The folk

There's always a few entries which follow a more traditional music route, and frankly, they're often horrendous (O Julissi anyone?!). Decide for yourself which of this trio buck that trend

Iceland/Ísland – Coming Home – Sjonni’s Friends

There is a real poignancy behind this act, in that the original singer died suddenly during the Icelandic heats, and his friends decided to carry on in his memory. Has to be said though that the lyrics, that include prophetic lines such as “no-one knows when my time on earth comes to an end” don’t quite fit with the cheery melody, so it leaves you feeling a bit uneasy, though it is pretty catchy all the same.

Portugal – Luta é Alegria – Homens Da Luta

  

Oh dear. Portugal had been doing quite well in the past few years, sending lovely folk songs with innocent looking singers and was looking to break its record of the country with the longest Eurovision residency without a win. And now they are bizarrely changing tack and sending the Over 40’s Portugese Village People. They don’t sing in tune, the song is god awful and the stage presence is more uncomfortable than watching a Nativity play at a school for the incontinent.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/eurovision/songs/2011/portugal.shtml 

 

Bosnia & Hercegovina – "Love in rewind" - Dino Merlin 

Dino Merlin is one of the Balkan's biggest music stars; this guy wrote Bosnia’s national anthem when the country was born in 1995! This Eurovision entry isn't his first either. It’s a fairly charming affair, uplifting and with that crucial memorable chorus. And given his background, he's pretty unlikely to suffer from stage fright.