Czechia: The winner of ESCZ 2024 will be announced tomorrow morning!

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The national final period has officially started. It’s Czechia’s turn to present the representative and song that won the national final and the country’s representation in Eurovision 2024 in Malmö.

ČT, the public broadcaster of the country, selected seven artists who took part in the grand final of ESCZ 2024, last week.

The hosts of the nationl final, will be Adam Mišík, and also the Austrian representative of 2018, Cesár Sampson will be a co-host.

The participants of ESCZ 2024:

In the following list, you can find the seven artists and their performances in ESCZ 2024:

The seven artists performed their songs live during the Czech national final, with voting opening during the evening. The final determined by 70% of the voting of the international public and 30% of the voting of the Czech public, a clear indication of the importance given by the Czech delegation to the preferences of foreign Eurofans who will also have the final say during the three nights in May in Sweden.

The announcement of the winner of ESCZ 2024 and the representative of Czechia in Eurovision 2024, will be made tomorrow at 8:15 CET.

 Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Czech participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, in Malmö!

Ukraine: Suspilne on Joost Klein and his song about Russia!

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Yesterday, AVROTROS, the Dutch national broadcaster, revealed that Joost Klein will represent The Netherlands at Eurovision Song Contest 2024. Just a day following his reveal as the Dutch representative, his background has already raised concerns among the Eurovision community, even with a participating broadcaster drawing attention to it.

Specifically, Suspilne, the Ukrainian national broadcaster, published an article today about the Dutch rapper, Joost Klein and his relations with Russia.

According to this article, Joost Klein has a song in his discography in which he expresses his love about Russia. The song in question is called “Jackass“, was recorded in collaboration with CMH, who is a Russian artist and was published on March 11, 2022, following the Russian invasion in Ukraine. The lyrics are also considered controversial. Indicatively the lyrics in question are the following:

Hello, my name is Joost Klein
I love Russia, man
I believe, you wanna merry Russian woman

[…]

I want a Russian lady
I want some Russian babies

Along with his collaboration with CMH, Joost Klein has also collaborated with Russian Village Boys, a rave group from St. Petersburg, released in February 2023.

Furthermore, Joost Klein has performed in St. Petersburg in July 2022 during the Russian-Ukrainian war.

The reactions

Users on X (formerly Twitter) have mixed feelings regarding Joost’s collaborations and admiration for Russian culture. Some of the claim that his actions are despicable and that no one can admire a culture based on terror and genocide. Others state that loving Russian women or admiring the Russian culture does not necessarily mean that someone approves the country’s political regime.

Suspilne does not places itself on this certain issue. Although, bearing in mind that a national broadcaster decided to cover this issue, a sensitive one, indicates that it has raised concerns. The fact that a Eurovision artist has collaborated with Russian artists and the most important, has performed in Russian territory following the invasion, is not looked up kindly by the Ukrainian broadcaster.

A similar issue was, also, raised last year regarding Olesya Ochepovska, member of Vesna (the Czech representatives). Ochepovska is of Russian origin and there were allegations that herself supports the war, something that she denied.

As mentioned before and following an extensive internal selection, Joost Klein will represent The Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö. His song is expected to be released at a later stage.

https://youtu.be/3XAsam043OY

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all news!

Source: Suspilne

Iceland: The Association of Composers and Lyricists calls on RÚV to abstain from Eurovision 2024 because of Israel!

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The Association of Composers and Lyricists of Iceland opposes the country’s participation in Eurovision 2024 unless Israel is disqualified.

Last night, through its official Facebook account, the Association of Composers and Lyricists of Iceland, F.T.T. (Félag tónskálda og textahöfunda) announced that they have sent a request to the radio director and RÚV board stating the following:

The board of FTT tonight sent this request to the radio director and board of RUV:

Reykjavik 11 December 2023

The board of FTT, an association of composers and lyricists, calls on RÚV not to participate in Eurovision in 2024 unless Israel is denied participation in the competition on the same grounds as Russia in the last competition. We all have a duty to take a stand against war and the killing of civilians and innocent children. We always have the choice not to put our name to such things, whether we are individuals or state institutions. We owe it to the nations that act with military force to not share with them in an event that is always characterized by joy and optimism.

The board of FTT:

Bragi Valdimar Skúlason, chairman
Védís Hervör Árnadóttir, vice-chairman
Sóley Stefánsdóttir
Ragnhei ður Grondal
Andri Olafsson
Hallur Ingólfsson
Hildur Kristín Stefánsdóttir

It is not the first time that Iceland has expressed discomfort in issues concerning Israel, recalling that in 2019 there was opposition to hosting the competition in Jerusalem, but also the representatives of the country themselves that year took a political position during the announcement of the results on the night of the final. Any response from the country’s public broadcaster is awaited with interest.

Do you believe that the aforementioned request will have an impact on Iceland’s participation? Let us know your thought in the comments below.

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the updates around the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest!

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Slovenia: Raiven will be the Slovenian representative at Eurovision 2024, with her song ‘Veronika’!

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A while ago, the sixth artist for Eurovision 2024 was announced. Slovenia suprised us, as for the third time in history, the artist who will represent the country in the contest will not be chosen through a national final, but by internal selection.

Slovenian public television (RTVSLO) in a special press conference confirmed the rumors of recent months and announced that Raiven, a mezzo-soprano, pop singer, songwriter and harpist, will raise the country’s flag in Malmö.

Raiven will represent Slovenia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö this May with her song ‘Veronika’.

 

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Who is Raiven?

Sara Briški Ciman, better known as Raiven is a singer who regularly appears on the country’s public television. He has presented numerous shows, and has appeared in a variety of concerts and music shows.

Her latest single titled “Ikona“ has become a big sensation in the country after being featured in RTVSLO’s Popevka 2023, alongside Helena Blagne.

No one can deny her professionalism, vocal skills, stage appearance and close relationships with RTVS, a set of things that fits perfectly with Eurovision.

Many Eurofans certainly remember Raiven, from her appearances in the Slovenian national final, EMA, having finished third in 2017 and second in 2016 (by just 100 votes) and 2019.

Watch her presentation video below:

What is your opinion about Raiven getting selected? Tell us in the comments below!

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the developments regarding Slovenia’s participation in Eurovision 2024.

 

Sweden: Malmö city hall reveals Eurovision Village location!

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A few hours ago, the city hall of Malmö published a public call for volunteers who would be absorbed in several Eurovision activities, when the city gets to host the Eurovision Song Contest next May.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will be a festival where music, creativity and care for everyone will be celebrated. On Friday, December 15, the recruitment of 600 volunteers who want to contribute will begin.

The tasks for the volunteers during the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö will vary – everything from guiding invited guests around the city and hosting the Eurovision Village in Folkets Park to building décor, helping the different countries’ delegations and contributing time and commitment to be Malmö‘s face to the outside world.

On December 15 at 10 a.m., the opportunity to apply will open at malmo.se, and recruitment will continue until January 7.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 is organized in collaboration with the city of Malmö and will be broadcast from Malmö Arena on Tuesday 7 May (semi-final 1), Thursday 9 May (semi-final 2) and Saturday 11 May (final) after Loreen won for a second time in Liverpool with the song “Tattoo“.

Stay tuned at EurovisionFun for all the latest news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest!

Source: malmo.se

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Albania: Eden Baja will replace Sardi Strugaj in Festivali i Këngës 62!

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A bit more than a week seperates us from the final of Festivali i Këngës 62. RTSH, the public broadcaster of Albania, is going to broadcast the most impostant musical event in the country for four consecutive nights.

After Sardi Strugaj announced his withdrawal from the festival, the public broadcaster just confirmed that Eden Baja, with her song “Ajër”, will take his place in the second night of the festival. The song is taking the seventh spot in the running order of the second semi-final of the festival in December 20.

This is not the only change in the competitors of this year’s festival. A few days ago, Kejsi Tola, the winner of 2008 festival and Albania’s representative in Eurovision 2009, who was about to perform “Vallëzoj Me Dritën“ in FiK 62, announced her withdrawal as well. We also read about the withdrawal of Samanta Karavella and her song “N’majë”. The two singers were replaced by Irma Lepuri and PeterPan Quartet.

Festivali i Këngës 62 will take place with 31 artists

A total of 31 artists were shortlisted for FiK 62. Samanta’s and Kejsi Tola’s acts were replaced by the newcomers Irma Lepuri and PeterPan Quartet, while Sardi Strugaj’s replacement was just found.

First Night (December 19)

  1. Stivi Ushe – Askush si ty
  2. Besa Kokëdhima – Zemën n’Dorë
  3. Mal Retkoceri – Çmendur
  4. Eldis Arrnjeti – Një kujtim
  5. Shpat Deda – S’mund t’jetoj pa ty
  6. Jehona Ponari – Evol
  7. PeterPan Quartet
  8. Festina Mejzini – Melos
  9. Kastro Zizo – 2073
  10. Luan Durmishi – Përsëritja
  11. Melodajn Mancaku – Nuk jemi ne
  12. Olsi Ballta – Unë
  13. Andi Tanko – Herë pas herë
  14. Sergio Hajdini – Uragan
  15. Santino De Bartolo – Dua të rri me ty
  16. Olimpia Smajlaj – Asaj

Second Night (December 20)

  1. Big Basta and Vesa Luma – Mbinatyrale
  2. Elsa Lila – Mars
  3. Jasmina Hako – Ti
  4. Michela Paluca – Për veten
  5. Anduel Kovaçi – Nan’
  6. Irma Lepori
  7. Erina and the Elementals – Jetën n’skaj
  8. Kleansa Susaj – Pikturë
  9. Arsi Bako – Zgjohu
  10. Tiri Gjoci – Në ëndërr
  11. Besa Krasniqi – Esenciale
  12. Bledi Kaso – Çdo gjë mbaroi
  13. Troy – Horizonti i ëndrrave
  14. Martina Serreqi – Vetëm ty

Just like last year, FiK 62 will have two separate winners. The winner of the jury voting will be crowned as the winner of the festival and the winner of the public vote will be the chosen one for the Albanian representation in the Eurovision Song Contest.

The 62nd edition of FiK will take place from December 19 to December 22, 2023 at Pallati i Kongresseve in Tirana. Last year’s winners of the public vote were Albina & Familja Kelmendi with their song “Duje”, gaining the right to represent Albania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool. Albina & Familja Kelmendi brought their country back to the Grand Final, finishing tenth in the public vote and twenty-second overall.

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Albanian participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, in Malmö!

Source: escplus.es

Israel: All that happened on HaKokhav Haba’s fifth episode!

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On Sunday the 10th of December, the fifth episode of HaKokhav Haba (special edition) was aired, through which the winning artist of the show will gain the opportunity to represent Israel in Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

Three more artists mangaed to qualify to the next stage of HaKhohav Haba still owning the hope to represent Israel in Eurovision. On the fifth episode of the show, three out of the four artists competing managed to qualify. Keep in mind that Assi Azar and Rotem Sela are the show’s hosts since 2014, while the jury’s members are Shiri Maimon, Itay Levi, Assaf Amdorsky, Ran Dankar and Keren Pels while Eden Hasson is the jury’s newest member.

The artists who qualified are the following:

Malki Lipskar

Malki is 26 years old and she was raised within a conservative family. However, her father was the one who encouraged her to become a singer no matter his conservative beliefs. The judges described her performance as “flawless” and everyone voted in favor of her. She qualified for the show’s next stage holding a 95%.

Dor Shimoni

Dor is 29 years old and he has two children. He considers himself as a “mediterranean” artist. The judges were astonished by his performance on very demanding and challenging song vocally. He managed to qualify for the next stage holding a 94%.

Yehuda Sadoo

Yehuda is 40 years old and a father of five children! He is an already known artist among the Israeli audience since his 22 years old when he became the winner of an other TV talent show, “A Star I s Born”. The jury was devided by his performance since some were in favor of him while others were against his qualification. Nevertheless, he qualified for the next stage holding a marginal 73%.

More auditions are going to be performed on HaKokhav Haba‘s next episode, which until now nobody actually knows when it is going to be broadcasted. Via this show, Israel qualified for the Grand Final from 2015 since 2020, while in 2018 Netta was also the winner of that year’s Eurovision singing “Toy“.

Until we find out who is going to reperesent Israel in Eurovision 2024, take a look at its final entry till now for Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool, with Noa Kirel singing “Unicorn” ending up in 3rd place with 362 points:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3mIcCllJXY

Source: https://www.euromix.co.il/

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for even more news!

Albania: Eleven jurors will determine the winner of Festivali i Këngës 62!

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The artistic director of Festivali i Këngës 62, Bojken Lako, Krisa Çaushi, the host of Festivali i Këngës and Gridi Kraja, the dirctor of the symphonic orchestra of the festival, all appeared in the TV show “E diela jonë”, with Ermal Peçit, and revealed new information on the upcoming Albanian music festival.

They promised the public, a Festival with songs that will not be forgotten by the public and TV elements that will make the four magical nights in December, even more favourable.

They also spoke on Kejsi Tola’s, Samanta Karavella’s and Sardi Strugaj’s withdrawal. Ermal Peçitasked whether there is a rule that forbids the staging as Samanta Karavella said, and Bojken Lako answered:

“Attracting artists is something personal. The regulations have been even stricter this year. Unlike other years, this year we have allowed up to 2 performers on stage. The other reasons are completely personal. This year we will have 6 awards. I do not give importance to the show, but to the music and the orchestra. We want to give importance to the text and the music. “

Ermal Peçit also asked them on the online rumours that want Elsa Lila as the winner of the festival. Gridi Kraja and Bojken Lako stated the following:

“The singers themselves release the rumours.”

“The jury has 11 members. How can all the jury members agree in advance on the winner? The rumors are just news for portals to click on.“

After the above interview, we can say, as we’ve previously mentioned in an article, that Albania wants to return to Eurovision with strong ballad, giving more attention to the voice and the feelings, unlike their two previous entries.

Festivali i Këngës 62

A total of 31 artists were shortlisted for FiK 62. Samanta’s and Kejsi Tola’s acts were replaced by the newcomers Irma Lepuri and PeterPan Quartet, while there was no announcement made regarding a possible replacement of another artist that withdrew, namely Sardi Strugaj.

Excluding Sardi Strugaj, the following thirty artists will compete:

  1. Stivi Ushe – Askush si ty
  2. Besa Kokëdhima – Zemën n’Dorë
  3. Mal Retkoceri – Çmendur
  4. Eldis Arrnjeti – Një kujtim
  5. Shpat Deda – S’mund t’jetoj pa ty
  6. Jehona Ponari – Evol
  7. PeterPan Quartet
  8. Festina Mejzini – Melos
  9. Kastro Zizo – 2073
  10. Luan Durmishi – Përsëritja
  11. Melodajn Mancaku – Nuk jemi ne
  12. Olsi Ballta – Unë
  13. Andi Tanko – Herë pas herë
  14. Sergio Hajdini – Uragan
  15. Santino De Bartolo – Dua të rri me ty
  16. Olimpia Smajlaj – Asaj
  17. Big Basta and Vesa Luma – Mbinatyrale
  18. Elsa Lila – Mars
  19. Jasmina Hako – Ti
  20. Michela Paluca – Për veten
  21. Anduel Kovaçi – Nan’
  22. Irma Lepori
  23. Erina and the Elementals – Jetën n’skaj
  24. Kleansa Susaj – Pikturë
  25. Arsi Bako – Zgjohu
  26. Tiri Gjoci – Në ëndërr
  27. Besa Krasniqi – Esenciale
  28. Bledi Kaso – Çdo gjë mbaroi
  29. Troy – Horizonti i ëndrrave
  30. Martina Serreqi – Vetëm ty

Just like last year, FiK 62 will have two separate winners. The winner of the jury voting will be crowned as the winner of the festival and the winner of the public vote will be the chosen one for the Albanian representation in the Eurovision Song Contest.

The 62nd edition of FiK will take place from December 19 to December 22, 2023 at Pallati i Kongresseve in Tirana. Last year’s winners of the public vote were Albina & Familja Kelmendi with their song “Duje”, gaining the right to represent Albania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool. Albina & Familja Kelmendi brought their country back to the Grand Final, finishing tenth in the public vote and twenty-second overall.

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Albanian participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, in Malmö!
Source: lajme.rtsh.al

Slovenia: The country’s entry for Eurovision 2024 will be released on January 20!

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The song that will represent Slovenia in the 68th Eurovision Song Contest, which will take place in May in Malmö, Sweden, will be revealed on January 20, as stated by the country’s public broadcaster RTVSLO.

The Slovenian representative is to be revealed tomorrow at a press conference.

The selection procedure 

The selection of the Slovenian entry was made internally through the ‘Misija Malmö’ procedure. More precisely, over 100 songs were submitted to compete for the Slovenian representation, according to the country’s public broadcaster. Five of these songs then advanced to the next round of the process, where the ultimate winner was determined, following an assessment conducted by an RTVSLO committee that was especially constituted for this purpose.

Last year, Slovenia was represented by Joker Out with the song “Carpe Diem”, giving the country its first qualification to the final since 2019!

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun to stay up to date on all the latest news about the world’s largest music competition!

Source: RTVSLO

Finland: UMK 2024 will be presented by Pilvi Hämäläinen, Benjamin, and Viivi Pumpanen!

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UMK 2024 will be hosted by Pilvi Hämäläinen, Benjamin, and Viivi Pumpanen, as announced by the Finnish broadcaster Yle.

Following the announcement, Pilvi Hämäläinen, a well-known figure in Finland thanks to the comedy program Putous (Comedy Combat), stated:

 Over the past few years, UMK has become something truly special, and last spring’s competition got me thinking again about how cool it would be to be part of that. I decided to stop just sitting around at home and offered to be a host. Even though I have a lot of experience with live broadcasts, being a host is completely new and different to me.

Benjamin participated in the UMK last year and placed last. He returns to UMK this year, this time in the role of host.

Last year’s UMK was an unbelievable experience, and I wanted to be a part of the magic this year too. As a major Eurovision fan, being able to host the UMK is a dream come true.

Out of the three hosts, Viivi Pumpanen has the most experience. She is eager to take on this challenge since she views UMK as a world-class show.

 It’s unbelievable that I can help in putting together such an amazing feel-good show for the whole family. The contest is super important for the competitors and viewers, so I can only imagine how it’s going to feel as a host that night. Of course, I’m also looking forward to working with Pilvi and Benjamin – the three of us have such an unbelievably positive vibe.

UMK 2024 will take place on February 10. On January 10 from 20:00 to 21:30 CET, a live TV show will be held to reveal the UMK 2024 participants. The program, which will be available on Yle TV1, Yle Areena, and UMK’s YouTube channel, will have commentary in English, Finnish, and Swedish.

Stay tuned on EurovisionFun to stay up to date on all the latest news about the world’s largest music competition!

Source: Yle