EUROVISION 2022: HERE WE GO! ARRIVALS, REHEARSALS, PROBLEMS AND ALL KINDS OF EVERYTHING

EUROVISION 2022: HERE WE GO! ARRIVALS, REHEARSALS, PROBLEMS AND ALL KINDS OF EVERYTHING - DAY 1

The Eurovision song contest 2022 has begun in Turin this morning with the first rehearsals of Albania, Latvia, Lithuania, Switzerland, Slovenia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, The Netherlands and Moldova. And with rehearsals come problems as everything isn't (yet) perfect despite stand-in rehearsals and all that, which is very normal and adjustable. Apparently The Netherlands weren't happy with their stand-in for example but the bigger problem is the malfunction of the sun on stage that may have caused Lithuania to alter their staging. It looks like there's a problem with its motor that causes problems with the LED wall as the sun doesn't rotate all the way as it should and it may not be fixable.... We'll see. Ukraine has had different kind of problems as they have had to change their staging several times as Ebu has considered their ideas too political until they have come to an agreement what is acceptable and suitable for Eurovision.

And yes, the Green room is Green. There are 1700 individual plants in the arena!

(This photo from eurovision.tv)

Prior the first rehearsals Rai and Ebu also announced all the opening and interval acts for the shows and I will talk about them in a later post. Meanwhile enjoy this medley of photos from artists social medias etc of their activities the past 24h or so.

Guess whose luggage this is?

Zdob şi zdub & Fraţii Advahov performed their entry not on train but on a plane on their way from Chișinău to Turin, not București

Rosa Linn at the airport ready to take off. On a lane, not her house!

Citi zēni & co ready for Turin

Kalush Orchestra & support before leaving. Slava Ukraini!

Also Marius Bear & team gets the traditional Before photo.

Also MARO & co keeps up with the tradition!

Monika Liu loses her cool at the airport. Exciting....!!!

Ronela & her boys dressed up...

... and boys dressed down.

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ESC 2016 WISH LIST: MARGARET FOR POLAND

Małgorzata Jamroży aka Margaret has also been tipped for Eurovision and apparently she did turn it down but she'd be perfect. She's got a look and persona you can't unnotice nor forget, she's got hit songs, she has been voted or nominated for everything from Trendy artist to the Hope of the Year, Fashion Icon and Glamour Woman of the year besides the usual best video, song, album, debut..... Oh she's also a fashion designer! She's very clever with social medias and would surely use it to her advantage if selected for Stockholm 2016. Her debut album is titled Add the blonde , do we need to say more? Except it includes mostly Swedish written pop tunes like Tell me how are ya , Wasted , Start a fire and Heartbeat . And of course her debut single and internationally noticed Thank you very much that you can enjoy below with all its anti-textil feel. I think she's Eurovision perfection, she's cheeky and fun, can we have her?

SONGS OF THE YEAR 2015: #5 KRISTA SIEGFRIDS - ON & OFF

Krista Siegfrids is delivering nice pop tunes one after another and this one is particularly catchy and soon you will be singing along..... Hopefully her Melodifestivalen entry will be equally good!

ESC 2016 BELARUS: NAKED WITH WOLVES?

Today's funniest Eurovision related story comes from Belarus. Some sources claim Ivan wants to perform on stage naked and with live wolf or wolves. It surely would be a first on Eurovision stage! We have seen some forgotten underwear over the years, and some cardbox animals though..... Is it time to take things a bit further? No, according the rules live animals are not allowed, and Eurovision being a family show nudity won't do either. (It seems to be ok to be half naked if you are a dancer though..... )

GOODBYE, FAREWELL...

The time has come. After all these years, 5,7 million visits, 12.000 articles I guess the time has come. As much as I love and care for Eurovision it just doesn't feel the same. The Corona years took their toll and the past two years and certain decisions have helped me to mature the idea that next year I will hear the songs for the first time in semi-final just like any so called local. The bubble has burst. Add the toxicity in social medias and fandom. The arrogant teenagers who saw their first contest somewhere 2017 or even 2021 who think they know it all and only their opinion matters. Did I mention the toxic atmosphere on social medias? I'm too old for that sh*t. It's been a long ride that took me to various Eurovision on spot as a fan and tourist, as a journalist, as a delegation member. I met some great people, made memories of lifetime. In stressful, sad periods of my life this blog has been my safe place, a place to escape and forget everything else for an hour o

BLOGILKAR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: HANNAH MANCINI

Straight into interview with my Bycycling reporter Robert goes American born Slovenian represent Hannah Mancini. The chatty lady tells us how she ended up from LA to Slovenia and how it is. She does also some serious name dropping. Talks about Slovenian music business. And has her husband turned into an Eurovision maniac?! And how Slovenian does she feel actually? And who would she like to grace the Eurovision stage for Slovenia again? Read it all here: Thank you Hannah for this interview. You're an American woman singing for Slovenia. How on earth did you end up there? I married a Slovenian man! Actually he lived in the States when I met him. I always loved the idea of living in Europe and it was kinda perfect as I met an European man! And he always wanted to come to Europe, his parents emigrated when he was a small child so eventually when the opportunity came, he had a good business thing happening there and also I had some music contacts in Amsterdam and in the UK an

NO AMOR IN ICELAND FOR ÁSDIS MARIA

In Iceland Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2014 started as well. Five songs in the running and two were voted to the final: Gréta Mjöll - Eftir eitt lag and Gissur Páll Gissurarson - Von . To be honest I'm not very suprised about the choices even if I was hoping for Ásdís María Viðarsdóttir - Amor to make it. The people of Björk didn't warm up to that enough, sadly. Also Sverrir Bergmann - Dönsum burtu blús and Vignir Snær Vigfússon - Elsku þú are out but that's ok. Or maybe I would have sent Ásdis Maria with Vignir to the final....Oh well. Next week another five songs and two qualifiers.

CAROLA'S BOOBS STEAL THE SHOW, SVT APOLOGIES

Update! Another thing got Swedes talking last night: Carola's boobs when she was giving away an award. This is not the first time her boombs cause headlines; her misfortunate adventures in the 80's in Japan wer explained with her boobs being too big for Japanese market. Ok.... Or was it the song ? Anyways, Carola apologies and says she thinks the dress is stylish and elegant (even her friends said so) and she's a mature woman in her 40s, not a 16-year-old girl and looks like one. The Swedish Oscars, Guldbagge awards were given out last night. Carola was there as a guest star to sing Barbra Streisand's The way we were when honoring the movie stars who passed away during 2012. However, the cameras were too much on Carola, not on the stars showed in photos in the background and that upset many viewers as that part of the show was to celebrate them, not Carola. Oh well... The producer of the show tells in Aftonbladet the part of the show was made the sam

FINLAND: CONGRATS HANNA PAKARINEN - BABY IS COMING!

No more leave me alones as Eurovision 2007 veteran Hanna Pakarinen has published in her Youtube channel a video unboxing the Finnish state's maternity box aka layette set thus announcing she's due to have a baby later this spring. Congratulations!

Summer songs: Kylie Minogue - On a night like this

This is one of the songs that make me think of sweaty summer nights, humid air and being slightly drunk... I wonder where that all comes from? Anyways. Kylie Minogue recorded On a night like this, maybe not first but better than Pandora or Anna Vissi . And Lord which is actually great!

SWEDEN: LOREEN GETS NUDE WITH BODY

Loreen. A legend for some. A one hit wonder for most. Since winning Eurovision song contest 2012 with Euphoria she has released seven singles. None of them has left the mark really. Her third attempt in Melodifestivalen this year with Statements ended up in a real defeat. Now she's ready to finally release her second album Nude in August. The lead single is Body . It's... well, like her previous stuff. Okeyish to listen to when it's on but completely forgettable once it's finished.... Pretendious comes to mind. But then maybe I just don't get her. Maybe I never did. Her fans are surely euphoric. Maybe. Listen in Spotify

Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

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