EU-DIGEST

The Netherlands: Sending their biggest stars to Eurovision Song Contest - Moscow 2009

The biggest stars in The Netherlands will be taking the stage for their homeland in Moscow. They've broken every record in their country and are more than ready to astonish Europe now! Gordon, Rene Froger and Jeroen van der Boom, better known as The Toppers, picked six songs out of more than 300 entries to perform at the Nationaal Songfestival 2009. The trio has been selected internally to represent the Netherlands at the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow. After an entertaining show live from Studio 22 in Hilversum, viewers could vote for over an hour. A professional jury had a 30% impact on the outcome. "It is amazing to have this opportunity," Rene Froger said, while Gordon was extremely happy with the fact that he is sure about participation in Moscow, unlike the previous two times he took part in the Dutch national selection.

Labels: EU, Euro Song Festival, Netherlands

Eurovision Song Contest Belgrade (Serbia) 2008 - Interview Paolo Meneguzzi

Oikotimes: During the first presentation of "Era stupendo" there were dancers with you on stage. What can we expect in Belgrade? Will there be any changes? Paolo: "The performance will be surprise for you; I don't want to reveal anything (smile). Everything will be scheduled to highlights lyrics of "Era stupendo". Jus one thing is confirmed: peace, simplicity and good things will be in my music... and I never draw a line in my songs... (smile) Like all the contestants, we are rehearsing and preparing a nice stage show for the audience. We hope to touch people;s hearts with an unforgetable angelic feeling. At the moment, I cannot tell you all the details, but we believe that the performance will cause a very loving atmosphere."

Labels: EU, Euro Song Festival, Paolo Meneguzzi

Eurovision Song Contest Serbia 2008 - Tonight: Bosnia & Herzegovina's song presentation

Tonight in a special BH Eurosong 2008 TV show programme in which the public will hear Elvir Lakovic Laka's song Pokusaj (Try It) for the first time. Laka will represent Bosnia-Herzegovina at the 53rd Eurovisin Song Contest in Belgrade on 20th May 2008 in the first semi final. After he spent seven days in Zagreb, recording the final version of the song Pokusaj in the studio owned by one of the most popular and most productive rock producers, Denis Mujadzic - Denyken, on 16th February Laka had a mini-concert in Profil Megastore in Zagreb, within the promotion of his first album Zec, published by Menart productions in Croatia.

Some 120 million television viewers across Europe tuned in to watch last year's winner, 23-year-old Marija Serifovic from Serbia, take home the crown with "Molitva", a love song about the uncertainties between God and man.

In May, the eyes of Europe will be focused on Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest. A record of 43 countries take part in the 53rd running. Schedule - First Semi-Final: Tuesday, 20th of May; Second Semi-Final:
Thursday, 22nd of May; and the Final: Saturday, 24th of May

Labels: Bosnia and Herzegovina, EU, Euro Song Festival, Eurovision, Serbia

Labels: Culture, EU, Euro Song Festival

Talent the big winner - by Rick Morren

Around since 1956, when the first Eurovision Song Contest took place in Lugano (Switzerland), the contest has quickly became a true European tradition. The European Song Festival is different from the "Great American Song Contest", because in the Euro Song Festival all the artists participating are already well known in their own countries. They come from every corner of Europe, with Israel as the only "outsider".

Again, last night, the Euro Song Festival had us glued to the TV for over three hours, as it had done in most past years. This time around there were 24 finalists participating in a spectacular show broadcast from Helsinki, Finland. It was not only a great show with very talented artists, but also pretty democratic when it came to voting for who the public considered the best. This was done by direct (phone) vote from everywhere in Europe and Israel.

To vote you had to dial into a local number and include the listed number of your favorite singer. So if your favorite singer was listed as number 12 you dialed the number and included the number 12 at the end of the number. This registered your vote on the Euro song festival computer in your home area, which was connected to a master computer. You could not cheat by calling twice from the same phone, because the Euro computer matched the incoming callers phone number with all previously made calls.

Everything was handled electronically, even the voice thanking you for voting was mechanical (could this also be a sample of what future political voting would look like?). This kind of electronic vote registration also gives the voter a quick tally of the results once the vote is over. It took only about two minutes after the Song Festival voting closed for the results to be announced. Serbia's Marija Serifovic with her beautiful and powerful song "Prayer" ended up the winner.

Some countries complained that this kind of voting favored people voting in blocks, but at the end it turned out that most of us will vote for talent. This year the Eastern Europeans just had more talent than the singers who represented Northern Europe. Isn't that what competition is all about?

For a listing of all participants and to listen to an excerpt of each song or to buy and download a complete version of your favorite song (only 24 finalists made it to the big show last night) click on this link

Labels: Euro Song Festival

Eurovision Song Contest - Helsinki 2007

Watch the Eurovision song festival directly from Helsinki in Finland on Saturday May 12 - check your local TV listing for the time it will be broadcast or get it on "life stream" on your computer.

Labels: Euro Song Festival

52nd Eurovision Song Contest

Turkish Culture & Tourism Ministry Promotion DG held a promotion reception at Sheraton Hotel in Helsinki for the song "Shake It Up Shekerim" of Kenan Dogulu who will represent Turkey at the 52nd Eurovision Song Contest in Finland.

International press members as well as 300 special guests, who participated in the reception, watched Dogulu in a live performance.

Labels: Euro Song Festival, Turkey

2007 EUROVISION SONG CONTEST - May 12, 2007

More and more parties are underway across Europe. The latest news come from the Netherlands and Greece. Here is the necessary information for those interesting to attend. Eurofans and people generally interested in the contest often grab this chance to get to know each other, enjoy the Eurovision fever before the contest and prepare themselves for the hot nights of the semifinal and the final.

Labels: Euro Song Festival, Europe