Sandro Nicolas: In the studio with Dimitris Kontopoulos and Elias Kokotos

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We had informed you in our previous article about the greek-origin rising artist, Sandro Nicolas, who is making a career in Germany, and also about  being a finalist in the German national final. These days, the young performer is in Athens recording with Dimitris Kontopoulos and Elias Kokotos in Kontopoulos’s  studio.

Through social media, and in particular through an Instagram story Sandro posted on his profile , we saw him in Athens, continuing a series of recordings in the UK, US and Germany. Recently we even saw him in the studio with Linnea Debb.

Last night (21/10), Sandro Nicolas was recording in the studio of Dimitris Kontopoulos, with the supervision of the successful artist as you can see below:

Elias Kokotos, Dream Team’s project manager and a close friend of Dimitris Kontopoulos, also added to their group afterwards, further intensifying the rumors that they want Sandro Nicolas to be involved in Eurovision 2020.

If you want to remember who Sandro Nicolas is, you can refer to our previous article. We remind you that he participated in the New Wave Festival in Sochi last August.

Sandro Nicolas (Alessandro Ruetten) has an American father and a Greek mother. He was born and raised in Germany and is now 23 years old. In 2018 he participated in the German version of “The Voice”, reaching the semi-finals.

EBU:”EBU discusses change of vote” as TVE’s entertainment director reveals

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Toñi Prieto, director of entertainment programs on Spanish public broadcaster, TVE, reveals in an interview today that EBU is conducting a survey among its members – public service broadcasters, on changingthe voting system at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Will the 50-50 system change?

Since 2009, when the jury returned to the contest, having 50% of the final result, there have been few times that the voting system has been criticised.

On the one hand, it is those who believe that five people from every country, even if they are music professionals, cannot have the same say in the outcome, as the rest of the public, who vote by tele-voting. On the contrary, those who claim that the level of songs have gone up since 2009, so-called joke entries (see Ireland 2008, Iceland 2006 etc) have disappeared, with all countries making sure to send good voices, hoping this will be appreciated. from the jury.

What has been active since 2009 with some minor variations is that public and jury have 50% of the final results, both in the final and in the two semifinals.

Toñi Prieto: “The EBU is discussing the change of vote in Eurovision!”
In an interview with Vertele, TVE’s entertainment director Toñi Prieto, among others, says that EBU is in discussions with public television stations to find out what the best voting system is.

The EBU is thinking of turning a vote. They think and discuss with the delegations to find out how we see it. If there is to be a jury, only a jury or only the television audience.

Toñi Prieto, TVE’s entertainment director

Sweden: Victor Crone at Melodifestivalen 2020 | Who other artists will be involved?

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According to a new article of Aftonbladet, this year’s Estonian spokesman in Tel Aviv, Victor Crone, will participate in the next Melodifestivalen, seeking to “redeem”  his big radio success, “Storm“.

From Estonia to Sweden Victor Crone

Victor Crone is Swedish and, if the story is confirmed, this will be his second participation in Melodifestivalen, following his 2015 duet with Behrang Miri, which reached Second Chance. His compatriots loved “Storm” and he was second only behind “Spirit In The Sky” in the televoting. So there are few who think that this is the right time for Victor Crone’s second stint in Melodifestivalen. The song, according to Aftonbladet,is signed by Avicii’s team.

What other names are rumored?

Despite Carola’s denial of participating in next year’s Melodifestivalen, Swedish public broadcaster would like to see  her among the contestants and will step up pressure on the 53-day-old singer to say the great yes!

Other names mentioned by Aftonbladet as potential participants include 18-year-old Hanna Ferm and 25-year-old Jakob Karlberg, both former Idol participants, a talent show that feeds Melodifestivalen.

Summarizing, the artists who appear to be participating in Melodifestivalen 2020 are:

1. Amanda Aasa (from the P4 radio competition)

2. Victor Crone

3. Hanna Ferm

4. Jakob Karlberg

Source: Aftonbladet

Iceland: 157 entries submitted for Söngvakeppnin 2020

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A total of 157 songs have been submitted to Iceland’s public broadcaster, RÚV, ahead of the Icelandic selection for Eurovision 2020, in the hope all to compete in the “Söngvakeppnin 2020” national final in February. The application period was open until October 17, with interest being particularly high. In fact, the total of applications this year exceeds 20% of the last year.

All songs will be evaluated by a seven-member jury composed of RÚV executives, professional musicians, composers and songwriters. In the process of listening to the songs, the committee will know neither the singers nor their composers.

The top-ten songs chosen by the experts will be revealed in January. Then, on February 8 and 15, they will take part in the two semifinals that will take place at the Reykjavik Háskólabíó Convention Center. Two songs from each semifinal will qualify for the grand final on February 29 at the Laugardalshöll Indoor Stadium.  RÚV reserves the right to issue a wild-card for the final in one of the 6 songs that failed to reach the final stage.

In the semifinals, all songs must be interpreted in Icelandic. Instead, in the final, the artists have to interpret the songs in the language they intend to sing in the Netherlands if they win the Icelandic national final. The winner of the “Söngvakeppnin 2020” will represent Iceland at the 60th Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam’s Ahoy Arena.

In the 64th edition of the contest held in Tel Aviv last May, the iconic Hatari represented Iceland with the song “Hatrið mun sigra” ranking 10th with 232 points.

EBU: Eurovision Executive Supervisor Wanted | The qualifications required and the responsibilities

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Through the official EBU website, the vacancy of Eurovision Executive Supervisor o has been announced, as Jon Ola Sand is known that completes his term in May at Eurovision 2020, which will take place in Rotterdam.

Applications must be submitted by 14 November

The deadline for applicants who want to succeed Jon Ola Sand in the position of Executive Supervisor of Eurovision events expires on 14 November.

Applications will not be accepted after this date, and the EBU will only contact those with the necessary qualifications. Applications are only made electronically through the EBU website.

What are the qualifications of an Executive Supervisor?

The qualifications an executive supervisor must have are varied and multidimensional, as he must be communicative, knowledgeable in political situations, linguistic, ready for many trips and work on vacations and weekends. Of course, he or she must have a television experience of organizing big events, but also be able to manage organized sets and find the right partners. In particular, the notice states:

-The executive supervisor must have a background as a high level media professional. Full experience in complex television entertainment productions, events, digital development and storytelling.
-He must be able to work in an international environment and have strong cultural and political understanding, being able to mitigate intense conflict in the field.
-He\she must have senior management experience, with extensive knowledge of the role of Project Manager.
-He\she must have a strong sense of communication with fluent English and preferably French.
-He\she must be a strong team player capable of working in changing environments and different working conditions.
-He\she must be able fro frequent visits and meetings at EBU headquarters throughout the year. Presence in Geneva (EBU headquarters) about 4 weeks before the start of Eurovision events. Short trips and work during the evenings, weekends and holidays.
-8+ years of experience in the broadcasting environment.
-5+ years of experience in human management (proven track record)

The salary is not mentioned, but it is stressed that it is competitive!

What are the duties of the Executive Supervisor?

If you still have questions about the duties of the Executive Supervisor of Eurovision events, the notice states them in more detail:

-The executive supervisor is the person who, on behalf of the EBU, has overall responsibility for the ESC mark. This includes the areas of member relations, content, production, broadcasting, financing, legal, logistics, security and communication and public relations.

-As the Eurovision Contest is an apolitical event but with a possible political impact, the general and political management of stakeholders is a key role for the Executive Supervisor.

-He\she is responsible for gathering all relevant information on the development and progress of Eurovision each year, in addition to general related matters that may be of great importance or may damage the reputation of the ESC and the EBU.

-He\she is the main responsible for ensuring that Participating Broadcasters (PBs) participating in the competition comply with the EBU Rules.

-He\she maintains extensive contact with all public service broadcasters and is available for advice, consultation and support throughout the year, also by visiting PBs at their preferred location.

-He\she  is responsible for the long-term strategic development of the Eurovision Contest, its brand and brand initiatives.

The 13th Executive Supervisor of the Competition

The new Executive Supervisor to be appointed will be the 13th in the history of the institution, with one remaining unknown until now, according to the official list published on the contest’s website:

1956-1957: Rolf Liebermann (2)
1958-1963: Unknown (6)
1964-1965: Miroslav Vilček (2)
1966-1977: Clifford Brown (12)
1978-1992: Frank Naef (15)
1993-1995: Christian Clausen (3)
1996 and 1998-2002: Christine Marchal-Ortiz (6)
1997: Marie-Claire Vionnet (1)
2003: Sarah Yuen (1)
2004-2010: Svante Stockselius (7)
2011-2020: Jon Ola Sand
2021:;

As we mentioned in our recent article, a glance at the list is enough to notice that in the 65-year history of the competition, only Miroslav Vilček came from Southern Europe (he was Croatian). All others were from central and northern Europe, with Scandinavia in recent years holding this position exclusively.

So if you think you are qualified to claim the position of Executive Supervisor, its your chance  to apply. You will certainly not have Christer Bjorkman as an opponent, since, based on what he has clarified, he is not interested in that position!

So, take it away!

Sweden: Carola refutes rumors of her participation in Melodifestovalen 2020

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Former Eurovision contest winner and three-time Melodifestivalen winner, Carola Häggkvist, in a lengthy post on Instagram, denied what Aftonbladet said in its yesterday’s article that it wanted her to participate in Melodifestivalen once again with a religious song that she wrote herself.

The news shocked Eurovision Bubble as Carola clarified through her Instagram profile that she will not be attending the upcoming Melodifestivalen.

View this post on Instagram

Jag önskar jag kunde säga Ja…., vi kör! Men jag tackade ödmjukt nej tack redan i augusti då en av de absolut starkaste kompositörerna inom Esc sammanhang erbjöd mig en fin låt. Och senast nu i oktober då en annan tungviktare inom denna genre önskade, tillsammans men Christer B, att jag sjöng sången som skulle kunnat bli en sann hyllning till hela universums Skapare. Men det krävs lite mer än så för mig.. efter alla år och olika erfarenheter. Vill ändå säga ett STORT TACK till alla som ändå någonstans hoppades på att det kunde varit sant.. att jag faktiskt skulle vara med! Tack för förtroendet, intresset, kämparglöden och förvåningen.. ( men ändå inte.) För du som känner mig Vet att jag gillar oväntade skeenden i livet. hi hi Men just i detta läge finns det bara andra vinnare än jag. Och just nu är jag faktiskt smartare än så – än att tacka ja. Vem vet i framtiden. Men just nu gick jag inte igång tillräckligt på varken låtarna, mello eller medias circus. Jag bygger något annat på hemma plan från mitt hjärta, på lång sikt. Men med stor tacksamhet för vad Melodifestivalen en gång var för mig, o för många andra. Tack! Och media får gärna fråga den säkraste källan på en gång innan ni basunerar ut på tv att jag är ’klar’ … bara att det kan få ske? Puh! Mina uppgifter till mitt management finns ovan i min bio och är tydligt som korvspad i en korvgryta! I mitt advents program tar jag bla upp varför jag av ren överlevnads instinkt och som beskyddare av mina barn INTE kan ställa upp i varken Mello, Lets Dance el andra liknande program just nu – även om jag både älskar att dansa ( hemma i köket ) eller tävla. Det är ju egentligen helt förfärligt och beklagligt men så länge den nivån på arbetsmoral finns mellan kvällspress och SVT så vore jag mycket naiv om jag ännu en gång skulle tillåta mig vara offer för det. Vet att allt har sin tid och jag är inte långsint heller. Men just nu finns visheten högt upp på listan och då kommer både barnen och en påsk produktion före melodifestivalen. Till och med Gud Fader själv skulle behöva övertyga mig rätt hårt att vara med. Då förstår ni. Då skulle C.B behöva be så intensivt att få med mig innan JESUS hinner göra sin stora comeb

A post shared by Carola Häggkvist (@carolaofficiell) on

Carola clarifies that while she had many suggestions from major and notable creators, due to her  full program she will not be able to participate in either Melodifestivalen or “Dancing with the Stars”, as it is rumored. To make it even clearer by completing her statement she states:

“For the sake of truth, I haven’t written a song to perform at the Melodifestivalen this year on our Jesus, as today’s reports say”.

Carola & Melodifestivalen

Carola already has five Melodifestivalen entries and has won it three times. In 1983 at the age of just 17 she won with “Främling” and represented Sweden for the first time in Eurovision, taking third place there. In 1991, in Rome with “Fångad av en stormvind”, she took her third victory for her country. Finally, in 2006 in Athens performed “Invincible” and was found in the top5 for the third time, specifically in fifth place.

In 2008 she once again tried to reach the Eurovision stage, joining Melodifestivalen in a duet with Andreas Johnson, but stopped in  the second chance round.

Italy: Enormous interest in Sanremo Giovani

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The countdown has begun for Sanremo Giovani with a new record to reward the artistic director Amadeus‘ decision to bring the category “Nuove Proposte (New Proposals)” to the renowned SanremoFestival. 842 participants expressed their desire to participate in this category. 163 more entries than last year were submitted to the music committee, with the increase reaching 24%.

Specifically, there are 743 singers (420 men and 323 women) and 99 groups. Most of the applications (365, corresponding to 43.35%) come from from the Italian South , the North follows with 299 (35.51%), while the Central Italy will have 167 representatives at the big celebration of Italian song (19.83%). The Italians abroad will also be represented with 11 contestants claiming the gold ticket for the final.

The music committee chaired by Amadeus as artistic director, consisting of Claudio Fasulo, Gianmarco Mazzi, Massimo Martelli and Leonardo De Amicis will initially select the first 60 artists to participate in the auditions. in Rome on November 3, at the Teatro delle Vittorie.

At the end of the audition, 20 groups and artists will be selected to participate in the semi-final of the institution. The semifinals of Sanremo Giovani will be aired on 4 different episodes through RAI television on November 16,23,30 and December 7. At the end of this process there will be the 10 finalists of Sanremo Giovani, who will renew their “meeting” with the Italian public on December 19 in the grand final.

The top 5 of the grand final  will be invited to join Teatro Ariston in February and the final of the “Nuove Proposte” category. In addition to the 5 winners of Sanremo Giovani, 2 artists from the greater area of ​​the city of Liguria as well as the winner of Sanremo Young will compete on the stage of the Sanremo Festival.

Source: rai.it

Sweden: Carola returns to Melodifestivalen with a religious song

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Carola will compete in the next Melodifestivalen, Sweden’s national final, through which Sweden chooses its entry in every Eurovision Song Contest. If she manages to win, this will be her fourth Eurovision participation!

With a Christian song Carola at Melodifestivalen 2020

According to the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, the 53-year-old singer will now be among the 28 participants at Melodifestivalen 2020, with a song that she herself wrote and has religious content. She is also a member of the Evangelical Church, “World of Life” and has devoted much of her life to the refugee issue. Together with her husband, Norwegian priest Runar Søgaard, they have adopted a girl from Africa whose parents had died.

Aftonbladet reports on the lyrics of the song:

It is written by herself, dedicated to her Christian faith and praises the love for Jesus Christ.

Fans, however, have welcomed the news with mixed emotions, as they believe Carola has closed her circle at Melodifestivalen.

Carola & Melodifestivalen

This will be Carola’s sixth participation in the Melodifestivalen, which she has won three times. In 1983 at the age of just 17 she won with “Främling” and represented Sweden for the first time in Eurovision, taking third place there. In 1991, in Rome with “Fångad av en stormvind”, she took her third victory for her country. Finally, in 2006 Eurovision in Athens she performed “Invincible” and reached the top5 for the third time, specifically in fifth place.

In 2008 she once again tried to find herself on the Eurovision stage, joining Melodifestivalen in a duet with Andreas Johnson, but only reaching the second chance round.

Hungary: A Dal returns for 2020, but no connection to Eurovision | Is the withdraw from the contest hidden behind?

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A few hours ago, Hungarian public broadcaster announced the details of the launch of “A Dal 2020”,the music competition, which is the country’s national final for Eurovision since 2012. However, the “A Dal 2020”  regulations do not mention anything about Eurovision 2020, and its terms are such that it seems to have nothing to do with the country’s participation in the Eurovision contest. Is this a sign that Hungary is withdrawing from the next event? Or will Hungary simply choose a direct assignment, as it did last time in 2011?

A Dal is one of the most successful programs on Hungarian public television. It is noteworthy that the final of the A Dal 2019 had higher ratings, both from the semifinal in which Joci Papai appeared and from the Eurovision final.

So Hungarian public broadcaster will host A Dal this year as well, but this will not be the country’s national final for Eurovision, as happened eight years ago.

The regulations published today do not mention a word about the Eurovision Contest, and entries that have been circulated from March 1st,2019 are allowed, which is in stark contrast to the EBU regulations, which impose the songs to have been released only after September 1st!

The winner of “A Dal 2020” will receive a cash prize, the right to participate in two very big music events in the country, as well as an advertising time to promote his\her song on Hungarian public radio.

Is Hungary’s first and only exclusion in Tel Aviv the reason that the national broadcaster  wants to withdraw from the next Eurovision? Is A Dal’s decoupling from joining Eurovision a potential upgrade they want to make at their home festival? Or does Hungary’s public television really want to follow the Euro-skeptic policy of its Prime Minister, Victor Orban, and not to take part in Rotterdam?

Whatever the answer, we will find it out soon. Until then, remember once again this year’s Hungarian entry with Joci Papai, who failed to qualify for the final:

Source: Escbubble

Greece: ERT’s new meeting on Greek participation in Eurovision 2020 | EXCLUSIVE

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The new greek public broadcaster’s administration does not seem to be waiting  the new year to begin the process of selecting Greece’s  entry in Eurovision 2020, something that ERT used to do in previous years, having already held its second meeting on this purpose.

ERT’s second Eurovision 2020 meeting

The second substantive meeting was held on Thursday,October 17th  at ERT’s headquarters aiming at elaborating its strategy regarding Eurovision 2020, as well as the Greek presence there.

An indication of the interest given by the new administration to the Eurovision project is that the meeting was attended by the Managing Director, members of the Board, the Director of International Relations of ERT and others.

According to our exclusive information, the possibility of a national final with various artists at this time seems to be completely eliminated. As we mentioned in our previous article, ERT focuses on direct assigning  and then finding the song via open call, but of course the direct selection of the song is also ruled out if something very good is found.

ERT’s goal is to gain a place in the top ten, which will put the country back in the game dynamically and as such they are geared towards finding partners with experience and proven positive results in the contest.

However, ERT also wants to exploit the contest commercially  in its program on television, as this program is one of the few that have such a large audience.

Ms Maria Koufopoulou, ERT’s Director of International Relations, told us in a conversation that the discussions were moving forward and ERT is already preparing for its participation in Rotterdam.

New meeting in the coming days

In the coming days, however, there will be a new meeting at ERT and perhaps then we will have the first major developments as regards the artist who will represent Greece  at the 65th Eurovision Song Contest.

Stay tuned for all the exclusive details on this issue!