Updates and Videos and Translations, oh my!
Not sure what’s in the water in Europe today, but today we’re not only officially hearing the songs from the UK and San Marino (although the British song “I Can” was leaked yesterday, I’ll wait until after their official performance on “The Graham Norton Show” to post the clip), but revamped songs from Croatia and Georgia, a translated Dutch song, and the videos from Ireland, Spain, and Italy have all been released!
From Croatia, we have Daria Kinzer’s “Celebrate”, the former “Lahor” and “Break a Leg”:
We have Georgia’s new video with the updated version of “One More Day”, now with Eldrine’s new lead singer Sopho Toroshelidze:
From the Netherlands, the 3J’s “Je vecht nooit alleen” has become the English-language “Never Alone”:
From Ireland, we’ve got the official video from Jedward’s “Lipstick”:
Spain’s “Que me quiten lo bailao” by Lucía Pérez has gotten a minor revamp (with added instrumentation) and a brand new video, filmed in the resort town of Sitges during Carnival:
And finally, Italy’s Raphael Gualazzi has released a new version of “Follia d’Amore”, a bilingual track called “Madness of Love”:
More to come later today, with the official unveiling of Senit’s song for San Marino and Blue’s “I Can” for the UK!
Dana International returns for Israel!
Hold on to your hats, people…the Diva is coming back! The Kdam, Israel’s national selection, was held this Tuesday, and the competition was pretty fierce. However, it might be physically impossible to “out-fierce” Dana International, who won Eurovision back in 1998. As I mentioned in my post about Israel last year, Dana is possibly the world’s most famous male-to-female transsexual, and her career has extended far beyond her Eurovision experience. She has released 8 albums, a few “best-of” collections, and was even one of the judges on Kokhav Nolad, the Israeli version of the “Idol” franchise, for two seasons.
Going up against nine other songs, Dana’s song “Ding Dong” won the ticket to Germany:
This will actually be Dana’s third trip to Eurovision, as she was the author of Boaz Mauda’s 2008 entry “Ke’ilu Kan“. I have an immense amount of respect for Dana, not only as a former Eurovision champion, but also for having come through the personal struggles that faced her as she made her physical transition. That being said, I don’t think that “Ding Dong” makes as much of an impact as “Diva” or “Ke’ilu Kan” did back in 1998 and 2008. The song is fun, and she will definitely garner votes for simply being the ESC legend that she is , but I don’t think that Dana International will become the next Johnny Logan (the only two-time winning singer in Eurovision history).
(As for the other songs in the Kdam, my personal favorite was the folksy, yet funky “Tu Du Du“, by Michael & Shimrit Greilsummer!)
Kati Wolf’s "What About My Dreams/Szerelem miért múlsz?" for Hungary!
After a one-year absence, we finally have news on Hungary’s return to Eurovision. A brief press conference was held at 11:00 CET (so, 4 in the morning here in Minnesota…I admit it, I set an alarm to watch it, tweeted, and promptly went back to sleep!), and possibly the worst-kept secret in this year’s Eurovision was confirmed: X-Factor alum Kati Wolf’s “Szerelem miért múlsz?” would carry the Hungarian banner to Germany this year. Rumors about Kati had been swirling for months, but broadcaster MTV refused to confirm or deny anything, much to fans’ consternation!
The song will be partially performed in English (as “What About my Dreams?”), and pared down from its full length of over four minutes, but here’s the original studio version:
As soon as I had heard the rumors about Kati Wolf (or, in Hungarian, Wolf Kati…the name order is reversed), I held out hope that this would be the official entrant that would welcome back the Magyars. It’s high energy and catchy, with a bit of a retro dance feel that Eurofans will likely love. Their last two entries failed to make the finals, but this one has potential to bring Hungary back to the upper echelon of the ESC scoreboard. My only concern is that “What About My Dreams” will be performed in the same semifinal as Poland’s “Jestem”, Armenia’s “Boom Boom”, and Croatia’s “Celebrate”, which could be seen as similarly uptempo, female-driven pop songs. This will all come down to the presentation, I think, and whoever gets the advantage of a merciful draw number.
Homens da Luta "A Luta É Alegria" for Portugal
This past weekend, Portugal held their annual “Festival da Canção”, the National Selection for Eurovision. Portugal, as you might remember, holds the dubious distinction for the longest ESC losing streak, with 44 appearances and no wins. Despite some brilliant and beautiful songs over the past four and a half decades, nothing has even cracked into the Top Five. More than any other country, the Portuguese hold very steadfast to their language and local musical styles in their Eurovision entries, often influenced by fado or other folk traditions. Their entry this year is no exception…but it goes even further than that!
Homens da Luta (literally, “Men of the Struggle”) and their song “A Luta É Alegria (The Struggle is Joy)” might look like Les Miserables performed by the cast of the Village People, but the song is actually a slightly tongue-in-cheek homage to the musical motifs of the mid-1970s, when songs about politics and the socioeconomic climate were common. Some sample lyrics in this entry include “Night or day, the fight is joy/And the people move on by shouting in the street…Come and celebrate the situation and sing against reaction”. To many fans, this song toes the line; the EBU prohibits songs with overt political messages, but politically-influenced songs have been seen on the main stage before (think Ukraine 2005 and Israel 2007, for example). I don’t think the song goes as far as previously disqualified entries, such as what was supposed to have been Georgia’s 2009 entry, “We Don’t Wanna Put-In” (a thinly-veiled dig at Russia, the hosts of that year’s event). I personally speak Portuguese, and know about the history of the Carnation Revolution, so I understand the context of the song, and feel like I’m in on the joke. However, if someone from Azerbaijan, for example, turns on this song, doesn’t understand the lyrics, and fails to get the message, this song will likely fly directly over their heads. No matter how hard they fight, Homens da Luta might just stay in the Semis.
Portugal, eu te amo muito, and a victory for RTP is on my personal Eurovision Dream List, along with the return of the orchestra, welcoming back the nations that have withdrawn, and a permanent job in the EBU (Sietse? Jon Ola? Jarmo? Call me!). However, there were other songs in this year’s Festival da Canção that could have brought the nation a bit more hope for glory. Runner-up Nuno Norte’s “São os Barcos de Lisboa“, Rui Andrade’s “Em Nome do Amor“, Wanda Stuart’s “Chegar à Tua Voz“…all of these options are unmistakably Lusitanian, and they would have been more easily embraced by a wider audience. But again, this is all just my opinion. 😉
Amaury Vassili’s "Sognu" finally released!
…and I think I might be in love.
As expected, France has taken a complete 180 degree turn from last year’s Afro-Caribbean club jam “Allez! Ola! Olé!” “Sognu”, performed in Corsican, is a operatic bolero performed by one of the world’s youngest professional tenors. Twenty-one-year-old Amaury, a native of Normandy, rarely sings in French, preferring to record songs in Italian or English. France, however, being France (remember, this is the country that argued in Parliament over whether their 2008 entry should be performed in English or not), will have their song performed in Corsican, the language spoken on the island where Napoleon himself was born and raised. This will be only the second French ESC entry where not a word of the French language will be heard, the first being 1996’s “Diwanit Bugale“, performed in Breton.
I am not a musicologist, or even an aficionado of opera. I am a proud Josh Groban fan, and I took a few trips to Lincoln Center as a schoolgirl, but that’s really the extent of my experience in this genre. I am, however, very impressed by Amaury’s talent, especially considering his age, and I hope he’s as good live as he is on the studio recording of this single. Obviously, “Sognu” is not the typical Eurovision entry, and it will not be to everybody’s liking. However, between Amaury and Italy’s Raphael Gualazzi, we’re seeing a few songs that step outside of the expected ESC mold of Schlager, Ballads, and Europop and take a risk by bringing unexpected genres to the event. Many “mainstream artists”, especially in Western Europe, tend to pooh-pooh Eurovision, claiming that it’s no longer a musical competition, but rather a popularity contest or a political event. If Amaury or Raphael make a big enough impact on the scoreboard, we might see opinions like that start to shift.
Or at least I can hope, right?
Daria Kinzer for Croatia: "Break a Leg"
Croatia’s Dora 2011 finally drew to a close this weekend, after weeks of semifinal heats where 24 singers belted out covers of Croatian and international hits in order to reach the finals, where the top two performers would each get to sing the three candidate songs for Eurovision. A combined jury/audience vote decided which song each singer would present, and then those top two performances were compared against each other to determine the ultimate winner.
The final two singers were the German-born newcomer Daria Kinzer and Dora veteran Jacques Houdek, with the song “Lahor (Breeze)” selected for both, even though the audience overwhelmingly favored ballad “Stotinama godina (Hundreds of Years)” for both Jacques and Daria. After a second vote, Daria was selected as the winner, although Jacques rendition of “Lahor” was nothing to sneeze at, either!
I am a bit disappointed in the final result of Dora 2011. While Daria is a completely capable singer and performer, I almost feel like she’s just another pretty face. During the interview portions of the program, Jacques seemed more personable and animated, and he also has a larger following both in Croatia and the greater Balkan region. Considering that a lovely performance from Feminnem wasn’t enough to get them out of the semifinals last year, Croatia needed something that would set them apart, and I just don’t think “Lahor” is the song to do it. Even if they plan on singing it in English (with the less-than-elegant title of “Break a Leg”, an idiom that might not translate easily for non-English speakers), they will need an absolutely unforgettable stage show to really boost them back into the high results that they enjoyed back in the mid-to-late 1990s.
Update!: It seems that the song will be revamped, including a much-needed name change. What once was “Lahor” and then “Break a Leg”, will now simply be called “Celebrate”.
Emmy sends "Boom Boom" for Armenia
This weekend, Armenia finally made its decision for Eurovision. Singer Emmy was internally selected by broadcaster ARMTV back in December, but it was only this weekend that the four candidate songs were fully presented to the public and voted on by a 50/50 audience/jury split. After all of the ballots were tallied, the winner was “Boom Boom”:
“Boom Boom” beat out two other upbeat songs, “Hi” and “Ayo“, and the ballad “Goodbye” for the victory. Frankly, out of all of Emmy’s potential entries, this was actually my personal least favorite. The beginning reminds me of “I Wanna”, the Latvian winner from 2002, and while the bridge seems promising, the chorus seems clichéd. However, Armenia has an incredibly strong track record in their short Eurovision history; since their debut in 2006, they’ve made the Top Ten each year. I anticipate that Armenia will put together a very high-energy stage show, and considering that traditional voting allies Russia, Georgia, and Greece are in their semifinal, they should be a pretty strong bet to pass into the Finals on May 14th.
The TWiiNS (Slovakia) reveal "I’m Still Alive"
This weekend, the representatives from Slovakia, TWiiNS, finally revealed their entry. And, surprisingly, it’s not half bad!
Unlike the tarted-up pop numbers that we had seen from the Nízlová sisters in their earlier singles, “I’m Still Alive” is a pleasant, harmony-laden, and (dare I say) pretty tune that surpassed my expectations. (Granted, in all fairness, my expectations were somewhat low, considering that the TWiiNS were an internal selection from a country that may or may not have wanted to participate in Eurovision this year in the first place…minor details!) This will be Slovakia’s first ESC entry sung in English, and Veronika and Daniela seem to have no trouble with the language. However, after a few listens, the song does become a bit repetitive, and tends to blend into the background pretty easily. Furthermore, the only time we’ve seen the song performed, it was lip-synched during the Miss Slovakia pageant, so I have no idea how the sisters actually sound live.
So, in our TWiiNS vs. Jedward battle, who takes the crown at this point?
Entertainment: The Slovaks have a nice tune, but it’s just that. Nice. The Irish, however, have taken two ferrets, dressed them in red suits, and injected them with Speed. Advantage: Ireland
Physical Appeal: Not taking gender into consideration, if you’re under fourteen, Jedward takes it. Post-puberty, you’ve got to hand it to the Nízlovás. Then again, considering the propensity for tweens to power-dial for their favorites… Advantage: Ireland
Annoyance Factor: Slovakia’s song can get a bit repetitive, but Jedward’s Jedward. ‘Nuff said. Advantage: Slovakia
So, will the simply pleasant win out over the love-it-or-hate it? It’s a close one, but my money’s on Jedward for the qualification, with Slovakia on the fence, depending on how their live performance stacks up. What are your thoughts?
Alexey Vorobyov for Russia!
According to credible sources, Russia has just made the announcement that singer Alexey Vorobyov will represent Eurovision’s largest nation in Germany. The song, which will be publicly introduced to the world during the March 12th, the season premiere of “Star Academy”.
That’s not where the news ends, however: the song has been written by the world-renowned hitmaker RedOne, who has produced hits for artists such as Lady GaGa, Enrique Iglesias, Usher, Jennifer Lopez, and many others. Here’s what RedOne had to say about the collaboration:
http://www.1tv.ru/newsvideo/172120
Sadly, there is no news on whether or not the Buranovskiye Babushki will be his backup dancers.
Anastasiya Vinnikova for Belarus
The word “Belorussian” literally translates to “White Russian”, which is exactly what I’ll need after listening to the entry that the nation has internally selected for Eurovision 2011.
Now, in all fairness, the version of the song seen in the video is not exactly what we’ll be seeing on the stage in Düsseldorf. The original version, “Born in Byelorussia”, will have its lyrics revamped a bit, going from USSR-romanticizing to simply extolling the wonders of living in Belarus, a nation known for its oppressive dictatorship. “I Am Belorussian”, the new version, really sounds like an advertisement to check out a post-Iron Curtain state that isn’t really known for its status as a tourist’s paradise. Or, evidently, its strength in English-language education. (Lyrics to the new version are after the jump.) Belarus has tried this sort of thing before, with Dasha, Alina, and Karina’s Junior Eurovision entry “Sertse Belarusi” back in 2008. The JESC entry came in 6th place, but I doubt that the same strategy will work for Belarus this time around.
This song can go in one of two ways: either it stays in more or less its current format, which will likely end up with “I Am Belorussian” at the bottom of the scoreboard, or they can revamp its presentation, camp the hell out of it, recycle Verka Serduchka’s old outfits from Ukraine 2007, and turn this outdated and awkward song into a tongue-in-cheek ode to a Post-Soviet state whose main exports could be disco balls and glitter. But, then again, Belarus isn’t known for its self-deprecating humor, is it?
UPDATE!: A video uncovered by my friends and colleagues over at ESCKaz.com shows “Born in Byelorussia” being performed at a university function back in May of 2010, months before any entries are allowed to be revealed. Last year, a similar situation happened with the Ukrainian entry, resulting with the song being replaced. Will the same thing happen to Belarus? The author of the updated song is claiming that, because of the change in lyrics, the song should be considered a new entry altogether, but EBU rules explicitly state that no song should be performed, in whole or in part, before September 1 of the previous year, even if the lyrics, arrangement, or staging are changed dramatically. Failure to comply with this could lead to disqualification. This story is still developing, and I’ll try my best to stay on top of it for you all.
“I’m gonna make it my way
Just getting stronger each day
I’m from Belarus so I say
I’m Belorussian
I’ve got the whole life to live
I’ve got so much I can give
And you can always believe
In my friendship
Now it’s time to show…
I am Belorussian
feel it in my mind
Belorussian
friendly and so kind
Time’s on my side
Nothing is gonna break me now
I am Belorussian
feel it in my heart
Belorussian
Now it’s a new start
Here is my time
I’m gonna take it anyhow
I feel so good to be free
Honor is what you can see
My love’s as deep as the sea
I’m Belorussian”
The ESC Insider 