Continuing on through our tour of the 2011 Preselections, we move straight on from Bulgaria to...
Croatia: Few people who were in the Press Center in Düsseldorf will soon be able to forget Daria Kinzer's "Celebrate", complete with two costume changes and a special appearance by a creepy Willy Wonka impersonator. But only the most hardcore of ESC fans remembers that the lovely Daria had some serious competition in this year's Dora: Jacques Houdek. Daria and Jacques went head-to-head on three songs, with a public televote and jury vote selecting the best option for each singer. The interesting thing about this, however, was that the scores were tied after the jury and televote was added together during the song selection, with the public favoring "Stotinama Godina (A Hundred Years)" for both Daria and Jacques (by a landslide), and the jury selecting "Lahor/Break a Leg/Celebrate" for the two. Most national finals used the public vote as the prevailing factor, but Croatia deferred to the jury. The uptempo number seemed better-suited for the lovely Daria, and so Jacques' fate as runner-up was sealed. But we were tantalizingly close to having this, instead:
"Stotinama Godina" reminds me of the classic Croatian ballads of years past: songs like "Neka Mi Ne Svane", or "Nek' ti bude ljubav sva" (which, interestingly enough, Jacques performed during the national selection process). It's hard to say if this would have made it into the Final (I'm sure that some would have argued that it sounded "dated"), but I personally preferred it to "Celebrate". As for Jacques, I wouldn't count him out. In a commercial for this year's UK version of "X-Factor", eagle-eyed viewers can catch a quick glimpse of Houdek auditioning for the show that introduced the world to Jedward. Brace yourselves, my friends.
Showing posts with label Croatia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Croatia. Show all posts
Friday, August 26, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
New Videos from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Latvia (plus, new versions for France and Croatia!)
Over the past week, a number of new videos have been released for this year's Eurovision hopefuls. Let's have a look, shall we?
First up, Armenia has revealed the official clip for Emmy's "Boom Boom", featuring German-Armenian boxer Arthur Abraham:
Well, at least the Armenians are probably realizing just how kitschy their song is...having Emmy and her pals dance around in a ring, wearing bedazzled boxing gloves and randomly turning into comic book characters is a pretty decent sign that they're taking "Boom Boom" with a grain of salt (and I, for one, could use a margarita after watching it. Oy...)
Next up, we've got Armenia's cross-Caucasus neighbors (and perpetual rivals) Azerbaijan, who released a second clip for Eldar and Nigar's "Running Scared":
Compared to previous years' entries from Baku, "Running Scared" is elegant, subtle, and sweet. The video is visually beautiful (not only because of the landscapes, but also for the copious shots of Eldar and Nigar!). I'm not quite sure why Azerbaijan insisted on recording a second video for "Running Scared", as their first version was definitely not unpleasant, but considering the country's penchant for Eurovision excess, they probably just figured that any money spent was money well spent.
First up, Armenia has revealed the official clip for Emmy's "Boom Boom", featuring German-Armenian boxer Arthur Abraham:
Well, at least the Armenians are probably realizing just how kitschy their song is...having Emmy and her pals dance around in a ring, wearing bedazzled boxing gloves and randomly turning into comic book characters is a pretty decent sign that they're taking "Boom Boom" with a grain of salt (and I, for one, could use a margarita after watching it. Oy...)
Next up, we've got Armenia's cross-Caucasus neighbors (and perpetual rivals) Azerbaijan, who released a second clip for Eldar and Nigar's "Running Scared":
Compared to previous years' entries from Baku, "Running Scared" is elegant, subtle, and sweet. The video is visually beautiful (not only because of the landscapes, but also for the copious shots of Eldar and Nigar!). I'm not quite sure why Azerbaijan insisted on recording a second video for "Running Scared", as their first version was definitely not unpleasant, but considering the country's penchant for Eurovision excess, they probably just figured that any money spent was money well spent.
Monday, March 14, 2011
More new versions and videos released!
As expected, Albania has revamped their entry for Düsseldorf. What was once Aurela Gaçe's "Kënga Ime" is now "Feel the Passion":
I feel like I'm in the minority here, but I loved Aurela's song the first time I heard it, and this revamp only solidifies my position. Aurela is this year's diva, and whether she wins or not, she is making this her show. (It's funny, though; I was talking with my friend Slavi yesterday before we saw the new video or heard the translation, and I told him how I imagined that the clip would somehow involve Aurela standing on top of a mountain or other high point, a wind machine fluttering around some epic dress, and an eagle soaring. I should have placed money on it!)
I feel like I'm in the minority here, but I loved Aurela's song the first time I heard it, and this revamp only solidifies my position. Aurela is this year's diva, and whether she wins or not, she is making this her show. (It's funny, though; I was talking with my friend Slavi yesterday before we saw the new video or heard the translation, and I told him how I imagined that the clip would somehow involve Aurela standing on top of a mountain or other high point, a wind machine fluttering around some epic dress, and an eagle soaring. I should have placed money on it!)
Friday, March 11, 2011
Updates and Videos and Translations, oh my!
Not sure what's in the water in Europe today, but today we're not only officially hearing the songs from the UK and San Marino (although the British song "I Can" was leaked yesterday, I'll wait until after their official performance on "The Graham Norton Show" to post the clip), but revamped songs from Croatia and Georgia, a translated Dutch song, and the videos from Ireland, Spain, and Italy have all been released!
From Croatia, we have Daria Kinzer's "Celebrate", the former "Lahor" and "Break a Leg":
From Croatia, we have Daria Kinzer's "Celebrate", the former "Lahor" and "Break a Leg":
Monday, March 7, 2011
Daria Kinzer for Croatia: "Break a Leg"
Croatia's Dora 2011 finally drew to a close this weekend, after weeks of semifinal heats where 24 singers belted out covers of Croatian and international hits in order to reach the finals, where the top two performers would each get to sing the three candidate songs for Eurovision. A combined jury/audience vote decided which song each singer would present, and then those top two performances were compared against each other to determine the ultimate winner.
The final two singers were the German-born newcomer Daria Kinzer and Dora veteran Jacques Houdek, with the song "Lahor (Breeze)" selected for both, even though the audience overwhelmingly favored ballad "Stotinama godina (Hundreds of Years)" for both Jacques and Daria. After a second vote, Daria was selected as the winner, although Jacques rendition of "Lahor" was nothing to sneeze at, either!
I am a bit disappointed in the final result of Dora 2011. While Daria is a completely capable singer and performer, I almost feel like she's just another pretty face. During the interview portions of the program, Jacques seemed more personable and animated, and he also has a larger following both in Croatia and the greater Balkan region. Considering that a lovely performance from Feminnem wasn't enough to get them out of the semifinals last year, Croatia needed something that would set them apart, and I just don't think "Lahor" is the song to do it. Even if they plan on singing it in English (with the less-than-elegant title of "Break a Leg", an idiom that might not translate easily for non-English speakers), they will need an absolutely unforgettable stage show to really boost them back into the high results that they enjoyed back in the mid-to-late 1990s.
Update!: It seems that the song will be revamped, including a much-needed name change. What once was "Lahor" and then "Break a Leg", will now simply be called "Celebrate".
The final two singers were the German-born newcomer Daria Kinzer and Dora veteran Jacques Houdek, with the song "Lahor (Breeze)" selected for both, even though the audience overwhelmingly favored ballad "Stotinama godina (Hundreds of Years)" for both Jacques and Daria. After a second vote, Daria was selected as the winner, although Jacques rendition of "Lahor" was nothing to sneeze at, either!
I am a bit disappointed in the final result of Dora 2011. While Daria is a completely capable singer and performer, I almost feel like she's just another pretty face. During the interview portions of the program, Jacques seemed more personable and animated, and he also has a larger following both in Croatia and the greater Balkan region. Considering that a lovely performance from Feminnem wasn't enough to get them out of the semifinals last year, Croatia needed something that would set them apart, and I just don't think "Lahor" is the song to do it. Even if they plan on singing it in English (with the less-than-elegant title of "Break a Leg", an idiom that might not translate easily for non-English speakers), they will need an absolutely unforgettable stage show to really boost them back into the high results that they enjoyed back in the mid-to-late 1990s.
Update!: It seems that the song will be revamped, including a much-needed name change. What once was "Lahor" and then "Break a Leg", will now simply be called "Celebrate".
Thursday, February 10, 2011
The Weekend Preview, 2/10
We've got another busy weekend ahead of us, so let's dive right into what we can expect from all over the Eurovision world over the next few days!
On Friday, Azerbaijan will finally make their decision on who they'll send to Germany this year. Their preselection process started back in mid-November with 77 candidates, and they've finally been narrowed down to five final performers: Aynishan Qulieva, Ilgara Ibrahimova, Eldar Gasimov, Ilhama Gasimova, and Nigar Camal. It's still a bit unclear how the song will be selected; last year, the top three candidates sang three different songs, and while the winning performer was selected the night of the finals, the winning song wasn't confirmed until over two weeks later. Considering Azerbaijan's penchant for flexibility on their preselection processes (their dates have been moved around many times, for example), who knows what answers we may find tomorrow night, or what questions will remain!
Also on Friday, Ireland will pick the artist and song that they hope will bring the nation to the top of the Eurovision heap for an eight year. Brief snippets of the songs were released last week, but they were heard in their entirety for the first time just today.
Don Mescall - Talking with Jennifer (written by Ronan Hardiman, Don Mescall)
Nikki Kavanaugh - Falling (written by Christina Schilling, Camilla Gottschalck, Jonas Gladnikoff, and Hanif Sabzevari)
Bling - Shine On (written by Patrick Mahoney)
The Vard Sisters - Send Me an Angel (written by Liam Lawton)
Jedward - Lipstick (written by Dan Priddy, Lars Jensen, and Martin Larson)
Ironically, "Lipstick" is the only song that has been removed from YouTube for copyright reasons. Why ironically? Well, first, as its considered the frontrunner in tomorrow's competition, and second, as a portion of the song was "accidentally" released on Amazon.com too early, prompting RTÉ to make the decision only one third in the hands of the audience's vote, rather than fifty percent. The remaining part of the decision will be in the hands of regional juries throughout Ireland.
On Friday, Azerbaijan will finally make their decision on who they'll send to Germany this year. Their preselection process started back in mid-November with 77 candidates, and they've finally been narrowed down to five final performers: Aynishan Qulieva, Ilgara Ibrahimova, Eldar Gasimov, Ilhama Gasimova, and Nigar Camal. It's still a bit unclear how the song will be selected; last year, the top three candidates sang three different songs, and while the winning performer was selected the night of the finals, the winning song wasn't confirmed until over two weeks later. Considering Azerbaijan's penchant for flexibility on their preselection processes (their dates have been moved around many times, for example), who knows what answers we may find tomorrow night, or what questions will remain!
Also on Friday, Ireland will pick the artist and song that they hope will bring the nation to the top of the Eurovision heap for an eight year. Brief snippets of the songs were released last week, but they were heard in their entirety for the first time just today.
Don Mescall - Talking with Jennifer (written by Ronan Hardiman, Don Mescall)
Nikki Kavanaugh - Falling (written by Christina Schilling, Camilla Gottschalck, Jonas Gladnikoff, and Hanif Sabzevari)
Bling - Shine On (written by Patrick Mahoney)
The Vard Sisters - Send Me an Angel (written by Liam Lawton)
Jedward - Lipstick (written by Dan Priddy, Lars Jensen, and Martin Larson)
Ironically, "Lipstick" is the only song that has been removed from YouTube for copyright reasons. Why ironically? Well, first, as its considered the frontrunner in tomorrow's competition, and second, as a portion of the song was "accidentally" released on Amazon.com too early, prompting RTÉ to make the decision only one third in the hands of the audience's vote, rather than fifty percent. The remaining part of the decision will be in the hands of regional juries throughout Ireland.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
The Weekend Update, 2/6
Another weekend has come and gone, with tons of Eurovision news to report!
Norway:
The Second Chance round, or "Siste Sjansen", has wrapped up, with eight songs battling against each other in a series of tournament-style knockout rounds. After all of the carnage subsided, we were left with two songs standing, and going to the finals next week. And they are...
Sie Gubba - "Alt Du Vil Ha" and
The Lucky Bullets - "Fire Below"
Next week is the Norwegian Final...who are your favorites?
Croatia:
Yesterday, the top twelve contestants (including Daria Kinzer, selected as last week's Wild Card) returned to the stage, fighting for six places in the next round. Five of those placements were decided last night, while the sixth will be announced on next week's show. Daria Kinzer, Mirko Švenda, Jacques Houdek, Katica Marinović, and Ana Eškinja. Next week, those Top 6 performers will try to make it to the Top 4.
Lithuania:
The first round of Eurovizija 2011 kicked off this weekend in Lithuania. A total of fourteen songs vied for only three spots in the final, and here are the victors:
Monika - Days go By
The Independent - 7th Bus
Sasha Song - The Slogan of Our Nation (Eurofans might recognize Sasha from his beautiful, yet undervalued 2009 ESC entry, "Love")
Norway:
The Second Chance round, or "Siste Sjansen", has wrapped up, with eight songs battling against each other in a series of tournament-style knockout rounds. After all of the carnage subsided, we were left with two songs standing, and going to the finals next week. And they are...
Sie Gubba - "Alt Du Vil Ha" and
The Lucky Bullets - "Fire Below"
Next week is the Norwegian Final...who are your favorites?
Croatia:
Yesterday, the top twelve contestants (including Daria Kinzer, selected as last week's Wild Card) returned to the stage, fighting for six places in the next round. Five of those placements were decided last night, while the sixth will be announced on next week's show. Daria Kinzer, Mirko Švenda, Jacques Houdek, Katica Marinović, and Ana Eškinja. Next week, those Top 6 performers will try to make it to the Top 4.
Lithuania:
The first round of Eurovizija 2011 kicked off this weekend in Lithuania. A total of fourteen songs vied for only three spots in the final, and here are the victors:
Monika - Days go By
The Independent - 7th Bus
Sasha Song - The Slogan of Our Nation (Eurofans might recognize Sasha from his beautiful, yet undervalued 2009 ESC entry, "Love")
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Second Heat in Croatia's "Dora 2011"
The second heat of Croatia's preselection, "Dora" was this weekend, and we've got six more names moving on to the next round of competition.
Qualifying from last week's round of performers via viewer televote was Tina Vukov.
Making it through to the next heat from this weekend's round are Doris Teur, Mirko Švenda, Katica Marinović, Ana Eškinja, and Saša Lozar. We'll get another name next week, when the results of the long-term public vote wrap up, and from those Top Twelve, only six will proceed on to the following round. From those six, the top four will compete, and the contestant-whittling will continue until we have our Croatian winner on March 5th!
Qualifying from last week's round of performers via viewer televote was Tina Vukov.
Making it through to the next heat from this weekend's round are Doris Teur, Mirko Švenda, Katica Marinović, Ana Eškinja, and Saša Lozar. We'll get another name next week, when the results of the long-term public vote wrap up, and from those Top Twelve, only six will proceed on to the following round. From those six, the top four will compete, and the contestant-whittling will continue until we have our Croatian winner on March 5th!
Monday, January 24, 2011
The Weekend Update, 1/23
Another day, another update...Semifinals have continued this weekend in Finland, Iceland, and Norway, and Croatia's preselection has kicked off, as well. There are also further updates from Azerbaijan, Portugal, Moldova, and Malta! And away we go...
Finland:
Three more acts have moved on to the Finnish Final after this Friday's semi. After a public vote, this week's winners are:
Paradise Oskar - "Da Da Dam" (Reminds me a bit of Belgium's Tom Dice from last year, don't you think? If Tom were a member of Greenpeace Suomi, this might have been the result.)
Milana Misic - "Sydämeni kaksi maata (Two Countries of my Heart)" (Milana is the daughter of a Croatian father and a Finnish mother who actually represented her nation fifty years ago in Finland's debut ESC entry.)
Father McKenzie - "Good Enough" (Yes, they're named for the character in "Eleanor Rigby"!)
Knocked out at this round of the competition were Jimi Constantine's "Party to Party" and Soma Manuchar's "Strong". An interesting point of trivia, courtesy of reader Stefanos in Finland: Soma's outfit was designed by Mert Otsamo, a finalist on the first season of "Muodin huipulle", the Finnish version of "Project Runway". According to Stefanos, "I liked his work on Muodin Huipulle more than I did Soma's outfit." I haven't seen any of Otsamo's work, but after seeing Soma's outfit, I'd be hard-pressed to imagine I'd disagree.
Next, we move on to Iceland:
It's been a week of highs and lows for Iceland this week. On Tuesday, we heard the sad and sudden news of the passing of Sigurjón Brink at the age of only 36. He was supposed to sing in the third semifinal next week, and it has been decided by both the network and his family that his entry, "Aftur Heim (Back Home)" would be performed as a tribute by a group of his friends and fellow musicians, and will therefore remain in the competition. Next week's semifinal heat is sure to be an emotional one.
In the second semifinal, which aired last night, we had five songs competing for two slots in the final. The victorious tunes were:
Yohanna - "Nótt (Night)" (As I mentioned last week, Yohanna came in second place back in the 2009 competition with "Is It True?" I try to stay as neutral and impartial as I can, especially during the preselection phase of the Eurovision year, but I honestly think that Yohanna might, in fact, be the personification of a Disney princess.)
Matthías Matthíasson & Erla Björg Káradóttir - "Eldgos (Eruption)" (I speak no Icelandic, but I'm pretty sure I recognized the word "Eyjafjallajökull" at the start of the song...is this a tribute to the epic volcano that covered half of Europe in ash last year? Any Icelandic readers wish to comment?)
We've got more news after the break!
Finland:
Three more acts have moved on to the Finnish Final after this Friday's semi. After a public vote, this week's winners are:
Paradise Oskar - "Da Da Dam" (Reminds me a bit of Belgium's Tom Dice from last year, don't you think? If Tom were a member of Greenpeace Suomi, this might have been the result.)
Milana Misic - "Sydämeni kaksi maata (Two Countries of my Heart)" (Milana is the daughter of a Croatian father and a Finnish mother who actually represented her nation fifty years ago in Finland's debut ESC entry.)
Father McKenzie - "Good Enough" (Yes, they're named for the character in "Eleanor Rigby"!)
Knocked out at this round of the competition were Jimi Constantine's "Party to Party" and Soma Manuchar's "Strong". An interesting point of trivia, courtesy of reader Stefanos in Finland: Soma's outfit was designed by Mert Otsamo, a finalist on the first season of "Muodin huipulle", the Finnish version of "Project Runway". According to Stefanos, "I liked his work on Muodin Huipulle more than I did Soma's outfit." I haven't seen any of Otsamo's work, but after seeing Soma's outfit, I'd be hard-pressed to imagine I'd disagree.
Next, we move on to Iceland:
It's been a week of highs and lows for Iceland this week. On Tuesday, we heard the sad and sudden news of the passing of Sigurjón Brink at the age of only 36. He was supposed to sing in the third semifinal next week, and it has been decided by both the network and his family that his entry, "Aftur Heim (Back Home)" would be performed as a tribute by a group of his friends and fellow musicians, and will therefore remain in the competition. Next week's semifinal heat is sure to be an emotional one.
In the second semifinal, which aired last night, we had five songs competing for two slots in the final. The victorious tunes were:
Yohanna - "Nótt (Night)" (As I mentioned last week, Yohanna came in second place back in the 2009 competition with "Is It True?" I try to stay as neutral and impartial as I can, especially during the preselection phase of the Eurovision year, but I honestly think that Yohanna might, in fact, be the personification of a Disney princess.)
Matthías Matthíasson & Erla Björg Káradóttir - "Eldgos (Eruption)" (I speak no Icelandic, but I'm pretty sure I recognized the word "Eyjafjallajökull" at the start of the song...is this a tribute to the epic volcano that covered half of Europe in ash last year? Any Icelandic readers wish to comment?)
We've got more news after the break!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Congratulations and Condolences...
I've only got a quick moment to write, but I just wanted to cover two quick points...
1) On November 20, the 2010 Junior Eurovision Song Contest was held in Minsk, Belarus. I mentioned the JESC briefly in the past, but for those of you who are unfamiliar with it, it's a smaller-scale contest for performers under the age of 16 (the minimum age to compete in the full Eurovision). This year, 14 songs were submitted, mostly from Eastern Europe. Despite all indications that Georgia's Mariam Kakhelishvili would with with her Lady Gaga-inspired "Mari Dari"(which, in my opinion, toes the line between cute and terrifying), the eventual winner was Armenia's Vladimir Arzumanyan with "Mama", beating Russia's "Boy and Girl" by a single point. Here's the winning performance:
This is Armenia's first victory in any of the EBU-sanctioned competitions (the ESC, JESC, or Eurovision Dance Contest), and while I was personally rooting for Belgium, Lithuania, or Sweden, I can't deny that 12-year-old Vladimir really worked it out on stage, and while many might grumble about political votes or diaspora support, I do think that the little guy from Stepanakert earned his victory.
2) On the more solemn side of things, however, I'm saddened to report the passing of Ladislav "Laci" Demeterffy, better known to the ESC world as "75 Cents". In 2008, he performed alongside Croatian representatives Kraljevi Ulice with their song "Romanca". The elderly Laci (who picked his pseudonym as a reference to his age at the time) waxed poetic, flirted, and even did a bit of scratching on an old gramophone while on stage, and he holds the record for the oldest Eurovision contestant ever. He passed away peacefully on November 19th in Zagreb at the age of 77. This was one of my favorite performances of that year, due in no small part to Laci's contribution. May he rest in peace, and may his loved ones be comforted by the fact that he made so many people happy with his most famous performance (seen below).
Until next time!
1) On November 20, the 2010 Junior Eurovision Song Contest was held in Minsk, Belarus. I mentioned the JESC briefly in the past, but for those of you who are unfamiliar with it, it's a smaller-scale contest for performers under the age of 16 (the minimum age to compete in the full Eurovision). This year, 14 songs were submitted, mostly from Eastern Europe. Despite all indications that Georgia's Mariam Kakhelishvili would with with her Lady Gaga-inspired "Mari Dari"(which, in my opinion, toes the line between cute and terrifying), the eventual winner was Armenia's Vladimir Arzumanyan with "Mama", beating Russia's "Boy and Girl" by a single point. Here's the winning performance:
This is Armenia's first victory in any of the EBU-sanctioned competitions (the ESC, JESC, or Eurovision Dance Contest), and while I was personally rooting for Belgium, Lithuania, or Sweden, I can't deny that 12-year-old Vladimir really worked it out on stage, and while many might grumble about political votes or diaspora support, I do think that the little guy from Stepanakert earned his victory.
2) On the more solemn side of things, however, I'm saddened to report the passing of Ladislav "Laci" Demeterffy, better known to the ESC world as "75 Cents". In 2008, he performed alongside Croatian representatives Kraljevi Ulice with their song "Romanca". The elderly Laci (who picked his pseudonym as a reference to his age at the time) waxed poetic, flirted, and even did a bit of scratching on an old gramophone while on stage, and he holds the record for the oldest Eurovision contestant ever. He passed away peacefully on November 19th in Zagreb at the age of 77. This was one of my favorite performances of that year, due in no small part to Laci's contribution. May he rest in peace, and may his loved ones be comforted by the fact that he made so many people happy with his most famous performance (seen below).
Until next time!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
ESC 2010 Reviews: Croatia
Croatia, like Bosnia & Herzegovina, entered the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time as an independent nation back in 1993. Just like "Sva Bol Svieta", Croatia's entry "Don't Ever Cry" quietly alluded to the then-ongoing conflict in the Balkans. Out of the three debuting countries in Millstreet that night, Croatia scored the highest, beating out Bosnia & Herzegovina and neighbor Slovenia. Since that night, Croatia has generally scored fairly well, although their only victory came back in 1989, when the Croatian broadcaster bore the flag for a then-unified Yugoslavia and Riva's "Rock Me" took the crown to Zagreb.
Two of my favorite Croatian entries were from back-to-back years. In 1998, Danijela Martinović opened the show with the wistful, almost lullabye-esque "Neka Mi Ne Svane" ("May Dawn Never Rise"), and finished in fifth place in the first ESC to feature audience voting alongside a jury ballot. The next year, Doris Dragović came in 4th place in Jerusalem with the more uptempo "Marija Magdalena". (Incidentally, these two songs are my personal nominees for "Best Mid-Song Costume Change", next to the United Kingdom in 1981, Latvia in 2002, and Georgia in 2008. Just saying!)
However, it looks like this year's entry might be joining Danijela and Doris as my favorite entry from Zagreb ever! As per usual, Croatian broadcaster HRT held their traditional national selection "Dora", and the winner, chosen via a public and jury vote, was Feminnem with "Lako Je Sve" ("Everything is Easy"). Now, as I mentioned in the Bosnia & Herzegovina article, Feminnem are no strangers to the ESC. Their song "Call Me" won 14th place in 2005, and they're ready to better their score with this powerful and beautiful ballad, which dips back and forth between sweet and heartbreaking.
Feminnem: Lako je sve - The official video from Eurofest Croatia on Vimeo.
My prediction for the ladies from Feminnem? Well, they'll be performing in the difficult Second Semifinal, but if they pass, then they'll have the benefit of a beautiful song, performers who are no strangers to the Eurovision Stage, and the fact that they're a member of the often-advantageous Balkan voting bloc. If they make the finals, and they put together a good staged performance, you can expect a Top Ten, if not a Top Five position. It's definitely one of my favorites this year.
Two of my favorite Croatian entries were from back-to-back years. In 1998, Danijela Martinović opened the show with the wistful, almost lullabye-esque "Neka Mi Ne Svane" ("May Dawn Never Rise"), and finished in fifth place in the first ESC to feature audience voting alongside a jury ballot. The next year, Doris Dragović came in 4th place in Jerusalem with the more uptempo "Marija Magdalena". (Incidentally, these two songs are my personal nominees for "Best Mid-Song Costume Change", next to the United Kingdom in 1981, Latvia in 2002, and Georgia in 2008. Just saying!)
However, it looks like this year's entry might be joining Danijela and Doris as my favorite entry from Zagreb ever! As per usual, Croatian broadcaster HRT held their traditional national selection "Dora", and the winner, chosen via a public and jury vote, was Feminnem with "Lako Je Sve" ("Everything is Easy"). Now, as I mentioned in the Bosnia & Herzegovina article, Feminnem are no strangers to the ESC. Their song "Call Me" won 14th place in 2005, and they're ready to better their score with this powerful and beautiful ballad, which dips back and forth between sweet and heartbreaking.
Feminnem: Lako je sve - The official video from Eurofest Croatia on Vimeo.
My prediction for the ladies from Feminnem? Well, they'll be performing in the difficult Second Semifinal, but if they pass, then they'll have the benefit of a beautiful song, performers who are no strangers to the Eurovision Stage, and the fact that they're a member of the often-advantageous Balkan voting bloc. If they make the finals, and they put together a good staged performance, you can expect a Top Ten, if not a Top Five position. It's definitely one of my favorites this year.
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