I think someone got caught unawares!
Thursday 21 May 2009
Monday 4 May 2009
An important duty
Okay, so with less than a week to go, I thought I'd make you aware of an important duty, which is that the UK votes on which 10 countries progress to the final of the Eurovision Song Contest.
The first Eurovision Semi-Final will be broadcast on Tuesday 12th May on BBC Three (with ace commentary from Sarah Cawood and Paddy O'Connell). As a big country we automatically get through to the final, but we still help to choose who our competition is in one of the two semi-finals. With 42 countries in total, there are 21 in each semi-final, and it has to be said, the better songs are in the second one.
The following countries are performing, and here's a brief review of the songs. If I like them, I'll post the video, to try and convince you, but links of the country names will take you to the BBC page if you're curious about something I've missed...
Montenegro / Crna Gora
Andrea Demirovic - Just Get Out of My Life
This is a delightful euro-camp-fest, but it's a little "Pop Idol - Disco Week". Look out for the male dancer onstage who the Schlagerboys call "a big dancing jessie".
Czech Republic / Česká republika
Gipsy.cz - Aven Romale
"Come on Gipsies!" - you'd be forgiven for pulling a face at that title, and you'd be right to, cos this song is not a grower.
Belgium / België / Belgique
Copycat - Copycat
An Elvis-A-Like croons out this Fifties-style song, but the "cat-call" that starts it off makes me want to switch off.
Belarus / Беларусь
Petr Elfimov - Eyes That Never Lie
It's all a bit earnest really, and he looks a bit of a fool with that bizarre straightened blonde fringe.
Sweden /Sverige
Marlena Ernman - La Voix
Oh Sweden, you never let us down! Opera + Popdance beat can't fail can it? It's got the traditional key-change for the last verse, and a dance routine involving masks. Brilliant.
Armenia / Հայաստան
Inga & Anush - Jan Jan
This song is brilliantly mental - "We are dancing NOR PAR" - what does that even mean?! And they look so completely oblivious to how astonishingly ridiculous they are throughout. It's awful, but I keep getting drawn back.
Andorra
Susanne Georgi - La Teva Decisió (Get A Life)
Oh poor Andorra. I do feel a bit sorry for them, so tiny, but this song captures "90's single woman singer-songwriter" for me and it's not my bag.
Switzerland / Schweiz / Suisse / Svizzera
Lovebugs - The Highest Heights
This was produced by U2 and I think it shows. I quite like this song, which is so different from the rest of Eurovision it sits apart - which might mean it does very well.
Turkey / Türkiye
Hadise - Düm Tek Tek
This is pretty catchy, danceworthy and has a little "arriba" noise 2/3 through which does it for me. Plus I like the "Düm Tek TEK!" chorus a bit too much.
Israel / יִשְׂרָאֵל
Noa and Mira Awad - There Must Be Another Way
It's one of those "meaningful" songs - and I can't be bothered this year. Plus I don't think Hebrew was designed with singing in mind, there's something about hocking at the back of your throat that kind of kills the mood.
Bulgaria / България
Krassimir Avramov - Illusion
This is so OTT it's not even funny. There's only so much high-pitched wailing I can take from a man, even one as built as old Krassimir.
Iceland / Ísland
Yohanna - Is It True?
A plain ballad from Iceland - a bit disappointing really, like one of those X Factor acts who is pleasant enough and you continue to like when you know deep down they should have been voted off weeks ago.
F.Y.R. Macedonia / Македонија
Next Time - Neshto Shto Ke Otsane [Something That Will Remain]
Just a simple no here. Though the boys do have nice perms.
Romania / România
Elena - Balkan Girls
"The Balkan girls they like to party like nobody" - it's all pleasant enough.
Finland / Suomi
Waldo's People - Lose Control
This is excellent, a bit Bomfunk MC (which is perhaps not surprising, given both acts are Finnish).
Portugal
Flor-de-lis - Todas As Ruas Do Amor
This has the dubious honour of being my most played Eurovision 2009 song. I like that whilst many countries have opted to sing in English, Portugal remains steadfast in only using Portugese in this folky song. Portugal has participated in the Contest for longer than any other without securing a win, and I wouldn't mind if this were to do it.
Malta
Chiara - What If We
Chiara seems to enter Eurovision every other year and always with a yearning ballad. Same old, same old...
Bosnia and Herzegovina / Bosna i Hercegovina
Regina - Bistra Voda [Clear Water]
Now I actually quite like this one, but maybe because I have a soft spot for Bosnia. It's got sweet lyrics and I like the tinkly bits at the start.
Georgia / საქართველო
Georgia were due to take part but withdrew following that war with Russia, where, incidentally, the contest is being held this year. Then they came back, with a song called "We don't wanna Put-In", a barely veiled reference to Russia's Prime Minister, so they got banned. Oops.
So my favourites to hopefully make the Final are: Montenegro, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Romania, Finland, Portugal & Bosnia-Herzegovina. What are yours? We'll find out in week.
The first Eurovision Semi-Final will be broadcast on Tuesday 12th May on BBC Three (with ace commentary from Sarah Cawood and Paddy O'Connell). As a big country we automatically get through to the final, but we still help to choose who our competition is in one of the two semi-finals. With 42 countries in total, there are 21 in each semi-final, and it has to be said, the better songs are in the second one.
The following countries are performing, and here's a brief review of the songs. If I like them, I'll post the video, to try and convince you, but links of the country names will take you to the BBC page if you're curious about something I've missed...
Montenegro / Crna Gora
Andrea Demirovic - Just Get Out of My Life
This is a delightful euro-camp-fest, but it's a little "Pop Idol - Disco Week". Look out for the male dancer onstage who the Schlagerboys call "a big dancing jessie".
Czech Republic / Česká republika
Gipsy.cz - Aven Romale
"Come on Gipsies!" - you'd be forgiven for pulling a face at that title, and you'd be right to, cos this song is not a grower.
Belgium / België / Belgique
Copycat - Copycat
An Elvis-A-Like croons out this Fifties-style song, but the "cat-call" that starts it off makes me want to switch off.
Belarus / Беларусь
Petr Elfimov - Eyes That Never Lie
It's all a bit earnest really, and he looks a bit of a fool with that bizarre straightened blonde fringe.
Sweden /Sverige
Marlena Ernman - La Voix
Oh Sweden, you never let us down! Opera + Popdance beat can't fail can it? It's got the traditional key-change for the last verse, and a dance routine involving masks. Brilliant.
Armenia / Հայաստան
Inga & Anush - Jan Jan
This song is brilliantly mental - "We are dancing NOR PAR" - what does that even mean?! And they look so completely oblivious to how astonishingly ridiculous they are throughout. It's awful, but I keep getting drawn back.
Andorra
Susanne Georgi - La Teva Decisió (Get A Life)
Oh poor Andorra. I do feel a bit sorry for them, so tiny, but this song captures "90's single woman singer-songwriter" for me and it's not my bag.
Switzerland / Schweiz / Suisse / Svizzera
Lovebugs - The Highest Heights
This was produced by U2 and I think it shows. I quite like this song, which is so different from the rest of Eurovision it sits apart - which might mean it does very well.
Turkey / Türkiye
Hadise - Düm Tek Tek
This is pretty catchy, danceworthy and has a little "arriba" noise 2/3 through which does it for me. Plus I like the "Düm Tek TEK!" chorus a bit too much.
Israel / יִשְׂרָאֵל
Noa and Mira Awad - There Must Be Another Way
It's one of those "meaningful" songs - and I can't be bothered this year. Plus I don't think Hebrew was designed with singing in mind, there's something about hocking at the back of your throat that kind of kills the mood.
Bulgaria / България
Krassimir Avramov - Illusion
This is so OTT it's not even funny. There's only so much high-pitched wailing I can take from a man, even one as built as old Krassimir.
Iceland / Ísland
Yohanna - Is It True?
A plain ballad from Iceland - a bit disappointing really, like one of those X Factor acts who is pleasant enough and you continue to like when you know deep down they should have been voted off weeks ago.
F.Y.R. Macedonia / Македонија
Next Time - Neshto Shto Ke Otsane [Something That Will Remain]
Just a simple no here. Though the boys do have nice perms.
Romania / România
Elena - Balkan Girls
"The Balkan girls they like to party like nobody" - it's all pleasant enough.
Finland / Suomi
Waldo's People - Lose Control
This is excellent, a bit Bomfunk MC (which is perhaps not surprising, given both acts are Finnish).
Portugal
Flor-de-lis - Todas As Ruas Do Amor
This has the dubious honour of being my most played Eurovision 2009 song. I like that whilst many countries have opted to sing in English, Portugal remains steadfast in only using Portugese in this folky song. Portugal has participated in the Contest for longer than any other without securing a win, and I wouldn't mind if this were to do it.
Malta
Chiara - What If We
Chiara seems to enter Eurovision every other year and always with a yearning ballad. Same old, same old...
Bosnia and Herzegovina / Bosna i Hercegovina
Regina - Bistra Voda [Clear Water]
Now I actually quite like this one, but maybe because I have a soft spot for Bosnia. It's got sweet lyrics and I like the tinkly bits at the start.
Georgia / საქართველო
Georgia were due to take part but withdrew following that war with Russia, where, incidentally, the contest is being held this year. Then they came back, with a song called "We don't wanna Put-In", a barely veiled reference to Russia's Prime Minister, so they got banned. Oops.
So my favourites to hopefully make the Final are: Montenegro, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Romania, Finland, Portugal & Bosnia-Herzegovina. What are yours? We'll find out in week.
Sunday 3 May 2009
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