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2015 Eurovision Song Contest, News, Sascha Reviews Vienna, Vienna 2015

SASCHA REVIEWS VIENNA…SEMI 2.1

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The rehearsals of the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 are scheduled to start in a matter of days and this year’s Eurovision artists are hard at work perfecting their performances for the live shows. You’ll have seen the videos or heard the songs (you can find them all here) and I am sure you all have your own personal favourites.

I’ve been taking a look at all the songs in this years contest and providing some brief thoughts. If you agree or disagree, why not add your comments at the bottom of the page.

Today in part 3, we’re looking at the first half of Semi-Final 2 (plus 1 of the songs already qualified for the Grand Final).

Lithuania Lithuania Monika & Vaidas – This Time Score
A very strong entry from Lithuania this year. “This Time” is a very traditional Eurovision duet but with a more contemporary twist to it. From the video, and other live performances I have seen of this song though, I don’t feel the chemistry between Monika and Vaidas is quite there though – probably because they were both solo artists who were forced together for the final. If they can get us to believe that they are a couple on the night, and look at each other a bit more while performing, this should do well. 14

Ireland Ireland Molly Sterling – Playing with Numbers Score
Unfortunately I think this is another year Ireland is not going to do very well. Although it is a competent song with a good singer, in my opinion, it is lacking something to make it stand out. Molly has the voice to stand out on the night, however the song does not. And the fact that it is in the dreaded #2 spot in the semi, will already count against it. I doubt it will qualify for the final, but hopefully Ireland can pull some magic in the staging and performance to prove me wrong. 9

San Marino San Marino Anita Simoncini & Michele Perniola – Chain of Lights Score
I really want to like this song. It seems to have a lot going for it….performers from the Junior contest as well as a seasoned Eurovision composer in Ralph Siegel, and I probably do “like” it, but I definitely don’t love it and feel there is a lot of room for improvement. I find the heavy strings from the orchestra at the beginning distracting for what should be a gentle opening to the song, and feel Anita repeating Michele’s vocals in that whispered voice at about 2:25 into the song really unnecessary. But these are issues that can easily be fixed and hopefully the stage performance will come across a lot better. 10

Montenegro Montenegro Knez – Adio Score
I am a big fan of the ethnic ballad, and no-one writes them quite like Željko Joksimović. This song has the great soft opening with the gradual build up to the wonderful key and tempo change. I love everything about it. I just wish it was Željko performing it again this year. What will work heavily in Montenegro’s favour is that no other country is doing anything this traditional and it should therefore stand out. I think that not only will this sail through to the final, but it will fare very well on the 23rd too. 18

Malta Malta Amber – Warrior Score
This is a bit of a departure for Malta following their upbeat entries from the last few years. It is a good song and Amber sings it very well live. Is it distinct enough though? There are a lot of entries this year filling the same space and Malta is going to need to come up with something to make people take notice if they want their place in the final, although I think their position in the semi should work in their favour. 14

Norway Norway Mørland & Debrah Scarlett – A Monster Like Me Score
This song is the one that has slowly creeped up my favourites list and is now firmly perched in the top 5 or 6. The song seems to like it is too slow, yet it really keeps your interest going throughout. Add to that the perfect harmonising from the performers, despite having such contrasting voices. It is one of the few songs this year I look for when playing the cd in the car and I am nearing my destination. This will no doubt make it to the final, and with a good position on the night, should do extremely well. 18

Portugal Portugal Leonor Andrade – Há Um Mar Que Nos Separa Score
When I first saw this performance I thought I was going to really enjoy it. It had a good start and I quite like Leonor’s look and voice. But the song is just missing something for me, although I don’t know what that something is. Hopefully the version given to us on the night will change a bit from this current version. Something with a little more variety in the performance. And Leonor will have to make sure she nails the key-change in her performance. 8

Czech Republic Czech Republic Marta Jandová & Václav Noid Bárta – Hope never dies Score
This is the kind of Eurovision duet that the Scandinavians have done so well for a number of years, but with a Czech influence from Václav’s gruff masculine vocals that Eastern Europe tends to prefer. They are excellent performers live and work very well together. I think this should go down well on the night with the right staging and performance. But it is a strong semi-final, so I simply cannot predict whether this will make it though. I hope so… 14

Israel Israel Nadav Guedj – Golden Boy Score
Israel regularly comes up with one of my favourites every year and this year is no exception. In a contest filled with slower ballad-style songs, Israel has sent something modern and upbeat. The switch from the slow ethnic ballad start to the song to the uptempo Bruno Mars style R&B with a Middle-Eastern flavour added in should really make people take notice. It should make it through to the semi’s without any problems. Despite only being 16, Nadav seems to be a very confident performer and I really look forward to the live performance. 17

Spain Spain Edurne – Amanecer Score
Spain definitely won the award for the most anticipation thanks to the buildup from first announcing the performer as Edurne (who has been one of my favourite Spanish artists for years) to their slow leaks of studio clips and bits of information about the song and video. And they didn’t disappoint. Edurne will take to the stage singing a very confident power ballad. Amanecer means dusk, so expect at least one beautiful sunset to appear on the stage during their 3 minutes. Edurne is an extremely competent performer with an amazing voice, so I am sure she will do Spain proud on the night. 19
2015 Eurovision Song Contest, Amber/Warrior, Aminata Savadogo, Ann Sophie, Boggie, Christer Björkman, Conchita Wurst, Cyprus 2015, Eduard Romanyuta/I Want Your Love, Electro Velvet, Elhaida Dani, Giannis Karagiannis, Guy Sebastian, Heroes, Hungary at Eurovision, Knez; Montenegro 2015, Kurt Calleja, Latvia 2015, London Eurovision, Måns Zelmerlöw, Maria Helena Kyriakou, Marta Jandová & Václav Noid Bárta, Mélanie René, Moldova 2015, Mørland & Debrah Scarlett, Nicki French, Norway at Eurovision, Ray Caruana, Sarbel, Switzerland 2015, The Makemakes, Vienna 2015

THIS IS LONDON CALLING…

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Last night, Sunday 26th April 2015, London hosted their annual Eurovision Preview Party – London Eurovision – at the glittering Cafe de Paris in the heart of the West End. The venue was packed with Eurovision fans and press, all eager for a night of Eurotastic entertainment from a number of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, plus some names from previous years scattered throughout.

The London Eurovision party has been growing each year, and this year, the show which was
expertly hosted by the wonderful Nicki French (UK 2000) and Paddy O’Connell (former UK Semi-Finals commentator), saw a staggering 16 acts from this years contest, along with 7 guest acts from previous years or national selections.

The show was kicked off by Kitty Brucknell. Kitty was a contestant from the UK X-Factor, who also tried to represent both Switzerland and Moldova at this year’s contest. She entertained the crown with a selection of hits, including Euphoria, and ended with her entry for the Moldovan national selection. She was followed by Ray Caruana, who led the group Live Report in 1989 for the UK. He performed the song “Why do I always get it wrong?” which earned the UK second place in the contest.

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The hosts – Nicki French & Paddy O’Connell Kitty Bracknell Ray Caruana

The first act from this year was from Hungary. Boggie performed her entry beautifully, showing that she certainly has the vocal capability in a live setting. The audience certainly seems to get behind her, even though the entry is very gentle for this type of setting.

Next up was Mélanie René from Switzerland. She really go the audience going with a few classic pop hits before wowing the crowd with her entry Time to Shine. She certainly shone on stage, and when talking to a few of the audience members after the show, they found themselves liking the song much more than they had before, naming her one of the favourites from the night.

Germany’s Ann Sophie came on next. She sang both of her songs that were entered for Germany this year. The audience all seemed to agree that she chose the right one to take to Vienna.

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Boggie Mélanie René Ann Sophie

Next on to the London stage was the Czech Republic. Marta and Václav certainly know how to work an audience and had them eating out of their hands. They not only performed the Czech entry for this year, but also each performed a solo song too, not only showing off their vocal abilities but their personalities too.

The hosts for this year’s contest then took over the stage. First the Austrian entry, The Makemakes came on to perform their song “I am Yours”, followed by the winner from last year, Conchita Wurst, who performed her winning entry “Rise like a Phoenix” along with 2 of her other songs, “Heroes” and “Unstoppable”. London certainly loves Conchita.

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Marta & Václav The Makemakes Conchita Wurst

Austria was followed my Moldova. Eduard Romanyuta performed his uptempo entry “I want you love” which certainly got the audience moving.

Aminata from Latvia took to the stage next, performing 2 powerful songs, including her entry for this year “Love Injected”. Although she sounded fantastic, the audience did not seem to take to the Latvian entry as well this year and they seem to enjoy “Cake to Bake” at last year’s event.

Amber from Malta followed Latvia. She also chose to warm up the audience with a few songs before presenting “Warrior” to them. The UK will always have a soft spot for Malta and the audience really did enjoy her performance.

LEMoldova LELatvia LEMalta
Eduard Romanyuta Aminata Amber

Greece then took over the stage, with Sarbel from 2007 performing his song “Yassou Maria”. Sarbel then introduced this years Greek entrant ,Maria Elena Kyriakou, onto the stage and she performed her ballad “One Last Breath” beautifully.

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Sarbel Maria Elena Kyriakou

The country to receive the biggest cheer on the night was without a doubt Sweden. First the 1992 entrant, Christer Björkman performed his entry “I Morgon Är en Annan Dag” before introducing Måns Zelmerlöw onto the stage to perform “Heroes”. If the crowd in London were anything to go by, Sweden is definitely on course to their 6th victory.

Finally the UK entry took to the stage. Electro Velvet performed their entry “Still in Love with you” and were rewarded with a great reception from the crowd. Alex and Bianca seem to have much more on-stage chemistry and certainly seem to be winning over the UK audience. Will the UK finally be on the left hand side of the score board in Vienna?

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Christer Björkman Måns Zelmerlöw Electro Velvet

Knez from Montenegro was next singing his gorgeous entry “Adio” The audience loved it, and sang along as best they could.

Guy Sebastian representing Australia took to the stage to thunderous applause and sang 3 songs. Although he sang beautifully, the stage presence let him down slightly. He’s clearly enjoying himself though and I am sure he will do Australia proud.

Giannis Karagiannis from Cyprus was up next with his entry “One thing I should have done”. He knows how to work an audience and London certainly seems to love his entry.

LEMontenegro LEAustralia LECyprus
Knez Guy Sebastian Giannis Karagiannis

Cyprus was followed by a previous Maltese entrant. Kurt Calleja from 2012 took to the stage to perform a few songs, including his entry “This is the night”

The next 2015 entrant on stage was Elhaida from Albania. She performed he entry “I’m alive” for the London crowd. Although the audience really enjoyed it, Elhaida did miss a couple of the big notes in her song, which clearly left her very disappointed by her performance.

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Kurt Calleja Elhaida

The final 2015 performance was from Norway. Mørland and Scarlett were utterly charming with the audience and performed “A Monster Like Me” flawlessly. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, and it should certainly fare well in Vienna.

Finally the host Nicki French finished off with her 2000 entry “Don’t play that song again” rounding off a fantastic evening.

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Mørland and Scarlett Nicki French

The winners from the night certainly seemed to be Sweden, Norway, Switzerland and Australia and I am sure they will score highly from the UK voting come Vienna.

2015 Eurovision Song Contest, Austria 2015 Selection, News, Sascha Reviews Vienna, Vienna 2015

SASCHA REVIEWS VIENNA…SEMI 1.2

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The final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 is just over 1 month away away and this year’s Eurovision artists are hard at work promoting their entries. You’ll have seen the videos or heard the songs (you can find them all here) and I am sure you all have your own personal favourites.

I’m am taking a look at all the songs in this years contest and providing some brief thoughts. If you agree or disagree, why not add your comments at the bottom of the page.

In order to avoid personal bias, I’ve decided to review the songs based on their semi-final. So in part 2, we’re looking at the second half of Semi-Final 1 (plus 2 of the songs already qualified for the Grand Final).

Serbia Serbia Beauty never lies – Bojana Stamenov Score
This is a strong entry by Serbia this year. It is also the first time ever that they are performing the song in English. Bojana has very strong vocals, but the song is VERY big and I hope she can pull it off on stage every night. I think this should easily qualify for the finals. It probably won’t win the contest altogether, but should become a classic at Eurovision parties for years to come. 13

Hungary Hungary Wars for Nothing – Boggie Score
This is the kind of song that tends to do relatively well at Eurovision. The simple and pleasant voice with backing guitar singing about making the world a better place. Unfortunately I feel we’ve had this type of entry a few times too many now. It is placed between 2 songs in the semi-final with much more of a stage presence, so they will need something to make the viewers take note of Boggie if they hope to make it to the final. 7

Belarus Belarus Time – Uzari & Maimuna Score
For me, this is a great Eurovision song. Something you can sing along too, and also has potential for great staging with the violinist in the hour glass. The vocals are quite strong although a little more attention could be taken on the diction of the words. I would love to see this song qualify for the finals, and with a professional staging, I think Belarus should be able to make it to the Saturday night. 14

Russia Russia A Million Voices – Polina Gagarina Score
I absolutely love this song. It is everything I want from a Eurovision ballad – the slow buildup, the strong vocals, a good message (even if it does come from Russia), the big notes….this is certainly one of my favourites. It will easily qualify for the Final (although this will probably be met with the usual boos from the audience). 19

Denmark Denmark The Way You Are – Anti Social Media Score
This is unmistakenly Danish. Slightly retro, but yet slightly modern. A good little vote earner from many of the countries around Europe, it is sure to make it to the final. I don’t think it is strong enough to win, but it is a pleasant song that you can tap your foot to. 12

Albania Albania I’m Alive – Elhaida Dani Score
In a year with a number of “Angst-Ballads”, I think this is probably one of the strongest. Elhaida has a fantastic voice and this song is a very strong entry from Albania. It is one of the few songs that I end up singing to myself after I hear it which should hopefully help Albania in the results. I’m Alive, is certainly a better entry than the one Albania had originally selected, and hopefully changing the song will end up working out in Albania’s favour. 17

Romania Romania De la capât (All over again) – Voltaj Score
Romania is very often one of my favourite entries, although this song is a far departure from their usual high energy songs. It is a very high-quality soft-rock song and should be performed brilliantly on the night, given the quality of the artists. It’s not the type of song that usually sets the scoreboards on fire, but I do enjoy it, and it will be included in my Eurovision playlists from now on. Hopefully Romania will be rewarded on the night for entering this very high quality song. 15

Georgia Georgia Warrior – Nina Sublatti Score
I love Nina’s voice, and at first the song sounds like it had great potential, but unfortunately I am not sure if the song quite does it for me. It is slightly too repetitive and I find myself not really paying attention by the end of the song. Hopefully Georgia will be able to keep our focus through the staging but for me, I think this song is in danger of not qualifying. 9

Austria Austria I am Yours – The Makemakes Score
I think this is a very confident entry for a hosting nation. Something that won’t win, but is good enough to make them proud. It is obviously inspired by the great bands of years gone by, but yet still feels current, meaning it should appeal to both the younger and older generations. The Makemakes have a good stage presence and perform with confidence which should see Austria quite high on the scoreboard. 14

UnitedKingdom United Kingdom Still in Love with you – Electro Velvet Score
Easily one of the most controversial entries this year. After some promising hints from the BBC, fans were expecting something very modern, only to be surprised by a Charleston. I personally really love this song for Eurovision. Having seen Electro Velvet perform the song live, they certainly have the vocal ability to provide a great performance on the night. And the song is so different from any other this year, that is should stand out. Hopefully the BBC will be able to come up with some really innovative staging, was the song really does need more than just 6 people of stage and some flashing lights. I doubt that it could win, but I suspect that it will fare much better than the UK’s songs the past few years. 17
2015 Eurovision Song Contest, Austria 2015 Selection, News, Sascha Reviews Vienna, Vienna 2015

SASCHA REVIEWS VIENNA…SEMI 1.1

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The final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 is less than 2 months away and all the songs for this year’s contest are now know. You’ll have seen the videos as they were released (you can find them all here) and I am sure you all have your own personal favourites.

Over the next few weeks, I will give you my review of this year’s entries. The views are entirely of my own personal opinion and I encourage you to share your views in the comments section. Please do try to keep your comments constructive though, rather than simply declaring your hatred for the entry.

In order to avoid personal bias, I’ve decided to review the songs based on their semi-final. So in part 1, we’re looking at the first half of Semi-Final 1 (plus 2 of the songs already qualified for the Grand Final).

Moldova Moldova I Want Your Love – Eduard Romanyuta Score
Initially this song feels familiar. It has a catchy beat and tune, but you feel like you’ve heard it before. In my opinion, it does feel slightly dated for the modern audience – although a good little pop song, a bit unremarkable. Had it been entered a few years ago, I think it would have had a broader appeal. It should however still find some fans around Europe. 7

Armenia Armenia Face the Shadow – Genealogy Score
This is a very mature song. Well produced and performed and with a lot of potential. The idea behind the band is great and the performers each very good. However I feel there may be some work to go on this song. The singers sound great individually and in harmony, but when moving from one singer to the next, their different singing voices seem to compete with one another rather than blend together. If they can better match the solo parts so that the voices have more cohesion, then this could do very well. 13

Belgium Belgium Rhythym Inside – Loïc Nottet Score
This is one of those songs that you either love or you hate. It is a style of music I quite like from time to time, but unfortunately the first time I heard it I was left underwhelmed. It has grown on me to some extent however. It is an incredibly modern and professional song and very brave of Belgium to select an entry like this. It will all depend on the staging for them in my opinion. 14

Netherlands Netherlands Walk Along – Trijntje Oosterhuis Score
I can’t help but like this song. It is very well performed and has a feel good factor that makes you happy listening to it. It is missing the wow factor though. The song is quite repetative, so you expect it to build up to something special (maybe a spectacular key change or a change in tempo) but it doesn’t quite happen. It’s likeable and should get votes, but is it enough? 15

Finland Finland Aina mun pitää – Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät Score
This is a very difficult song to review. It is in a very specific genre and if you don’t like that style of music, you’re never going to like this song. It’s going to stand out, it’s going to cause discussions, and it probably will get votes. 4

Greece Greece One Last Breath – Maria Elena Kyriakou Score
A beautiful ballad and very “Eurovision”. Greece continues to enter good quality entries. In a year with a lot of ballads, this one should stand out a bit as it really is meant for a big stage. It ticks a lot of boxes, and assuming a good staging and performance, should to very well indeed 16

Estonia Estonia Goodbye to Yesterday – Elina Born & Stig Rästa Score
A very contemporary entry (with a retro feel) very reminicent of The Common Linnets last year. The artists have great voices and the simple staging in the national final should work well to gian votes from both the Jury and the Public. Although not one of my personal favourites, I think it will score well 15

FYR Macedonia FYR Macedonia Autumn Leaves – Daniel Kajmakoski Score
FYR Macedonia is usually one of my favourite entries every year, however I really wish they hadn’t decided to enter the song in English. The original was one of my favourites of the year. In English, I feel it gets a little lost among the other entries. It’s very pleasant to listen to, and is still a good song, but will it get the votes? 11

Australia Australia Tonight Again – Guy Sebastian Score
A very good quality song from a great singer. It’s very contemporary and something you are likely to sing along to on the radio. In my opinion, this R&B style song could be difficult to stage though. A great song also needs a great performance to get the votes. Will Australia be able to pull off a great stage performance with this entry though? I think it is likely to do better with the Juries than the televoters, but given this wildcard entry is a first, who knows what will happen? 16

France France N’oubliez pas – Lisa Angell Score
Everything you expect from a French power ballad. A very sophisticated song and performance with the potential for fantastic staging. With the right position in the final, it could do very well – particularly with the Juries 16
2015 Eurovision Song Contest, Austria 2015 Selection, Mørland & Debrah Scarlett, News, Norway at Eurovision, Vienna 2015

A MONSTER LIKE NORWAY

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The Norwegian national final, Melodi Grand Prix, was held by the national broadcaster NRK this evening to select the Norwegian representative in Austria come May.

The winner, performing for Norway in Vienna, was Mørland & Debrah Scarlett with their entry, A Monster Like Me.

Do you like the Norwegian entry this year? Will Norway add a 4th victory to their Eurovision history in May?

Austria 2015 Selection, Heroes, News, Sweden 2015 final, Vienna 2015

IT’S HEROES FOR SWEDEN

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The final of Melodifestivalen, the massive selection spectacular from Sweden, was held in the Friends Arena in Stockholm tonight where the winner was decided between 12 entries chosen from the various selection rounds.

After an evening of flying ghosts, snow, group selfies, wind machines and key changes, the winner was finally declared. Måns Zelmerlöw will represent Sweden in Vienna with his song Heroes.

The song stood out from the very beginning due to the extremely clever staging and will certainly be a fan favourite this year. Måns is also no stranger to Melodifestivalen, having tried out in previous years with entries such as Hope and Glory, as well as Cara Mia.

We wish Måns all the best in Vienna.

Armenia, Austria 2015 Selection, Genealogy, News, Vienna 2015

DON’T DENY ARMENIA

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Armenia have been teasing Eurovision fans with news about their entry from some time now, slowly announcing the various members of the band Genealogy, the group who will be representing the Armenian entry in Vienna.

Today ARMTV, the Armenian broadcaster finally revealed the final member of the group, along with the actual entry – Don’t Deny.

Genealogy are formed by 6 singers. 5 of the singers are from various regions of the world. They are Essaï Altounian, Stephanie Topalian, Vahe Tilbian, Mary-Jean O’Doherty Vasmatzian and Tamar Kaprelian and they come from Europe, Asia, America, Africa, and Australia and each have Armenian heritage. The 6th singer, Inga Arshakyan, comes from Armenia itself.

What do you think of Don’t Deny? Will we be celebrating in Yerevan next year?

2015 Eurovision Song Contest, Austria 2015 Selection, Greece, Maria Helena Kyriakou, News, Vienna 2015

IT’S MARIA FOR GREECE

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Last night, the Greek broadcaster Nerit, held the 2015 EuroSong final to choose the Greek entry for Vienna. After an hour of performances by past Greek Eurovision entries, including the 2005 winner Helena Paparizou reprising her entry My Number One, 5 contestants took to the stage.

After a round of televoting, the winner was revealed as Maria Helena Kyriakou with her entry One Last Breath and will be performing in the first half of the first Semi-Final.

Good luck Greece!