Eurovision 2011: The Best of the Rest (Part 7)

Romania: Romania's National Selection was an hours-long affair that also doubled as a New Year's Celebration, with 2010 representatives Paula Seling and Ovi co-managing hosting duties. Guest stars Chiara and Niamh Kavanagh even stopped by to join in the fun.  At the end of the night, Hotel FM won the ticket to Germany with the peppy, optimistic "Change".  (British-born lead singer David Bryan provided quite a bit of fun for my friends and I at the Press Center, whether he knew it or not...David, if you're reading this, thanks for being so good-natured about all of it!)

The Romanian National Selection was pretty even-keeled, in the sense that none of the songs really strayed too far from the melodic pop mold.  Unfortunately, that means that it's somewhat difficult to point out a unique entry for the purposes of this blog!  That being said, I consistently smile whenever I hear "It's So Fine", the 7th-place finisher from the Blaxy Girls:

...and I was more than a little amused by the country tinge I heard from Dalma in "Song for Him", which came in 11th place:

Follow Up Single Time!

As is customary in the days following Eurovision, many of the artists that we have come to know and love from their participation on the ESC stage realize that there is, in fact, life after the world's largest musical competition.  (Granted, the same can't necessarily be said about the bloggers you have come to know and love, who still cling to every fiber of their time in the Press Center!).  Whether an artist is a newcomer on the scene or a professional with an established career, it's only natural that new singles follow on the heels of the Grand Final.

Italy's representative Raphael Gualazzi released his album "Reality and Fantasy", and since its release in February it has reached #1 on the iTunes Jazz charts all over Europe.  (It's also available on iTunes in the US, and I give it my personal ESCInsider seal of approval!)  Raphael's keeping the momentum up releasing the follow-up single to "Follia d'Amore/Madness of Love", "A Three Second Breath".


We also have a pair of releases from Greece's artists.  Rapper Stereo Mike is currently working on a radio edit for his song "Μπορώ/Mporo (I)".  Taken from his new album "Ανέλιξη (Evolution)", Mike actually decided to release "Μπορώ" after asking his Facebook and Twitter followers what his next single should be.  He's currently in the studio remixing the track, but here's the full album edit: 



Not to be outdone, Loukas Yiorkas also has a new single out.  Teaming up again with composer Giannis Christodoulopoulos and lyricist Eleana Vrachali (the pair behind "Watch My Dance"), Loukas has unveiled his next track, "Για Πρώτη Φορά/Gia Proti Fora (For the First Time)".

It's Hotel FM for Romania!

After a MARATHON of a preselection, spanning over five hours (and technically, two years!), the Romanians have come up with their representative to Eurovision for 2011.  After coming in 4th place during last year's Selecţia Naţională with their song "Come as One", Oradea-based band Hotel FM will go to Düsseldorf with their song "Change".


It's a light, poppy song that reminds me a bit of Simon Mathew's "All Night Long" for Denmark from a few years back.  It's got a light, happy message that often fits nicely into Eurovision, and it's completely inoffensive.  (Plus, it seems that the lead singer is British, which would explain why his English is so flawless!)  I'm not sure if it's as much of a standout as Paula and Ovi's "Playing with Fire" from last year, which took Romania to a 3rd place finish.  But this will likely crack into the finals, with 12 points from Moldova, as per usual. 

This is likely my last message to you all in 2010 (although it's already past midnight in Europe!)...I just want to wish all of my readers the happiest, healthiest, and most prosperous year for 2011!  I hope to continue bringing you all the best in news, opinions, and predictions...and I hope you're along for the ride with me!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
-Samantha

ESC 2010 Reviews: Romania

Romania, like many other nations from the Central-to-Eastern European region, entered the ESC in the mid-1990s.  The first entry from Bucharest came in 1994, the same year as Lithuania, Estonia, Slovakia, Russia, Hungary, and Poland.  Since then, Romania's found some half-decent success, including a set of third and fourth-place finishes in the middle of this past decade.  They're one of only a handful of countries to have qualified for every final since the semifinal system began back in 2004, but they haven't broken into the Top Ten since 2006.

My personal favorite entry from Romania was actually their debut.  Dan Bittman, lead singer of the long-running local rock group Holograf, took the stage with "Dincolo de Nori (Beyond the Clouds)", a great rock ballad that sadly scored only 21st place out of 25 contestants that year.  (Ironically, the first and so far only contestants from San Marino, MiOdio, recently covered "Dincolo de Nori" into a modernized Italian version, "Oltre le Nuvole").

2005 brought "Let Me Try" by Luminiţa Anghel and Sistem, a high-energy Europop number complete with flying sparks and backup dancers drumming on oil cans.  It was the nation's highest placement, and Romania followed it up  in 2006 with the equally dynamic "Tornerò", sung in English and Italian by Mihai Trăistariu.  Scoring an incredibly respectable 4th place (next to heavy hitters from Finland, Russia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina), "Tornerò" brought Romania's highest point-total to date, and it reached the top of the charts in Greece, Cyprus, Malta, and Sweden.


This year, Romania brings us "Playing With Fire" by Paula Seling and Ovi (Ovidiu Cernăuţeanu, who currently lives and works in Norway).

Paula Seling & Ovi - Playing with Fire (Official Music Video) from Eduard Schneider on Vimeo.
This music video is probably the most fun out of 2010's crop.  Anything with flaming pianos, transparent iPads, pleather catsuits and dancing robots automatically is made of win, right?  Granted, the lyrics might be a bit trite (the whole fire/desire/higher rhyme isn't quite original, but it works), but the song is fun, danceable, and catchy as hell.  It won its National Selection with top marks from the local jury, as well as nearly twice the televoting numbers as the runner-up.  Although "Playing with Fire" is in the tough second semifinal, I'd be surprised if they didn't make it through, assuming that Paula's high note doesn't cause her throat to explode or the jury's ears to bleed. 

...Now if only they can get some dancing robots on stage with them, they'd be a lock.