Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Svala Sergey Claudia Deen and his fancy phone Emma Freddie and a furry friend Ira Cezar Lindita Sinplus+ Tamara Vaclav

Sanna Nielsen is a real Midsummer girl and Aminata don't want to be anything less either... while Emma keeps milking her 21st place with self irony.... and Tooji celebrated his birthday with flowers in his hair. Congrats! Emma is also taking part in #saveIceberg, a dog rescue operation  from the Danish authorities who want to kill him... Read more here Marija just loves her dog but I'm sure she's in it with spirit anyways! Maja Keuc's good cause is food waste. Don't waste your food. Eat it. Share it.  ... and Sebalter bikes for cancer from Lugano to Chur to St. Moritz!  That's a lot of biking! Elsewhere Deen advices to you face creams.... Iveta is a happy covergirl ... and Donny boy is happy for his new shoes.... Socks and sandals? Yeah, I read somewhere it's trendy now.... O tempora o mores!

Small changes and better choreographed rapper part, that's Bosnia's recipe. I liked this at first, then I wasn't sure and now I'm buying this Balcan drama again with its important message. Hoefully they qualify! What about the wire fence? The producer of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 2016 Eurovision Song Contest stage act, Haris Pašović, says the wire fence separating its singers over the duration of their performance is symbolic of the situation Europe is currently facing. “The fate of refugees from Syria and Northern Africa is heartbreaking. At the same time, Europe is in fear. Bosnians remember the time when the Balkans was going through its apocalypse. More than a million people had to emigrate and leave their homes behind, with many of them finding refuge in Europe and across the world. They are now successful and respected members of society in their adopted nations”, Pašović says. He adds that the wire fence, which will be featured in the country’s stage perfor...

Now this is getting interesting. They have barbed wire fence separating them, they are rolled into thermal blankets... is this going for the refugee theme with full force? Poor Ana sitting with her cello with bare legs and the foil around looks like a chicken in a grill... sorry! When Jala comes in with his rap the barbed fire is gone and Deen & Dalal can get it going on full time. Maybe there's a concept and explanation for all of it. I will wait and see.... In the Meet & Greet visibly emotional Deen is very happy and proud to be back in Eurovision after 12 years. He's there with his friends of up to 20 years already. The faith is that once they praised Sweden for everything working so well and everything being in time the microphone didn't work and needed to be replaced... And that took another lifetime, lol. After that Deen continued telling what the song is all about and his experience of being a refugee himself. It's hasn't all been In the di...

A couple of artists returning in this one, a country returning and one country returning to more autenthic sound. And here are the other two non-English including songs besides Austria this year. MACEDONIA - KALIOPI - DONA (Romeo Grill) Kaliopi returns to Eurovision after her 2012 experience. Once again she was internally selected - due to public demand by her fans it seems - and her song is written by her ex-husband. Blogilkar: I adore Kaliopi. This out of the way let's get to the song. It wasn't quite what I expected after 2012 and her songs since. It's been labeled dated and oldfashioned and boring and ridiculed with references to donuts. The fact remains she's amazing live and can make this work on stage no mattr what. And I do like the song, too. It starts off a bit like a lullaby but even if I don't understand a word I believe every word. She deserves the final as this is a real song, not manufactured for Eurovision. 9 Jack:  The Macedonian queen...

Drama! The Bosnian delegation seems to be in trouble over incidents in a bar the other night. Apparently BHRT has confirmed calling in an emergency meeting and has informed also EBU. Speculations over possible withdrawal are also in the air. In short, the team was spending some time in Vlašić to record a TV-Show. In the evening they were gathered in restaurant Eko Fis when a fight between the composer Almir Ajanović and the rapper Jala broke out. Ajanović tried to hit Jala with a glass bottle but missed him and hit another singer Šaćir Ameti in the head instead. He's now intending to sue him. In the fight that followed also singer Dalal seems to have had her share of hits and eventually Jala. "The atmosphere was tense all evening, there's something wrong with the team" Ameti says.  Both Ajanović and Dalal were taken to hospital in Travnik. Ajanović has three stitches in his face, no news about Dalal's injuries have been reported. He says the fight didn...

Latvia's Riga kicks off the major Eurovision promo events this year. Spikeri Concert hall in Riga has ten of this year's artists on stage with special guests from Sweden: the Eurovision 1984 winners The Herreys, and Schlagerfeber quartet made of four experienced Melodifestivalen and Eurovision backing singers belting out some hits.  This event is rapidly growing; two years ago when it was organized for the first time there were ony 3 artists, last year 8 and now 10.  This year's artists are: Belarus - Ivan Bosnia & Herzegovina - Dalal & Deen feat. Ana Rucner and Jala Bulgaria - Poli Genova Estonia -Jüri Pootsmann Israel - Hovi Star Latvia - Justs Malta - Ira Losco Serbia - Sanja Vučić ZAA Spain - Barei Switzerland - Rykka

... and it has just been presented. This blogger as a sucker for some serious Balcan pathos a la Joksimovic with additional rapper liked it. To be updated.....

The rumors were true. BHRT returns after three years absense to Eurovision song contest with Deen and Dalal, an act was heavily rumored the past few days. Bosnia & Herzegovina' s comeback was wuite a surprise but it all comes down to money. BHRT got sponsors the ladt minute both for the participation fee and the costs for the entry's promotion and production - maybe this comes directly from artists and their label? Anyways, welcome back all of you! Deen or Fuad Backović has been there already back in 2004 in Istanbul - as was I. Dalal Midhat-Talakić is a newcomer. Their entry will be revealed later..... and will include Ana Rucner.

Ever since Australia was confirmed and Bulgaria declared it is NOT in the provisional list (but could still make it the final decision being made only after this weekend's Junior Eurovison taking place in Sofia) fans have been wondering who the 41st country is then?! Could it be Croatia? Today the rumour comes from Bosnia-Herzegovina they are still trying to make it and have a song and artists ready if only BHRT managed to come up with the 25.000 euros needed for the participation. The artists in question would see Deen returning, but this time with Dalal and Croatian cellist Ana Rucner. Now wouldn't that be great to have Bosnia-Herzegovina back again? And if Bulgaria makes it, too, we might end up with 42?