In December it was announced that the Eurovision Song Contest ticket sales will start on January 13th, but this information have proved to be a little optimistic. But we were assured that probably in the next two weeks the problems will be solved and we will have more information concerning the details about when and where the tickets for Eurovision 2008 will be available.

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Hind Laroussi Tahiri, known as Hind, will represent the Netherlands in the Eurovision song contest 2008 in Belgrade. At a press conference she was introduced to the media. An offer from NOS was immediately accepted, and now they are searching for the song that will represent the Netherlands to the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade.

Hind is from Gouda. In 2002 she reached the final in the Soundmix show, in 2003 she took the third place in the reality television show Idols but her first hit single was summer allover again. Around the way and Halfway home are her two albums. Her first album “Around the world” contains R&B, pop but also the Arabic and Portuguese influence are very strong. Her second album is called by herself “Arabpop” due to the strong Arabic influence in some of her songs. Probably the song for Eurovision 2008 will be with Arabic influence, too?

Paolo Meneguzzi has performed his song “Era Stupendo” in the Swiss Music Awards. The singer was unknown in Italy till he won the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in Chile. The success promoted the release of his debut album and he continued to build his career. On November 26th, 2007 it was announced that Meneguzzi will take part of the song contest in the country where he was born, with the unknown song Era Stupendo.

The songs sounds vary Italian not only because of the language. The song is a ballad and stats softly but it the beginning of the second part it speeds up. The Swiss entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 is accomplished fundamentally by piano and was very well accepted by the audience when it was confirmed that Paolo will represent the country.

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Mor ve Ötesi will represent Turkey at Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade.

The name of the Turkish alternative rock band literally means Violet and Beyond. The band is formed by the front man Harun Tekin (vocals and rhythm guitar). The other members are Kerem Kabadayı (drums), Burak Güven (bass) and Kerem Özyegen (lead guitar). Their first popular song is “Bir Derdim Var” (There is a problem). Last week they have entered in studio to record other three songs. Later this month special jury by TRT officials and other popular Turkish music professionals will receive the new three songs. One of these songs will be chosen to represent the country in one of the semi finals on May 20th and 22nd in Belgrade. It is not sure yet if the song that will represent the country will be in English or in Turkish language. The possibility the song to be entirely in Turkish is not ruled out yet.

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NTU, Ukraine’s national broadcaster has confirmed that Ani Lorak will represent the country in Eurovision song Contest 2008.

She has been two times national finalist, but now she has the chance in her third attempt. Her real name is Carolina Myroslavivna Kuiek and she is very successful Ukrainian singer and artist. She got popular after her participation in the Russian show “Morning Star”. Then she moved to USA and won the Big Apple Music Festival in 1996. She came back to her country and became one of the most popular and love singers. After qualifying from the semi finals to the Ukrainian national final in 2005 she was beaten by Greenjolly. But they were parachuted into the finals as a wild card entry. Ani Lorak is also a United Nations good will ambassador in her country and she helps to fight AIDS and HIV.

The national Montenegro broadcaster RTCG announced the names of the candidates for Eurovision Song Contest 2008.

The artists are six and the audience will select the singer who will represent the country in the Belgrade in 2008. The six artists that will take part in the national selection according the national broadcaster are Jelena Kazanegra, Andrea Demirovic, Vesna Milacic Kaja, Nenad Knezevic Knez and Stefan Filipovic. The six singers will be presented on a special show on the television. The audience will have the right to choose who will represent the country to the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. For the chosen singer will be invited composers to write a song specially for the winner for Belgrade 2008.

Evdokia Kadi and her song Femme Fatale will represent Cyprus at the Eurovision song Contest 2008. She won the right to defend her country in Belgrade and defeated nine other candidates, including Marlain Angelidou. The other candidates were . Evdokia Kadi - Femme Fatale, Nikolas Metaxas - “I Can’t Be”, Marlain Angelidou - “Rejection”, Myria Pambori & Alexis Manison - “Turning To You”, Sofia Strati - “This Can’t Be Love”, Nikolas Metaxas - “Butterfly”, Constantinos Andronikou - “Calling You”, Eleni - “Moments Of Madness”, Mirto Meletiou - “Rescue Me”, and Elizabeth - “Sugar Mountain”.

The jury favourite was Marlain Angelidou, but the audience proffered Evdokia Kadi by televoting.

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The national final in Azerbaijan, after certain confusion on the date, will be held on February 2nd. It is the public broadcaster Ictimai TV’s choice. Five candidates will compete to represent Azerbaijan in Eurovision 2008.

The participants are: Elnur, who is the winner of Sing your song contest, Aynur Iskenderova - she is a participant of Azeri star contest, Aytaj Jafarova, Rock group Unforma, and Erkin Osmanli who is participant of Akademiya song contest. The public via televoting and special jury will take the important decision, who to represent the country on Eurovision Song Contest 2008. It is expected that the popular name from the Eurovision scene  Dima Bilan (Russia 2006) will be part of the jury and Toto Cutugno (Italy 1990), Ruslana (Ukraine 2004), Marija Šerifović, (Serbia 2007) are invited as special guests.

The five candidates that will take part in the German national final for Eurovision Song Contest 2008 have been announced by the German broadcaster NDR. The final will be on March, 6th. The finalists are No Angels, Tommy Reeve, Cinema Bizarre, Marquess, and Carolin Fortenbacher. No Angels will perform the song “Disap”, Tommy Reeve - ” Only One woman. “Forever and Never” is the song written for Cinema Bizarre ,”La Histeria” for Marquess and  Carolin Fortenbacher will sing the song ” Hinterm Horizont”.

The most popular group that will take part in the German finals is No Angels. It was created in a talent show on German TV. They scored several big hits.

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The 17 songs that will participate in the National Eurovision Song Contest “Go Malta Song for Europe” have been announced by MaltaSong. On Thursday, January 24th, the songs will take part in the semi finals and eight of them will pass to the final on Saturday, January 26th. The jury vote will not be made public, until the competition is not concluded, in order to avoid influencing the public.

The songs in running order are:
Pamela & Glen - “Loved by you”
Claudia Faniello - “Caravaggio”
Eleanor Cassar - “Give me a chance”
Mary Spiteri - “My last encore”
Morena - “Casanova”
Daniela Vella - “Throw your stones”
Rosman Pace - “Love is just the way”
Klinsmann Coleiro - “Go”
Morena -.”Vodka”
Pamela - “Whispers”
Klinsmann Coleiro - “Superhero”
Jean Claude Vancell -”Contradiction”
Chris & Moira - “Alright”
Jessica Muscat - “Tangled”
Mary Spiteri - “If you believe”
Petra Zammit - “Street car of desire”
Claudia Faniello - “Sunrise”

The ten acts that will take part in the Polish preselection for Eurovision Song Contest 2008 were announced by TVP. In Piosenka dla Europy 200 on February 23d, will participate the following singers:

“I say my body” - Queens (Music - Lukasz Pilch, Lyrics - Marcin Skoczylas)
“Dlatego Walcz” - Margo (Music - Filip Siejka, Lyrics - Malgorzata Gadzinska)
“Viva la musica” - Men Meadow (Music - Thomas Gson, Andreas Rickstrand, Lyrics - Thomas G:son)
“The Devil” - Kasia Nova (Music - Harald Retinger, Ulrich Fischer, Lyrics -  Harald Reitinger)
“Super Heroes” - Sandra Oxenryd (Music - Knut-AËœyvind Hagen, Andreas Rickstrand, Lyrics -  Knut-Ayvind Hagen )
“Thing we’ve got” - Afromental (Music - W. Lozowski, B. Sniadecki, Lyrics - Wojciech Lozowski)
“For Life” - Isis Gee (Music and lyrics - Isis Gee)
“Kietbasa” - Zalewski Krzysztof (Music and lyrics - Zalewski Krzysztof)
“Lovin’U” - Edi Ann  (Music and lyrics - Edyta Kuczynska)
“It’s not a game” - Starnawski & Urban Noiz (Music - Marcin Urban, Lyrics: Bozena Intrator)

In case of disqualification or withdraws one of the following singers will go to the final:
“Do something” - Plastic (Music - Agnieszka Burcan, Agnieszka Burcan)
“Don’t let the fire die” -  Grzegorz Kloc (Music - G. Kloc, Lyrics - Olga Pruszowska - Kloc)
“Women to love” - Michal Karpacki (Music - M. Karpacki, Lyrics - M. Karpacki)
 ”What’s going on?” - Zenon Boczar (Music - Z. Boczar, Lyrics - Z. Boczar, Steve O’Brien)
“Czy to milosc czy zabawa” - Kashmir (Music - Kamil WyziÅ„ski, Lyrics - Katarzyna Pietras)

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In Belgium the group known as Dynamite was not selected for Eurosong 2008, but in Lithuania, where the band in known as Cisco Kids was. They will take part in on of the three heats on January, 12th, 19th or 26th. In Eastern Europe and Lithuania the group is known with the songs “Sex Su Blondine” (Sex With The Blonde) and “Kas NeÅ¡okines” (Everyone Who Doesn’t Jump Is Gay).

In the country there are 36 candidates for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. They are: Aiste Pilvelyte, Angelas, Asta Kairyte, Auguste Vedrickaite Buzzer’s, Cisco Kid, Egle Lokyte, Face Time, Flaer, Flaxon, Funny Beat, Gyvai, Ingrida PaukÅ¡tyte, Ingrida eiliete, Jeronimas Milius, Julija & Girma, Justas Lapatinskas, Justina Adeikyte, KaÅ¡tonai, Kristina Botyriete, Laiptai, Mini-Me, MyMagic, Nerri, Onsa, Raimonda Masiulyte, Sasha Son, Skyders, Slapjack, Suicide DJ’s, Sweetness Theory, Trylika, Vilma VoroblevaitÄ—, Vudis & Gredas, Wake Up and Pokeris.

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LRT, the Lithuanian broadcaster announced, after a long national preselection and endless series of semifinals, that the semifinals will take place on three Sunday nights. The final will be on February 2nd. In three heats thirty five songs will compete. Directly to the final, two wildcards will be given .

LRT received more than 70 songs from national and foreign writers. The Head of Delegation, Jonas Vilimas said that 35 songs are ready to fight for a ticket to Eurovision 2008. On January 12th, 19th and 26th the songs will be divided into three heats and four songs of each heat will qualify for the final.

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Austria will not take part in Eurovision Song Contest 2008, as it was announced earlier, but the head of the program Wolfgang Lorenz stated that ORF will broadcast the Eurovision 2008 finals on May 24th.He said that broadcasting the finals is still an option and it will be aired on ORF. But if the broadcaster changes his opinion, the new program Plus4 might take over the show. This is a private channel. It will be on air in February but Martin Blank-executive producer, did not want to comment yet. Definitely the channel ATV will not take over the contest.

Austria withdrew from Eurovision Song Contest, after the disappointing results in 2004 and 2005. The country returned in 2006 but then again won the second last place. Eric Papilaya finished 27th on the semifinal with only four points. Austria is one of the less successful countries in the contest.

HRT has announced the candidates who will compete to represent Croatia to the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade. On February 22nd fourteen candidates will take a part in a heat. For the finals on February 23nd six of the candidates will qualify. Ten other songs are directly qualified.

The candidates for the heat on February 22nd are:
“Kaci Mi “- Vlatka Grakalić (Fedor Boic)
“Idi Leda Mi Okreni” - Martina  (Marino Mahic, Darus Despot)
“Gdje Je Srce Tu Je Dom” - Antonija Å ola (Antonija Å ola, Silvio Pasaric)
“Romanca” - Kraljevi Ulice & 75 Cents (Miran Hadži Veljkovic)
“Dotkani Zveijzde” - Danijela Pintaric (Zoran Jeager, SrÄ‘an Sekulovic)
“Lako Zaljubljiva” -Maja Å uput (Branimir Mihaljević, Fayo)
“Tvoje Oko Za More Duboko” - Bonaca & Nera (Ivo Mikulcin)
“Kakav Tucan Kraj” -  Ivana Radovnikovic (Stjepan Markovic, Ivana Radovnikovic)
“Za Tobom Luda” - Zorica Kondza  (JoÅ¡ko Banov, Nenad Nincevic)
“Andero” - Emilija Kokic (Emilija Kokic)
“Ja San Umra Za Ljubav” - Cani Stipanicev (Miro Buljan, Nenad Nincevic)
“Sanjam” - Ivo Gamulin (Andrej BaÅ¡a, Fayo)
“Iskoci Sa Mnom Iz Jurecef Vlaka” - Ibrica Jusic (Marko Tomasovic, Mario Vukelic)
“Ne Razumijemo Se”- Mor Roll (Vedran Å ilipetar)

Reserve candidates are:
Luka Bulic - “Spoznaja”
Leonora Surian - “Prijateljstvo”
Vlatka Kopic Tena & Robert Jaman - “Bure I Plime”
Lite Motive - “Moja Presuda”

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