Semi 1: 17 Bosnia-Herzegovina / Ljubav je

Yes, I missed Croatia very much when they were gone. But I missed Bosnia-Herzegovina even more. Since 2004 they've been good every year, even when they weren't good as such they delivered and became good before our very eyes.

What kind of entry would be the right one to attempt a comeback with, then? That questions seems to have bothered the Bosnians as well so they decided to throw every idea they had into one single song. Everything and the kitchen sink. And for the first time since forever, it feels like Bosnia let us down.

The presentation in the clip really isn't optimal. Maybe the circumstances are to blame but there is no sparkle between Deen and his duet partner. The cello player feels more like a decoration than an actual component of the actual entry and the song just goes on and on until a rapper bursts into the whole thing. Since the rap entrance brings some action into the picture, it comes more as a relief than a disturbance.

But too little, too late.

Qualifier:
Borderline. I hate crying diaspora but had this been Slovakia I would have bet everything I have on this not qualifying. Now it could very well happen, despite an acute lack of song.

My grade: 1/5



Dalal & Deen feat. Ana Rucner and Jala / Ljubav je (Bosnia-Herzegovina 2016 preview clip)

Preview clip: Germany 1994

Since Ralph Siegel is back in the game (was he ever really gone?) I thought I'd have a look back to when Uncle Ralphie still had a bit of a finger on the pulse and came up with things that felt happening.

It was, admittedly, an easy thing to seem youthful and happening in the neverending stream of more or less passionate ballads that filled the line-up of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, but this explosion of colour and happiness seemed pretty real and genuine in the preview show of that year.



MeKaDo - Wir geben 'ne Party (Germany 1994 preview)

This is Siegel by the numbers and the last time that the old formula worked flawlessly. Just like with Dschinghis Khan in 1979, he assembled an attractive and energetic group, out of session singers and lesser known solo singers he had worked with before, to suit the song he wrote. One of the girls, Melanie Bender, was the daughter of one of the Dschinghis Khan members.

The song is full of little hooks and clever ideas and the chorus is a way of getting around the rule stating everybody had to sing in their own language - the phrase "Wir geben 'ne Party" is sung to sound more or less exactly like the english title "We're giving a party".

In Dublin, the whole package felt less fresh than the clip. The girls were still energetic enough, but the styling - as well as the backing singers - gave this an air of "old people trying to produce whatever young people may like". A review in newspaper The European said it sounded like a pop song remixed by a bunch of grandmothers.



MeKaDo - Wir geben 'ne Party (Germany 1994)

The entry managed to achieve a respectable third place in Dublin but was a commercial flop and the group soon disbanded.

There were stories in the press that the first choice of German television would have been to send punk legend Nina Hagen - who declined the offer - to Dublin. I can't help but wonder what kind of commotion she could have created had she gone to the ESC.

MeKaDo's blond member - the lovely Kati Karney - almost made it to Eurovision again eight years later when she suddenly resurfaced in the national final of Bosnia-Herzegovina together with Boris Režak. Their song ended in fourth place.



Boris Režak feat Kati Karney - Ti i ja smo mogli sve (Bosnia-Herzegovina national final 2002)

Preview clip: Bosnia-Herzegovina 1993

In the ever-smiling glamourous world of television entertainment, the debut entry of Bosnia-Herzegovina arrived like a punch in the stomach. While everyone else chose their stage outfits and perfected their dance routines, the Bosnian delegation risked their lives to travel to Millstreet.

At the airport they were shot at while boarding the plane and even before that, they had put their lives at stake filming a preview from Sarajevo under siege.



Fazla - Sva bol svijeta (Bosnia-Herzegovina 1993)

There had been traces of reality making its way into eurovision also before this: there had been songs about the fear of nuclear war, about pollution of the planet, about the Cyprus conflict. But suddenly it all became very tangible during these three minutes that the Bosnian preview lasted.

Fazla had won a national final held in studio with sub-zero temperature in the partially destroyed tv-house of Sarajevo. They had to film their preview after sunset, so that the snipers in the surrounding mountains wouldn't spot them so easily. They had to borrow petrol from the army to run a spare aggregate for the cameras to work.

"To survive, we need food also for our souls" said Bosnian head of delegation Ismeta Krvavac in response to why they put so much effort into participating at eurovision during such troubled times.

In Millstreet, Fazla sang well but came across as a bit cold, serious and static. The urgent feeling of reality that had been very present in the preview got a bit lost and Bosnia-Herzegovina had to content themselves with a 16th place and twenty-seven points, twelve of which came from Turkey.



Fazla - Sva bol svijeta (Bosnia-Herzegovina 1993)

Absent friend: Bosnia-Herzegovina

It has only been twenty years since they made their debut as an independent country, but yet Bosnia-Herzegovina feels like an old friend indeed. Possibly because of the incredible transformation they went through in front of our very eyes.

They started out as a war-torn country - a small miracle in itself that they managed to take part during the civil war - that impressed people by their sheer presence and perhaps gained the occasional sympathy vote.



Fazla - Sva bol svijeta (Bosnia-Herzegovina 1993)

Then peace came. The country had a change of flag and constitution and set out to re-invent themselves. After a few confused years where ambitious national finals ended in tactical (political) voting and not particularly user-friendly winners, Bosnian television started selecting most of their entries internally. A very good move, indeed.



Deen - In The Disco (Bosnia-Herzegovina 2004)

Suddenly, Bosnia-Herzegovina turned into one of the bravest pupils of the entire class. A chrysalis-to-butterfly that set new artistic standards and often challenged the idea of what the perfect eurovision entry should look and sound like.

Many of their entries were more like short pieces of conceptual art rather than typical pop songs, often conveying some sort of message at some level. The often quite reserved grand public let themselves be amused and Bosnia never missed a final since the implementation of the semi finals.



Laka - Pokušaj (Bosnia-Herzegovina 2008)

Then suddenly, like a flash of lightning out of a clear blue sky, there were news from Sarajevo that Bosnia would not take part in Malmö. So, what are the reasons for this?

Lack of money was the official reason. The Bosnian delegations have been travelling light lately with very few people apart from the participants, but curiously enough the local broadcaster declined several offers from various parties willing to sponsor the participation.

Lack of enthusiasm could be another factor. Rumours have it that Bosnian tv had to struggle finding acts that were willing to do the ESC and that would at the same time match the high artistic standards they had set for themselves. The withdrawal could be a warning shot for the local artists - unless they contribute there will be no participation.

Then again, I can't shake the political suspicion I've felt at the back of my head. The Bosnian withdraval was announced at the same time as Turkish one and explained with equally vague reasons. Is Bosnia absent to back up the Turkish absence? And will the Bosnians be back even if Turkey stays out?

This is just a thought. I have no evidence in this case. I'm just thinking out loud. If anyone knows better, please enlighten me. Feel free to discuss this matter in a comment.

Regardless, I hope there will be a change of tune in Sarajevo soon. I think Bosnia-Herzegovina should be winning and hosting instead of withdrawing. And that's my final word.



Hari Mata Hari - Lejla (Bosnia-Herzegovina 2006)

Tobson's Ranking: #18 Bosnia and Herzegovina

This is one of my favourite ballads of the year, but I have come to expect more from the Bosnian entrants performance-wise.



Maya Sar - Korake ti znam (Bosnia-Herzegovina 2012)

From the word go, I melted like butter when I heard this very soft, very tender, very gentle ballad in its delicate arrangement, partially whispered rather than sung by the very sensitive Maya Sar that touched me already last year in Düsseldorf (when she was part of Dino Merlin's backing group).

I'm still very fond of the recorded version, but the live performance did not quite live up to my expectations.

A female piano ballad almost always include the singer getting up from her instrument towards the end to give the end notes some extra forza. Very predictable, on the verge of forgettable. Previous Bosnians entries have always included something for the eye as well as for the ears, and I was slightly disappointed to find this ingredient missing.

Maybe Maya Sar didn't have her best day vocally either, and I was a bit surprised to see this one in the final. But it still is a lovely song. Had it had a bit more to offer visually, it would have been higher still in my ranking.

My grade: 3/5

The 2012 review: part eight

I'm almost through all the entries for Baku, this post will deal with the four last songs to go through the semi finals, closing the Thursday night run-through.

15. SLOVAKIA



Max Jason Mai - Don't Close Your Eyes

Eurovision has perhaps never provided the perfect stage for real rock music. "Hard Rock Hallelujah" was - in all honesty - a typical eurosong disguised as a rocker with some guitars and, well, monsters. The Slovakian entry is by far the heaviest piece of metal since their Czech neighbours tired their luck with Kabàt in 2007.

This could be a turning point for rock, though. This might be sharp and noisy, but also melodic and easy to get a grip on. Max Jason Mai is a likeable performer and this song stands very alone - nobody is trying to steal their points and they will stand out by a mile from the other entries in this semi.

Qualifyer:
Yes. This is the year when Slovakia will get something back for all the effort they invested during the last few years. I am not sure how high a placing they might get in the end, but it would be a big negative surprise if they don't qualify this time around.

My grade: 3/5

16. NORWAY



Tooji - Stay

You know what? We need to talk about Tooji.

He is a real personality, he looks good and he has something deeply interesting about him, something enigmatic and mysterious. He is quite a good singer and has a good way with the camera. He really is a strong asset for Norway.

The big question is why he has opted to perform a song as weak as this one. It has a lot of promise and good ideas and good little hooky things, but it doesn't help much as there is no melody line and no structure. This song would need to grab me by the hand and lead me through this musical landscape and explain what is going on. As a listener, I feel very much left on my own as the whole package dances on without me.

Qualifyer:
Probably. Confidence comes a long way in a competition like this, and Tooji has plenty of that. But it is surprising that Norway, for the third year in a row, enters with a good singer and a song that is nowhere near as good.

My grade: 2/5

17. BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA



Maya Sar - Korake ti znam

Bosnia has really proven themselves as one of the strongest countries in the ESC, contributing quality entries year after year - well-crafted songs, elaborate performances and very good artists. Maya Sar has been part of the Bosnian team twice before, behind Deen in 2004 and as part of Dino Merlin's cheerful gang last year. This time around, she is going with a far more laid back effort.

The song, written by Maya Sar herself, is a tender and delicious little ballad where every syllable feels like a gentle touch, sung in a most delightful and sensual way. A real gem, but perhaps slightly too ethereal to work wonders in a televote.

Qualifyer:
Hopefully. It contains so many good ingredients, but is anything but instant. Should hit home with the juries, if they aspire to be of any use to the contest.

My grade: 4/5

18. LITHUANIA



Donny Montell - Love Is Blind

It's a hard life when your song is ready and you can't shake the feeling that it just isn't interesting enough. At that point, it is easy to start adding extra things, special effects, that might seem like a good idea at first but that don't really contribute anything in the end.

It could be a complicated bridge between the verse and a chorus. It could consist of adding some long notes that just distract from the actual melody. It could involve putting a blindfold on to underline the words you are singing. And in the end, you'll find yourself with a whole lot of superfluous rubbish and not so much of a song.

That is exactly what has happened in Lithuania, where the composer and the performer have joined forces to make it impossible for the audience to find the somewhat decent melody line they have hidden under several layers of over-production and stage antics.

Qualifyer:
No. This song would need some serious cleaning up, but not even that would help. The chorus, when Donny finally gets there, is OK but not original enough to make a difference.

My grade: 1/5

Bad Draw Day: Bosnia-Herzegovina 2006

So - the moral of today's stories is that the draw has been over-analysed (by people like myself) and that there really are no jinxed starting positions bound to ruin your chances.

And yet - there are at least two starting positions that really seem to wreck a song's chances since televoting was introduced.

Being drawn first in the final seems to do you no favours. Ask Azerbaijan's Safura or Finland's Paradise Oskar if they felt singing first enhanced their chances.

The other real shipwreck of a starting position is being the first song after the commercial break. It is not necessarily a position that will make you crash and burn, but it is like the short break ruins the focus of the viewers. Could it be that the break distracts just enough people for your song to lose its chances?

Hari Mati Hari felt like a strong contender for victory, like the song able to gather all possible ballad points in one basket. Its draw, right after the commercial break, changed the whole thing.

It was still bound to score well - it still holds the best Bosnian result to date - but it didn't feel like a potential winner anymore.

Sometimes the draw can make a huge difference, indeed.



Hari Mata Hari - Lejla (Bosnia-Herzegovina 2006)

ESC 2012: worthy women from the Balkans

With the exception of Slovenia (who always used to walk their own ways anyway), all of Former Yugoslavia has opted for internal selections for Baku.

Three of them have opted for strong female performers with strong personalities:

Bosnia and Herzegovina has apponted Maya Sar to sing for them in Baku. She was in Düsseldorf as part of Dino Merlin's cheerful backing group, but will now perform as a solo singer.

She is an accomplished musician who worked as a backing singer for many of her country's top stars. Her first solo single was a big success and she is currently working on her first album.



Maya Sar - Nespretno

Croatia has decided not to select their ESC entry through the Dora festival this time, and Nina Badrić for the job. She used to work in a bank before becoming a top name in the 90's dance music scene. Gradually, she left the dance music behind and has grown into a mature pop star.


She participated four times at the Dora without success, now she will finally get to represent her country at the ESC.





Nina Badrić - Dat ce nam Bog

FYR Macedonia selected its first eurovision entry in 1996, but found themselves rejected at the odd, non-public semi final organised that year. Their entrant Kaliopi has since grown into a steadily established name in the domestic showbiz.

She has developed a very strong presence and popularity and has, finally, been appointed to represent her country again. This time she has been given pretty much free hands to do whatever she wants when it comes down to writing, recording and producing her entry. Will it pay off in the end?



Kaliopi - Ti

Personally, I am very pleased with all three choices that could, given the right decisions are made concerning songs and performances, result in all three countries going very far in the voting.

Sending experienced and personable performers could, and should, result in plenty of points. Fingers crossed.

Happy Birthday, Eurovision

Whenever there is a reason to celebrate, there should be cake and a toast. And singing. A birthday is never good enough without some jolly singing.

At eurovision, singing also falls very neatly into the picture and some countries have taken on the task to celebrate this old contest in song.

When Eurovision turned 25, Belgium entered a Kraftwerk-inspired hommage to the Queen of Song Contest, not without a certain amount of tongue-in-cheek. Telex was a big name within the world of progressive synthesizer music and managed to confuse the greater part of the juries, barely missing out on the last place that would have granted them a most visible spot in the history books.



Telex - Euro-vision (Belgium 1980)

Twenty-five years later, at the next big celebration, it was Bosnia-Herzegovina that lit the candles on the cake and had cheerful girl trio Feminnem turn their entry, originally a love song while in their own language, into a birthday serenade.

The icing on the birthday cake was the ESC history/Abba tribute preview clip, resulting in every credible eurofan regularly bursting into a high-pitched "Hallooo Kopenhagen!".




Feminnem - Call Me (Bosnia-Herzegovina 2005 preview)

In between these almost compulsory celebrations, also Israel threw in a birthday song for reasons best known to themselves. It did way better than the other two, but that must be due to host country politeness...



Eden - Happy Birthday (Israel 1999)

Tobson's Winners: 2006 - 2010

During these five years, further modification was tried out by the EBU. After a nightmare of a semifinal in 2007 (with twenty-eight songs in the running), the qualification system was completely re-vamped in 2008.

Now, only the host country and the big four were guaranteed a place in the final - everyone else had to go through the two semi finals. This has resulted in way stronger final line-ups than before.

Not only stronger line-ups - it is in general much harder to predict the result this way. The final changes everything: the draw, the odds, the chances, the favourites. In short, the two semis contribute to way stronger television than before.

Also, the juries have been forgiven and are back in the game gradually since 2008, where they got to select the tenth finalist in each semi final. In 2009, they did that too but also had a fifty percent say in the final result. And from 2010, they have half the power already in the semi finals.

To tell you the truth, I am not convinced that this was a good move. It could have been, but I still see the same old countries voting extensively for neighbours and friends, the juries obviously joining the game rather than doing anything to prevent it. Also, as from 2011, the juries seem to have favoured strong voices over pop songs. They would need a reminder that this is a song contest - not a singing contest - and that we do not want to return to the old hit-less days of the 90's again.

2006 - Russia



Dima Bilan - Never Let You Go (Russia 2006)

Of course I am deeply happy that Finland won, that's beside the point, but in my book Russia was by far the best. A lavish stage show, slick presentation and one of the best pop compositions to grace a eurovision stage in the last ten years.

The whole production is classical and modern at the same time, and for some reason I find the slow drum loop a tiny bit Beatles-esque.

How sad to see that in only two years, the lovely Dima Bilan would grow into a pompously arrogant nobody. And even sadder to see him win, when he clearly no longer deserved it.

Real winner:
Lordi - Hard Rock Hallelujah (Finland)


2007 - Georgia



Sopho - Visionary Dream (Georgia 2007)

Ever wondered what "Ray Of Light" would have sounded like had Madonna been born in Tbilisi? Wonder no more.

Georgia's debut entry in Helsinki is a real knockout of an entry, it doesn't sound like anything that was ever heard at the ESC before. A wild mix between etno, ballad, aggressive beats, sword dancing and, in the middle of the storm, the wonderful Sopho Khalvashi, queen-like and supreme, keeping the whole thing together.

Too demanding for the average voter, perhaps, but it gives me serious goose bumps.

Real winner:
Marija Šerifović - Molitva (Serbia)


2008 - Bosnia-Herzegovina



Laka - Pokušaj (Bosnia-Herzegovina 2008)

As eurovision has filled up with more and more quality pop songs, modern and chart-friendly, it just gets harder to decide which one is my favourite each year. Often something quirky makes the top of my bill, I've noticed.

Calling this entry quirky would be something of an understatement, though.

It is artistic, experimental, edgy, boundbreaking, melodic, fun and Wogan hated it. Laka is a real artist (and his sister too) who uses his three minutes in full to present himself to a potential audience, not caring the slightest for the people who won't understand. When eurovision allows something as demanding as this to make top ten, that's when I really love my old contest.

Real winner:
Dima Bilan - Belive (Russia)


2009 - Bosnia-Herzegovina



Regina - Bistra voda (Bosnia-Herzegovina 2009)

If there is one national that truly emerged like a real quality engine since the semi finals were introduced, then it is Bosnia-Herzegovina. Once they got their machinery running, after the civial war and some hopeless attempts at staging fair national finals, few others can match the Bosnians when it comes to personable performers, strong melodies and memorable performances.

Rock band Regina, who possibly heard a track or two by Coldplay through the years, deliver a tender, delicate melody line, demanding and inviting and the same time, and how this song didn't reach higher than ninth place remains a real mystery for me.

Real winner:
Alexander Rybak - Fairytale (Norway)


2010 - Germany



Lena - Satellite (Germany 2010)

When there are forty-something entries in the line-up, the chance that your personal favourite will be the winner in the end diminishes quite clearly. My joy was immense as my big pre-contest favourite made it all the way in 2010.

Even more so since I had been hoping for Germany for a few years already. They had been trying to deliver quality entries for quite some time without really getting it right, ending in failure year after year in spite of creating quite a few domestic hit singles.

Lena was a bull's eye in many aspects: young, appealing, hit friendly, equipped with a bubbly personality. A dream winner for Eurovision in many ways. And the importance of one of the Big Four countries winning can hardly be over-estimated.

Real winner:
Lena - Satellite (Germany)

Tobson Ranking: #2 Bosnia-Herzegovina

Since they shaped up big time half a decade ago, Bosnia-Herzegovina is never bad at Eurovision. It is just a question of HOW good they are.



Dino Merlin - Love In Rewind (Bosnia-Herzegovina 2011)

Dino Merlin is very, very good. It is not some cosmic co-incidence that made him a superstar on home ground.

He brought along the happiest bunch of people seen on a Eurovision stage for many a good day and puts on an ethnic singalong anthem complete with some yodeling. With those ingredients, they decorate a real birthday cake of a song.

Just as the case with Laka three years ago, this is more like a conceptual installation of art rather than a eurosong, only more easily accessible.

The whole song is such a brilliant little piece, crowned by the elegant and unexpected hook: "Sito!"

There are so many rights in this song that I could make a list and go on for a long time. (And on a shallow note - in my book, the bass player is possibly the most attractive male gracing the ESC stage this year. But that's shallow, please disregard.)

A musical happy pill. If you don't like it, you're dull. End of story.

Sito!

My grade: 5 / 5

The 2011 review: part Five

Are you all ready? Take a deep breath and we will dig into the second semi final. Here is the first bite!

1. BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA



Dino Merlin - Love In Rewind (Bosnia-Herzegovina 2011)

The rhythm of this song reminds me of the Bosnian eurosong from exactly thirty years ago (representing Yugoslavia in Dublin 1981), just proving that the musical tradition goes like a red thread through most of the Bosnian contributions. Many things have changed with time, and these days Bosnia-Herzegovina are often considered top contenders with their quirky but catchy entries.

It would surprise me if this would turn out to be their first winner, though. It is probably a bit too demanding for the average voter, but what a fantastic entry it is. Artistic, ambitious, surprising. This one has everything you could ask for, in addition to a very appealing melody line. A firm favourite of mine.

Qualifyer:
Yes. Dino Merlin is a superstar in the Balkans, but this is also a super song.

My grade: 4/5

2. AUSTRIA



Nadine Beiler - The Secret Is Love (Austria 2011)

I have really missed Austria in Eurovision and would really love to love this one. This girl is so sweet and is so talented, she sings so well, and the gospel chorus really provides a lift towards the end.

And yet, the whole thing is just so predictable and nice. Nice in a bad way. Nice in a dull way. Nice as in elevator music. Thinking how much Trackshittaz or Klimmstein would have stood out in this semi, it is a shame how Austria threw away a great chance. Then again, many people are fond of this genre and not all hope is lost.

Qualifyer:
Probably not. Coming on as song number two, not including more memorable moves than this one does, even the people who liked it will remember it well enough when it is time to cast the decisive votes.

My grade: 2/5

3. NETHERLANDS



3JS - Never Alone (Netherlands 2011)

Not only is this one just as nice as Austria, it also begins with the worst lyrical faux pas I know. Anyone who rhymes "heart" with "start" gets about one hundred points deducted at once in my book, but after that the song actually takes quite a nice turn.

Indeed, it is a pleasant little pop number, tailormade for the softer radio stations, well performed by this Duth Jan Johansen and his clones. Yet, it faces the same problem as the Austrian entry. Who will remember this one long enough to vote for it?

Qualifyer:
Possibly, if the Dutch would have the kind of luck they have not had since 2004. But I seriously doubt it.

My grade: 2/5

4. BELGIUM



Witloof Bay - With Love Baby (Belgium 2011)

A capella doesn't have to be a bad idea. Latvia did it quite nicely in 2006, and the entry by Ba'Six in the 2001 Danish final is really sweet. What they both had was a good tune to begin with. This is just an unsufferable display of what fantastic sounds (according to themselves) a group of singers can make using no instruments.

Great. We know. But why didn't you bother writing a song? Now all we get is a very smug performance without a trace of charm anywhere.

Qualifyer:
Probably not. But it does have one advantage compared to Austria and the Netherlands: you will not forget this one. It moves into your head and stays there, even though you just want it to leave.

My grade: 1/5

5. SLOVAKIA



TWiiNS - I'm Still Alive (Slovakia 2011)

Same case as Austria - I would really want to like this one more than I do. It reminds me quite a lot of Azerbaijan's entry, but unlike that one this never really takes off. It keeps going, wagging along, without any major surprises or climaxes. The twin sisters really do their best, and maybe they can make this one light up the sky on stage, but they had really bad luck getting drawn so tightly together with a whole bunch of other midtempo songs.

Qualifyer:
No. I'm afraid not. I would really want Slovakia to have some success in order for them to want to stay in competition, but this is pretty unlikely to happen.

My grade: 2/5

Songs only I like: Bosnia-Herzegovina 1997

In many ways, 1997 is one of my absolute favourite ESC years ever. It was the year when modern Eurovision really started, with more contemporary sounds, a more modern stage set and more innovative camera work.

It is also crammed with good songs, many of which have stood the test of time very well. And then there are a few others, as well.



Alma Čardžić - Goodbye (Bosnia-Herzegovina 1997)

Bosnia-Herzegovina had, due to the civil war, had a certain amount of sympathy and politeness surrounding them since their debut in 1993. Even when some of their songs were lacking in certain respects, the commentators stayed very friendly and emphasised that the important thing was that the Bosnians could be with us at all.

In 1997, the war was over and the sympathy gone with the wind.

The rules back then stated that Alma and her team needed something like 158 points in order to keep their country in the running for 1998. I think there was not a single commentator who did not snigger at how unlikely that was, adding how appropriate it was for Alma's song to be called "Goodbye".

Swedish commentator Jan Jingryd went as far as saying that if Bosnia collected the points needed, that would be a bigger sensation than a discovery of intelligent life on the moon.

Maybe people were tired of being polite, but I can't quite understand why everyone had to be so harsh. Dated, surely. But I never thought this song was so bad. It's pleasant and easy-going, very well delivered by Alma.

An excellent song to sing in the shower, for instance. And one that always puts me in a good mood. If you like it too (or sing it in the shower like I do), please say so in a comment.

Also note the original flag of Bosnia-Herzegovina, used for the last time at Eurovision this year.

Bosnia-Herzegovina 2011: like a piece of art

Last night, the national broadcaster of Bosnia-Herzegovina presented its entry for Düsseldorf at a tv special. The performer has been known for quite some time - it is Dino Merlin who already represented the country in Jerusalem in 1999.

He also wrote their first ever as an independent country at war in 1993.



Dino Merlin - Love In Rewind (Bosnia-Herzegovina 2011)

Bosnia started taking their participations seriously in 2004 (when they ended a series of politically tainted national finals and started internal selections instead - all entries but one has since been internally selected) and has since then developed their very own trademark.

They often send in high-quality, somewhat quirky, entries that offer something special both musically and visually: Hari Mata Hari in 2006, Laka in 2008, Regina in 2009...

"Love In Rewind" elegantly joins this group of entries. A theatrical performance, like a bit of conceptual art, underlines the simplicity and vivacity of the song.

I'm not sure this is the entry that will take us all to Sarajevo in 2012, but it will end up very high on my favourite list, for sure.

Deen was (a bit too) bang-up-to-date

The first ten participations of Bosnia-Herzegovina didn't bring much luck or success. For the first years, quite naturally, most people were just stunned and happy that the Bosnians could be with us at all. When the war was over, most Bosnian entries were instead regarded with indifference and a lack of interest.

Then came Deen.

A local pop star with a past in a boy band who almost made it to Jerusalem in 1999, but ended third in the national final. After a few solo attempts in the national league, he was selected internally to represent the country in Istanbul 2004.

Five songs were performed on a tv special, and the winning song was "In The Disco", a happy little number written by Vesna Pisarovic, who had sung for Croatia two years earlier.

Deen and his decadent club culture made more than one jaw drop. Nobody had expected this kind of music from Bosnia-Herzegovina. So modern. So vibrant. So daring. Maybe a bit too much of all three at the time, but Deen ended up with a ninth place.



Deen - In The Disco (Bosnia-Herzegovina 2004 preview)

I can't help thinking that Deen would have felt even more modern today. This kind of electro pop has made it big and manages today to be both edgy and mainstream at the same time.

Maybe the television centre in Sarajevo should consider giving Deen a new chance in 2012?

Preview clip: Bosnia-Herzegovina 2009

My favourite song from the 2009 contest was lifted even further by its ambigious, elegant and atmospheric preview clip.



Regina - Bistra voda (Bosnia-Herzegovina 2009 preview)

The song is also magnificent in its own right, but with the video clip it turns into a tiny piece of art. Lovely.

A bit of bad luck with the draw for the running order in the final probably cost this entry a few placings in Moscow, and Regina had to content themselves with a ninth place.

Not bad. But they deserved more.



Regina - Bistra voda (Bosnia-Herzegovina 2009)

When reality hits Eurovision

There will be a long shadow over this year's Icelandic national final as one of the participants, Sigurjón Brink, died unexpectedly at the age of 36.

Apart from the obvious personal tragedy, it creates a delicate dilemma for the Icelandic television who needs to relate to the situation in the best of taste and find a solution that will still look tasteful and fair once the shock fades away and more critical eyes start analysing what you have done and what you haven't done.

I'm not claiming to know everything about Eurovision (is there any such person - and what would he/she look like?) but I can't remember any other situation like this, that a main performer would have passed away right before their planned Eurovision performance.

The closest I can come to think of is Sammy Babitzin (brother of Kirka), who competed in the 1973 Euroviisut and then died in a car crash later than a month after the international final.



Sammy Babitzin & Koivistolaiset - Riviera (Finland NF 1973)

Death did play a part in the 1974 ESC, though. Four days before the final, held on April 6, the French President George Pompidou dies due to an illness largely unknown to the public. France was in shock and, obviously, withdrew from the contest. The French delegation, already on location in Brighton, never performed.



Dani - La vie à 25 ans (France 1974 preview)

However, the grim realities of life were perhaps never more present than in 1993, when Bosnia-Herzegovina debuted under their own flag in Millstreet and produced a preview clip from Sarajevo at war. At that time, we were used to seeing images of civil war from former Yugoslavia on the news, but here they were, singing a song, on our favourite entertainment show. There was no way we could ignore them this time.



Fazla - Sva bol svijeta (Bosnia-Herzegovina 1993 preview)