Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Switzerland - ZiBBZ - Stones Off to the bridge we go again and she joins in drumming (think Elitsa & Stoyan) after she's been running around the catwalk and the bridges and climbing over his drumset. Energetic for sure. And Coco's sporting some urban cowboy look and they use torches at one point to empower the shout out moment. Another pre-rehearsals non qualifier joining the game now? Hmmm... "Good vocal", "Good energy", "Not enough attitude", "Aggressive", "Rebellious", "Sexy" Ireland- Ryan O'Shaughnessy - Together The lamp post is there, the bench as well (we're only missing une rue)  as are the guys dancing in the streets in the video. Sadly they seem to be only distracting by some reviewers, and some lament the piano lady gets too much air time, too. And it snows when the guys come dancing and holding hands from the bridge. Should they focus only on Ryan with his guitar who hits al...

Greece - Yianna Terzi - Oniro mou Yianna looks like a Greek goddess in her white dress that flows in the wind (aka windmachine).  She's the second artist after Croatia's Franka to be alone on stage. One hand is painted blue (henna?) and symbolizes the Greek sea and skies. Something Finns can relate as well with our blue and white and their symbolism. Apparently there will be some augmented reality effects on screen as well as they promised some surprises and the screens in press center were turned down.  "Intense", "Passionate", "Powerfull", "Traditional", "Safe and not challenging" Finland - Saara Aalto - Monsters Oh dear. Who was expecting something really new and innotative - like this blogger - is disappointed. One starts to question how good this Friedman guy really is as all we see in this revamped Monsters staging is recycled ideas and gimmicks from other acts they have done, starting from Dominö ...

The rest of the semi-final one acts rehearse today for the first time, including Finland. Macedonia - Eye Cue - Lost and found Macedonia takes lead from their music video and they have a drummer and three backing singers on stage, while Marija interacts with all them with or without Bojan. Fucsia minidress for her. Another close up start apparently, and another let's walk to the stairs for the finale. Judging the comments it seems they did it all right and vocally fine. Looking good for them then. Maybe. This song is musically such a mess one needs time to digest it and an average televoter doesn't have it. But isn't that dress a bit too short....? "Sultry", "Cool beats", "Great chemistry", "Unfinished", "Not instant" Croatia - Franka - Crazy Another close up start? Franka is wearing a black lace dress looking like a real diva taking a full advantage of wind machines. smoke and did we see a tear? This ...

  Last year's host nation Ukraine and this year's Portugal both finally release their music videos for their entries this year today. Cláudia Pascoal & Isaura's O jardim is very green and simple with faces in close ups mainly. Mélovin's Under the ladder is the opposite: dark and dramatic, a bit gothic and a bit disturbing. No wonder he looks so worried most of it! Wednesday we will know how much of this he brings to the staging in Lisbon....

Mikolas Josef entered hospital after he hurt his back during the rehearsals this afternoon. Apparently at one point during the rehearsals he stopped the show by "Stop, stop! safety first!" when their prop didn't feel safe. Later, sadly he injured himself. He first noted on his social media channels: “The first thing that has come to my mind is that Eurovision has ended for me, and I am terribly disappointed for the fans who sent me here. I will do my best to return to the stage as soon as possible and fight for the best place.” Later tonight more news as it often happens; the injuries don't often come instantly but make themselves present later. This blogger has some personal experience of such, too.  “I can confirm that I got injured during the rehearsal and the situation got worse after several hours. I cant even walk now. Got back from the first hospital and I am now heading to another one. Thanks for all your messages and prayers we are all doing ou...

While all eyes are in Lisbon and the first semi-final rehearsals Saara Aalto had one more performance of Monsters on live television tonight in X Factor semifinal, where one of her girls made it to final next week, that she's going to miss obviously. But no worries, Matt Terry will replace her. Saara will fly to Lisbon early tomorrow and will have her first rehearsal on stage at 13.40. 

The last three to rehearse today include also two major favorites Estonia and Bulgaria, with Belarus sandwiched inbetween. In the strange twist of fate four of the major favorites are all in the first semi-final's first half.... Belarus - Alekseev - Forever Gone is his projector shirt or whatever it was in the national final and better so, as Elina is coming right after with her dress. Innstead we have some drama with roses and some apparently rather offputting imaginary in a form a blooded shirt. He's got a rising platform and a dancer, the said real rose and some more petals in augmented reality. And the vocals are still all over the place - or maybe they simply are like that? "Gothic romance", "Dramaric", "WTF", "Slightly offputting", "Extravagant", "Disgusting" Estonia - Elina Nechayeva - La forza In the end they got the money and the dreadful dress is here. But it's a good distractio...

The rehearsals continue after lucnh break with threee more countries, among them two top favorites Czech Republic and Israel, still #1 in the betting odds, and this blogger's favortire Lithuania... Czech Republic - Mikolas Josef - Lie to me It seems one of the favorites didn't quite deliver yet as Czech Republic's entry is described a mess pretty much in unison. The colors (pink/blue/purple) are there, the stairs are there, so are the breakdancers miming also as trumpet players and having their own props: light walls, and the choreography but it doesn't fill the stage the way it's ment to do, nor the camera angles are right there. If they only get the idea and concept work on screen.... Colorful and fun, vocally no problem. This blogger believes they'll sort it all out. Mikolas himself tried different acrobatics to add to the performance, such as front flip... Let's see what he'll do in the end...  Update: He has been taken to hospital fo...

The serious business is on. The first acts are having their 30 minutes technical rehearsals to check out the stage, the lights, the camera angles - all this has been already worked out with substitute artists and on going negotitions between RTP and EBU people on spot and the delegations at home the past few weeks. Now it's time to put the theory into practise and make the necessary changes, adjustments and final touches and see how everything looks and feels like in the real world. I will be following the rehearsals at home, spicing up the comments with those picked up from social medias and websites. Enjoy! Azerbaijan - Aisel - X my heart Aisel and her four backing singers/dancers, including Portuguese Rui Andrade, are working those mountains in a choreography that feels a bit too busy at times and dry ice. All dressed in white with mainly white and blue/purple backdrop it seems rather simple and traditional staging with the added props and wind machines. I suspect w...

  Today's the day. Azerbaijan will kick off the rehearsals 11am local time behind closed doors, as it has been now for a couple of years. Even more rules have been set by EBU in the last minute this year: a maximum of two minutes footage can be published by fan sites and blogs, and if I understood corretly none in private social media pages but only on blogs and sites. Same goes for photos.... But hey, I'm all for it. Too many times "fans" have slaughtered acts even before they have got their act together on that new stage (think Belgium last year for example) making them drop in betting odds etc. It's not only question of peace of mind for the delegations and the artist and money, it's a question of respect.  Let them get their act together before you judge, ok?  If you complain have a long look at the mirror. Fandom gets what fandom deserves. Simple as that. One of the best decisions by EBU for years, the best since closed doors rehearsals actually. Now...

Luckily Serbia, Spain, France and Hungary will be all singing in their native languages in Lisbon 2018 but meanwhile they have released also English versions of their songs. While Spain, France and Hungary just adapt the song, Serbia goes a bit further with their rework....

  Bulgaria - Equinox - Bones After placing 4th and 2nd the past two years Bulgarian tv created a super group for the occasion: Bulgarian Zhana Bergendorff, Georgi Simeonov and Vladimir Mihailov with American Trey Campbell and Johnny Manuel. Zhana (32) is Bulgarian X Factor winner 2013, also Georgi is known from XF, Vladimir had his taste of Eurovision by being one of Kristian Kostov's backing singers. Johnny made himself known in America's Got Talent and Trey has written songs to several global stars. Bones is one of the main favorites this year but even if I adore the vocal harmonies and their voices I'm not that into the song. And truth to be said even the vocal harmonies are very American. Also, being a specially created group should they win it would be kinda wasted one (think Tanel Padar and Dave Benton) as most likely they won't continue together and have success (think Bucks Fizz) so we wouldn't see them any gatherings and celebrations where the wi...

Saara Aalto has been around forever but international debut comes in a form of Wild wild wonderland album today. The album's cover is pure 80's Stock-Aitken-Waterman! (And not only the cover...) Thirteen songs in total, including all her UMK2018 entries Monsters , Queens and Domino , as well as her UMK16 runner up No fear as a bonus track. One song has curiously Finnish title, HÄN .  After being the runner up in Talent Suomi, The Voice of Finland, twice in the national final for Eurovision and X Factor UK she was internally chosen by YLE to represent Finland this year. This is her her fifth album following Blessed with love (2011), Christmas album Enkeleitä - Angels (2011), You had my heart (2013) and Chinese language compilation album  Ai De Zhu Fu (2013). Her only sales chart appearances so far are the You had my heart 's one week at #43 in album charts, and Monsters peaking at #14 in the singles' chart and dropping to #15 the week after before vani...

  Azerbaijan - Aisel - X my heart Aysel Mammadova (28) aka Aisel is jazz and blues singer,  pianist and songwriter but for this Eurovision adventure she goes all pop. There are so many reasons I shouldn't like this one but this has grown to be my guilty pleasure this year aka Slavko vol.2. These lyrics are priceless. She's got the honor to open the contest this year and set the tune so let's hope she delivers vocally and being Azerbaijan they must have come up with some staging gimmick. And qualify. I may have liked the original version better though. Can't help it but 9/10 (blush) Australia - Jessica Mauboy - We got love Jessica (28) is Australian Idol runner up 2006, and the hint of things to come for Australia in Eurovision as she starred in the interval act in the 2014 contest and the rest is history, Australia has taken part in the contest ever since.  She may have not quite shined vocally in Copenhagen but apparently she's got it. The song...

Today sees the release of a new book on Franco Battiato. The 320 paged one is written by writer and musician Fabio Zuffanti. Filippo Bardi has created a detailed Franco Battiato discography section in the book. Battiato, who represented Italy in the Eurovision song contest 1984 with Alice and I treni di Tozeur enjoy's a living legend status in Italy with his over 50 years in the Italian art scene. He has written music from experimental to pop, opera and films, being also a painter, writer. movie director and a lot more. This book tells his story from a little Sicilian village to the biggest Italian pop phenomenom that exploded in 1982 with his La Voce del Padrone album, one of the most sold albums in the Italian music history. The book also digs deep into his collaboration with Alice and his other female collaborators, most notably Giuni Russo and Milva . Still active in his various forms of art he's retired to his home by the mountain Etna and recovering from a broke...

  Romania - The Humans - Goodbye Cristina Caramarcu (30) fronts the band that includes also Alexandru Cismaru, Alexandru Matei, Alin Neagoe, Adi Tetrade and Corina Matei. They have been together only for a year but already here they are! The song is sort of radio friendly pop-rock and I was a bit surprised it won the Romanian national selection. The performance was rather shaky and I never cared for the song either. And it still gives me nothing. It leaves me totally indifferent and that's propably worst that can happen in Eurovision, isn't it? 2/10 Serbia - Sanja Ilić & Balkanika - Nova deca Sanja Ilić (67), a composer, keyboardist and architect created Balkanika in 1998 but he started his career already at the age of 12 when his first composition was released, sung by Dragan Laković. His first Eurovision link comes when he was 16. In 1976 his song placed 3rd in the Yogoslavian national final. Now, 42 years later he is finally here with Balkanika...