On February 16th, on the national final, Iceland will decide who will represent the country to the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 semi-finals. Eleven of the winners are already known. In a second chance round the twelve finalist will be decided. A wild card will be given to one non - selected per heat. The chance to be the twelve finalist will have:

Hafdís Huld Þrastardóttir - “Boys And Perfume”
Edgar Smári - “If I Fall In Love Again”
Böðvar Rafn Reynisson & Tinna Marína Jónsdóttir - “Á Ballið Á”
Áslaug Hálfdánardóttir - “Lífsins Leið”
Seth Sharp - “Johnny”
Margrét Kristín Sigurðardóttir - “Bigger Shoes”
Einar Ágúst Víðisson & Sigurjón Brink - “Straumurinn”
Hara - “I Wanna Manicure”
Dr. Spock - “Hvar Ertu Nú?”
Andrea Gylfadóttir - “Flower Of Fire”
Hrund Ósk Árnadóttir - “Í Rússíbana”

[Read more…]

Sandra Suša, RTS executive producer stated that the online reservation for tickets for Eurovision Song Contest 2008 will start on January 13th. The prices will be lower then the last year in Helsinki because of the two semi-finals. The online reservation will continue till January 20th.

Ms SuÅ¡a said: “We are about 20 days behind schedule with the tickets, they are usually available during the holiday season as it is customary for some people to offer them as Christmas presents”. The delays were mainly because of the change in the contest format. She also said that the tickets price will be “flexible” and that the tickets will be available on time. The exact price is not known yet but the executive producer assured that they will be cheaper than in Helsinki. She said: “RTS’s main objective is not to make a profit from ticket sales”. When the agreements with the sponsors are confirmed and finalized the regular tickets sales will start. Problem for the fans probably will be because they will not know exactly in which semi-final their country will be placed. So they have to wait till January 27-28 when the Reference Group will meet.

The official presenting sponsor of the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 is known
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) signed an agreement with Raiffeisen International Bank-Holding AG. Raiffeisen International will act as the official presenting sponsor of the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.  One of the leading banking groups in Central and Eastern Europe, covers the event and media rights for the upcoming event in Belgrade for Albania, Bulgaria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia and Ukraine.

Bjørn Erichsen, Director of Eurovision TV said:“We are pleased to see that Europe’s biggest TV entertainment show will be supported by Raiffeisen International, a company with an excellent reputation and strong presence in many of the participating countries. The EBU welcomes Raiffeisen International, as the presenting sponsor of the Eurovision Song Contest 2008”.

[Read more…]

Serbia will select the candidate for Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade on February 20th. 20 song will be presented and the audience and jury will select 10 songs which go for the Beovizija 2008 final.The Serbian song goes directly for the final to the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 as a winning country in Eurovision 2007.

The candidates are:
Aleksa Jelic & Ana Å tajdohar - “Beli Jablan”
Andrej Ilic Bend - “Tijana”
Beauty Queens - “Dobra Vila”
Betty Boop - “Kvar”
Goca Trzan - “U Civot Kockam Se… ”
Dejan Vozlic - “Ako Me cujeÅ¡”
Denis & Obule - “Bezimena”
Drum’n'Zez - “Dunav”
Zoe Kida & Zemlji Gruva - “Cudesni Svetovi”
Ivana Cosic - “Kao Da Hodam”
Jelena TomaÅ¡evic - “Oro”
Lejla Hot - “Da Si Tu”
Marko Vulinović - “Sada Ili Nikad”
Mogul - “Mozda BaÅ¡”
Negativ - “S Tobom Bih Ostala”
Nenad Ceranic - “Slepa Ulica”
Ognjen & Prijatelji - “Cucemo, Cucete…”
Sloba Bajic - “Precica Do Dna”
Studio Alektik & Cveta Majtanovic - “Iznad Nas”
Tamara Nikezic - “Nisi Prvi”

43 countries will be represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
EBU announced today that 43 countries will be represented at the Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade.

38 countries will be represented at two semi-finals, on May 20th and May 22nd in Belgrade, Serbia. The following countries will compete there: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,  Macedonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine.  France, Germany, Serbia, Spain and the United Kingdom are automatically qualified for the final, which will be on 24th of May. On January 28th will be determined on which night the semifinalists will perform.

The members of the Organizational Board for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 have been announced.  Mladan Dinkis, the Serbian Minister of Economy and Regional Development, was unanimously elected Chairman of the Board.
The RTS Organizational Board, during a meeting for the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest, was created. Ljiljana Trgovcevic is an Advisor to the Cabinet of the Economy and Regional Development. She was appointed as the Board Secretary General.

RTS announced and the rest of the Board Members. They are:
Zoran Alimpić, acting Mayor of Belgrade
Andrija Mladenović, the City Assembly Member of the City Board
Olivera Lazović, the Tourist Organization of Belgrade Director
Aleksandar Tijanić, RTS General Manager
Sandra Šuša, RTS Head of Entertainment Programme and ESC 2008 Executive Producer
Branka Ružić-Hinić, RTS Financial Manager
Nebojša Nedeljković, RTS Marketing Manager

The twenty songs that will compete in the semi-finals in Slovenia, to represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 are:

First semi-final:
1. Halgato Band - “Nomadi”
2. Tiana - “Povej”
3. Male Malice - “Spam”
4. 4Play - “Dj”
5. Eva ÄŒerne - “Dovolj”
6. Rebeka Dremelj - “Vrag naj Vzame”
7. Neza Trobec - “Prav ti”
8. Stereotipi - “Naravnost v srce”
9. Skupina Zaka’pa ne - “Eo eo”
10. Iris - “Peti Elementi”

Second semi-final
1. Skupina Langa - “Za Svobodo Divjega Srca”
2. Andraz Hribar - “Corpomorto” (Jutri Jadram Sam)
3. Ylenaia - “Nasel si me”
4. Eveomisn - “Kako ke ne bi imel”
5. Denis - “Ni me sram”
6. Manca Å pik - “Se Vedno Nekaj Cutim”
7. Mirna Reynolds - “Lepi Fantje”
8. Johnny Bravo - “Butn, Butn”
9. Turbo Angels - “Zabava”
10. Petra - “Extrem”

[Read more…]

Who will represent Albania in Belgrade? Olta Boka won this years Festivali i Këngës and, will represent Albania in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest! Her song Zemrën E Lamë Peng, gain a total of 67 points.

The professional jury took the decision. The first international television appearance for the young singer will be at the Euro Song Contest 2008. She showed true emotions when came back on the scene again to reprise her song. The Festivali i Këngës has a longer history than the Albania has in Eurovision Song Contest as a participant. In 1962 the festival was organized for first time as a scene for Albanian pop mucic. Since than it is held every year, but Albania was represented for first time in Eurovision Song Contest in 2004.

Albania Eurovision 2008 Song - Olta Boka:

[Read more…]

The names of the twenty candidates which will take part in Eurovision Song Contest 2007 have been revealed from the Flemish broadcaster Een. They have been spread in four rounds and will be competing for a place in the semifinals.In the first round on January 27 will cоmpetе : Katy Satyn -” Magical sensation”, Raeven - “Shut down the heatmachine”, Brahim - “What I like about you”, Eva Darche - “We breathe” and Femme Fatale - “Décadence”.

In the second round on February 3th are Kenza - “Breaking all the rules”, E.F.R. - “Your guiding star”, Ishtar - “O julissi na jalini”, Esther - “Game over” and Tanja Dexters - “Addicted to you”. On February 10th, will compete Ellis T - “My music”, Tabitha Cycon - “Rumour has it”, Di Bono - “I’m not sorry”, Nelson - “If I can’t find love” and Geena Lisa - “Wheel of time”.Francesco Palmeri and the song “Vagabundo”, Paranoiacs - “Shout it out”, Elisa - “Around the world”, A Butterfly Mind - “Lonely heart on wheels” and Sandrine - “I feel the same wa” will compete on February 15th in the fourth round.The semifinals will be on February 24th and March 2nd.

On Friday 21, December in the first round of Eurovision Song Contest in Belarus fifteen candidates will take part. For the big final on January 21st a jury will select two songs. Third finalist may be the singer, who is favorite to the audience.

The candidates are:
Dali - “Silver Sky”
Litesound - “Do You Believe”
Lena Voloshina - “That’s All I Feel”
Victor Pshenichniy - “Baby Blue”
Anna Sharkunova & German Titov - “My Budem Pervye”
Ruslan Alekhno - “Hasta La Vista”
Palats - “Kola Mlyna”
PinCode - “You Can”
The Champions - Drive Me Crazy”
Po Glazam - “Devochka Trechtysjachych”
Julia Guseva - “Maybe”
Oxana Kovalevski - “Vseg Da Odna”
Katrin - “Follow Me”
Gunesh - “I Can’t Live Without You”
Skandal - “Everybody”

The Andorran candidate for the Eurovision Song Contest was officially presented by the Andorran broadcaster ATV. The Spanish singer Gisela will present the country with the song “Casanova”.

The song is mainly in English but has some Calatic lyrics. “The song is very rhythmic, magic and perfectly represents Andorra.”-according to the song writer Jordi Cubino and the singer Gisela. Before heading to the Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade, the singer and the writer intend to promote “Casanova” in Europe.

Gisela Lladó Cánovas is famous in Andorra and Spain since her first performance in Operación Triunfo in 2001. She is 28 years old and was born in Barcelona.

[Read more…]

Eurovision Song Contest outside Europe?
The EBU by Nibras Media Ltd. bought the Eurovision Song Contest format. This company is connected with the MENA region - North Africa and Middle East. Some more other broadcasters have expressed interests to join to the competition.

For the members of the European Broadcasting Union, Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition. It is represented in more than 40 other countries by public broadcasters and became a European Tradition. In 1956 in Luano, Switzerland was held the firs Eurovision Contest.

The countries in MENA are: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Somalia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Nibras Media in partnership with Tanweer Group will develop this competition in these countries.

[Read more…]

During the Festivali i Kenges this weekend in Albania will be selected a song for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.On Friday 14th and Sutarday15th will be the semifinals, each with fifteen participants. The final will be on Sunday, December 16th.The Albanian Broadcaster RTSH announced the participants.

Semifinal 1 - 14 December
Arber Arapi - “Mall”
Besiana Mehmedi - “Di Te Jetoj”
Ani Cuedari & Mateus Frroku - “Testament Dashurie” Juliana Pasha - “Nje Qiell Te Ri”
Produkt 28 - “30 Sekonda”
Adela Bezhani - “Mos Thuaj Jo”
Sajmir Cili - Ninull Per Ty
Rovena Dilo - “Perjetesisht”
Evans Rama - “Drita E Henes”
J.A.Fejzo & Alesio - “K’te Nate Te Ty”
F. Kralani & D. Disha - “Jeta Kerkon Dashuri”
Eneda Tarifa - “E Para Leter”
Teuta Kurti - “Qyteti I Dashurise ”
Rosela Gjylbegu - “Bote Memece”
Manjola Saraci - “Kjo Bote Merr Fryme Nga Dashuria”

[Read more…]

The European broadcasting Union confirmed at a press conference in Rotterdam that the sixth edition of the Junior Eurovision Song contest will be organized by the Cypriot broadcaster CyBC on Sunday November 22, 2008. Cypros broadcaster decided that contest to take place at the Spyros Kyprianou stadium in Limassol. The stadium is also known as Palais des Sports. It is a modern venue and its’ capacity is for 7500 people.

Limassol is the second biggest city in Cypriot. It has long cultural traditions, there are archeological sites museums. Of all Junior Song Contest host counties Cypriot is the most southern. Limassol city succeeds Lillehammer, Hasselt, Bucharest, Rotterdam and Copenhagen. Fun in the Sun is the main theme of the sixth Junior Eurovision Song Contest.

[Read more…]

Belarus wins Junior Eurovision Song Contest

After Croatia, Spain, Belarus and Russia, the fifth Junior Eurovision Song Contest winner comes from Belarus again! Alexey Zhigalkovich won the Contest with the song S Druzyami (With Friends). Second  finished  Arevik from Armenia with one point less . Nevena Bozovich from Serbia came third. This year’s Junior Song Contest can be called the most exciting voting ever.

Besides Armenia also other debutants Georgia and Bulgaria did well while the old Eurovision countries Cyprus, Belgium, Portugal and Greece occupy the bottom places.
The last country to announce the results of their televoting was Belarus. The country gave Armenia ‘only’ seven points and secured the Belarusian victory.

[Read more…]