no break. The chorus has a hook but it doesn’t quite work. The ending is a little weak.
2. Valando Tryfonos – The time is now
This is a typical ballad. Valando is wearing a very Greek style white dress with 2 backing singers behind her. The song is OK, at least the chorus as some memorable qualities to it. At times it feels like she is not singing at full blast or that the mic isn’t working. She also copes well with the key change for the final chorus. No performance qualities at all. Another weak finish.
3. Trihimitonio – Hamogela
The three members are holding yellow balls with smiley faces on them. They are also backed by 3 scantily clad cheerleader type girls playing the drums. Very strange ! They are at least making an effort to engage the camera as well as doing a type of dance routine during the “oh-oh-oh” parts. A very catchy song, but I think the Greek audience will see this as too cheesy.
4. Antigoni Psychrami - It’s all Greek to me to me
This is Greek inspired electro number. Antigoni is backed by 4 dancers also dressed in vey small back outfits. She seems to be suffering with her voice. Not sure if it is a sore throat or she is getting affected by the dance routine. The song is interesting to listen to but it all seems a bit garbled. The title of the song gets lost in the performance.
5. Loukas Giorkas Feat. Stereo Mike – Watch my dance
The two guys are joined by 3 break dancers and a big red table which the singers and dancers stand and sing on. This is the most strange song, which will probably appeal to the Greek viewers. Stereo Mike raps slowly in English and Loukas does a strangely times Greek warble. Neither party is particularly memorable…. Apart from the table….
6. Nikki Ponte – I don’t wanna dance
Nikki starts and seems to be having vocal/mic issues too, however when she moves up a key she is much better. She is joined by 4 male dancers dressed in the most bizarre cat suits seemingly replicating a swimsuit with nude cut out bits :o/ Nikki has a good voice but she is much better when not dancing. The song is a little repetitive and does not really grow.
After a recap of the songs, the phone lines open for 20 minutes.
Then some international guests appear.
First we have the Cypriot entrant Christos Mylordos, singing (or should I say miming) his song “San angelos s'agapisa” The whole performance is a bit static and amateurish.
Next on the stage is Glen Vella from Malta, performing “One Life” by himself but still dancing away. He is certainly energetic and engaging to watch if not a little awkward.
Bulgaria’s Poli Genova is up next with “Na Inat”. Her performance is visually very similar to the one she gave in the national final. She tells the host she wants to go to Düsseldorf to win !
The voting is now closed !
David Lynch takes the stage and performs some unplugged renditions of past Greek Eurovision entries. Initially he is sat on a park bench accompanying himself by using claps and body slaps but then starts using maracas in the shape of fruits. He then joins the drummers in a rendition of the backing track to “Opa”
The winner (and only the winner) is announced and it is Loukas Giorkas Feat. Stereo Mike with “Watch my dance”
SINGER – Lukas Yiorkas ft Stereo Mike
SONG – Watch Me Dance
MUSIC – Eleana Vrahali
WORDS – Giannis Christodoulopoulos
The show starts with a very serious looking drumming act. Then the host, Lena Aroni, joins the stage and introduces her co host who is in a separate studio filled with ‘euro fans’. This means that the performances will be held in an empty studio apart from the production team and the jury (how strange!) Maybe this is really is on a tight budget !
Then the Jury is introduced - Marina Lachana (ERT official), Andreas Pylarinos (musician), Giorgos Pavrianos( lyricist), Bessy Malfa (actress), Michalis Tsaousopoulos (DJ and radio producer) they are stilling next to the stage.
Nikos Touliatos of the drumming act is back, accompanied by the acts performing today. In turn they sing parts of their own possible entry. They perform almost acapella except for one of the drummers banging a water cooler :o/ Actually a very nice way of starting the show, it at least makes them look like they are supportive of each other and have taken an interest in each others songs.
There is then a recap of Lena’s winning song from Oslo last year
Next on stage is a performance, but not for the pre-selection lovingly called “PIGS”, which is quite frankly weird and although the bloke is singing in English not a word can be understood. (After further research I discover the song in dedicated to Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain and was about the monetary crisis. I am still non the wiser!) Then we have a messages from Raphael Gualazzi, Paradise Oscar, Senit and Blue (Anthony shows off this Greek too!) Then we have one from slimy ol’ Sakis Rouvas *shudders*
1. Kokkina Halia - Come with me
This is a rock song with a very heavy drumming beginning. The singer of the song is not doing a bad job and looks quite confident although the choruses do seem a bit of struggle for him. The song is very pacy and moves from verse to chorus to verse and back again with almost no break. The chorus has a hook but it doesn’t quite work. The ending is a little weak.
2. Valando Tryfonos – The time is now
This is a typical ballad. Valando is wearing a very Greek style white dress with 2 backing singers behind her. The song is OK, at least the chorus as some memorable qualities to it. At times it feels like she is not singing at full blast or that the mic isn’t working. She also copes well with the key change for the final chorus. No performance qualities at all. Another weak finish.
3. Trihimitonio – Hamogela
The three members are holding yellow balls with smiley faces on them. They are also backed by 3 scantily clad cheerleader type girls playing the drums. Very strange ! They are at least making an effort to engage the camera as well as doing a type of dance routine during the “oh-oh-oh” parts. A very catchy song, but I think the Greek audience will see this as too cheesy.
4. Antigoni Psychrami - It’s all Greek to me to me
This is Greek inspired electro number. Antigoni is backed by 4 dancers also dressed in vey small back outfits. She seems to be suffering with her voice. Not sure if it is a sore throat or she is getting affected by the dance routine. The song is interesting to listen to but it all seems a bit garbled. The title of the song gets lost in the performance.
5. Loukas Giorkas Feat. Stereo Mike – Watch my dance
The two guys are joined by 3 break dancers and a big red table which the singers and dancers stand and sing on. This is the most strange song, which will probably appeal to the Greek viewers. Stereo Mike raps slowly in English and Loukas does a strangely times Greek warble. Neither party is particularly memorable…. Apart from the table….
6. Nikki Ponte – I don’t wanna dance
Nikki starts and seems to be having vocal/mic issues too, however when she moves up a key she is much better. She is joined by 4 male dancers dressed in the most bizarre cat suits seemingly replicating a swimsuit with nude cut out bits :o/ Nikki has a good voice but she is much better when not dancing. The song is a little repetitive and does not really grow.
After a recap of the songs, the phone lines open for 20 minutes.
Then some international guests appear.
First we have the Cypriot entrant Christos Mylordos, singing (or should I say miming) his song “San angelos s'agapisa” The whole performance is a bit static and amateurish.
Next on the stage is Glen Vella from Malta, performing “One Life” by himself but still dancing away. He is certainly energetic and engaging to watch if not a little awkward.
Bulgaria’s Poli Genova is up next with “Na Inat”. Her performance is visually very similar to the one she gave in the national final. She tells the host she wants to go to Düsseldorf to win !
The voting is now closed !
David Lynch takes the stage and performs some unplugged renditions of past Greek Eurovision entries. Initially he is sat on a park bench accompanying himself by using claps and body slaps but then starts using maracas in the shape of fruits. He then joins the drummers in a rendition of the backing track to “Opa”
The winner (and only the winner) is announced and it is Loukas Giorkas Feat. Stereo Mike with “Watch my dance”
SINGER – Lukas Yiorkas ft Stereo Mike
SONG – Watch Me Dance
MUSIC – Eleana Vrahali
WORDS – Giannis Christodoulopoulos
Tuesday 1 March 2011
CYPRUS
The 28th of February saw the Cypriot entry revealed on CyBC. However this was previewed in the form of a music video rather than a live or on stage performance. All the way back in September, the Cypriot entrant was named as Christos Mylordos. He won the TV talent show “Performance” whose prize included the ticket to represent Cyprus in Düsseldorf. The song was internally selected and the name of the song "San angelos s'agapisa " was made public at the start of January.
The song is very dramatic Grecian sounding ballad with more than a whiff of balalaikas. As the song progresses it turns rockier nad more guitar ad drma based, but still has a Greek feel. The start of the song sounds very melancholy and a lot of backing singer vocals throughout the track. There are also many instrumental periods which seem to go on too long. The tune is very static and is in such a key that makes it virtually impossible to remember the song or hum along with. The fact that the song is in Greek will not gain it many votes (apart from Greece!) and it actually doesn’t sound very nice.
Obviously the fact that this is a music video not shot in a studio makes it difficult judge when it comes to performance on a Eurovision stage but we can guess a few things. As I touched on earlier there is a lot of backing vocals - quite loud and prominent too. There was a lot of fuss after he won the right to represent Cyprus that he would not have the relevant experience or the best singing and performing capabilities to succeed at Eurovision. I feel that this choice of song tries to disguise this by making it more like an ensemble performance. We can safely say there will be several backing singers on the stage. There may also be some dancers, possibly to try and get the emotions of the story as portrayed into the video into the stage.
Very hard to tell the performance quality from the music video but this is a non-qualifier, no doubt.
SINGER – Christos Mylordos
SONG – San angelos s'agapisa (I loved you like an angel)
MUSIC – Andreas Anastasiou
WORDS – Michalis Antoniou
The song is very dramatic Grecian sounding ballad with more than a whiff of balalaikas. As the song progresses it turns rockier nad more guitar ad drma based, but still has a Greek feel. The start of the song sounds very melancholy and a lot of backing singer vocals throughout the track. There are also many instrumental periods which seem to go on too long. The tune is very static and is in such a key that makes it virtually impossible to remember the song or hum along with. The fact that the song is in Greek will not gain it many votes (apart from Greece!) and it actually doesn’t sound very nice.
Obviously the fact that this is a music video not shot in a studio makes it difficult judge when it comes to performance on a Eurovision stage but we can guess a few things. As I touched on earlier there is a lot of backing vocals - quite loud and prominent too. There was a lot of fuss after he won the right to represent Cyprus that he would not have the relevant experience or the best singing and performing capabilities to succeed at Eurovision. I feel that this choice of song tries to disguise this by making it more like an ensemble performance. We can safely say there will be several backing singers on the stage. There may also be some dancers, possibly to try and get the emotions of the story as portrayed into the video into the stage.
Very hard to tell the performance quality from the music video but this is a non-qualifier, no doubt.
SINGER – Christos Mylordos
SONG – San angelos s'agapisa (I loved you like an angel)
MUSIC – Andreas Anastasiou
WORDS – Michalis Antoniou
BELARUS
This year BTRC decided to internally select their entrant for Düsseldorf to try and increase their chance of getting out of the semis and into the final. The winning candidate was Anastasia Vinnikova with the song “Born in Belorussia” and was presented on TV on the 28th of February
The song is an up-tempo disco number with Eastern European overtones. As the title suggests the song is all about being from Belorussia and refers to the fact that it was once part of the USSR (I am not sure if stating this fact will be a vote winner or vote loser!) During the presentation Anastasia is alone however there are quite noticeable male backing vocals on the track, which have a very chanted military feel to it. The chorus is actually very good. The chorus’ tune is almost instantaneously memorable and sticks with you – its is one of those songs that is so simple and you cannot help but start singing along!
The visuals of this song need to be worked on a lot. I would suggests that the song would really benefit from having a kind of contemporary military feel to the visuals. This would then fit the kind of chanted feel of the vocals as well as helping choreograph some very simple dance routine to go with it. Anastasia obviously likes the song and does get quite carried away with the song. This is no bad thing but it need to be tamed and channelled in the right way
Further to this there are 2 small but problematic areas that need work. First, time length. The presented song is about 30seconds too long. I am sure it can be cut down easily without damaging the song’s power, but will need careful trimming. Secondly, the backing vocals. There seems to be 2 types of backing on the song, the more normal male/female mix and the powerful military vocals. Can they pull this off with 5 backing singers? I don’t know.
A surprisingly cheesy entry from Belarus, with some promise!
SINGER – Anastasia Vinnikova
SONG – Born in Belorussia
MUSIC – Evgeny Oleinik
WORDS – Evgeny Oleinik, Viktor Rudenko
The song is an up-tempo disco number with Eastern European overtones. As the title suggests the song is all about being from Belorussia and refers to the fact that it was once part of the USSR (I am not sure if stating this fact will be a vote winner or vote loser!) During the presentation Anastasia is alone however there are quite noticeable male backing vocals on the track, which have a very chanted military feel to it. The chorus is actually very good. The chorus’ tune is almost instantaneously memorable and sticks with you – its is one of those songs that is so simple and you cannot help but start singing along!
The visuals of this song need to be worked on a lot. I would suggests that the song would really benefit from having a kind of contemporary military feel to the visuals. This would then fit the kind of chanted feel of the vocals as well as helping choreograph some very simple dance routine to go with it. Anastasia obviously likes the song and does get quite carried away with the song. This is no bad thing but it need to be tamed and channelled in the right way
Further to this there are 2 small but problematic areas that need work. First, time length. The presented song is about 30seconds too long. I am sure it can be cut down easily without damaging the song’s power, but will need careful trimming. Secondly, the backing vocals. There seems to be 2 types of backing on the song, the more normal male/female mix and the powerful military vocals. Can they pull this off with 5 backing singers? I don’t know.
A surprisingly cheesy entry from Belarus, with some promise!
SINGER – Anastasia Vinnikova
SONG – Born in Belorussia
MUSIC – Evgeny Oleinik
WORDS – Evgeny Oleinik, Viktor Rudenko
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