Eurovision 2024: Luxembourg’s First Rehearsal!

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Last but not least to come up on stage for her first rehearsal is Tali representing Luxembourg with her song “Fighter“.

Who is Tali?

The 23-year-old Tali Golergant was born in Israel, where she spent the first five months of her life. After another four years in Chile and seven years in Argentina, the young musician went back to Luxembourg where she lived with her family in Limpertsberg for a total of ten years. In high school, she was a proud member of the school choir.

Meanwhile, the holder of a Luxembourgish passport has ventured across the Atlantic to New York City, specifically to the northern reaches of Manhattan. There, she cultivates her career as a musician. She also concurrently pursues her ambitions by studying Musical Theatre at Marymount Manhattan College.

In 2021, Tali released her first EP named ‘Lose You’. Last year, the Luxemburgish representative also featured in the song “Carry Me Home” with American singer-songwriter Max Bartos.

The song Tali will sing in Malmö is called “Fighter”, which is sung in French and English.

The Rehearsal

Finally for today, it’s Luxembourg! After winning Eurovision five times, they took a 31-year break, but we’re delighted to welcome them back to the contest in 2024. They are represented by TALI, who will be closing the first Semi-Final on 7th May – as well as being a singer, she’s also a vocal coach and theatre performer, so she’s no stranger to a big stage.

Fighter is a really catchy pop number sung in a mix of French and English.

Staging-wise, we have BONUS CUBES on stage, providing a frame for TALI and her five dancers. She’s in a black bodysuit, and all her dancers are in different red outfits. Sparkly, fun and energetic – a great way to wrap up the first Semi. Also like how their performance rotates to perform to each side of the audience – it really works with this stage configuration.

Also PYRO UPDATE – smoke, flames AND fireworks. Sparkly, fun and energetic – a great way to wrap up the first Semi. Bon retour parmi nous, Luxembourg. We’ve missed you.

Luxembourg's first rehearsal - Eurovision 2024. Credit Sarah Louise Bennett/EBU

Luxembourg’s first rehearsal – Eurovision 2024. Credit Sarah Louise Bennett/EBU

The second rehearsal for Luxembourg will be held on the 1st of May, when we will have a better picture of what we will see from Tali on the Eurovision stage, as we will have the official TV snippet.

Below you can watch a small clip from the Luxembourgish first rehearsal, once it’s published on TikTok:

@eurovision Come for the song, stay for the pyro. @Tali is proving she’ll never let us down #Eurovision2024 ♬ original sound – Eurovision

Stay tuned at EurovisionFun for all the latest developments regarding the Luxembourgish entry in Eurovision 2024!

Source: eurovision.tv

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Eurovision 2024: Portugal’s First Rehearsal!

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Our next contestant to come up on the Eurovision 2024 stage is Iolanda from Portugal singing her song “Grito“.

Who is Iolanda?

Iolanda Costa was born on November 4, 1994 in Figueira da Foz, in the Coimbra district, Portugal. She demonstrated a passion for music since an early age, which brought her to study at the conservatory. When she was seventeen she enrolled in the faculty of communication sciences in Lisbon, and a few years later she moved to London to study musical composition at the British and Irish Institute of Modern Music of the University of Sussex.

She made her first debut in Festival da Canção in 2022, when she co-wrote the entry “Mar no fim”, sung by Blacci. In 2023 she released her first EP, Cura, that she wrote during the COVID pandemic.

Iolanda won Festival da Canção 2024 with the song “Grito” (Scream), obtaining the maximum score from the juries and second place from the televote and gaining the right to represent Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

The Rehearsal

Next up in the running order will be Sweden, but as the host nation they won’t be rehearsing until Thursday. Instead it’s time for Portuguese singer/songwriter iolanda, rehearsing her song Grito.

The title translates as ‘Shout’, but there’s nothing shouty about this melodic ballad. It’s a fusion of pop and R ‘n’ B with traditional Portuguese Fado roots, and iolanda’s vocals seem to fill every corner of the arena, from the haunting acapella opening to the huge note at the end. It’s a song that really builds over the three minutes, and even though it’s a ballad, it still has a underlying bass that vibrates through the floor. A song you feel through your feet and into your chest.

The staging is similar to iolanda’s win at Festival da Canção, with five white-clad dancers with covered faces performing a contemporary dance routine. They’ve also lowered the middle cube, which makes the space feel more intimate and adds to the artistry. The whole act is creative and hypnotic.

Portugal's first rehearsal - Eurovision 2024. Credit Corinne CummingEBU

Portugal’s first rehearsal – Eurovision 2024. Credit Corinne CummingEBU

The second rehearsal for Portugal will be held on the 1st of May, when we will have a better picture of what we will see from Iolanda on the Eurovision stage, as we will have the official TV snippet.

Below you can watch a small clip from the Portuguese first rehearsal on TikTok:

@eurovision Shout all about it! @iolanda is sending sparks flying in rehearsals #Eurovision2024 ♬ original sound – Eurovision

Stay tuned at EurovisionFun for all the latest developments regarding the Portuguese entry in Eurovision 2024!

Source: eurovision.tv

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Eurovision 2024: Australia’s First Rehearsal!

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Now it’s time for the biggest country that competes in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest to have their first rehearsal and that is Australia. The country of Oceania is represented this year by Electric Fields and their entry “One Milkali (One Blood)”

Who are Electric Fields?

Electric Fields are the first duo to represent Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Electric Fields is an Australian electronic music duo made up of vocalist Zaachariaha Fielding and keyboard player and producer Michael Ross. Electric Fields combine modern electric-soul music with Aboriginal culture. Fans might well remember the pair from SBS’ 2019 national selection show, Eurovision – Australia Decides, where they came a close second to Kate Miller-Heidke with their unforgettable track “2000 And Whatever”. Their song incorporates Yankunytjatjara; an Aboriginal language of the Anangu peoples, one of the oldest living cultures on earth.

Zaachariaha Fielding born in 1991 studied Indigenous Australian music and started producing his own work at the Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music at the University of Adelaide.

Michael Ross is a singer, songwriter, pianist and producer from Adelaide. His musical influences growing up were mainly Mariah Carey, along with The Cranberries, Tracy Chapman, and Lauryn Hill. Before joining Electric Fields, Ross was a contestant on the X Factor Australia in 2013.

The Rehearsal

Time for Australia’s Electric Fields – fans may remember them from Australia Decides in 2019, when they were runners up to Kate Miller-Heidke and her wobbly pole.

The mathematics enthusiasts amongst you will know that the reference to ‘0.618’ is a Fibonacci sequence thing – hence ‘I stand in the eye of the spiral’. Sincere thanks to Electric Fields for bringing the golden ratio to Eurovision, it was long overdue. Art class yesterday, mathematics today.

Zaachariaha Fielding’s fabulous white dress captures the arena light and transforms into a rainbow at the start, and then this whole performance builds into an uplifting cosmic explosion of light and colour across both the LED wall and the floor. Zaachariaha is supported by Michael Ross on keyboards, two backing singers, and of course the didgeridoo.

There’s a lot of movement around the stage, which makes it feel like it’s a performance that aims to welcome in every corner of the arena – just pure joy from start to finish, and we’re delighted to add Yankunytjatjara, an Aboriginal language, to the Eurovision canon.

Australia’s first rehearsal – Eurovision 2024. Credit: Corinne Cumming/EBU

Below you can also watch a short video from the rehearsal uploaded on TikTok

@eurovision @Electric Fields are lighting up rehearsals for Australia in Malmö #Eurovision2024 ♬ original sound – Eurovision

The second rehearsal of Australia is going to take place on Wednesday 1st of May and we are going to have a better picture of the stage performance.

Source: eurovision.tv

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Eurovision 2024: Azerbaijan’s First Rehearsal!

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Next on the stage of Eurovision 2024 in Malmö for their first rehearsal is Azerbaijan which is represented by Fahree feat. Ilkin Dovlatov and their song “Özünlə apar”.

Who are Fahree and Ilkin Dovlatov?

Fahree, full name Fakhri Ismayilov, was born on 11th of April 1995 in Baku and is an Azeri singer and songwriter. He was raised in an artistic family, his father being a jazz drummer and his grandfather being an actor. He has both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in law. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, he devoted himself more to music and pursued his childhood dream of becoming a musician

Ilkin Dovlatov born on 16th June 1990 is is an Azeri mugham singer. He was raised in a musical family, his father being a major inspiration for him to start pursuing a musical career. At the age of four, Dovlatov performed his first song “Qəlbimdə qaldı”. During his school years, a music teacher discovered Dovlatov’s talent in singing and encouraged him to perform his music. He rose to prominence after finishing second in The Voice of Azerbaijan in 2023.

The Rehearsal

Time for Azerbaijan, with FAHREE performing a huge ballad sung in English and Azerbaijani. It has some lovely orchestral strings that fill the arena – additional Mugham vocals are provided by Ilkin Dovlatov, and the whole thing comes together to create a mix of traditional Azeri sounds with a really contemporary edge.

FAHREE’s outfit is black and silver and gives off an armoured vibe, and Ilkin is in black with sparkly sleeves. For most of the song FAHREE is alone in the centre of the stage, backed my monochrome graphics that show an animated figure slowly emerging from water. In the second half two huge cupped hands appear on the stage so FAHREE can sing the final verse and chorus standing between them.

This is a really difficult performance to describe in words, because it’s less about the individual staging elements and more about the powerful atmosphere they create together – a combination of shadowy lighting, graphics, contrasting vocals and FAHREE’s expressive body movements.

The official video to this song came out yesterday, and if you watch that you’ll get a good feel for the energy on stage right now.

Azerbaijan’s first rehearsal – Eurovision 2024. Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett/EBU 

 

Below you can also watch a short video from the rehearsal uploaded on TikTok

@eurovision Glittering graphics and powerhouse vocals, @Fahree feat. @İlkinDövlətov have got rehearsals in hand #Eurovision2024 ♬ original sound – Eurovision

The second rehearsal of Azerbaijan is going to take place on Wednesday 1st of May and we are going to have a better picture of the stage performance.

Source: eurovision.tv

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Eurovision 2024: volunteers drop out over “security concerns”

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We are just over a week before the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 kicks off in Malmö.  The organization selected 600 volunteers to help during the event.  Unfortunately, ten percent of the selected volunteers have decided to drop out.

Volunteers play an important role behind the scenes to ensure that all Eurovision-related activities are successful and work smoothly.  The volunteer roles range from backstage staff to the well-being of hosts.

We make sure that everyone who works here is happy. We serve cakes and pastries from local bakeries. Everyone gets to taste Malmö and it’s one fantastic creation after another and that makes people so happy.

Volunteers drop out

As we have previously informed several artists who were supposed to perform at various events during the Eurovision week cancelled their plans in protest against the Israeli participation in the competition.

Further, 60 volunteers will not complete their assignments citing “personal reasons” among other justifications.  It is possible that some volunteers did not get holidays at work as planned or that other things have gotten in the way.   In addition to this, there is controversy surrounding this year’s Israeli participation.

Security concerns

In addition to the abovementioned reasons, volunteers are also affected by security concerns. The city of Malmö has prioritized security.  There are security checks in place for entering the area.

It’s about communication, and who to contact. There are also training courses for everyone, and there is also a volunteer handbook where they can turn for updated information

Source: TV4

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Finland: Watch exclusive footage from Windows95man’s First Rehearsal!

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A few hours ago, Windows95man, the Finnish representative in Eurovision 2024, stepped on the stage of Malmö Arena for the first time, for his first technical rehearsal.

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Eurovision 2024: Moldova’s First Rehearsal!

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The second day of the first round of rehearsals for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 continues with Moldova which is represented by Natalia Barbu who returns to the contest after 2007, with the song “In The Middle”.

Who is Natalia Barbu ?

Natalia Barbu, born on 22nd of August 1979, is a Moldovan singer songwriter and violinist. Her rise to fame began in 1998 in the city of Mamaia, where she won a singing competition. Since then, she has released 4 studio albums and 20 singles. An avid storyteller, Natalia Barbu writes the lyrics for most of her songs herself. Throughout her career Natalia has worked with a group of musicians called Trigon on an alternative jazz-folk experiment.

In the world of Eurovision she is known for having already represented Moldova in the contest in the past, and particularly in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 in Helsinki with the song “Fight”. That year she managed to qualify for the grand final from the biggest semi-final that had ever took place, finishing 10th, a result that she repeated again on the night of the grand final of that year.

The Rehearsal

This is 11th in the running order for the first Semi-Final, or the thirteenth song we’ll hear if you count the United Kingdom and Germany. So not actually right in the middle, but close. It’s also not Natalia’s first time at Eurovision – she competed for Moldova in 2007, where she finished 10th.

The staging has the static routine that we saw at Etapa Națională, the Moldovan national final – with hand claps and armography and a white violin – but Natalia is no longer flanked by backing singers – she’s entirely alone, in front of a beautiful backdrop of seascapes and trees and flowers and butterflies.

During the violin section the LED wall turns to huge wings, so when viewed from the front Natalia looks like an angel. It’s completely different from anything we’ve seen on this stage so far in 2024, and really clever – and of course, Natalia hits every one of those high notes.

Moldova’s first rehearsal – Eurovision 2024. Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett/EBU

Below you can also watch a short video from the rehearsal uploaded on TikTok

@eurovision @Natalia Barbu official sings, plays strings and finds her wings, all at Moldova’s first rehearsal #Eurovision2024 ♬ original sound – Eurovision

The second rehearsal of Moldova is going to take place on Wednesday 1st of May and we are going to have a better picture of the stage performance.

Source: eurovision.tv

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Eurovision 2024: Finland’s First Rehearsal!

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The second day of first rehearsals is underway, with Finland and Windows95man and the song “No Rules!” to take the stage for their first rehearsal.

Who is Windows95man?
A sweet and pleasant person, he’s a bit of a shy nerd during the day, but when he dons his outfit – the famous T-shirt and jeans hotpants combo that doesn’t work – he transforms into superhuman!

His DJ sets, consisting of Eurodance and 90s techno hits, have been combined with such intense live performances that audiences are regularly left breathless.

For the participation “No Rules!” combined Windows95man’s style, Henri Piispanen’s incredible vocals and a legendary gin egg, which led the duo to an unexpected but undeniable victory at UMK 2024 in Finland.

The rehearsal:

It’s time for Finnish Windows95man to rehearse No Rules! It’s still early in the rehearsal schedule, but we’ve had our coffee and are ready to start again.

Fans of their winning performance at UMK will be pleased to hear that the Denim Egg Show has arrived in Malmö, along with the ‘just-within-the-rules’ nudity (a thong, we can confirm, hopefully secured with more than two Clippy ), tiny celebrations and high notes by Henri Piispanen. In fact, this is pretty much a cut and paste of their UMK staging, but with even more processing power and a blurry LED wall that delivers a 90s screensaver.

Listeners of the Official Eurovision Podcast will know that the dancers in this performance are inspired by Teemu’s love of Ooh Aah…Just A Little Bit by Gina G. So Windows 95, inspired by Eurovision 96. We live for this fun fact.

Pyro Rehearsal coming soon – it’s reasonable to assume smoke and fireworks are coming…

The second rehearsal of Finland will take place on Wednesday 1/5 so we will have a better idea of what we will see on the stage of the competition.

Finland’s first rehearsal – Eurovision 2024. Credit: Alma Bengtsson/EBU

 

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Below you can watch a small snippet from the Finnish first rehearsal:

 

@eurovision Malmö Arena transforms into a denim dreamscape as @Windows95Man enters the chat #Eurovision2024 ♬ original sound – Eurovision

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source: eurovision.tv

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Eurovision 2024: Slovenia’s First Rehearsal!

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The second day of rehearsals is now here and all the missions are getting ready for their own rehearsal. Second rehearsal of the day is Slovenia, with Raiven’s representative and the song “Veronika”!

Who is Raiven?
Her electro-pop debut came in 2014, but she came to the fore on the country’s music scene during Slovenia’s national selection, EMA. There, Raiven has been involved with several songs over the years, including Črno Bel (2016), Zažarim (2017) and KAOS (2019).

In 2021, Raiven won at the famous Slovenian music festival Popevka, with her song Volkovi.

In between, she was active in both opera and theater, and after obtaining a master’s degree from the Ljubljana Academy of Music, the singer began to explore the world of electro-opera.

The rehearsal:

Veronika is inspired by the story of Veronika Deseniška, a Slovenian noblewoman who fell in love with a member of the royal family and was accused and acquitted of witchcraft. One of the writers on this track is none other than Bojan Cvjetićanin (Joker Out), singer of last year’s Slovenian entry.

On stage we see Raiven in a dark silver bodysuit – she starts on the floor and her movements cause pulsating graphics on the LED floor. She’s joined by five contemporary dancers in nudes who perform an intricate routine of entwining bodies – the whole performance has a very similar feel to the official video – ethereal, but also VERY dramatic. And those high notes at the end blow the roof off.

The first pyro of the day! It’s low fog and wind for Slovenia, which just adds to the drama.

Slovenia’s first rehearsal – Eurovision 2024. Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett/EBU

 

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Below you can watch a small snippet from the Slovenian first rehearsal:

@eurovision @raiven is soaring on the rehearsal stage in Malmö Arena #Eurovision2024 ♬ original sound – Eurovision

The second rehearsal of Slovenia will take place on Wednesday 1/5 so we will have a better idea of what we will see from Raiven, on the stage of the competition.

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source: eurovision.tv

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Eurovision 2024: Iceland’s First Rehearsal!

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After yesterday’s successful first day of rehearsals, today we continue with the rest of the countries that will compete in the First Semi-Final of this year’s Eurovision. The Malmö Arena opened its doors and the curtain for today is opened by Iceland with Hera Björk and the song “Scared of Heights”.

Who is Hera Björk?
Hera Björk won the hearts of Europe when she represented Iceland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with her song “Je Ne Sais Quoi”.

Before representing the country however, Hera has been on vocals for Iceland several times and in 2009 she was in the national final for Denmark, failing to get a ticket to the Eurovision stage.

Her talents have shone brightly in various competitions and events, including her famous anthem Feel the Love Tonight for LGBTQ+ pride events in 2011, her triumphant victory with “Because We Can” at the Viña del Mar festival, the largest Latin music festival America in 2013.

The rehearsal:
First up today is Hera Björk, who is no stranger to the Eurovision scene, having previously represented Iceland in 2010. She is a legendary pop diva both at home in Iceland and among Eurovision fans.

Hera has swapped Söngvakeppnin’s red sparkly dress for a gold and VERY sparkly dress, which sounds We heard it weighs 6kg, but we’ll confirm!

It begins on a black plinth backed by five singers. It looks a lot like Söngvakeppnin, only on a Malmö scale – lots of gold graphics and silhouettes of dancers on the LED wall make it feel like a big old party.

No fireworks for Iceland in this first rehearsal!

Hera Björk Eurovision 2024 – Iceland’s First Rehearsal

 

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Below you can watch a snippet from the Icelandic first rehearsal:

@eurovision All that glitters is indeed gold when it comes to Eurovision royalty @Hera Björk #Eurovision2024 ♬ original sound – Eurovision

Iceland’s second rehearsal will take place on Wednesday 1/5 so we will have a better idea of what we will see on the stage of the competition.

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source: eurovision.tv

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