Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

After the 30 minutes techical rehearsal the countries have another 20 minutes rehearsal to polish their acts and after this they should be done with the camera angles, lighting and the rest. Minor adjustments can bee still done after next week's semi-final dress rehearsals but they are unlikely.  AZERBAIJAN - AISEL -X MY HEART And i’ll never sto o o o op, luna moon me up To the t o o op Vocals **** Staging **** Song ***** Overall ****  qualifier  ICELAND - ARI OLAFSSON - OUR CHOICE                                                                   In every single language There’s a word for love and for blame Vocals **** Staging ** Song ** Overall *** Sadly non qualifier  ALBANIA - EUGENT BUSHPEPA - MALL No words can describe the feeling that grows...

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...

Norway - Alexander Rybak - That's how you write a song Eurovision 2009 winner Alexander Rybak (31) returns with a self written That's how you write a song . that will also be the 1500th Eurovsion song when he opens the 2nd semifinal with it. He won the Norwegian selection as a minor surprise but very convincingly. The fans really didn't believe in his chances but when masses vote... what do fans know? This blogger liked the song from the start and it was one of my three favorites and his live performance took away any doubts. The song itself isn't anything special really, true, but he makes it work and it's very enjoyable and entertaining three minutes. Not a winner in Lisbon but I wouldn't be surprised if he does very well in the final, to the left side of the scoreboard for sure. 8/10 Albania - Eugent Bushpepa - Mall Albania was the first to choose and now it feels already soooo long time ago when we first heard Mall . To compensate Eug...

After being the first to choose their song and the last to reveal the Eurovision version here they have finally the video for Mall ....  Now who are we still expecting? Portugal and Ukraine? No news on Denmark, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia or The Netherlands videos in the making, are there?

Les derniers seront les premiers , as Céline Dion sings and it's quite incredible that Albania releases their entry only now. The revamped and shortened Eurovision version I mean. Eugent Bushpepa won the national final already December 23 last year, and we haven't heard of Mall since. Today, as the very last Eurovision entry it was officially released. 

  The 56th Festivali i Këngës ended with the victory of rock singer Eugent Bushpepa (34) and his folk-rock Mall . He will represent Albania in Lisbon 2018 Eurovision song contest and apparently intends to keep his song in Albanian instead of translating it into English. He has been singing for years in various rock and metal bands as well as cover bands having his solo career going on while participating in various contests and festival. Now it finally paid off and he's the winner.  Only the Top-3 was announced and 2nd was Redon Makashi and third Inet Neziri .