Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Israel's selection has been goin on for months and about half the population has been in the auditions and we have had young ones and old ones, drag queens and soldiers and everything in between. Now finally they are only four left. And curiously only three songs! Israel, once the Eurovision superpower has been struggling in the past years but last year's success has filled them with new pride and boosted the spirits and this year they are aiming for another final and topping last year's 9th place with Golden boy . The final takes place this Thursday and we have Ella Daniel (born in Azerbaijan but living in Israel since she was 2), 20-year old soldier Gil Hadash who claims she has never watched Eurovision - boy is she in for a surprise should she win! Hovi Star is already a bit known. He sings the same song that 17-year-old Nofar Salman does. The gossip is Hovi wanted to sing his own song but that wasn't ok with the contest's committee and had to pick up anot...

Israel sailed to the Eurovision song cotest final this May with Nadav Guedj's Golden boy for the first time for ages. Now the song gets a Greek treatment by Eleni Foureira. Is it an improvement or a miss?

May 10 is the Israeli Memorial day Yom Hazikarom that starts at sunset of May 10 and ends with the sunset of May 11. Every now and then it clashes with the Eurovision. That's the case also in 2016 when the semifinal one will be on right at the date. Problem solved as IBA has asked and EBU  has granted that Israel takes part directly in the second semifinal making everybody happy. In the past Israel has had to withdraw or rather not take part at all when this hasn't been possible but that was in the 1980's....  Meanwhile Israel wil use again the succesful reality talent show HaKokhav HaBa that gave us Golden boy Nadav Guedj and their first final place in four years and even a top-10 finish. 15 episodes to find the singer and then internal choice of the song like for 2015. Hopefully they can keep up the Good vibes with this method..... PS: No word yet how Denmark and Norway will be separated for the semifinals like in Malmö? It's surely going to happen again........

One of the most memorable moments in the press conferences so far has been this Israeli-Lebanese moment. Building bridges indeed..... 

Israel next on stage. It all starts with a single spotlight on Navad while he nelsts out his souldful intro. Then the lights come up and his backing singers come alive and it's party time. He has his three dancers and two backing vocalists who have also their own choreography that would put many lovely 60's ladies in shame. Lots of colors and flashing lights, oriental motives and the huge light eye blinking through the song. Quite a few steady cam shots, too, in propriate moments. For the finale the backing singers join the formtion that is a modern interpretation of the legendary Israeli Eurovision choreographies like Hora/Hi/Ole ole. And as an icing on the cake a groupie taken in the end. This is fun and surely will get the audience along come Thursday. And Saturday. This year Israel will qualify. If Nadav has a sparkle in his eyes and smile on his lips and a little flirt going on. Otherwise....

Israel kicked off the fourth day of rehearsals, and the last one for the semifinalists for their first technical one. Apparently there were quite a few problems with the first run through but all seems to be sorted out for the next ones and most everyone seems to be happy, even the press center. Nadav has two backing singers and three backing dancers and the whole is very energetic and very colorful and surely will get the audience go wild in arena. Fireworks complete the explosion of energy. He's wearing the already familiar outfir with white shirt and black suit, and has golden shoes with wings! At one point they stop and take a selfie - I thought selfies are out and belfies are in but what do I know? After several unfair failures, Israel MUST qualify this year, they deserve it more than ever... or at least a very long time! Israel seems to be having all male team and is already proven rather popular among the fans. I wonder why....ay-ay-ay.

Here we go. Tomorrow the things start in Vienna for real and it's time to have a little round up. The past weeks I have been presenting my favorites from this year's Eurovision song contest and it's a weird year; the favorites stand out easily, so do the bottom ones and then there are awful many entries that are totally forgettable, uninteresting and .... well, forgettable.  Bubbling under on the list below these favorites I have in random order Portugal, Ireland, Georgia, Austria, Romania, Lithuania, Macedonia and United Kingdom. I want to see them live on stage before giving any further judgement. As usual I will post my rankings before each semifinal with the ones I want to qualify and the ones I think will qualify. Only that at this point it feels harder than ever.... Let's see how it goes :-) Here are direct links to my favorites and the joker San Marino, always close to my heart.  Italy - Il Volo - Grande amore Azerbaijan - Elnur Huseynov - Ho...

After three years with Valentina Monetta - who is going to be present for the 4th year in a row as a spokesperson - San Marino sends two teenagers, San Marinese doc Anita Simoncini who just turned 16 and Italian Michele Perniola. Both have already represented the tiny country in the Junior Eurovision (Michele in 2013 with O-o-O sole intorno a me , and Anita as a member of The Peppermints in 2014 with Breaking my heart ). They will be now together performing Ralph Siegel's 23rd Eurovision entry and if they make the final, his 20th finalist, Chain of lights . 

As always some Eurovision entries have been remixed to get the growds go wild in EuroClub and here are some of them - what do you think? Better than original? I think sometimes they add to the song and make even the original sound more interesting, sometimes they are pretty useless - even if always a nice addition anyways. Out of these I like particularly Serbia and Israel, and the Cypriot one made me like the original even more.....

Israeli Justin Timberlake. So he is called. He is the third youngest artist this year, and one of the most inexprienced as he just came to the spotlight a few months ago when participating (and winning) a talent show in his homecountry Nadav turned 16 only last November. But he and his team has managed to create him a full package: a catchy song Golden boy , and an image to match, even with a slogan from the song that went viral after the song was released: Before I leave, let me show you Tel Aviv . For the first time Israel also drops any Hebrew parts in the song and goes full English version. The song itself is a real cocktail of old and new, Mediterranean and global styles in three minutes but strangely it all works!

The first Eurovision song contest took place on May 24, 1956 in Lugano. Now 60 years later the 60th edition will be held on May 23, finishing on early hour of May 24 in most of Europe. The oldest participant this year is Finland's Pertti Kurikka, born on Boxing day the very same year 1956. He's 43 years older than the youngest artist this year, San Marino's Anita Simoncini who turns 16 just six weeks before the final in Vienna. The funny thing is the oldest one does punk, the youngest...  well, schlager.

That golden boy Nadav Guedj in the pic is 16. I wonder how he will look when he's actually 26 or even 36..... I'm not sure I want to know. Anyways, Israel presented its entry Golden boy tonight as well. By the rumors some were expecting the uptempo number to save this year's dance moves in Euroclub but instead.... What to say, "mamas" sung here and there like a real Italian mammone would. There's a bit of ethno sounds and it is somehow catchy and ... well.... I need to digest this a bit. And what to make about the lyrics: You know that my love is bigger,  I'm a golden boy Come here to enjoy I'm the king of fun,  And before I leave, l et me show you Tel Aviv

Israel chose 16-year-old Nadav Guedj as the winner of The Next Star and therefor the Israeli entrant for the Vienna 2015 Eurovision. Now his song has been chosen, titled Golden boy . It's written by Doron Medali. For the first time Israel will be singing 100% English as the rule that half the song at least should be in Hebrew has been thrown out of the window.... 

16-year-old Nadav Guedj is the New Star and will represent Israel in the Eurovision song contest 2015 in Vienna. He beat Iki Levy & Hebrew Rasta Men. Sari Nachimas came third and surprisingly Avia Shoshani was left last. Nadav's song will be revealed later and most likely will be in English.

Time has come to Israel to pick up its artist for the Vienna 2015 Eurovision. The selecting process has been long, I mean loooooong, but we are left with four artists. Apparently the selection marathon as a mixture of talent show and reality tv has been a success in Israel so all they need is a worthy winner and a good song. It seems we won't hear their entries tonight, only pick up the artist. Israel, once the Eurovision superpower, hasn't reached the final since 2010. We have in the running still Iki Levy & Rasta Hebrew Men , a group of nine people it seems. In case of victory some of them has to sit in the audience. Nadav Guedj has been labeled the Israel Justin Timberlake and he's more confortable singing in English so if he wins the Israel entry will be for sure in English. Avia Shoshani seems to be the biggest favorite, and she already has Eurovision experience as Moran Mazor's backing singer. Sari Nachmias is considered the weakest link of the final b...