Aug, 2008

Aug 26th, 2008

Three months to Junior Eurovision 2008

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Remember what happened last year at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam? Alexey Zhigalkovich with his song S Druzyami brought the victory to Belarus. The host of the 2008 Contest, however, is selected by application, and not by victory.

So, the sunny island of Cyprus will soon be swarming with thousands of Eurovision fans. Thrilled young singers, excited music mentors, and nervous mothers from all over Europe will join in to celebrate music.


When? The day is November 22, Saturday. And the place is Spyros Kyprianou Arena in Lemasos.

You can already buy tickets and bring your kids to this lovely concert. The party starts at 21.15 local time, or 20.15 CET. Two dress rehearsals will be held on the previous day and one on the day of the Grand Final.

The organisers promise sunny weather and high temperatures, so, don’t forget to pack your bathing suit as well :-)

Aug 25th, 2008

Dates for Eurovision 2009: mark in your organiser

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Are you having some time off Eurovision? Yes? Shocking! Some people are working hard for us to be able to enjoy the party again and again. Me being among them, I’ll let you know what’s cooking about the up-coming Eurovision Song Contest ;-)

So, above all, Mr. Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister of Russia, announced that the contest will be held in Moscow and not in the Northern capital of the country Saint Petersburg as speculated earlier.

Channel One Russia will have the pleasure to host the 2009 Eurovision Song contest, to be held in May next year. The exact dates, announced recently by the EBU are as follows:

Semi-Final 1: Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Semi-Final 2: Thursday, 14 May 2009
Grand Final: Saturday, 16 May 2009

Probably, though not yet confirmed, the Olimpiisky indoor arena in Moscow will be the venue of the event.

As some Russian online newspapers have already suggested, just the repair works of the venue will cost some 10 million Euros. Russia as well as the municipality of Moscow have started drafting an action plan for getting ready for the event with keeping the expenses as low as possible. Complex reconstruction works of the venue will start pretty soon. Since its opening back in 1980 Sports Complex Olimpiisky has been hosting more than 600 events annually.

So, be quick to look for hotels, check out your friends living in Moscow, and book a flight to the Russian capital for mid-May. And don’t forget that this city is one of the most expensive places in the world. So, you have 8 months to work hard and earn enough money for this memorable week. Good luck.

Aug 8th, 2008

Simon Mathew: All For Fame

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So, there I am, lying in the passenger’s seat, a couple of days after the ESC Final, getting a ride from Belgrade back home, trying to catch some sleep. I start fumbling sleepily through the heap of albums and singles I got during the ESC weeks, searching for who knows what. I already know most of the songs by heart, and it’s not worth bothering, no, not this time. But an album catches my eye. Simon Mathew seems to be winking to me from the glossy cover, shouting – play me, play me.

So, the album I’ve been listening to in my car since from time to time since Eurovision 08 is Simon Mathew’s All For Fame, the perfect summer collection. It takes off with the merry upbeat tune of Get Me High, so much in Simon’s typical style. I wonder why Simon did not pick up Deep or Stay On for his Danish Eurovision entry, much deeper indeed. Great music!

Kicking Up A Storm is a breath of fresh air as well. The rest is left for you to discover. Well, if you listen to it 100 times, it might sound less and less original, and this is its major drawback. Yet, the vocal is nice and recognisable, making the “All for Fame” a must-have. Enjoy it!