Hi, everyone! A few weeks back, I mentioned that I would be migrating over from Blogspot to Wordpress, and moving to the official ESCInsider.com address. Well, I have officially started on the next chapter of this site, and I hope you'll come with me! So, keep on following my news, views, and interviews on the Eurovision Song Contest, please update your bookmarks to find me at http://escinsider.com/! My Twitter handle (@escinsider) and Facebook page are staying just the way they are, so you can find me there, too. To my loyal readers, thank you so much for coming with me on this journey, and I can't wait for 2012!
Hope to see you there!
-Samantha
Showing posts with label Personal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Personal. Show all posts
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Onwards and Upwards!
Hey, everyone!
It's been a pretty wild year here at the ESC Insider. As my loyal readers know, I've been working hard to share with you all my unique viewpoint on Eurovision past and present, all with a staff of one and a budget of nil. My first trip (really, for me, a pilgrimage) to a live Contest, getting to hang out in the Press Centre and meet the artists personally...well, life doesn't get much better than that. I hope you've been enjoying what I've been sending your way for these past two years, and I hope to keep it up for you all for a long time to come.
The ESC Insider isn't going to disappear anytime soon, but 2012 will be a year of change for me, and for this site, as well. I'm currently doing a bit of jiggery-pokery on my web presence, and that means I'll probably be migrating to the official www.escinsider.com domain within the next month or so. (No worries, though, as all the content that I've worked on here should come with me!) I'm not an expert in web design, so please bear with me as I make the Insider the best it can be! (If you have any suggestions on how to make it awesome, I'm all ears!)
Believe it or not, that's not even the biggest news from this end of things. As many of you know, I had the pleasure of working with ESCKaz.com in Düsseldorf this year, and I am incredibly indebted to them for giving me the opportunity to work with them in Germany. However, while I truly enjoyed reporting on breaking news and up-to-the-minute updates with Kaz, I've realized that my heart really does lie in more in-depth coverage. Because of that, I am THRILLED to announce that I will be working in tandem with the folks over at ESCInsight.com during next year's event in Baku, Azerbaijan. Fans who followed my goings-on in Germany may have caught a few of the lively morning podcasts that I participated in while I was out there, led by the irrepressible Ewan Spence...looks like I'll be participating in more of them!
In short, during the lead-up to Baku 2012, I'll be contributing to Insight by chipping in a number of articles, while maintaining the lion's share of my news and reviews here on Insider. While in Baku itself, I'll be working hand-in-hand with Ewan, Sharleen Wright, and company in order to bring you the in-depth ESC goodness that you've come to expect from both of our sites (I'll still be contributing to Insider, though, much like I did while I was in Düsseldorf). It'll be like chocolate and peanut butter, or like deep-frying and Mars Bars...two tastes that go even better together!
My first article is already up on Insight...check it out and let me know what you think!
It's been a pretty wild year here at the ESC Insider. As my loyal readers know, I've been working hard to share with you all my unique viewpoint on Eurovision past and present, all with a staff of one and a budget of nil. My first trip (really, for me, a pilgrimage) to a live Contest, getting to hang out in the Press Centre and meet the artists personally...well, life doesn't get much better than that. I hope you've been enjoying what I've been sending your way for these past two years, and I hope to keep it up for you all for a long time to come.
The ESC Insider isn't going to disappear anytime soon, but 2012 will be a year of change for me, and for this site, as well. I'm currently doing a bit of jiggery-pokery on my web presence, and that means I'll probably be migrating to the official www.escinsider.com domain within the next month or so. (No worries, though, as all the content that I've worked on here should come with me!) I'm not an expert in web design, so please bear with me as I make the Insider the best it can be! (If you have any suggestions on how to make it awesome, I'm all ears!)
Believe it or not, that's not even the biggest news from this end of things. As many of you know, I had the pleasure of working with ESCKaz.com in Düsseldorf this year, and I am incredibly indebted to them for giving me the opportunity to work with them in Germany. However, while I truly enjoyed reporting on breaking news and up-to-the-minute updates with Kaz, I've realized that my heart really does lie in more in-depth coverage. Because of that, I am THRILLED to announce that I will be working in tandem with the folks over at ESCInsight.com during next year's event in Baku, Azerbaijan. Fans who followed my goings-on in Germany may have caught a few of the lively morning podcasts that I participated in while I was out there, led by the irrepressible Ewan Spence...looks like I'll be participating in more of them!
In short, during the lead-up to Baku 2012, I'll be contributing to Insight by chipping in a number of articles, while maintaining the lion's share of my news and reviews here on Insider. While in Baku itself, I'll be working hand-in-hand with Ewan, Sharleen Wright, and company in order to bring you the in-depth ESC goodness that you've come to expect from both of our sites (I'll still be contributing to Insider, though, much like I did while I was in Düsseldorf). It'll be like chocolate and peanut butter, or like deep-frying and Mars Bars...two tastes that go even better together!
My first article is already up on Insight...check it out and let me know what you think!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Personal Highlights from these past 2 weeks
Well, like I've mentioned before, tonight's the Grand Final of the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest. For the past two weeks or so, I've had the honor and the pleasure of writing not only for ESCInsider, but also for ESCKaz.com, the official website of the OGAE Rest of the World fan club. My work with ESCKaz (and the press accreditation that comes with it) has afforded me the incredible opportunity to meet equally incredible people, from the fraternity of journalists here to the hardworking volunteers to the EBU staffers to the delegations and artists themselves. I cannot express my gratitude deeply enough to the ESCKaz team for not only giving me the chance to work with them, but also taking me under their wing and helping me learn on the fly as I was tossed into the Deep End of the Eurovision world.
I had the chance to interview 20 of this year's artists, and I got to meet nearly all of the performers either at the Euroclub or one of the myriad other events here over the past few weeks. I got particularly close to the Icelandic delegation, the Greeks, Raphael Gualazzi from Italy, Finland's Paradise Oskar, and the Sanmarinese staff. Even the biggest divas here were sweet and welcoming; Albania's Aurela Gaçe always greeted me as we passed each other in the hall (especially after I told her that I was from New Jersey).
I had the chance to interview 20 of this year's artists, and I got to meet nearly all of the performers either at the Euroclub or one of the myriad other events here over the past few weeks. I got particularly close to the Icelandic delegation, the Greeks, Raphael Gualazzi from Italy, Finland's Paradise Oskar, and the Sanmarinese staff. Even the biggest divas here were sweet and welcoming; Albania's Aurela Gaçe always greeted me as we passed each other in the hall (especially after I told her that I was from New Jersey).
Raphael Gualazzi's Epic Showcase
I've mentioned before how much I love Italy's entry this year. Raphael Gualazzi, who'll be performing "Madness of Love" on Saturday, is a brilliant jazz musician who takes his cues from both the old school beginnings of the genre as well as newer styles and techniques. (His album "Reality and Fantasy" is already out, so definitely give it a listen!) I had the chance to attend an exclusive press conference and showcase with Raphael and his band, with a special cameo from the boys in Blue (and France's Amaury Vassili was seen in the audience). The venue was a tiny, intimate little space, and I was sitting close enough to the action to see the sweat dripping from Raphael's brow as he pounded away at the piano. At times, his hands were absolute blurs (you should have seen his rendition of "Caravan"!), and there were a few instances where the sheet music sitting on the piano flew off of the rack and onto the keyboard, but he kept on playing with gusto. Blue stopped by and performed "I Can" and "Sorry Seems to Be The Hardest Word" while Raphael tickled the ivories behind them...unbelievably cool.
Who knows?
Wow, Blogspot couldn't have crapped out on me at a more inconvenient time...
Anyway, as some of you figured out, I went 9 for 10 on the Second Semi's results, but I promise you that that is where my lucky streak will end. I honestly have no idea who will take tonight's Eurovision crown, and I'm not the only one here in the press room who's up in the air! People are guessing Azerbaijan, Ireland, the UK, France, Iceland, Denmark...I think Serbia might surprise us a bit and come up to the Top 5, but this year's draw really put a damper on the pundits' predictions. Some of this year's strongest songs are being performed in the start of the running order, with former underdogs now in the sweet spots in the lineup. Then again, there are many who say that with the re-inclusion of the Jury's vote and televoting now allowed throughout the entire show, running order matters less, but Dino Merlin still grimaced when he drew #2. Only time will tell, my friends...
Anyway, as some of you figured out, I went 9 for 10 on the Second Semi's results, but I promise you that that is where my lucky streak will end. I honestly have no idea who will take tonight's Eurovision crown, and I'm not the only one here in the press room who's up in the air! People are guessing Azerbaijan, Ireland, the UK, France, Iceland, Denmark...I think Serbia might surprise us a bit and come up to the Top 5, but this year's draw really put a damper on the pundits' predictions. Some of this year's strongest songs are being performed in the start of the running order, with former underdogs now in the sweet spots in the lineup. Then again, there are many who say that with the re-inclusion of the Jury's vote and televoting now allowed throughout the entire show, running order matters less, but Dino Merlin still grimaced when he drew #2. Only time will tell, my friends...
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Semi 2 Predictions and Favorites...
Ok, I went 6/10 for Semifinal 1...let's see how Semi 2 turns out!
My Personal Favorites:
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Netherlands, Moldova, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Romania, Latvia, Denmark, Ireland. (Austria as honorable mention!)
My Predictions:
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Romania, Denmark, Ireland, Ukraine, Estonia, Austria, Sweden, Israel.
...let's see what happens in a few hours!
My Personal Favorites:
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Netherlands, Moldova, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Romania, Latvia, Denmark, Ireland. (Austria as honorable mention!)
My Predictions:
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Romania, Denmark, Ireland, Ukraine, Estonia, Austria, Sweden, Israel.
...let's see what happens in a few hours!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Just a thought...
Supposedly, there have been numerous problems with the audio and commentary feeds from many nations' broadcasts last night. Spain couldn't hear Norway, the UK heard an unbalanced Polish performance, and many commentators were forced to use their telephones to get their point across.
I'm pretty disappointed in this, considering the reputation that Germany has for their technical prowess. This being my first ESC, I can't personally compare the issues here with things that have happened in the past, but this seems somewhat unprecedented. The EBU and German Broadcaster NRD will have a joint press conference here in about 10 minutes to discuss what happened, and we'll go from there.
But, if this is all true, I'm happy to say that it might have disproven my theory that the Icelandic entry's success hinged on the commentary from the broadcasters currying a sympathy vote. Hopefully, this means that "Coming Home" passed into the final through their own merit, which makes me a very, very happy Samantha. :-)
I'm pretty disappointed in this, considering the reputation that Germany has for their technical prowess. This being my first ESC, I can't personally compare the issues here with things that have happened in the past, but this seems somewhat unprecedented. The EBU and German Broadcaster NRD will have a joint press conference here in about 10 minutes to discuss what happened, and we'll go from there.
But, if this is all true, I'm happy to say that it might have disproven my theory that the Icelandic entry's success hinged on the commentary from the broadcasters currying a sympathy vote. Hopefully, this means that "Coming Home" passed into the final through their own merit, which makes me a very, very happy Samantha. :-)
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Wow...just...wow...
I mean...where do I start? I had the honor of sitting in the very first row, within spitting distance of the catwalk and the stage, and right in front of a group from the Icelandic delegation. I was proudly waving the Icelandic flag for a few reasons:
1) They have no OGAE Club of their own, so they fall under the auspices of the Rest of the World division.
2) Iceland is geographically closest to my home country, the United States.
3) They have a great song, simply put!
I was sitting close enough to the action that I could make eye contact with some of the artists and feel the heat of the exploding pyrotechnics. The venue felt vast and intimate at the same time, and I doubt I'll ever have another concert experience quite like it!
Ok, now on to the results:
Some of these winners are not a surprise. We all expected Finland, Russia, Azerbaijan, and Greece to make it through. Opinions were divided on Serbia, Iceland, Georgia, and Hungary. But Lithuania and Switzerland were complete blindsides, with most people expecting Norway and Turkey to possibly pass through to the Final. All bets seem to be off for the Second Semi...expect the unexpected, my friends!
1) They have no OGAE Club of their own, so they fall under the auspices of the Rest of the World division.
2) Iceland is geographically closest to my home country, the United States.
3) They have a great song, simply put!
I was sitting close enough to the action that I could make eye contact with some of the artists and feel the heat of the exploding pyrotechnics. The venue felt vast and intimate at the same time, and I doubt I'll ever have another concert experience quite like it!
Ok, now on to the results:
Some of these winners are not a surprise. We all expected Finland, Russia, Azerbaijan, and Greece to make it through. Opinions were divided on Serbia, Iceland, Georgia, and Hungary. But Lithuania and Switzerland were complete blindsides, with most people expecting Norway and Turkey to possibly pass through to the Final. All bets seem to be off for the Second Semi...expect the unexpected, my friends!
My personal thoughts on Semi 1...
Well, tonight's the first Semifinal, and in a matter of hours, we'll have nine acts cut from the rosters and thrown into the bin of Eurovision History. This doesn't necessarily mean that the songs are bad, or that the performances have left anything to be desired, but some might either be edged out via political voting, jury vs. televoting choices, or even something as arbitrary as running order or costume. I had the chance to check out the first Dress Rehearsal yesterday afternoon (a few hours before the "Jury Final", where the professionals give their verdict).
Here are my thoughts on what you might see tonight:
Here are my thoughts on what you might see tonight:
Una conversación con Lucía Pérez
I do speak Spanish fluently, but it's really pretty awkward to do the interviewing and the translation at the same time, so major thanks go out to the volunteer who helped us out on this one! :-)
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Hanging out with Raphael Gualazzi
Very quiet and unassuming, very humble, and immensely talented. I had been looking forward to meeting him for a few weeks, and I'm so thrilled to have finally shaken his hand and gotten to take a peek inside his head.
A fantastic interview with Blue!
Wonderful, professional guys, and even more so when someone brought their cappuccinos! :-)
::insert fangirl "squee!" here::
Friday, May 6, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
By popular demand...
...Here's ESCKaz's interview with the lovely Dino Merlin. He's singing "Love in Rewind" for Bosnia and Herzegovina, first up in the Second Semifinal. I was behind the camera on this one, so I apologize in advance! ;-)
My interview with Serbia's magical Nina!
She was just as sweet as anything, and I'm LOVING the Serbian costume choices this year! Toggie, sorry to keep you so jealous...
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Some humble observations...
I've been sleeping an average of four hours a night, my shoulder is aching from carrying around my laptop every day, and the buses and metro stop running to the part of town where my apartment is way too early, so I have to spend about 25 Euros whenever I want to get back from the Euroclub. And yet, I can't remember when I've been this happy!
I'm part of a great team here at ESCKaz. We're a pretty unique site, with two generally autonomous subunits: English and Russian. On the English side, we've got Drew and Tam (who I haven't actually met yet, but they should be joining us soon), Mike, Daniel, and little ol' me. The Russians generally keep to themselves, with the exception of our Fearless Leader, Editor-in-Chief Andy, who bridges the gap and often acts as a translator for the Russian-speaking delegations that we interview. My day is generally spent running between my computer, press conferences, and artist interviews, with occasional jaunts to the Arena itself, the cafeteria, or my "pigeonhole", where I pick up promotional material like CDs or postcards from the delegations.
Business cards are flying out of my hands so quickly, I almost feel like Gambit.
Here in the MPC (Main Press Center), the atmosphere is universally welcoming. Watching the interactions between people here reminds me almost of the first few days of summer camp (only without the wedgies and bug juice). Everyone here has war stories: how bad the food was in Moscow, how cheap the beer was in Tallinn, how tiny the venue in Jerusalem was...I'm wondering what they'll say about Düsseldorf in five years' time...I know I'll be wishing that my apartment had been closer to civilization.
So far, I've been really impressed with the acts I've had the chance to speak to personally. Everyone's been sweet and accommodating (but, then again, the ones who wouldn't be sweet and accommodating probably aren't doing many one-on-one interviews!). It's always a bit surreal to meet these artists and find out that they're completely humble, normal people. Getting to have decent, human conversations with these guys kind of gives you a whole new perspective on the idea of "celebrity". Someone hugely popular in Country X might be completely overshadowed in Eurovision. Someone completely huge in Eurovision circles might be unknown outside of Europe. And little ol' me gets to hang out with all of them!
I'm part of a great team here at ESCKaz. We're a pretty unique site, with two generally autonomous subunits: English and Russian. On the English side, we've got Drew and Tam (who I haven't actually met yet, but they should be joining us soon), Mike, Daniel, and little ol' me. The Russians generally keep to themselves, with the exception of our Fearless Leader, Editor-in-Chief Andy, who bridges the gap and often acts as a translator for the Russian-speaking delegations that we interview. My day is generally spent running between my computer, press conferences, and artist interviews, with occasional jaunts to the Arena itself, the cafeteria, or my "pigeonhole", where I pick up promotional material like CDs or postcards from the delegations.
Business cards are flying out of my hands so quickly, I almost feel like Gambit.
Here in the MPC (Main Press Center), the atmosphere is universally welcoming. Watching the interactions between people here reminds me almost of the first few days of summer camp (only without the wedgies and bug juice). Everyone here has war stories: how bad the food was in Moscow, how cheap the beer was in Tallinn, how tiny the venue in Jerusalem was...I'm wondering what they'll say about Düsseldorf in five years' time...I know I'll be wishing that my apartment had been closer to civilization.
So far, I've been really impressed with the acts I've had the chance to speak to personally. Everyone's been sweet and accommodating (but, then again, the ones who wouldn't be sweet and accommodating probably aren't doing many one-on-one interviews!). It's always a bit surreal to meet these artists and find out that they're completely humble, normal people. Getting to have decent, human conversations with these guys kind of gives you a whole new perspective on the idea of "celebrity". Someone hugely popular in Country X might be completely overshadowed in Eurovision. Someone completely huge in Eurovision circles might be unknown outside of Europe. And little ol' me gets to hang out with all of them!
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