EUROVISION ON TOP

"I'll never say no!" 

Never a song spent so much time in our chart as "I no can do" from Fabrizio Faniello. The artist, who went twice to Eurovision (2001; 2006) is almost ready to release his new Album. One year after his performance at Eurovision Party Portugal, we had the privilege to chat with him again. 

1. We know that you have one more passion in your life: soccer. Why music and not soccer?

Yes, and soccer is still my passion! I love to watch it and still play when I find time, but music was a bigger passion to find a way to combine my “job” and to do what I really like!

2. Two times at Eurovision, what's the best and the worst thing about your experience on it?

The best is definitely all the experiences you’ll do with participating in Eurovision, the musicians and artist you meet, to meet Fans of Eurovision in the whole Europe and outside at many festivals and performances before and after the final night, - not so nice are bad results like you can imagine, ….. But well, there are always ups and downs and finally I am going through a “high” again. J

3. Are you planning a 3rd time in Eurovision?

Hehe, ….. Too early to say, … but I’ll never say “No”.

4. Three albums and a compilation. You were only 20 years old when the first CD. 10 years after, how do you see music now?

Well, in the past years I experienced soo many things and I had fantastic trips around the (almost) whole world, - not only in Europe as well in Asia since 2006, and it still is the best I can imagine, - to perform for my fans on stage, whether live or in a TV Studio, Now the music bizz is more tough these days, so therefore I am happy being back and even now 4 weeks No. 1 in your charts is amazing!! But even this is just the beginning, my manager just had a press conference in the Hard Rock Café in Jakarta and there are coming massive requests now for many countries where I need to go in the next months, ….. so, for me music is still the best “job” I ever can imagine.

5. What can we expect from your next CD?

You can expect an bit more “matured” Fabrizio, going a bit more into the direction of “I need to know” but always will keep my personal touch of music, - my new album is now in the planning & production and I guess the plan will be to release it in spring 2011, - but before that, you’ll hear another single after I NO CAN DO which is entitled “MY HEART IS ASKING YOU”, - watch out !

6. Every song has a story, what's the story behind "I no can do"?

I NO CAN DO is the official English version now of the biggest hit in Indonesia entitled “Cari Jodoh” by the group WALI. Our record company NAGASWARA (in Indonesia No. 1 of the labels) and my German Management where discussing to arrange and produce this song for me and Mary Susan Applegate (The Power of Love) was writing great Lyrics. After the Production we were shooting the Video with Jan Reiff, the director who has been responsible for some other videos of mine like for instance “I’m in Love”, - he asked me, how crazy can he go and I let him do what he had in mind as he is a crazy but fabulous guy! This video has by now in just 7 weeks received more then 300.000 views on YouTube alone and is getting more and more plays in international TV Stations, - and getting lots of positive response, - luckily !! J

7. Last year you came to Portugal for the first Eurovision Party! What's your feelings about it?

I enjoyed it a lot to be at your party! It was a great show and extremely nice people and a great welcome! I heard you will have another one, so wishing you guys all the best for it in the future as you are doing it with passion!

Thanks once again as well for your great support, I am very happy that many fans are voting my new song onto the top for so many weeks and I really hope, we’ll see us soon as well again once in Portugal.

But to all the voters of the song and to all the people who like my music; Thanks & Hugs to you all, hope to see you somewhere, sometime at my performances!!

Cheerio

Fabrizio, thanks so much and lot of success for your carreer!

For more information: www.fabriziofaniello.com

Joana Raposo is dancer, coreographer and dance teacher at Paula Manso's Academy. She started her career as a classic ballet dancer with 5 years old and now got speciallized in Classic Spanish and Contemporary dance. Like in the previous year she will do the opening act of Eurovision Party Portugal.

How was preparing the opening act for Eurovision Party last year?

Doing something like Eurovision Party as a dancer and coreographer is something very important for me not only as a professional but also as eurovision fan. First of all, showing my work is very good and its even more intense if it's for a show devoted to Eurovision.

How was working with Ricardo Soler for the coreography of Fairytale?

Doing that choreography was the result of joining movements, technics and very different ideas. The very first idea was to create a story about dolls and fairies. They became alive during the song with  the inclusion of some classic ballet technics. I decided to mix it with some “pas of contemporary dance” .

Ricardo Soler is a great professional and a very nice person so interact with him was not a problem. It was very easy to join his performance with me and my dancers. The result on stage was very good, I think.

What are your expectations for this year?

My biggest expectation for this year is to show an evolution compared to last year, our goals growed up year by year. We will get all the good things from our experience and make it better.

As a Eurovision Fan I hope to see a big event and have fun. As a performer I have a biggest feeling for the song I’m working on, so I hope to make a different work and more powerful.

Who is him? How did he manage to get in Eurovision Stage? Jimmy Jump explained everything to the Spanish Magazin “Pronto”.

Jaume Marquet Cot aka Jimmy Jump is 36 years old and lives in Barcelona (Spain) where he works as a bookseller. Some years ago he used to sell lollypops. In his Curriculum we can see he jumped in 2009 for the final of Roland Garros, in the Eurocup 2004 of football and in some fashion show. What for? He says he just wants everyone to have a good time!!

This time he passed the night in prison after paying 1880 €. Then he became to prison again after being considered a threat to the security of the country, more precisely to the Royal of Family of Norway. According to “Pronto” the police thought Jimmy wanted to run naked in front of the most important family in Norway.

Jimmy said he wants to be involved in more artistic events and not only sport! He consider himself more related to music and cinema.

Talking about the Eurovision jump, Jimmy said he thought about it just one month before doing it and he was impressed by the number of fans that Eurovision has.

He said he used an elegant suit to be unnoticed and once inside, no one cared about him! He said he entered the venue with some Norwegian personalities, then we went next to the Spanish fans and by coincidence he found an empty chair! Get in the stage was the easiest thing! Now we can ask, was the security in Oslo enough?

For every jump, Jimmy pays penaltys. Because he don’t have so big amounts, he pays some benefits every month to the Ministry of Finance. But this time was different! The boss of a toy company offered to him 10 000 € for a TV advertisement in Scandinavia! He will also be invited to some shows. Jimmy consider is not a terrorist and he is quite sad because of the political discussions about this jump.

Jimmy wanted to be actor and even he thinks he’s not doing good things jumping this way, his biggest goal are the Oscars, so…stay tuned, because more is yet to come!!

http://www.jimmyjump.com/

“I HOPE ALMODOVAR CALLS ME!”

 Daniel Diges will represent Spain with the song Algo pequeñito, eurovisionontop got permission for an interview with this Spanish multi-talent!

Q: First of all congratulations for representing Spain on Eurovision Songcontest with a great song! What was your first reaction after winning the national final? What does it mean to you?

D: I couldn’t believe it. It was really amazing. When the show finished, I went with my group to celebrate. Representing your country in Eurovision Song Contest is something very important for me.

Q: What did inspire the composers to write the song Algo pequeñito ?

D: Well, the composer is Jesús Cañadilla and, as he told me, the song is autobiographic. The song is a plea of desperation from one half of a couple to the other. Requesting things, small small gestures, to keep a relationship alive.

Q: The videoclip is beautifull!!! What is the video about? In what way does it strengthen it the song?

D: I’m happy you like the videoclip! I think it summarizes perfectly the meaning of the song “Something tiny”. The trapeze artists represent a couple who has problems and I’m a peddler who gives the magic back to them. Furthermore, if you don’t understand the lyrics, the melody brings to a magical world, that we’ve wanted to symbolize in a circus.

Q: What are you first memories about Eurovision?

D: I’ve seen the Eurovision Song Contest since I was a child, with my family. What I remember are the family dinners, in front of tv, watching Eurovision. Last years, if I wasn’t working, I saw it with my friends.

Q: What is your favorite Spanish entry (or three…) in the past and why?

D: Between Spanish representatives I'd remark to Sergio Dalma -I love his music-, Anabel Conde -we were together in the Spanish final and she is amazing- and, of course, Nina, with whom I've shared stage in Mamma Mia Musical.

Q: How are you preparing for Oslo?

D: We are in the process of rehearsing at this moment. We’re working hard to make something everybody loves on 29^th may.

Q: What does the second starting place in the final mean to you?

D: The true is that, although it doesn’t seem to be the best position statistically, I’m not worried about it. This year, the voting process will be start at the beginning and it can be a good thing. Furthermore, to make a good job is the most important thing for me.

Q: Any ideas about  your performance in Oslo? Will it look like the videoclip?

D: I can’t tell you anything about it! I will only tell you that it will be similar that we made in the Spanish final.

Q: What are you favorite songs this year in Eurovision? Which song makes you happy or touches you?

D: In my opinion, there is a high level and it’s difficult to talk about favourites. I like Portugal, Norway, Greece… I don’t know. Anyone can win!

Q: What kind of Talisman will you take to Oslo?             

D: The best Talisman is going with positive energy.

Q: How does live Eurovision in Spain?

D: Well, it is a good excuse to meet with the family or friends and make a big party around tv. An excuse to get fun.

Q: I have heard you are making a new album. What kind of album will it be? And in what language?

D: The album is already recorded. It will be able to be bought 11^th may, before Eurovision Song Contest. It will be in Spanish and it will include a very special version of “Something tiny”. You will be able to listen to some songs composed by me. I’m very happy with the result!

Q: Where is your heart: acting in theatre or movie, singing as a popstar or playing, singing and acting in a musical?

D: Really, I see myself in those facets. I’ve been an actor and tv presenter, singer in musicals, now only singer. The only thing I have never made is a film. I hope Almodovar calls me!

Q: What is your dream for future?

D: I hope to have a good position in Eurovision Song Contest and I would like that my first album was a success. My dream is continue working in this world for a lot of years.

Q: What is your message for the ESC-fans and readers of www.eurovisionontop.com ?

D: Thanks everybody for your support. I hope you like my performance in Oslo. Kisses from Spain.

Dear Daniel, thank you so much for this interview!

Take care the next months and good luck for Oslo! Enjoy!

04-05-2010 Rad Marijnissen (the Netherlands) for www.eurovisionontop.com

Harel Skaat: "this is a dream come true" 

In cooperation with Ophir Kindler, Eurovision on Top had the opportunitie to interview Harel Skaat, this year's Israeli singer. Harel is one of the leading and most sought-after artists in Israel who rose to fame by winning second place in Israeli Idol. He recorded two successful albums and has received all possible awards in the Israel music industry.

1. What's the song "Milim" about?
The song "Milim" is about separation, of any kind. Separation of lovers, of a family. In Hebrew, "Milim" means words. The words are the most memorable thing we have after a separation, words are very powerful and they are engraved in our minds and hearts. Sadly, my beloved grandfather suddenly passed away the week of the Israeli pre-selection competition, which gave the lyrics of "Milim" a very personal and difficult meaning to me.

2. You were the chosen artist to represent Israel. Was "Milim" your favorite song in Kdam?
It would be a lie to say that I had one favorite song for the Israeli pre-selection. I felt confident in all of the songs and their suitability for the Eurovision contest. Still,  the song “Milim” moves me more than most songs.

3. Is Eurovision a dream for you?
Every time I would watch the Eurovision I couldn’t stop myself from imagining myself on that stage, so I guess that this is a dream come true.

4. What are your expectations for Eurovision? Will it be an opportunity for an International Career?
I hope and believe that the Eurovision will have a positive impact on my career in Israel and abroad.

5. What are your influences in Music? Any songs/artists from Eurovision?
 I can't point out one singer that has influenced me more than others because in each and every singer or band I listen to, I find that certain something that I appreciate and admire. I appreciate many different artists from a broad range of genres – from classical music to mainstream pop and rock singers.

6. Have you heard the Eurovision songs from the other countries? Which are your favorite?
I must admit I have not yet heard any of songs. I am returning now from the USA and very much look forward to listening to the other songs when I get back.
I am very excited about the competition and I am sure that it will be an exciting and unforgettable experience. I believe in the song “Milim” and enjoy singing it very much. What happens next is up to God.

Thanks! eurovisionontop (April 2010)

More info: www.harelskaat.com 

Eine goldene Glatze for Michael in Oslo?    

Michael von der Heide will represent Switzerland with the song “Il pleut de l’or”.  www.eurovisionontop.com talked with this great Swiss performer to search for his Eurovision fever!

Q: First of all congratulations for representing Switzerland on Eurovision Songcontest with a great song. Your song was one of the firsts to be chosen for Eurovision 2010. How did you experience that?

M: I was very glad Switzerland has decided so early, so I had enough time to prepare for it.

Q:-What inspired you for writing the song Il pleut de l’or and what are the reactions on the new version? 

M: It probably sounds strange or funny, but the song actually “flew” to me. Then I went to Pele Loriano my co-composer and worked with him on the song totally without pressure. Pele also wrote the song “Wänn nid jetzt wänn dä” for Sina, which was a small hit in the Netherlands during the Football European Championship 2000. “Il pleut de l’or” describes the feeling of being in love; translated it means “it’s raining gold”, an homage to love.

In Latvia I was invited to perform as a guest in their national final. The reactions on the new version, that I first performed in Latvia, were positive in general. The audience in Latvia was excited by the song “Il pleut de l’or”. In the meantime there now is another version and soon there will be released also a German and an English version. I’m looking forward very much to perform in the beautiful Netherlands on April 24^th at the “Eurovision in Concert” in Zaandam!

Q: What do you think in general about other entries for 2010?

M: I have watched the national finals of other countries on and off on You Tube. There are many goods songs participating this year and I’m looking forward very much for the time in Oslo. The Swiss Delegation will depart to Oslo from Zurich on May 17^th.

Q: What are your first memories about Eurovision? Which of the songs of Eurovision in history do you like very much? Do you have a kind of top 3?           

M: I can remember my first memories about Eurovision very well: it was in 1980. Swiss singer Paola sang Cinéma. I was touched by it. I was in love with her and enthusiastic about ESC. Many years later I had the honor to perform a duet with Paola!

It is extremely difficult in listing only three songs from Eurovision-history, but if you force me ….

Poupée de cire poupée de son / France Gall (red. France 1965), Rechtop in the Wind / Marcha (red. The Netherlands 1987) and Främling / Carola (red. Sweden 1983).

Q: A special choice! And what is your favorite Swiss entry ever (or three…) in the past and why?

M: Of course: Paola / Cinéma, Daniela Simmons / Pas pour moi and Céline Dion  / Ne partez pas sans moi!!

Q: How popular is Eurovision nowadays in Switzerland?

M: Unfortunately, during the last few years Switzerland was not in a high ESC fever… but of course I hope that it will change this year!!

Q: Have you attend a Eurovision Songcontest yourself the past years or where did you watch Eurovision Songcontest? Alone or with friends?

M: Most of the times I had to perform on stage myself and wasn’t able to follow all ESCs. But last year I watched Eurovision with friends. If possible, we have a party and have our own jury. Last year my personal favorite was Patricia Kaas (red. France). Her song  was wonderful and her performance was vulnerable and elegant at the same time.

Q:What will be your tactic in Oslo? With your first performance it looked great on stage with the three backing vocals! Any ideas about your performance in Oslo?

M: Actually I do not have a tactic when I sing. On stage I try to give my best every single moment and to open my heart. I can’t do more than sing, hope and pray. But of course I have ideas for Oslo… you will see it (smile).

Q: ……….I guess your clothing will be gold in Oslo! Am I right?

M: You might be right….

Q: In history you had very different haircuts! What will you haircut be in Oslo? What will be the color?

M: Maybe “eine goldene Glatze”….a golden bald head?

Q: What kind of talisman will you take to Oslo?

M: The Swiss singer, who became 2^nd in 1969 in Madrid with “Bonjour, bonjour”, gave me her medal as a present. I will carry this medal with me.

Q: Which artists in general did inspire you? Who are you big heroes in music?

M: Many of them!  David Bowie, Serge Gainsbourg, George Michael, Nina Hagen, Hildegard Knef, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Charles Aznavour, Georges Brassens…

Q: You made a very special CD with music of Hildegard Knef? What is your relation with this great German artist and her work?

M: After so many years her lyrics are still an inspiration. They are intelligent, with a great sense of humor and sincerity. Hildegard Knef was the only one who managed to do this in the German language.

Q: If I say Ouragan.. what do you think and feel?

M: Ouragan is my favourite song of princess Stephanie of Monaco. As a child I was a big fan of her.

Q: I have heard you are making a new album. What kind of album will it be? And in what language?

M: At the moment I’m in studio still working on the new album… there will be many songs in French.

Q:What is your dream for the future?       

M: That I will be able to make music my whole life!

Dear Michael,  thank you so much for the interview! And also thank you Claudia Boggio for arranging this interview.www.eurovisionontop.com wishes you good luck in Oslo!

M: I would like to thank you very much too, and wish you all lots of fun with the ESC 2010!

05/04/2010 Rad Marijnissen (the Netherlands) for www.eurovisionontop.com              

It was something I'd wanted to do for a long time. I've been a fan of the contest for as long as I can remember and I was disappointed by the very few texts that had ever been done about the show. Nothing ever seemed to cover the backstage story or what happened after the contest. I wanted to cover all of that if I could. I never thought it would be an "official" book, but of course, I was thrilled when it got sponsored by the EBU. I actually completed the first draft around 2000/2001, but it took until the approaching 50th Anniversary in 2004 for the EBU and the publishing world to get behind the idea and get a book out for the 50th contest in Kyiv. Of course, sadly, the original draft had to be cut considerably to make it a viable, commercial book. Lots of things I'd written and wanted to see included had to be cut back, otherwise the book might just have appealed to fans and nobody else. And that wouldn't have been good! But hopefully as much as the background story to the contest as possible was retained.

- The first edition was 6 years ago, were you expecting such a big success?

I wasn't! I didn't think it would be published so widely. Although I'm an American, I was born and raised in the UK of Anglo-Irish heritage and so I hoped the book would get a UK/Ireland release in English. I didn't see it going beyond that market initially. Partially because different countries and cultures have so very different views on the contest. The fact that it became the EBU's official book on Eurovision and was released all around the world and is regularly updated was not something I'd initially expected but I was very happy about. Although that did mean the text became a little more "generic" as it had to appeal to every market. Also, much of the humour I put in had to be removed as that would seem odd to non-English readers.

 “I keep hoping every year that a new country will win…”

- In how many languages and countries is the book released?

So far, the book has been published four times in English, plus there have been Dutch, French, German, Swedish, Danish, Finnish and Russian editions. There was also an Australian edition, which although the same text as the English edition, it did have it's own cover design. All the different covers are on my FaceBook page for fans to see. I'm quite disappointed that the planned Norwegian edition didn't happen this year. I am not sure of the reasons that it fell through, but it seems a shame. I keep hoping every year that a new country will win so the book may get another unique edition.

- In the first edition, the book didn’t include semifinals. Will you include it now?

The first edition covered everything up until 2004 and at that time, the concept of the qualifying rounds weren't really firmly established. I covered the semi-finals in the text for the three relevant chapters, but we simply didn't have the room to include the detailed results. In subsequent editions, we were able to expand the page count, drop the index and cover more of the "facts and figures" of the contest history and include a detailed section on the semi-finals with all the results. You'll find all the results from the qualifiers and semi-finals in the new edition.

- Is it easy to collect the information you need, specially the older one?

Ha! No! I've been caught out in a few bad mistakes due to the correct information being unavailable. A huge error made was in the 1971 chapter thanks to a bad video I was given by the EBU! It had been edited and no longer had the reprise or the closing titles, but I didn't know that. When I checked to make sure the video was intact and was how the show had been originally broadcast, I was told by the EBU that it was! But it wasn't! I got a lot of stick over that. I've now made sure that things like that were corrected and hopefully some of the other minor mistakes in typography and formatting have also been amended. I'm actually very happy that the new edition is error free! Although having said that, I'm sure there are some fans that will still take issue with things I've written. I was very grateful to some great Eurovision fans who helped me compile the statistics and voting history for the contest and who gave me loads of videos and audio tapes. They were great help.

“I would like to see the Big Four putting more effort into sending big talent”

- More than 50 years… and so many changes. How do you see the future of the contest?

The contest isn't recognizable now from what it was in its early days. I'm not even sure that it's recognizable to how it was ten years ago. It's changed so much. I just saw a TV interview with Sandie Shaw where she said it has got worse! I actually think it's got better. For me, Moscow 2009 was the best contest ever. The highest standard of songs I've ever heard in the contest and the most amazing production. But having said that, I think Belgrade 2008 was the worst ever! So you never know what you're going to get. The size of the contest has made it harder to follow and harder to judge in some respects, because there are just so many songs. Whereas I know all the songs from the 50s to the 90s, I find it hard to remember the songs from the last few years! The contest will continue to thrive, but I hope it will become relevant to the music industry again, as it used to be. Now it is just a huge, wonderful event that has little significance beyond itself. If there could be another Waterloo or another Abba, then I think it would bring the contest back into a different realm once again. Fairytale showed that there's still an appetite for a Eurovision winner in the recording biz. An even bigger hit and a sustained, global career for the winner would be great for the contest. I would like to see the Big Four putting more effort into sending big talent. If they do, then others will follow their lead. I personally don't like that Eurovision has become a talent show for newcomers. I'd like to see the contest filled with big, established stars again. That can only help it thrive.

- As an expert of Eurovision, who do you think will win this year?

LOL! I am a writer and historian who knows a lot about the contest. I don't consider myself an expert. But I do OK at picking the winner. Although last year, whereas I thought Norway would probably win, I expected the result to be much, much closer! So I guess I'm just as fallible as guessing the winner as anyone else. So far, I've only heard the 39 2010 entries. I've not seen very many of them yet. And that makes a big difference. But based on what I've heard, I'd say Azerbaijan or Armenia are the most likely winners. I also have a feeling Ireland could do very, very well indeed. My random outside pick would be Russia. My personal favourite so far is Switzerland; and I'm pretty sure they won't qualify! One of the things that has made predicting harder is not knowing the final running order. That does have an impact for sure.

Thanks John! All the best for your work!

*www.carltonbooks.co.uk        Where to buy?  www.amazon.co.uk or www.carltonbooks.co.uk  photographer Mark Weeks

The people of Cyprus showed a lot of trust in us and we are going to work hard to make them proud! (04/04/2010)

2005 was the year when Cyprus was in a Eurovision Final. This time, Cyprus will try with Jon Lilygreen & The Islanders and the song "Life looks better in Spring". The song is one of the favourites to reach the final in 2010. Jon G., producer and member of the band gave us this interview.

1. How did you decide to participate for Cyprus?
Well to be honest none of us even thought of entering the Eurovision Song Contest! Sylvia and Jon G run a music production studio http://www.goldcd.co.uk/ and a Cypriot song writer Nasos Lambrianides found the studio on the internet and sent a couple of basic tracks over to be demoed. Jon L and Sean both work as session singers in the studio and as the demos required a male vocal Sylvia and Jon G got Jon L in to perform on the tracks. We sent the demos back and didn’t think any more about it – unbeknown to us Nasos had entered both tracks into Eurovision and they both made the final 10 in the Cyprus heats! Nasos then rang us and asked if we would fly out and perform in the national finals, we did and to our astonishment and surprise we won!!!!!!!!!!!!

2. Some of the members of the band are not from Cyprus? How do you feel representing Cyprus?
We are the first act in Cyprus Eurovision history to get full marks from both the Jury and the audience-vote and this makes it very easy for us to be proud and confident when representing Cyprus! The people of Cyprus showed a lot of trust in us and we are definitely going to work as hard as we possibly can to make them proud!  We’re a band made up of many nationalities – a true European band. Jon L and Sean are from Wales, Sylvia is from Norway, Charalambos is from Cyprus, Jon G is from Scotland and Katherine is from England!  At the end of the day Eurovision is a song competition and the song was written by two Cypriots – Nasos Lambrianides and Melis Konstantinos.

3. Is Eurovision a dream for you?
As we mentioned above none of us had ever thought of entering Eurovision, but now that we are in it we are really enjoying the buzz. We’re all professional musicians and we love performing. The chance of performing in front of 23 000 people in the stadium and 150 million TV viewers can certainly be said to be a dream come true for any musician.

4. What are your expectations for Eurovision? Will it be an oportunitie for an International Carreer?
Our main aim is to get through to the final as Cyprus has not been in the final for a couple of years and we really want to repay the trust that the people of Cyprus has put in us. Apart from that we take each day as it comes. We all love music and the chance of performing live and we’ll all be happy as long as we can continue to work as musicians!

5. What are your influences in Music? Any artists from Eurovision?
The greatest band to come out of Eurovision was probably ABBA – amazing songwriting and musicianship! We are a band made up from very different people and we like music from all genres pop/rock/classical/jazz/musical theatre/folk any style as long as it is well performed.

6. Have you heard this years Eurovision songs from the other countries? Which are your favourites?
We quite like Tom Dice from Belgium, and we’ve met Miro from Bulgaria and he was a lovely chap. We were also lucky enough to perform at the Greek finals in Athens and enjoyed their party track ‘Opa’.
We’re very much looking forward to going to Oslo and meeting up with all the other contestants and hopefully spend most of the time making music together with talented musicians from all over Europe!

We’re a bunch of musicians who also happen to be great friends and we get a real buzz out of performing together. Eurovision is a great opportunity for the people of Europe to come together, party and enjoy three nights of excellent musical entertainment. There is so much great music out there – fantastic song-writers and fabulous performers. The people of Europe get the opportunity to choose their favorite so let’s all have as much fun as possible and may the best song win!

Thanks a lot, congratulations for your work and Good Luck!

For further information www.sieneke.com .

(Utrecht, 27^th of January 2010)

The last performance of Ruth Jacott in theatre was several years ago as Billy in the wonderful musical Billy Holiday. From October 2009 till January 2010 Ruth was back in the Dutch theatres with the show ‘Passion!’.  On the 27^th of January 2010 the audience was very enthusiast about the sensual act of Ruth in the Queen Beatrix Theatre (Utrecht, the Netherlands). She sang with a live band (eight musicians), four dancers and three wonderful backing vocals.

She worked almost for eight years on the unique concept of her cd ‘Passion ‘.  Passion consists of two cds with latin-american songs: one cd with Spanish lyrics, one cd with Dutch lyrics. All songs were chosen by Ruth herself. When you hear the songs of the album you feel the sun on your skin, a great atmosphere and above all: PASSION.

In the show she performed almost all songs of the cd. The show was about Passion and Love!  Of course Ruth had a great voice and she created a sexy sensual atmosphere from the first second till the end of the show. She changed clothes several times from very sexy to very elegant. She danced with the dancers on stage.  It was clear: Ruth is not only a very good singer but also a great dancer! She has a lovely, very warm personality and between the singing she also seemed to be very humoristic and made the audience laughing a lot! Ruth is an all-round artist!

Beside the Passion songs, she did several songs from previous cds. Most impressive were  ‘Ik ga door’,  ‘Tastbaar’ and ‘Sterker’.  Some older songs were mixed in a kind of latin medley; very well done. The backing vocals were really great! It brought back memories when Ruth sang ‘Vrede’ in Ireland!

As  Ruth is really a theatre animal she found the distance to the audience too far. So she stepped down the stage and went through the audience, in the meanwhile singing the song ‘Blijf bij mij’. It was the song in the 1993 Dutch national final, which was the number one of Ruth herself! She kissed several people, got lots of flowers and suddenly she recognized Ben Kramer ! Ben represented the Netherlands  in 1973 with ‘De oude muzikant’; a song which was composed by Pierre Kartner. As known,  Pierre Kartner  is also the composer of the Dutch song for Oslo 2010: ‘Ik ben verliefd. Shalalie’.  On the 7^th of February the Netherlands will decide out of 5 beginning young artists (the group Loekz, Vinzzent, Marloes Oosting, Peggy Mays and Sieneke), which one will perform the song in Oslo.

There was no more ‘Vrede’ , but it was all time for “Passion”. Of course it would have been great to hear Ruth singing one of the best entries of the Netherlands in eurovision history, but the show was great anyway!  The audience enjoyed the show very much and of course Ruth got a Big applause.

Well done Ruth! Hope to see you back in theatre very soon!

Rad Marijnissen, the Netherlands

Jan Johansen is on the train back from Borås where he performed at a tribute concert to Ted Gärdestad. Eurovision On Top catches him on a somewhat shaky telephone line to talk about past, present and future.

Tell us some more about the tribute concert!

- Well, this is a tour and concert concept that’s been going for 2 years in different line-ups, at the moment it’s Sara Löfgren (MF 2004) , Johan Boding, Janne Schaffer and myself. Ted Gärdestad (ESC 1979), who sadly passed away in 1997, is one of the most beloved singers and composers of all time in Sweden and his musical legacy still lives on.

Congratulations to the top spot on EurovisionOnTop’s Top 20! Can you tell us something about the song “Fri”?

- Just by coincidence I found this song on composer Micke Wennborns MySpace, and began to rework it. We got in touch and kept sending the song back and forwards and later Py Bäckman (MF 1979, 1992) wrote new Swedish lyrics to it as it originally was in English. I really love Py Bäckmans lyrics. I didn’t actually meet up with the Micke until we did the video clip. I wanted to do a videoclip with echoes of Aerosmith and 80’s and I think we managed pretty well.

Your new album was only released in Norway. Why?

- “Se På Mig” has been played on Norwegian radio on a daily basis ever since 1995, and Universal Norway thought it was just about time to release a Best Of Compilation, “Minnen”, but we decided to put in a couple of new songs as well. There have been several different Greatest Hits compilations released in Sweden over the years and I wanted to wait until I could release a whole new album for the Swedish market with all new material. Last summer I performed at “Allsång På Glenten”, a Norwegian sing-a-long TV-show with 1 million viewers, Other artists in the same show were Anita Skorgan (ESC 1977, 1979, 1982) and Norwegian boy band A1. Apparently I did very well as it all lead up to the release of “Minnen”, which currently has sold about 13,000 copies in Norway.

What’s your strongest memory from 1995 when you represented Sweden and reached Number 3 in Dublin?

- 1995 was such a crazy year. After winning Melodifestivalen it was a whirlwind with gold records, going to Dublin, tours and everything. It was my big break and during these years it was a bit hard to absorb what was happening. That’s why I needed some time off at the end of the 90’s and then step by step began preparing for coming back. “Se På Mig” then went on to become an all time classic and one the most popular Swedish entries of all time. The lyrics can apply to everyone in so many ways, it’s all about what you choose them to be about, a lover, a friend or even God. I guess that’s why it can be sung in so many different contexts, even at weddings or funerals.

You participated in Melodifestivalen 4 times a singer (1995, 2001, 2002 and 2003). Would you do it again?

- Of course I would, as long as it’s a good song. I still get lots of proposals from different composers and I’ve been singing on many various demos submitted for the preselections over the past years, not only in Sweden but also in other countries. So, I’m keeping fingers crossed that one day I’ll be back. It’s all about getting a song that suits me and my kind of rockier and husky voice. Not too many notes, not too many words, but lots of feeling! I don’t feel limited to one specific genre, but pop/rock and power ballads I think suits me best.

Do you still watch Melodifestivalen & ESC? Any ideas on what Sweden need to win the ESC?

- Yes, I still follow both Melodifestivalen & ESC with great interest. There are so many different styles represented these days, so it’s really hard to say what it takes to pick a winner for Sweden. Alexander Rybak (ESC 2009) really had it all, a talented musician and loaded with charm that went instantly to the audience. I think it’s either about having a song and a show that really stands out or to have a really powerful and sensitive ballad. After all, it’s about to be the one who stays on the viewer’s mind after a very long line of entries.

Who are your biggest musical influences?

- It’s hard to mention anything in particular or specific artists, but I’m very much influenced by rock from the 80’s. I have a huge record collection in the basement at home and I always keep coming back to U2, Coldplay, Tom Petty and The Rolling Stones. Apart from that I listen to all sorts of music, I keep staying in touch with all sorts of new music by listening to the radio. Katy Perry’s “Hot’n’Cold”, “Human” with The Killers and the new song by Juanes are some of my favourite songs at the moment. I like everything that focuses on a good melody. Currently I’m also listening a lot to IVO, a Swiss pop/rock-singer who I met during the Baltic Song Festival earlier this year. My song “Fri” won 3^rd place and IVO won.

Your father, Egil Johansen, was a famous jazz musician. How did his music influence you?

- Just as myself, my dad was always fascinated by a good melody. He introduced me to the music of Miles Davis and Weather Report to name but a few. My dad was also a big fan of Prince, and funnily enough, his favourite song was not one of the jazzier or funkier numbers, but “The Most Beautiful Girl In The World”, a slow ballad with a very simple but great melody with lots of feeling and soul.

What about future projects? Will there be a new album?

- I’m still promoting the Norwegian release of “Minnen”, but I’m constantly working on new material. The new songs on “Minnen” will be the base for my new album called “En Ny Bild Av Mig” (“A New Image of Me”). For a couple of months, the Swedish music business is so focussed on Melodifestivalen, so I’ve decided not to release the album until late spring or summer 2010. The album will be in Swedish only, but who knows, I might do some of the tracks in English versions. One of the songs released on “Minnen” is a duet with Norwegian singer Maria Arredondo. For the Finnish market, I recorded the same song with Sonja Bishop (Euroviisut 2004, 2010). I’d like to record it with a Swedish duet partner for inclusion on the forthcoming album, maybe you guys could arrange a poll to decide what female singer would be best? Haha.  Other projects are a duet with Elena Risteska from Macedonia (ESC 2006) and I also hope to collaborate with IVO, maybe translate some of his songs to Swedish and include on the new album. During the Swedish OGAE convention earlier this year, I teamed up with the lovely Chiara (ESC 1998, 2005, 2009) from Malta for a version of ‘Let Your Spirit Fly’. Who knows, we might record it in the future and make it available exclusively on Eurovision On Top!

That sounds like a great idea, we’re really looking forward to that! So, before hanging up, do you have a special message to the Eurovision On Top-readers?

- I want to say a big thank you to everyone who’s voted for “Fri” on the Top 20 and it’s great to know that you guys are still out there checking out my new material. It’s a fantastic way for me to spread my music and stay in touch with old and new fans.

Thanks a lot for your time, it’s been really great talking to you. Good luck and hope to hear from you in the future!

For more information on Jan Johansen

http://www.janjohansen.com/

http://www.myspace.com/janjohansen

http://www.youtube.com/user/Janors66

By Micke Hjernestam for Eurovision On Top.

2009-11-04

© http://www.eurovisionontop.com/

Micke Wennborn is the composer of the most voted song in Eurovision On Top in 2009, "Fri" from Jan Johansen. The work of Micke is impressive as a musician, producer and songwriter. His songs were recorded by artists like Barbados, Tom "Bon Jovi" Nordahl, Py Bäckman, Magnus Bäcklund, Jan Johansen and many many more... He had a total of 3 songs in the Swedish pre-selections  and another 4 in other countries within the EBU - all up to the finals of those countries. Micke gave us this interview to talk about his life and his projects.

 Q: As a composer you've submitted songs for National Finals including Sweden and Lithuania. According to your experience, what are the biggest differences between both National Finals?

A: That the Lithuanian selection process is much more straight forward. You actually send your submission to a specific guy at LRT. He picks out the songs and chooses the artists. Quite similar to the actual Swedish procedures. Musicwise I have a sense that the Lithuanian song festival is a bit torn between passing on the legacy of traditional Lithuanian musc compared to what others realise is more commercial. The most interesting part of being in the Lithuanian selections is to learn more about another country's culture, economy, philosophy and traditions.

Q: Are you planning to submit any songs for this year?

A: Me and my closest co-writers submitted a couple of songs, but nothing new. That's much because of the current situation in the selection procedure, it just didn't feel worth while. We did the assumption that we really wasn't a part of the special circle that more or less has the festival as their playground and that we had too much other things going that were more important. However, at the end of the day, we managed to get a song through, "Magisk Stjärna (Magic Star)" that I wrote together with Py Bäckman (who among other things wrote "Stad i Ljus" for Tommy Körberg back in 1988).

Q: Is it a dream (or goal) for you to go to Eurovision? Why?

A: Hmmm, no, I wouldn't say that. I'm very divided about the Swedish Melodifestivalen. Of course, there's a lot of media coverage, but for the music itself it's all about the 3 minutes and if you're unlucky, that's all you get. That's about half the time than the average Idol-/X-Factor-contestant gets every week. Kind of strange considering it's a contest for songwriters, isn't it? And you always risk not being able to choose any artist you want for the song which also is weird as you very often aim for more consistent and long term collaborations. On the other hand, competing for Sweden would of course mean that you'd get to meet a lot of different interesting people abroad. But to take part for Sweden is absolutely not necessary. I'd love to be in the final waving a Polish flag for instance.

Q: If one of your songs can manage to go Eurovision, would you like to be on stage?

A: That depends on the song and the concept, but of course I would. If you want to be seen in this songwriters' contest, you have to be on stage, not "just" being the composer *laughs*. But then again, I am not an artist and never had the ambitions to be that either, so it would have to be as a musician or band member. That'd be cool. Who knows, I might show up on stage 2010.

Q: You wrote songs for well known Eurovision artists in many different styles. How do you feel writing and working with Jan Johansen?

A: You can always see a pattern in my songs. First, 95% of them I compose at my grand piano at home. The melody and the chords is what's important, and all my songs suits perfectly fine to play just on the piano. Second, I am a classical trained arranger and apart from that I always put much time in trying to weave production and arrangement together. I know that people who tried to analyse my style of arranging often find a common pattern, even if the sound itself can vary.
Working with Janne is fantastic. He has the same attitude to his singing as for example Rod Steward. He just sings. There's no need of vocal coaching, nothing you need to add, delete or patch up with his voice. He sounds as he sounds and if he has the right feeling for a song, it's always good. The only thing I introduced when we started working together was the ban of Autotune. There were absolutely no need for Janne to use that even if he sometimes was worried about pitch and besides, I don't want a vocal to sound like the GPS-voice in my car. I wish more music nowadays had more traces of human timing and pitch.
We have also played gigs together, and Janne is a super pro. A bad day of his is still a very good day and if something goes wrong, nobody would even notice, he's such a professional. His stagepresence is extraordinary and he's got a lot of routine. To be Janne's sidekick is great fun because you have quite a lot of freedom in how you play. Once you've built a personal relationship with the musician, Janne feels secure which makes it easy and fun to play together.

Q: How do you see the success of "Fri" and which opportunities do you expect for your work?

A: "Fri" was a big surprise, and I still can not see it as a "hit" in spite of gold discs, chart success and lots of airplay in Sweden, Norway and Finland.  Maybe because I do not look at myself as a hit composer. I'm more the guy who has a high level of performance with songs and production, but never gets "THE" hit. But "Free" as a craft has received much praise and there have been lots of inquiries about collaborations, and right now I have to say that I'm on overload with work. Whenever talking about "Fri" I always want to mention my sidekick, Patrik Tibell, engineer. We work well together and that the fact he understands what I mean absolutely super important. However, I'm a sucker for anyone that  really knows how to deliever. Last summer I saw LaGaylia Frazier on stage right after a gig we had with Janne. thriller! Her voice, her stage presence and her total control over everything on stage gave me goosebumps. It was almost unbelievable.. After the gig I ran into her, but as we did not know each other, I just smiled and would pass when she grabbed me and said 'Hey, I've heard about you ", and later asked if I was interested in possibly playing with her live. I felt like a shy little boy ...

Q: Is there any special or funny situation you want to share with us?

A: There's plenty. Last summer for instance. I was supposed to play unplugged with Jan Johansen, live on radio. My memory is getting worse with age, so I need the sheet music, otherwise I'm lost. We came on stage and did a soundcheck. I glued the sheets to the floor and thought we were on air right there and then. Instead there were a couple of other acts and we were supposed to come back later. When it was our turn I discovered that a bunch of dancers had been dancing all over my sheets, they were impossible to read, they were covered with black footprints. The interesting part was that Janne followed me even when I played wrong, and I followed him. A blind leading a blind. Well, hopefully Janne got some new fans among those who normally likes free jazz. *laughs*

Q: Personally, what’s kind of music do you prefer?

A: I'm a typical AOR-guy, I love the slick West Coast sound but also energic music. I guess in a way I've been labelled as being a hard rock guitarist which I think it's kind of strange, and with the kind of music I'm playing these days, I'm definitely not hard rock. If I had to pick a band or an artist. Hmm... Billy Idol, perhaps? Even though his only good songs were "White Wedding" and "Rebel Yell". Other favourite artists are Duran Duran, Ultravox and Toto. Among Swedish artists I think it would be Johan Kinde. I think he has an extremely good "eye" for everything.

Q: Which song from Melodifestivalen do you wish you had wrote?

A: "I want you to want me", with Cheap Trick. Oh, it was never in Melodifestivalen. *laughs*. But imagine it there, it would've won big time!

Q: What’s your next project?

A: There are many different projects. We're working on new songs for Janne and I'm producing Py Bäckmans forthcoming album from her church concerts. I've been working with Elena Risteska from Macedonia and her producer Darko Dimitrow. Me and Patrik Tibell have our own little project and I'm also composing for some of the leading modern dance orchestras. But of course, at the moment I'm mostly involved in our song for Melodifestivalen 2010. We've really made an effort to think as much outside the box as possible when it comes to production and musicians. It's a very interesting line-up. Right now I can't reveal any names, but they are all very respected British and Amercian musicians within folk and west coast who never has been participating in this context before. We've been trying to keep the whole thing as far from "plastic fantastic" and "loudness war" as possible and instead present well performed and good sounding music. I don't say that will guarantee anything but we can at least stand for the 3 minutes we have, that's the best we can do. Py and I have created a special website for the song "Magisk Stjärna", www.magiskstjarna.se, where we will keep a diary, upload pictures and stuff all through the contest as long as we're in.

Thanks a lot for your time, it’s been really great talking to you. Good luck and hope to hear from you in the future!

For more information about Micke Wennborn http://www.myspace.com/wennborn  or  http://www.magiskstjarna.se/

By Micke Hjernestam for Eurovision On Top.

2010-01-14

© http://www.eurovisionontop.com/