Swedish jury and more

So it's been revealed who the "music-experts" in the Swedish jury were...

Sarah Dawn Finer, singer
Magnus Carlsson, singer (+ schlager fan)
Anna Charlotta Gunnarsson, TV/radio presenter (+ schlager fan)
Michael Cederberg, radio producer (+ schlager fan)
L-G Alsenius, radio producer

Eh, ok... Who was in charge of finding suitable people for the jury? Christer Björkman? I thought the jury was supposed to consist of trendy musicians and producers who knows what is quality and freshness anno 2009. Not just a bunch of ESC-fans. I can live with Sarah D Finer as she was one of the MF-jury's favourites this year, but the rest? Producing Svensktoppen isn't that hot!

I would much rather have seen Alexander Bard, Mr & Mrs Bagge or Andreas Carlsson (judges in Swedish Idols), Robyn, Marit Bergman etc. Did they all say no, SVT???

I am still awaiting the separate votes from the jury only. I hope they will be made public!

This is how Sweden (jury + televoters) voted in the semi:
1p Belarus
2p Switzerland
3p Portugal
4p Malta (what the fuck?!? Chiara was vile in the semi!)
5p Armenia
6p Israel (another question mark...)
7p Turkey
8p Bosnia-Herzegovina
10p Finland
12p Iceland

And in the final:
1p Albania
2p Greece
3p Armenia
4p Finland
5p Bosnia-Herzegovina
6p Turkey
7p Estonia
8p Azerbaijan
10p Iceland
12p Norway

The Finnish and Romanian jury results have been made public. Any readers knowing about other countries?

Finnish jury in the final (1-12p): Israel, Sweden, Bosnia, Armenia, Turkey, France, Malta, Norway, Estonia and Iceland.

Romanian jury in the final (1-12p): Azerbaijan, Israel, UK, Norway, Denmark, Greece, Armenia, Malta, Moldova, Iceland.

UPDATE!

Estonian jury in the final (1-12p): Azerbaijan, Germany, Sweden, Turkey, Albania, Portugal, Israel, Norway, Russia and Iceland.

Estonian televotes (1-12p): UK, Denmark, France, Sweden, Lithuania, Finland, Iceland, Azerbaijan, Russia and Norway.

Posh on Romania

Elena - The Balkan Girls 3/5
Another hooky chorus with a song + performance that go together and feel young and fresh. It has grown a lot since I first heard it in the Romanian final. The big question will be if Elena pulls it off live? From the two rehearsals I’ve seen on youtube she sang well in one and quite bad in the other. If she’s too nervous Romania will be out.

Balkan Girls from Romania

4 countries selected songs last night. What the people of Romania had been drinking before dialing for this piece of nonsense I don't know. I haven't even listened to the competition Elena had so maybe I should just be quiet and let the music speak...


Romania. Elena Gheorghe - "The Balkan Girls"

I don't get it. Do you?

Semi 1: not too bad, eh?

I can hardly remember what countries I predicted beforehand, but we did predictions also after seeing the entries on telly, and then I had a new bunch of songs.

The ones I thought
Israel, Slovenia, Norway, Poland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Armenia, Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Greece.
Not too inaccurate, I must say. I had two things wrong and eight countries right. I am particularly happy about Ireland and Estonia losing out, proving there are still things such as sensibility, taste and fairness in the world.
I feel genuinely sorry for the Netherlands - this time they really deserved going through. And I wonder if Andorran television is beginning to have second thoughts about entering the ESC.

But the finalists!

ISRAEL
Fantastic to have them through, as Boaz sang very sweetly and the song is enchanting. Also good to see that being drawn as #2 doesn't automatically stop you.

AZERBAIJAN
They did well live, but I thought the cocktail would prove a bit too much for the average viewer. It seems the average viewer is capable of more than I thought.

NORWAY
I got really nervous about Norway as they were in the last envelope. For a while, I thought they had failed and was prepared to cry bitter tears. Maria was brilliant and sang really well.

POLAND
There is something about Isis Gee that is a bit scary: especially the teeth and the drop of sweat that came off her during the song. But she sang like a marvel and the song is truly worthy of a place in the final. Most probably the choice of the jury, though.

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA
The stars of the night! Wonderful, brilliant, wacko, hysterical and very, very good. They can still win it!

ARMENIA
A video went around Youtube of Friday night's rehearsal, where Sirusho sang quite flatly all the way through. Tonight she sounded a lot better, and danced with more gusto. But it feels like the director of the show is not her best friend - lousy camera work on this one.

FINLAND
What happened here? Finland in the final for the third year running? I don't understand a thing, but it is good for the domestic ratings. I am contented. But I hope Teräsbetoni won't do too well, for the sake of next year's national final.

ROMANIA
Classy and good, but I had hoped for something more. Even more drama and prettier clothes. But still, surely a contender for Saturday night.

RUSSIA
I don't think the stage show really worked. Frenetic, too many things happening, too much acting. I just get bored and distracted, but it was expected that people would like this.

GREECE
Just like Armenia, the director seemed not to be too keen on this one and missed the big trick with the book. Wouldn't surprise me if it was tonight's winner, though. Better vocal performance than the Greek final suggested.

Now it is time to head for bed, more analysis to follow tomorrow...

Posh on Romania

Nico & Vlad - Pe-o margine di lume 4½/5
The reason for not getting full points from me is that it is not perfection like “Avrei voluto” (Italy89) but the spirit come close to the old-skool ESC-duets that I love. I could very well see Romania in the top 5 battle of the final but Nico & Vlad need to step up the game one more inch in front of the cameras. Rehearsals haven’t been mind blowing yet. Superb voices though!

Becks on Romania

Nico & Vlad - Pe-o margine di lume 4/5

Surprising thing, really. After being one of the weakest countries in competition (low scores every year even though I liked their entries), Romania rocketed up to become one of the top contenders (with a brief pause last year, perhaps).

This year is right back to form, though. At first, this just seems to be your traditional two-for-the-price-of-one big ballad, straight out of Sanremo of the 80's. And then you listen again and realise the first impression was the lasting one. And that you really, really like it. At least if you have taste. And a soft spot for big ballads.

Good voices, clean-cut performers and a very catchy melody line could be it. In a year full of disco babes gyrating around the dance floor, maybe an emotional ballad could be one of the top tips? And Romanian is such a beautiful language that it is almost not necessary to mix it with Italian.

In the final?
Yes, and it will score really well there as well.

Preview day

Today is the day when Mr Becks reieves the official preview feed from the EBU, so I can study all the entries before we shoot the Swedish preview shows.

Ah, miss Posh, if you had still been here, we could eat something unhealthy and watch them all and cheer for the good and throw popcorn at the bad.

I am not really saying this make anyone jealous or so, just to assure you that there will be some sort of reaction coming your way soon. Some of the previews, that I already saw on YouTube, look really good. Croatia, Switzerland, Netherlands and Romania all made very good clips, that enhanced their entries further.

Way to go.

Eurovision in Romanian

Posh & Becks recieved a greeting from another Eurosite that deserves some pushing. Ciocip is yet another one of these enthusiastic young eurofans, and he has a very nice blog, albeit being exclusively in Romanian. But he also has a very nice picture gallery from the Romanian final (where you will see what Dida Dragan looks like these days), and with some imagination you will get quite a lot of info out of the texts as well.

Check out his site here.

Super Saturday winners

The Super Saturday left us with no less than eight new entries for Belgrade. And here they are, complete with Mr Becks' first impression.



Deep Zone & Balthazar - DJ, Take Me Away - Bulgaria 2008
At first I don't understand much - a hard beat turns into some pseudo reggae before turning back into a dance track. And there, somewhere, I begin to see the point. This will work wonders in the clubs (maybe not only in Bulgaria), but that does not necessarily translate into ESC success. But best of luck to the Bulgarians DJ's. Thanks for trying, anyway.



Kraljevi Ulice & 75 Cents - Romanca - Croatia 2008
Street musicians complete with a street bench and a loud old man and everything. Not without charm, but 100 % made for domestic consumption. Most people outside the Slavic sphere will get absolutely nothing out of this. Whatever happened to the pop music of Croatia? Will we never hear a pop chorus from them ever again?



Euroband - This is my life - Iceland 2008
Two fabulous singers make the most out of a rather weak song. Add some intense 90's beat, and there you have Euroband, trying to get Iceland into the final for the first time since 2004. Given the way the national selections are shaping, it would not be impossible for them to pass into the Saturday night show, but RUV will be spared the trouble of organising the international event also next year.



Dustin the Turkey - Irlande Douze Points - Ireland 2008
Ah, well. It won. That fact doesn't make me half as sad as the fact that many, seriously many, people seem to find it the funniest entry ever. Come back Scooch, all is forgiven. Not even Germany would have gone for this one in their saddest days of comedy back in the 90's.



Tamara Todevska, Adrian Gahxa & Vrcak - Vo ime na ljubovta - FYR Macedonia 2008
The only clip available on the net is this, somewhat out-of-tune, reprise rendering. Hard to say whether this will work or not, as it will probably be polished a bit before the ESC, but I really like FYR Macedonia's efforts of bringing less typical Eurovision sounds into the contest.



Ani Lorak - Shady Lady - Ukraine 2008
Baccara has really left their mark on large territories of this old continent, that is for sure. A more than OK disco song, competently belted out by Ani Lorak, who almost got to represent her country already back in 2005. Not bad at all, and probably a grower, but given the recent quirkyness and originality of the Ukraine, I had maybe hoped for a tiny bit more.



Nico & Vlad Mirita - Pe-o margine de lume - Romania 2008
I have no idea what song the backing singers think they are dancing to, but that slight criticism aside, I find myself liking this. Traditional, straight-forward pop ballad that could have made top three in Sanremo anytime during the late 80's. Very well sung, uncomplicated and appealing. Well done, Romania.



Isis Gee - For Life - Poland 2008
Big voice and big ballad from Poland who, for once, I think, got it right in their national final. Luckily, this is not just the stereotypical big ballad that just wants to show off some pretty vocal chords, but it is also quite engaging. The only thing I miss is a bigger bang by the end, but I would be surprised to see Poland miss the final this year.

8 New Winners

Last night we got to see 8 new finalists. Some very disappointing, a few good ones and some disasters. Let's start with Iceland. They know how to pick a winner unlike some other islands. Not mentioning any names but a very green island.


Iceland 2008: Euroband - "This is my life"

Even if the song is a bit too flirtatious with the early 90s-sound I still like it. And any song featuring Regina Òsk must be good. That's the law. Will be surprised if this doesn't go through the semi in Belgrade.


FYR Macedonia 2008: Tamara & Vrcak & Adrijan - "Vo imeto na ljubovta"

What a mess! What were they thinking? I haven't heard the other songs but was this really the best they could do? Disappointing.


Croatia 2008: Kraljevi ulice & 75 cents - "Romanca"

Eh....have the Croatians gone completely mad? The song in itself is quite traditional and not harmful but why bring in the local mafia with a Hugh Hefner-look-a-like to perform it? Now we might as well send Christer Sjögren off and they can battle it out in the Senior Eurovision - Live from a nursing home close to you!


Bulgaria 2008: Deep Zone & Balthazar - "DJ Take Me Away"

Hurrah!!! I really like this dance track! Way to go Bulgaria. You surprised me last year with a fantastic song and now you follow it up with another fresh dish. Thank you. And who can go wrong with a name like good ol' Balthazar?! Woho!


Ireland 2008: Dustin the Turkey - "Irlande Douze Pointe"

I hope you are proud of yourself you stupid Irish! A screaming puppet is just what the Eurovision needs. This. Is. Not. Funny. The one and only thing in this whole mess that I actually like is the line about "Wogan's wig". But that's it. Unfortunately I don't expect the turkey to get the placing he deserves. People will vote and I will cry.


Poland 2008: Isis Gee - "For Life"

Traditional ballad not unlike Dutch "My impossible dream" from 2005. Quite nice but American Isis was struggling with the high notes last night. Not a good sign. But compared with the bunch chosen yesterday this is among the best. Doesn't say much really but 2008 is looking more and more like a middle-of-the-road-year. Shame. Btw, Isis Gee has a twin in Swedish tv-presenter Linda Isaksson. "Like as berries" as we say in Sweden.


Romania 2008: Nico & Vlad Mirita - "Pe-o margine de lume"

Strong good voices in a duet which brings back memories from "Tell me why". Other people have compared the song to one of my Italian favourites "Avrei voluto" (1989). Not quite guys, but not a bad song at all. It will definitely pick up votes across the scoreboard.


Ukraine 2008: Ani Lorak - "Shady Lady"

Thank God for the Ukraine! At least there is one country you can always count on to deliver. It's finally superstar Ani Lorak's turn to take the stage in Eurovision with a smoking hit penned by Philip Kirkorov. Yes! Yes! Yes! I love it!

Now please have your say about these 8 new songs. Is it a stuffed turkey or a senior citizen with a stick for you?

Victory for Romania

Among seven other countries, Romania will make its final decision tonight. I keep my fingers crossed that everything will end well. For several various reasons. Above all, I hope tonight's winner will be Romanian.

No less than three acts are Swedish, and two of them have no link what-so-ever to Romania. What could be more pointless than a country being represented by a song AND a singer that has no connection to the country in question?

I know Luxembourg and Monaco did this, Andorra has done it etcetera etcetera, but these are small nations. Romania has a very developped music industry. Why are the Swedish songs even in the running?

It was one thing if these Swedes had huge careers over there and were loved by the Romanians, but I doubt that is the case. Fingers crossed for a good (and suitable) winner. Watch all the songs over at TVR's own site.

Super Saturday coming up

For the people with strong nerves and a solide psyche, this weekend will offer loads of fun in Euroland. Before Saturday is over, we will have eight more entries to complete the line-up in Belgrade. So, when Saturday turns into Sunday, we will be able to judge a great deal better if this is a strong year or if it is all turning into mush, doom and gloom.

I must admit that I don't have complete overview of the contenders so far. I am totally unable to determine whether things look good or not, but I do have a sneaky feeling somewhere in my old bones that we could be looking at possibly the weakest load of entries since 2004. Some songs are good, far too many are just OK, and far too many are truly disastrous.

Hopefully, it will make less of a mess than in 2004 - if things work out as planned, most of the rubbish will stay in the semis, where they can't hurt ordinary, decent, tax-paying people.

So, get on with it Bulgaria, Croatia, Iceland, Ireland, FYR Macedonia, Poland, Romania and the Ukraine: give us your best shots. Will we see a winner coming from any of these?

C'est la vie

The first semi final in Romania is on this Saturday. Remember my tip from before? "C'est la vie" by Yanna. Finally the preview of the song is available on youtube. The performance leaves a lot to be desired but I still like the beat and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.



Nothing beats the superb "C'est la vie" from Melodifestivalen 2004 though... I've always had a soft spot for Siw Malmkvist and for once G:son wrote a real stomper for the old hags as they called themselves. And I believe my dad and I are the only ones in the whole universe who have this song as a ringtone on our mobiles. It puts a smile on my face every single time I get a phonecall!


Siw Malmkvist, Ann-Louise Hanson & Towa Carson

Swedish export to Romania

The Swedish papers are already in Eurovision-mania-mood reporting about the Romanian pre-selection. Not without reason though as there are some Swedish interests there. But. If they had bothered listening to the songs I'm not too sure they would want to make such a big deal out of it. If any, the Rednex song is the best one of them. That says something about the standard. I don't really get why so many Swedish songwriters feel the urge to send their MF-rejects to other countries? Sure thing if the writers have a genuine collaboration with writers and singers from that other country or if their roots are from there. Or as simple as having one hell of a good song that has "Eurovision winner" written all over it. But all these mediocre attempts?

G:son & co, please do give me an answer. I want to be able to understand your point of view. Because for me it just looks like a typical Swedish von oben attitude. "So this song didn't fit the mighty Melodifestivalen but I'm sure it is strong enough for those 'poor Eastern states' with no good music of their own." Please prove me wrong!

Specially Romania has selected a great bunch of songs in the last few years (2007 may be excused) and their national finals usually hold a good standard. After listening to snippets of the 24 hopefuls this year I wouldn't say that it will go down in history as the best year ever but the Swedish efforts are definitely not going to stand out. My tip is "C'est la vie" by Yanna. Listen at TVR.

Forgotten masterpiece

With a few spare minutes on my hands, I just feel the need to share an old, forgotten favourite of mine. "Your love" was on the initial shortlist for the 2005 Romanian national final and it was by far my favourite. Unfortunately, Alexandra Ungureanu pulled out of competition due to "personal reasons".

Alexandra has had many fab songs since this, mainly together with the band Crash, but this Romanian version of MF-schlager is irresistible in my ears.