Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

  Russia - Sergey Lazarev - Scream **** Well, what to say? It does look good. The multipled Sergey is a simple yet effective trick, and the thunder and lightning is making it exciting. He can surely sing. I still have a problem with the song personally that I don't really care. I still don't believe in his victory really but who knows, in a compromise ending he could become Jamala 2. How ironic that would be?  Albania - Jonida Maliqi - Ktheju tokës ** Jonida follow Sergey, one excellent vocalist after another. Another simple staging but Jonida's ring of fire and flames don't seem to work or look so great on screen after all. Her dress, pretty as it is, makes it a bit heavy and musty. I'd like to see Albania in the final but I'm not so sure it will make it this year..... KEiiNO - Spirit in the sky *** Fire and ice. A bit static and underwhelming. This is how you go from pre-contest favorite to a non-qualifier? I would still count them in bu...

Sandstorm.  Otourist. Darude Crone. Kate, hat & Jerusalem. Sarah McTamara. Jonida. Legs. Sea & sun. Sergey Keiino. Aussie party.

Lake Malawi Vs. Dead sea Mud. Sergey visited Jerusalem. Luca sightseeing. Nevena travelling with style. Red nose Sarah. Properly dressed for work? Boten Anna. Duncan sightseeing. Joci let his hair down. Kate swinging outdoors. Tel Aviv loves all of them. That's it for tonight.  ביי ביי

Now that we have seen all but the Big5+1 performances it seems it's mainly recycled ideas (Moldova, hello? Snow or sand it still looks the same old...) and props such as wings and huge drums, so early 2000's, and robots (So San Marino)... Even Russia that was expected to bring something revolutionary has only got mirror images (that re-enter the stage a few songs later thanks to North Macedonia) and borrowed boxes - all such dejavús.... Augmented reality and holograms could still change the game - if someone is using them and we haven't yet seem them in proper use....  Wings.  Jungle fever.  No lions.  Multiple Sergey.  Egyptian warrior queen.  Northern lights I presume.....  Winning simplicity? Multiple Tamaras. Robots.

 Tamta worked the beach of Tel Aviv  Chingiz enjoyed the morning view  Nevena the Pirate Queen  ZalaGasper. Paleness. Oto by the pool.  Jurij and wonders of Jerusalem.  Jonida's take on Jerusalem.  Irish team in Jaffa.  Baltics united.  Serhatari  Poltugal.  Conan.  That's it for another day in the Eurovision bubble. לילה טוב

Middle table continues with songs I kinda like but don't know how to place them really.... Iceland - Hatari - Hatrið mun sigra *** Hatrið mun sigra  Evrópa hrynja Hate will prevail And Europe’s heart impale The most talked about, award-winning, anti-capitalist, BDSM, techno-dystopian, performance art collective, a political, multimedia project Hatari is maybe what PKN was for Finland (rather than Lordi). Kind of a protest by the voting population against bad success in the contest. And this could as well end up the same way. We will see. They are Klemens Hannigan and Matthías Tryggvi Haraldsson with masked drummer Einar Hrafn Stefánsson and they have been around since 2015 causing commotion. Graphic designer Ingi Kristján Sigurmarsson, video artist Baldvin Vernharðsson and costume designer duo Karen Briem and Andri Hrafn Unnarsson are also part of the team. I must add I hated this at first but now kinda like it somehow, even if this is a bit Ram...

Jonida Maliqi last night the 57th Festivali i këngës with her Ktheju tokës , a rather ethnic sounding entry that will stay in Albanian in Eurovision song contest 2019 in May - hooray for that! The topic of the song is coming back to a land, dealing with the hot issue of immigration.  Jonida (36) is a seasoned singer and television host and this was her third time in the festival: 1999 as 13 year old she dueted with Aleksandër Rrapi in  Planeti i fëmijëve placing 2nd. She made her solo debut in 2004 with  Frikem se më pëlqen placing 3rd. Now she got the main trophy with  Ktheju tokës . (That makes a bit like Italian Giorgia in Sanremo having collected one of each top-3 trophies)  This blogger was rather confused after the list of finalist as most my favorites were out. I may have not paid much attention to Jonida as I thought it's a bit simil ethno, but she made the song alive on stage and it's a deserved win and something Albanians can be proud of...