1. Bulgaria

 

Title: Voda

Performers: Elitsa Todorova and Stoyan Yankoulov

The first act to enter the stage on the 10th of May will be Elitsa and Stoyan with their entry Voda. Bulgaria has participated two times before but is yet to make to the cut for the final. Perhaps it is third time lucky for them, because according to the bookies Bulgaria is considered to be one of the most likely winners in this year´s contest.

Voda means water and perhaps Elitsa and Stoyan´s entry would be more suitable as a rain dance than as a Eurovision entry. Because quite frankly I think that the big ado about the Bulgarian song is more or less for nothing.

The Safri Duo-inspired drum excercises which could have been suggestive and seductive makes the entirety monotomous, even banal. The fact that Elitsa can hit the high notes is of course good for her, but after a minute of yelling and screaming one mostly feels an urge to ask her to be quiet.

Although I am far from fond of the Bulgarian entry I would still like to give them a + for the stunning preview video.  

Grade (0-5):

Read more about Elitsa at: www.elitsatodorova.com

Read more about Stoyan at: www.stoyankoulov.com

2. Israel

 

Title: Push The Button

Performers: Teapacks

Push The Button is a way-out-there crazy song, but a quite good one in its genre.

Teapacks consists of seven members, but since the EBU rules only allow for six people to be on the stage a draw was held to decide which member would have to sit the Eurovision dance out.

The band has released seven albums since they made their debut in 1992. Six of the albums have reached either gold or platinum status.

Push The Button is hardly the most stringent Eurovision entry ever, it is all over the place both linguistically and musically. But the fact that Israel competes with a song about nuclear war, terrorism and religious fanatism is just so absurd that all the wrongs add up to a right.

It is hard to predict the Israeli chances of success. If Europe is going to vote for a so-called protest song Push The Button could very well be one to watch out for, but I fear that the joke which Teapacks treats us to might just be a little too hard for the broad European audience to swollow.

Grade (0-5):

  

Teapacks´ website can be found at: www.teapacks.com

3. Cyprus

 

Title: Comme Ci, Comme Ça

Performer: Evridiki

Evridiki is back!

When Evridiki was only 15 years old she did the backing vocals for the Cypriot entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. In 1992 she took part as a solo artist with the haunting Teriazoume and two years later she treated us to the beautiful Ime anthropos ki ego. Both entries were composed by her husband at the time, George Theophanos, and both finished in 11th place.

Since releasing her first album in 1991 Evridiki has been an extremely productive recording artist and now she has no less than 13 albums to her name. She is widely considered one of the best and most popular artists in both Cyprus and Greece.

Evridiki´s current life partner Dimitris Korgialas will be accompanying her on stage in Helsinki. Comme Ci, Comme Ça is the only song to be performed entirely in French, but although it is already a fan favourite I find it hard to believe that it could be one of the contenders for the victory in less than a week from now.

Evridiki´s two previous Eurovision entries were poignant and moving, that is not the case this year. That little undefinable extra is missing and after having listened to the song several times it gives a somewhat dull and colourless impression. I hate to be one to say it, but I am afraid that Cyprus will make an early exit in this year´s competition.

Grade (0-5):

  

The official Evridiki site is located at: www.evridiki.gr

4. Belarus

 

Title: Work Your Magic

Performer: Koldun

Another favourite is Belarusian artist Dima Koldun. Koldun means magician and besides being able to do magic Dima has won the Russian Idol and gained an enormous popularity in Belarus as well as in Russia.

The composer of Work Your Magic is Philip Kirkorov who participated for Russia in 1995.  He was married to Russian primadonna # 1 Alla Pugacheva who represented her country in Dublin 1997 for eleven years.  But instead of being inspired by his ex-wifes songs he may have had one or two James Bond themes in mind when writing the Belarusian entry.

According to Dima Koldun´s biography his mother was the founder of the official Belarusian Princess Diana fanclub. Her dream in life was to get a daughter who looked like the beloved Princess of the People. And the Belarusians claim that Dima, with his Colgate smile and sparkling eyes, has more or less made her dream come true.

I hope and think that Work Your Magic will be one of the songs at the very top of the scoreboard in the semi final as well as the final. The chorus is stronger than my favourite Indian restaurant´s Lamb Vindaloo and although I cannot sing I constantly find myself humming this fabulous little tune.

 Grade (0-5):

    

Dima´s website can be found at: www.koldundima.com

5. Iceland

 

Title: Valentine Lost

Performer: Eiríkur Hauksson

This year Mr Nice Guy, Eiríkur Hauksson, participates in the Eurovision Song Contest for the third time. The first time around he was a part of the band ICY who represented Iceland when the country made its debut way back in 1986 in Bergen, Norway. The song was called Gledibankinn and it finished in 16th position. 

Incidentally Eiríkur moved to Norway a couple of years later and in 1991 he got the opportunity to sing for his new home country as a part of the group Just 4 Fun. With the song Mrs Thompson they placed 17th.

So although already a veteran in the contest this year will be the first time that Eiríkur will perform as a solo artist. It is evident that he really enjoys singing Valentine Lost, vocally he gives us all he has to offer, which is not little at all. The Icelandic entry is very well-composed and underneath the rock arrangement lies a beautiful melody.

However much I appreciate the song it just does give me goose bumps. But even if Valentine Lost will not become my best friend, we can still have a very good time together for the time being.

Grade (0-5):

   

6. Georgia

 

Title: Visionary Dream

Performer: Sopho

21-year-old Sopho Khalvashi who gets the honor of being the first Georgian representative in the Eurovision Song Contest is one of her country´s most popular singers. In the national final she performed all five entries and the runaway winner was Visionary Dream, which at the time of the preselection was called My Story.

Many fans around Europe praise this song as a mixture between Madonna and Björk. I do not belong to the group of fans who dream about kissing the ground that Sopho walks on. Visionary Dream does contain some fine elements and an interesting combination of Oritental and Western sounds but in the end I find it rather monotonous and screechy.

I am not all up to date on who are friends and foes in Eastern Europe nowadays, but if Georgia gets a lot of points from the former Soviet states they could make it to the final. But I don´t think this song will finish anywhere near the top 10 in any case.

Grade (0-5):

 

7. Montenegro

 

Title: Ajde kroci

Performer: Stevan Faddy

Montenegro participates as an independent country for the first time in this year´s Eurovision Song Contest. Judging from the reactions from fans and experts they might as well have stayed at home. Hardly one single positive word has been uttered about Ajde kroci, let alone the artist Stevan Faddy.

Therefore I would like to say that, although the Montenegrin composers will hardly win a Polar Prize anytime soon, I do not think that Ajde kroci is all that bad. I find it to be a rather pleasant pop rock song with a bit of Balkan blood running through its veins.

Montenegro must, nevertheless, be considered chanceless in the voting, although I think they will get a handfull of votes from their neighbouring countries. 

Grade (0-5):

 

8. Switzerland

 

Title: Vampires Are Alive

Performer: DJ BoBo

The Swiss entry is an unpleasant story. Ironically not primarily due to the fact that it is about vampires but because it is terribly cheap and banal – and because it is probably going to finish in the top 3.

DJ BoBo whose name in real life is René Baumann has released seven albums during his career which has so far lasted 15 years. Some of his biggest hits include Somebody Dance With Me and Chihuahua. But it is not his old merits that make him a red hot favourite to win this year´s Eurovision trophy; it is the chorus which is simply impossible to get out of your head once it has found its way in there.

The big question is of course whether Europe wants eurodisco this year. If they do Switzerland will be the runaway winner and a top 10 finish seems totally inevitable.

Grade (0-5):

For more information on DJ BoBo please visit: www.djbobo.ch

9. Moldova

 

Title: Fight

Performer: Natalia Barbu

A lot of us still remembers the drumming grandmother who was probably one of the main reasons that Moldova finished 6th in their very first participation in the Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv 2005.

This year´s hopeful artist from the poorest country in Europe, Natalia Barbu, is far from being a grandmother. She is a 27-year-old woman with a message to the world: Fight for your rights and never let anybody step all over you and your dreams!

Fight is a brilliant pop song dressed in a rockish arrangement. The first time I heard Fight it went in one ear and out of the other, but it is a fast grower and now I just love the strong melody combined with the meaningful lyrics.

Looks should really not be of any importance in a song contest like this, but it would be quite naïve of me to pretend that the Natalia´s beauty and charisma will not give her an advantage when it is time for the televoters to reach their verdict on the 10th and possibly even on the 12th of May. But the competition is fierce and Natalia will have to put up a great fight in order to go through to the final.

Grade (0-5):

    

10. Netherlands

 

Title: On Top Of The World

Performer: Edsilia Rombley

The interest in the Eurovision Song Contest is relatively high in the Netherlands. Sadly the Dutch people has not been able to celebrate a victory in the contest since 1975 when Teach In won with legendary Ding-A-Dong. In fact the Netherlands have not even managed to get a top 10 finish in the new millennium.

The put an end to the misery the Dutch national broadcaster, NOS, chose to ask Edsilia Rombley to represent them in Helsinki. Edsilia was namely the latest Dutch artist to really succeed in Eurovision as she finished 4th with Hemel en aarde in 1998.

To find a suitable song for Helsinki Edsilia performed three songs in a televised show. After each song a panel of experts gave their view on the pros and cons of each potential entry. The final decision, however, was Edsilia´s to make. Luckily her choice, Nooit meer zonder jou (Never again without you), was also the public´s and the experts´ favourite.

After having contemplated what language to perform in at lenght Edsilia finally opted for English and the new title of the entry became On Top Of The World.

Unfortunately it appears that the Dutch efforts have not paid off as they are predicted to finish in the very bottom at this year´s semi final.

Personally I must admit to finding the song itself rather uninteresting but I would still like to point out that if any of this year´s performers has the vocal abilities to raise a so-so song to a higher level it is Edsilia. The fact that she finished 4th and literally had points thrown at her in her first attempt at Eurovision glory also goes to show that she has a charisma that comes across very well on TV.

Grade (0-5):

  

11. Albania

 

Title: Hear My Plea

Performer: Frederik Ndoci

Swedish TV-personality and member of this year´s Serbian delegation, Jovan Radomir, once said to me that Albania would never miss the final due to the fact that there are so many Albanians living abroad.

Last year Albania did nevertheless fail to go on to the final and I am certain that this will be the case this time around as well. Hear My Plea is quite simply one of the most pointless and boring entries I have ever heard.

I sincerely hope that the Albanians will get their mind out of the ethno ballad gutter and go back to offering us some cheerful, folkloristic songs as they did in their two first attempts in 2004 and 2005 when Anjeza Shahini came 7th with Image Of You and Ledina Celo finished 16th with Tomorrow I Go.

Grade (0-5):

O

12. Denmark

 

Title: Drama Queen

Performer: DQ (Peter Andersen)

The impossible turned out to be possible in this year´s Danish preselection, Dansk Melodi Grand Prix. DQ participated in the second Danish semi final in Aalborg and failed to qualify for the final. However, this did not mean game over for Drama Queen. Thanks to the listeners of Danish radio channel, P3, DQ won a wild card to final where he was lucky enough to get the very best starting positing, namely 10th and last. Even though song # 10 has won the Melodi Grand Prix on numerous occasions in the past, for instance three times in a row in 2001, 2002 and 2004 (Denmark did not participate in 2003), only a few people mentioned DQ as a potential winner. But once the votes had been counted DQ had narrowly beaten one of the hot favourites, James Sampson.

Drama Queen is an extremely catchy and somehow very Swedish disco schlager.  It contains all the elements that are required to do well in the Eurovision – and the key change is superb.

Considering that this is a drag act I do, however, miss a little more show, glamour and action on the stage. I hope that DQ, whose name in real life is Peter Andersen, dares to use all the full potential of a drag show and really live out his childhood dream on the stage in Helsinki. If he does the sky is the limit for Drama Queen.

Grade (0-5):

    

DQ´s homepage can be viewed at: www.drama-queen.dk

13. Croatia

Title: Vjerujem u ljubav

Performers: Dragonfly featuring Dado Topic

Sadly my favourite country in the Eurovision Song Contest, Croatia, is sending a bit of a sleeping pill this year.

Rock legend Dado Topic and popular band Dragonfly won the annual Croatian preselection, Dora, despite failing to become the televoters´ favourite. Vjerujem u ljubav means believe in love and is a laid back midtempo rockish song which never reaches any kind of climax.

Since the system with qualifying heats was introduced Croatia has never missed the final. Although Dado is a living legend in the Balkan region and therefore is bound to get a fair share of votes from the neighbouring countries I think that this year the Croatians probably will.

Grade (0-5):

 

14. Poland

Title: Time To Party

Performers: The Jet Set

One of the songs least favoured by the fans is the Polish entry Time To Party. The Jet Set was formed in 2006 and consists of 17-year-old Sasha who has Russian roots and David who comes from England.

Time To Party is a somewhat messy melody, one might say that it more or less is made up of two different songs. The verses contains undeniable rap influences whilst the choruses are more R´n´B-ish with an infectous backbeat. The overall impression is that the Poles are offering us a very modern and catchy type of song this year.

According to the bookmakers Jet Set does not stand a chance to make it through to the final. However, I am pretty convinced that they are wrong. In the two most recent qualifying heats Poland has finished in 11th position and narrowly missed out on a place in the final with songs of a considerably lower standard. So my prediction is that Jet Set has every chance of success in Helsingfors next week.

Grade (0-5):