After two years of absence (and, seemingly, a change of heads in the entertainment department) TVCG has decided to join the fun again and send an entrant to Baku.
A smart move, really.
A small and relatively new country like Montenegro, with a heavy tourism sector, couldn't really afford staying away from such relatively cheap advertisement as taking part in the ESC.
Not that any of their entries as independent country so far has had a lot of impact. Montenegro is yet to make it out of the semi finals, and with entries like "Ajde kroči" it is not a real surprise either.
An internal selection has appointed Rambo Amadeus to represent his country in Baku and a man with a name like that certainly deserves some attention. He is the stage persona of Belgrade-based poet Antonije Pušić and sounds quite a bit like a local Serge Gainsbourg.
Being quirky in an oddball way could be a good idea in Eurovision (think Laka of Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2008) but also disastrous (think Gipsy.cz).
Equipped with a good song and a graspable chorus, Rambo Amadeus could hopefully provide us with three rather interesting minutes in Baku.
Rambo Amadeus - Urbano, samo urbano
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Melodifestivalen gem: Copycat Hadar 1975
Recently, I posted Glenmarks' 1974 melodifestivalen entry, a lovely little song that stood out as very different in their standard repertoire.
One year later, they would be back again, but this time mainly as a backing group for young Hadar Kronberg - a fresh talent recently signed by Bruno Glenmark's record company.
The question here is how obviously you can steal someone else's idea without decomposing with shame.
This song is a catchy little number by singers in extravagant outfits and a pseudo-historical effective title gimmick with a vaguely French connection. I wonder what Abba were thinking when they saw this.
Abba's conductor had the Napoleon outfit, Bruno Glenmark conducts with toy guns in his hands. This links in with the lyrics about two men duelling about this woman they both love. Duel or possibly Russian roulette, the lyrics are a bit vague on which method is chosen in the end.
All in all, a rather dubious package from a copyright perspective. But it is a very jolly and upbeat schlager. Surprisingly much so for a song that deals with imminent death.
Hadar & Glenmarks -Lady Antoinette (Sweden 1975 national final)
One year later, they would be back again, but this time mainly as a backing group for young Hadar Kronberg - a fresh talent recently signed by Bruno Glenmark's record company.
The question here is how obviously you can steal someone else's idea without decomposing with shame.
This song is a catchy little number by singers in extravagant outfits and a pseudo-historical effective title gimmick with a vaguely French connection. I wonder what Abba were thinking when they saw this.
Abba's conductor had the Napoleon outfit, Bruno Glenmark conducts with toy guns in his hands. This links in with the lyrics about two men duelling about this woman they both love. Duel or possibly Russian roulette, the lyrics are a bit vague on which method is chosen in the end.
All in all, a rather dubious package from a copyright perspective. But it is a very jolly and upbeat schlager. Surprisingly much so for a song that deals with imminent death.
Hadar & Glenmarks -Lady Antoinette (Sweden 1975 national final)
ESC 2012: Poland stays at home?
It seems Poland will not be present at the next Eurovision Song Contest, according to unofficial messages made by broadcaster TVP.
The demanding task of co-hosting the European Football Championships in combination with a disappointing run of results is, seemingly, what lead up to this decision.
I do think that Eurovision should be one big, great European party and the more participants, the merrier. I would really like for each and every European country to be represented and every country that drops out is a shame.
And there was a time where a Polish withdrawal would stand out like a disaster to me. Back in the day, Poland was one of my favourite countries that kept providing artistic entries with style, class and grace.
But ever since their first relegation in 1999, it felt like Polish television struggled. The average Polish entry was no longer particularly original or exciting. Other countries filled that space and Poland fell behind.
Maybe it is a good thing for them to pause and figure out what they really want. With a music industry like the Polish, winning the ESC would be piece of cake. If only you wanted to.
So Poland, speaking as your friend - take a year, take two, and get your act together. Then come back with something as brilliant as you used to send in. You will be most welcome.
Anna Maria Jopek - Ale jestem (Poland 1997 preview clip)
The demanding task of co-hosting the European Football Championships in combination with a disappointing run of results is, seemingly, what lead up to this decision.
I do think that Eurovision should be one big, great European party and the more participants, the merrier. I would really like for each and every European country to be represented and every country that drops out is a shame.
And there was a time where a Polish withdrawal would stand out like a disaster to me. Back in the day, Poland was one of my favourite countries that kept providing artistic entries with style, class and grace.
But ever since their first relegation in 1999, it felt like Polish television struggled. The average Polish entry was no longer particularly original or exciting. Other countries filled that space and Poland fell behind.
Maybe it is a good thing for them to pause and figure out what they really want. With a music industry like the Polish, winning the ESC would be piece of cake. If only you wanted to.
So Poland, speaking as your friend - take a year, take two, and get your act together. Then come back with something as brilliant as you used to send in. You will be most welcome.
Anna Maria Jopek - Ale jestem (Poland 1997 preview clip)
Monday, December 12, 2011
Romania 1998: Goodbye Mălina
Sad news reached the world of Eurovision today as it was reported that the 1998 Romanian representative Mălina Olinesu is no longer with us.
Reports suggesting that Mălina would have committed suicide, aged 37, makes the story even more sad.
Mălina was the second performer to represent Romania in Eurovision and holds the less flattering record of achieving the country's lowest score to date. Six points and a twenty-second place did not help her career back home, and she faded from the brightests spotlights.
Mălina Olinescu - Eu cred (Romania 1998 preview)
I always found the preview version of this song understated in an attractive way, while the final version in Birmingham felt a bit overblown in comparison. Maybe it showcases Mălina's voice but takes away quite a lot of the song's discrete charm.
Mălina Olinescu - Eu cred (Romania 1998)
Reports suggesting that Mălina would have committed suicide, aged 37, makes the story even more sad.
Mălina was the second performer to represent Romania in Eurovision and holds the less flattering record of achieving the country's lowest score to date. Six points and a twenty-second place did not help her career back home, and she faded from the brightests spotlights.
Mălina Olinescu - Eu cred (Romania 1998 preview)
I always found the preview version of this song understated in an attractive way, while the final version in Birmingham felt a bit overblown in comparison. Maybe it showcases Mălina's voice but takes away quite a lot of the song's discrete charm.
Mălina Olinescu - Eu cred (Romania 1998)
Sunday, December 11, 2011
ESC rejects: Israel 1989
At the time, being 13, the Israeli entry for Lausanne hit me like a brick on the head.
The sweet tune and the appealing set-up made it my firm favourite for many years to come and I identified very strongly with little Gili, facing the huge responsibility of representing his country.
(To be honest, he could very well be my first eurovision crush ever. But I wouldn't have understood to phrase it like that back then. Enough about me.)
Gili & Galit - Derech ha'melech (Israel 1989)
Nowadays, I find it a tad too sugary for my liking, even if I still recognise good handicraft when I see it.
I would have preferred to look into that wonderful magical parallel universe to find out what perky girl trio Mango could have done to the scoreboard. The song is catchy and the sound far too modern to sound good with the Swiss orchestra.
But could the girls have bettered the very disappointing 12th place of the boy soprano?
Mango - Yedidai (Israel 1989 national final)
The sweet tune and the appealing set-up made it my firm favourite for many years to come and I identified very strongly with little Gili, facing the huge responsibility of representing his country.
(To be honest, he could very well be my first eurovision crush ever. But I wouldn't have understood to phrase it like that back then. Enough about me.)
Gili & Galit - Derech ha'melech (Israel 1989)
Nowadays, I find it a tad too sugary for my liking, even if I still recognise good handicraft when I see it.
I would have preferred to look into that wonderful magical parallel universe to find out what perky girl trio Mango could have done to the scoreboard. The song is catchy and the sound far too modern to sound good with the Swiss orchestra.
But could the girls have bettered the very disappointing 12th place of the boy soprano?
Mango - Yedidai (Israel 1989 national final)
ESC reject: Norway 2010
We hear so many of these stories at Eurovision; a relationship on the rocks but I promise to change so give me another chance and please stop looking like you're actually leaving. This is yet another one, but with a few more twists in the tale than most.
This girl really has a problem, doesn't she? She's not just a tad jealous, this one. She goes berserk as soon as something slightly female approaches and it is a mystery she can go through three minutes on stage without attacking her attractive backing singers.
Venke Knutse's sweet baby voice delivery goes very nicely together with the Mad Glenn Close-attitude (neat reference to "Fatal Attraction" in the lyrics), even if I might have wanted a little more of Lena's "maybe I'm cute but I'm also lethal so beware"-approch, used in Germany's 2011 entry.
You sort of understand the bloke and can't really blame him for leaving. Until the bridge, that is, when the lyrics suddenly reveal that this jealousy is rather well founded and triggered by the man himself.
What is left is the feeling that this couple probably deserves each other. That, and a miraculously sweet, fluffy and appealing little pop creation.
How Norway could select that pompous and sopophoric mega ballad instead is beyond me.
Venke Knutson - Jealous 'Cause I Love You (Norway 2010 national final)
This girl really has a problem, doesn't she? She's not just a tad jealous, this one. She goes berserk as soon as something slightly female approaches and it is a mystery she can go through three minutes on stage without attacking her attractive backing singers.
Venke Knutse's sweet baby voice delivery goes very nicely together with the Mad Glenn Close-attitude (neat reference to "Fatal Attraction" in the lyrics), even if I might have wanted a little more of Lena's "maybe I'm cute but I'm also lethal so beware"-approch, used in Germany's 2011 entry.
You sort of understand the bloke and can't really blame him for leaving. Until the bridge, that is, when the lyrics suddenly reveal that this jealousy is rather well founded and triggered by the man himself.
What is left is the feeling that this couple probably deserves each other. That, and a miraculously sweet, fluffy and appealing little pop creation.
How Norway could select that pompous and sopophoric mega ballad instead is beyond me.
Venke Knutson - Jealous 'Cause I Love You (Norway 2010 national final)
ESC 2012: the Swiss are Unbreakable
The first entry for Baku has been decided upon, as Switzerland selected their representative out of a line-up consisting of fourteen songs.
The winner had been sent in by the Italian-languaged branch of Swiss television, and it must be underlined how much it adds credibility to the Swiss choice that a representative from the smallest of the three major communities can win through.
The shocker for many fans was, of course, that Dame Lys Assia - winner of the very first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956 - failed to even reach top three on the evening. I say it is better like that. Not only was her song aggressively dated (and somehow lacking in melody), but Eurovision has changed a lot since Lys last took part in 1958.
I get exhausted by two weeks of Eurovision. I'm 35. Lys is 87. She is far better off like this. And so is Eurovision.
The winning act are Ivan and Gabriel, two brothers from Losone, making up the duo Sinplus. They now have five months to polish and improve their act and my best advice would be to brush up on the stage output as well as the pronounciation.
Their song is a good one - a slightly repetitive (or, if you prefer, catchy) soft rocker, reminiscent of Switzerland's 2009 entry by the Lovebugs who failed to qualify largely due to bad pronounciation and a lack of stage output.
If the boys get their act together, Switzerland could very well make the final for the second time in a row. I guess it would please Schweizer Fernsehen quite a bit if they pulled that trick off.
Sinplus - Unbreakable (Switzerland 2012)
The winner had been sent in by the Italian-languaged branch of Swiss television, and it must be underlined how much it adds credibility to the Swiss choice that a representative from the smallest of the three major communities can win through.
The shocker for many fans was, of course, that Dame Lys Assia - winner of the very first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956 - failed to even reach top three on the evening. I say it is better like that. Not only was her song aggressively dated (and somehow lacking in melody), but Eurovision has changed a lot since Lys last took part in 1958.
I get exhausted by two weeks of Eurovision. I'm 35. Lys is 87. She is far better off like this. And so is Eurovision.
The winning act are Ivan and Gabriel, two brothers from Losone, making up the duo Sinplus. They now have five months to polish and improve their act and my best advice would be to brush up on the stage output as well as the pronounciation.
Their song is a good one - a slightly repetitive (or, if you prefer, catchy) soft rocker, reminiscent of Switzerland's 2009 entry by the Lovebugs who failed to qualify largely due to bad pronounciation and a lack of stage output.
If the boys get their act together, Switzerland could very well make the final for the second time in a row. I guess it would please Schweizer Fernsehen quite a bit if they pulled that trick off.
Sinplus - Unbreakable (Switzerland 2012)
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