EUROVISION ON TOP

Rita Guerra, the portuguese singer from 2003 has a new CD. It is called Luar and the most curious thing is the new single which is a cover version of the song that placed 2nd in Portuguese National Final in 1979.

The queen of all Eurovision nations, Ireland, is back in the game and ready to make a impact in this year's contest. With Over 300 entries received from Irish but also foreign songwriters, RTE has chosen only 5 songs to compete in the national final, presented through "The Late Late Show", on friday, March the 5th. For a number of weeks there's been speculations over the names of the artists and the writers including the likes of Ronan Keating, Justin Lee Collins, former winners Brendan Graham, Charlie McGettigan, Dana and Johnny Logan some of which were proven to be incorrect. The line up of the 5 successful acts was firstly presented through RTE Radio 1, this tuesday. The list is as follows (also running order for the final):

Former Eurovision winner, Niamh Kavanagh, makes a comeback 17 years after her victory with a song written by most of the team behind the nation's 2009 entry Et Cetera. One of the most known writers of the contest since many decades, the german Ralph Siegel also appears together with his 2009 Montenegro writing team. They contribute with a song performed by Lee Bradshaw, the young singer who was placed 4th in last year's Irish final. One more of the so called "big" names of the line up is of course Boyzone's Mikey Graham who enters with a song which he co-wrote and was inspired by his wife. The complete the list comes Marc Paelinck (BEL 04, MAL 09) together with an Austrian young female singer who origins from Bosnia and also Leanne Moore, winner of You're a star 2008, singing a song by Moran and Waters.

There are a few things we wonder about though. We firstly refer to Mikey Graham, who is currently competing in the highly successful "Dancing on ice" show aired on ITV (UK), and is also considered to be one of the hot favourites for the victory. The live shows last for another 7 weeks, not to mention there's a tour that follows which makes us wonder if he can actually cope with the RTE schedule without any problem..!? Will there be a need of a replacement there..? Secondly, regarding Monika Ivskic's entry "Fashion queen"...we came across a song she released on youtube just a year ago entitled "Fashinonista" which coincidently?! includes the line: "...you gotta act like you're a fashion queen...". We just find it kind of stange, noticing also the fact that the length of the song is not over 3 minutes and was released a year back, right after Ireland's 2009 announcement of the successful acts was publically known. (That's normally the time when most of the non qualifiers release their material on the internet or in the music market). We really wonder if the line above is so common that she happened to use it in 2 of her not so many songs... Maybe this case also needs to be checked!

Shalalie, the song from the Netherlands enter the charts at number 13 in her own countrie. The danish song enters the chart at number 7 in Denmark. The highest entrie for a song in the Charts this week is from the Norwegian ballad at number 3 in Norway. Its obvious that the song will be very popular in Norway and also the Contest.

The first part of Eurovision Season is on the way and some of our artists from Eurovision wants to try again their luck in the Contest.

Konstantinos from Cyprus will try again with a song called Angel. If he manage to go to Oslo it will be his 4th time in Eurovision. In Spain, Anabel Conde who reached the second place when Secret Garden won with Nocturne is trying again. Also in the Spanish race, Toñi Moreno form Azucar Moreno is on the run.

In Portugal, Nucha, who represented Portugal before, is competing with Chuva. Maria Haukaas passed the first semifinal in Norway and is on the way.

Lauris Reiniks will try one more time for Latvia and also Martin Freimanis with his new group "Per". From Romania, Luminita Anghel and Save their lives.

Niamh Kavanagh is trying again for Ireland after wining the contest in the 90's.

Good Luck to everyone!

Maria Haukaas (2008) and the song Make my Day which is in the competition in the Norwegian National Final entered the charts at number 17 (Norway). Will this be the prediction of a winner?

Miro, the choosen representant for Bulgaria is number one this week. This is his video:

Five fansites presented the Eurovision Top 250 on 31 December. Ilkar.blogspot.com, Belgovision.com, Eurovisionfanclub.gr, Songfestival.web-log.nl and http://www.3minutes.me/ opened "the lines" for you to choose your favourite 10 songs from Eurovision. Results are there and three women are among the favourites! Yohanna, this year's second place in Eurovision is number one!

1. Yohanna - Is It True (2009:Iceland)
2. Danijela - Neka Mi Ne Svane (1998:Croatia)
3. Sertab - Everyway That I Can (2003:Turkey)

The organization chose the 11th of September of 2010 to complete the second edition of the event in the Auditorium José Afonso, in Setúbal. For the second consecutive year, the city of River Sado will be again the meeting point for all fans of the Eurovision Song Contest. This is an open-air auditorium, with capacity for hundreds of people and, according to the organization, "in 2010 it will be reorganized."
The Municipality of Setúbal will be again the bigger sponsor of the event and expressed its willingness to join the Eurovision Party in the annual calendar of the city.
Guilherme Santos said to Eurovision on Top that, "despite the success of the first edition, the festival in 2010 will have some adjustments”.
"The whole space is organized differently in order that all the beautiful auditorium can be use, but offering a better safety and comfort to all who wish to participate in the party," he added.
Contrary to what happened this year, the Eurovision Party - Portugal, is now being prepared with more time and the organization, "will be able to prepare everything with serenity and calm." The second edition of the festival will keep the essential format that characterized 2009, but some investment will be made to reinforce the importance of the event.
"We want to significantly increase the number of artists present and we will work to make possible a bigger attendance of Artists to represent various countries of Europe," said Guilherme Santos. According to the organizers, Eurovision Summer Party - 2010 Portugal, will be more solid, with a larger number of volunteers to help and organize the event, with more support and above all "a more consistent budget”.

Is true that Il Treni di Tozeur passed in 1984 through Eurovision. Since that time, Franco Battiato didn't stop. With a regular average of one album every year, the 2009 work is out now. "Inneres Auge – Il tutto è più della somma delle sue parti " is a very nice and, of course, mature work. This album is also very on time for a man of 64 years old. In a recent interview to Il Fatto Quotidiano , Battiato said about the meaning of Inneres Auge: "(It means) Inner eyes. In Italian they say "third eye", but I don't like it, it suggests a kind of Polyphemus. The Tibetans have written wonderful things about the inside eye that lets you see the aura of men: some have it black, like some unscrupulous politicians, others have it red, like their anger".

You can watch his new video in VIDEO section (right side of the screen)