EBU: The announcement for the coronavirus and Eurovision 2020

/0 Comments/in , , /by

EBU released an announcement a few minutes ago about the progress on Eurovision 2020 procedures! As is typically stated in the announcement, the work by the organizers continues as normal.

The EBU closely monitors the course of the coronavirus as well as the guidelines provided by the World Health Organization and local authorities. Therefore, the EBU and NOS-AVROTROS-NPO are working closely together at this time. The goal of all parties is to explore possible scenarios for Eurovision 2020!

However, with 2 months to 3 live shows and a rapidly changing situation in both the Netherlands and the countries of the participating broadcasters, it is still too early to make any final decisions.

As one can see, we are in the final line of developments with regard to this year’s Eurovision. Everything is fluid and will largely depend on how the virus spreads. The fact that almost all major events in Europe are on a deferred course is clearly a negative sign.

Eurovision 2020: Bulgaria remains 1st- Boundary differences in top positions

/0 Comments/in , /by

With the  puzzle of the 41 Eurovision 2020 songs wrapped up yesterday, we can have a clearer picture of online betting odds. So far, it looks like we are heading into a race of 5 horses that will fight for the coveted victory in Rotterdam. Bulgaria, Lithuania, Iceland, Switzerland and Russia will cross their swords to win the contest!

The favorites

Bulgaria remains in 1st place, with one of the most beautiful ballads in this year’s competition. Victoria aims for her tears to be tears of joy rather than regret and to bring victory to our neighbors! One year after its absence from Tel Aviv, Bulgaria is in a “pole position” in the event of a victory. Just behind it is Lithuania. The participation that won the hearts of Europeans from the first moment they won the national final. The Roop are back in 2nd place, surpassing Iceland, which has been 3rd since the 1st in a week! But it does not cease to be a winning track.

On the upside we see Switzerland in 4th place, which in some betting companies is in the first place. A breath away from the three pioneers, it will not be surprising to soon be the new Top 3. Gjon’s Tears will attempt to give their country their first win since 1988 and Celine Dion! In fifth place is Russia, the day after the release of “Uno”. Despite being slightly behind other countries, Bear is 1st in at least 1 betting company.

The fact that in a total of 17 companies, all of the above countries occupy at least one of them, is a prime example of how dubious this year’s Eurovision is. This is perhaps an unprecedented statistic in the history of the institution. Bulgaria, Lithuania, Iceland, Switzerland and Russia to claim the victory in the Netherlands on equal terms!

The Top 10

In 6th place you can find Romania. Roxen is on the rise and may soon be in the Top 5! “Alcohol You” is one of the most atmospheric ballads of this year’s Eurovision. However, it will be required to go beyond the barriers of Bulgaria and Switzerland of the same species. Italy remain in 7th place, with Azerbaijan and Malta completing the top ten.

Samira Efendi will bring Oriental perfume to Ahoy Rotterdam’s stage and as another Cleopatra wants to surprise the crowds! The 17-year-old Destiny, Malta’s representative, may well give the Islanders their first appearances in the top 10. Top 10 closes with Germany and Benjamin Dolic!

Much can change in the next two months. The returns, as it stands, will go through several ups and downs. Party appearances, stage presence information and of course the appearances at Ahoy in Rotterdam can be brought up on the boards of betting companies. Nothing will be judged until the night of May 16 and the big Eurovision final!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_hgYnwZR8I

 

Switzerland: Sacha Jean-Baptiste directing Gjon’s Tears

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Not long ago, in a statement on his official Twitter account, Swiss broadcaster SRF announced Sacha Jean-Baptiste as the director responsible for directing the country’s bid. Sacha will be collaborating with Gjon Muharremaj, world-renowned Gjon’s Tears, to present his best, “Répondez-moi”, at Ahoy Arena in May.

Swedish origin Sacha Jean-Baptiste is no stranger to the Eurovision contest as she has successfully directed many artists such as John Lundvik (Sweden 2019), Luca Hanni (Switzerland 2019), Tamta (Cyprus). 2019), Helen Foureira (Cyprus 2018), Equinox (Bulgaria 2018) as well as Kristian Kostov (Bulgaria 2017).

https://twitter.com/srfesc/status/1238117543828570112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1238117543828570112&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Feurovisionfun.com%2F2020%2F03%2F%25ce%25b5%25ce%25bb%25ce%25b2%25ce%25b5%25cf%2584%25ce%25af%25ce%25b1-%25ce%25b7-sacha-jean-baptiste-%25cf%2583%25cf%2584%25ce%25b7%25ce%25bd-%25cf%2583%25ce%25ba%25ce%25b7%25ce%25bd%25ce%25bf%25ce%25b8%25ce%25b5%25cf%2584%25ce%25b9%25ce%25ba%25ce%25ae-%25ce%25b5%25cf%2580%25ce%25b9%25ce%25bc%25ce%25ad%25ce%25bb%2F

Who is Gjon’s Tears

Gjon Muharremaj, artistically known as Gjon’s Tears is a Swiss singer and member of the band. He was born in Switzerland to a Kosovar father and an Albanian mother. At an early age, he appeared in the first round of the show, Albania’s Got Talent, in 2010, reaching the final by impressing both the jury and the television audience. In 2019 he took part in the French version of the talent show, The Voice, reaching the semifinals. Then, he released his first single, “Babi”, combining indie-pop music with sounds of Albanian music.

Below you can hear “Répondez-moi”, this year’s Swiss entry:

https://youtu.be/O9GAfFHZE-E

 

Lithuania: Roop will not travel to the Netherlands for postcard filming

/0 Comments/in , , /by

The coronavirus pandemic puts a stop to the travel plans of Lithuanian representatives. Roop, one of Eurovision’s big favorites this year, canceled their pre-parties and postcard shootings!

That means they will not be performing at the London Eurovision Party on March 29 and at the Eurovision in Concert in Amsterdam on April 4. Thus, the two big parties will be held without the presence of The Roop. Of course, they hope that the situation will have been  improved by the end of April so that they can participate regularly in Rotterdam in May!

The Baltic Sea has taken various measures in the fight against coronavirus. Among other things, schools and universities and public services have been closed to prevent further spread of the virus.

They do not travel for postcard shooting

At the same time, the band decided not to travel to the Netherlands for postcard filming this weekend. This adds another headache to the organizers, who are called upon to manage a very unfavorable situation.

As The Roop singer Vaidotas Valiukevičius explains:

“We do not want to endanger our health or public health. We will follow the government’s recommendations to avoid traveling abroad. We believe that prevention is the key to getting everyone back to normal”

The band’s guitarist, Mantas Banišauskas, features:

“The world must be very united right now. Now is not a time of war, but a period of concentration. We look forward to meeting everyone in May in Rotterdam and want to spread the good dance virus of On Fire to the world”

For his part, the head of the Lithuanian delegation, Audrius Giržadas, sees this decision as the only reasonable choice in this emergency:

“It is regrettable that we have to delay the planned trip of our delegates. But such a decision is the only right step in this case. When dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, we must be responsible and avoid as much as possible the external dangers and visits”

https://youtu.be/1EAUxuuu1w8

Source:eurovisionworld.com

Eurovision 2020: In Mid-April the decisions regarding COVID-19

/0 Comments/in , /by

Eurovision 2020 Committee have a meeting in Rotterdam today about the consequences that the spread of coronavirus may have on the smooth running of the 65th Eurovision Song Contest, two months from today in Rotterdam. Despite differing opinions, everyone agreed that the decisive decision on the fate of the contest would be made in a month from now, sometime in mid-April, since it is now too early to make any estimates about the spread of the virus and the its consequences.

Rotterdam’s chief tourism adviser, Wethouder Kasmi, said there was no reason to cancel Eurovision 2020.

“There is no reason to cancel Eurovision 2020. There will be a new review in mid-April on how things are going. By then we have time”

As the mayor of Rotterdam said, authorities are working closely with the national health agency and any measures they deem appropriate will be taken. So far, however, preparations for the competition are still underway.

There were also voices opposing the above, after Geert Koster, a council member, pointed out that it was irresponsible to bring so many people to Rotterdam when all the details of the new virus had not yet been ascertained.

Source:Eurovoix

 

Russia: Listen to Little Big’s “UNO” for Eurovision 2020

/0 Comments/in , , /by

As it has been known for months, Russia would choose this year’s Eurovision entry by direct assignment. After months of “silence” it  has been announced a few days before that it would be represented in Rotterdam by the unconventional Little Big!

For a few days everyone has been waiting for the unveiling of the song that Russia will compete with at Eurovision 2020. So, the song that will be claimed by “Bear” for its 2nd victory in the contest is entitled “Uno”. “Uno” is based on the familiar satirical features of Little Big. This is probably the first time Russia has chosen something so unconventional to represent it at Eurovision!

Watch the video clip HERE.

Who are The Little ?

Little Big is one of the best known bands in Russia. The band has been released throughout the seven-year run of 3 records and 9 singles. It consists of 4 members:

-Ilya Ilich Prusikin
-Sergey Gokk Makarov
– Anton (Boo) Lissov
-and Sonya Tayurskaya

The Little Bigs characterize their band as a satirical art collaboration based on music, graphics and performance. To a large extent their songs satirize some of the most widespread Russian stereotypes. At the same time, through their art they bring their audience closer to Russian tradition and Russian folk music. When asked about their possible future participation in Eurovision last year, they had openly expressed their desire to represent Russia in the near future!

The band has been heavily influenced by a multitude of artists representing different genres of music. Among others, Little Big’s discography has influences from Mozart and Vivaldi to Rammstein and Red Hot ChilI Peppers!

Their latest big hit “Skibidi” has gone viral worldwide, surpassing 360 million views on YouTube!

 

Israel: Listen to the final version of Eden Alene’s “Feker Libi”

/0 Comments/in , , /by

With her “HaKokhav Haba L’Eurovizion 2020″ victory, Eden Alene took the anchor and will represent Israel at Eurovision 2020 in Rotterdam. Soon after, Israel’s broadcaster KAN set up a campus of composers attended by the country’s top creators. On February 13th the titles and the composers of the four candidate songs for Eden were made public, while on February 27th we listened to these four songs.

Through “The Next Song to Eurovision”, Eden Alene presented the four candidate songs. Lucy Ayoub, one of last year’s contestants in Tel Aviv, hosted the show. At the end of the night, the winning song was “Feker Libi” and Eden Alene will travel to Rotterdam to represent Israel.

Shortly thereafter, the final version of this year’s Israeli entry was released, just as we will listen to on the semifinal night.

Listen to the revamp of “Feker Libi” below:

The Czech Republic: Benny Cristo is thinking of competing with the original version of Kemama and not with the revamp

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Just yesterday (10/3) Benny Cristo, this year’s Czech representative at the contest, released the version he was going to compete in at Eurovision 2020. But the negative comments he received seemed to cast doubt on whether he should really compete with the revamp or keep the original version.

“I have to find out if it is really wrong or if the negative comments come from the adjustment an ear has to go through, which is used to the old version. to see if something went wrong”.

(Benny Cristo for the revamp of Kemam)

https://www.instagram.com/tv/B9lW17qnFz2/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Listen to the older version:

Eurovision 2020: The Opening Ceremony at Rotterdam Cruise Ship Terminal

/0 Comments/in , /by

While rumors are mounting about a possible postponement or cancellation of Eurovision 2020 due to coronavirus, the organizing authority has just announced the venue for this year’s Opening Ceremony. This is a clear example of how the processes are proceeding normally. The purpose of the Dutch organizers is to be ready in any case.

Rotterdam will host the 65th Eurovision Opening Ceremony on Sunday, May 10th. Of course, a prominent part of the Opening Ceremony is the reception of the artists on the “red carpet”. The carpet and the subsequent Opening Ceremony will be hosted at the cruise ship terminal in the port of Rotterdam. It is a multipurpose space that hosts various music and non-events.

Rotterdam wants to host a waste-free Eurovision, being one of the pioneering cities in the world in this field. This year’s carpet will be largely made of recycled materials. That is why it will not be red but gold. Gold symbolizes the value of waste in a constantly changing world. Waste is worth a lot nowadays, with people having to take care of it. The carpet, which will be circular in shape, will show us that waste is often an important raw material for new products.

After their spectacular arrival on the scene, the artists will complete their stroll along the terminal talking with a portion of the international press. EurovisionFun will be there on a mission to bring you various big and small secrets from the magical world of Eurovision!

Sweden: The detailed results of Melodifestivalen 2020

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Sweden’s representatives at Eurovision 2020 after winning with just one point in the Melodifestivalen are the Mamas with the song “Move”. Not long ago, Swedish public television announced the analytical results of the Melodifestivalen, both in the semi-finals and in the final, which was awaited by many.

Before we look at the results, it is good to remind you of this year’s voting system so you can better understand the results of the public.

The televoting was divided into ages groups

It was not possible to vote via sms this year, as the producers of Melodifestivalen emphasized that sms votes were scarce. The only way to vote was by phone or special application.

Voting through the app required you to state your age. Viewers were divided into seven categories as follows:

-Green: 3 to 9 years old
-Turquoise: 10 to 15 years
-Blue: 16 to 29 years old
-Purple: 30 to 44 years old
-Pink: 45 to 59 years old
-Red: 60 to 74 years old
-Orange: 75 and above

Changes to the vote

The eighth category was voting by telephone, where age cannot be ascertained. Each category had 43 points in the semifinals (12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1) and 58 in the final (12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1). In the second chance round he scored 1 point in the song that he preferred in each duel, and in the case of a tie (4-4), he was the one who received the most votes. Another change was that the international jury in the final was reduced from eleven to eight, so that their numbers were the same as the age groups, and they also had 58 points, just like the public groups. Each user of the app could give up to five hearts (votes) per song.

The results of Melodifestivalen 2020

First let’s say that all the nights were counted 44 million votes, a decrease of 12.5% ​​compared to the previous year, as Melodifestivalen 2019 counted 50 million votes.

In the final, the Mamas garnered the most votes, 1,610,446, with Dotter receiving 1,489,636. If the rules that were in force until 2018 had been used in the Melodifestivalen 2020 final, the first two places would not have changed. The Mamas would have earned 122 points and Dotter 118.

Another important point is that those who voted by phone agreed with the ratings of the app voters, with the only exception being the third semifinal they voted for Drängarna and the final that they voted for Anna Bergendahl.

Let’s now look at the 12s in the final category:

3-9: Hanna Ferm

10-15: The Mamas

16-29: The Mamas

30-44: Dotter

45-59: Anna Bergendahl

60-74: Anna Bergendahl

75 and above: Anna Bergendahl

Phones: Anna Bergendahl

Dotter, despite receiving a 12th, was in the top three in all age categories. The Mamas received some high scores and some middle scores. Anna Bergendahl though she received four 12s, received two 0s from the two younger age categories.

Winners of every night and category:

Winner of Melodifestivalen: The Mamas.
Winner of the vote: The Mamas.
Jury winner: Dotter.
First Semifinal Winner: The Mamas.
Second Semifinal Winner: Anna Bergendahl.
Third Semifinal Winner: Mariette.
Fourth Semifinal Winner: Hanna Ferm.
Second Chance Winner: Anis Don Demina

Below are the results in the final:

Source: SVT