Good Morning! It has already been two days since the official start of the fortnight that will see through this years' edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. The entries competing in the first semi-final had their first technical rehearsals spread out over two days and it seems that the organisation led by the Swedish broadcaster, SVT is very much well planned. There have not been too many issues with regards to camera-work and several delegations are happy with the current presentations. Others will be getting their wishes granted during the second rehearsal which will be completely open to the scrutiny of the media. escflashmalta.com in collaboration with Eurovision Ireland, escXtra and Radio International are bringing you all of the latest from the rehearsals.

escflashmalta.com thanks to Juergen Boernig, the Head of Press is currently also processing a couple of video interviews with artists who will be representing their country at the Eurovision Song Contest and some of those uploaded include Anouk from The Netherlands and Natalia Kelly from Austria. In the meantime, you may also have a look at our photo gallery whilst staying up to date through both our pages on Facebook and Twitter. This is definitely going to be an intriguing day for all of the fans of Malta on this portal considering that Gianluca will be taking to his debut rehearsal on the magnificient stage in Malmo. The first eight countries competing in the second semi-final on Thursday will be rehearsing today.

Remember that we are currently preparing a set of live reports during the nights of the shows with the second semi-final being headlined by Davinia, second runner-up of the Malta Eurovision Song Contest and Christabelle, Solo Award Winner at the Bay Music Awards for four years running. The European Broadcasting Union along with the Swedish broadcaster, SVT have just revealed that the green room host of this years' edition of the Eurovision Song Contest will be none other than Eric Saade. The young performer represented Sweden back in 2011, achieving a second runner-up finish with the song Popular. He has been extremely successful in the music industry with his albums in Sweden never charting lower than number #2 and with his last two specifically also being certified Platinum just days within their release.

Latvia

Starting the morning with an actual silver lining because PeR from Latvia are dazzling in sparkling attire as they represent Latvia. In recent years this nation has not been successful and one is not really hoping that fortunes will change with this respective entry. There is nothing wrong with the presentation noting that the performance is based mainly on the centre stage where the duo have a tendency to jump up and down in a frantic Jedward way before going onto sing the final chorus from the satellite stage. This is the opening entry for the second semi-final and it should be seen as fun but nevertheless, I do not really understand the concept behind it.

San Marino

Recreating the music video is not always the best option but nevertheless, San Marino are a fan favourite this year and therefore, everything will be viewed as viable. Valentina is on stage in her black dress and starts off by keeping a large lit ball close to her, almost like a mother holds her child. The staging is dark prior to the key change where the black dress or rather more of a cloak is removed to reveal ... a red dress, yes exactly like the music video. This is coming across really strong vocally and whilst San Marino have a disappointing non-qualification record, they are hoping to turn that round this year. It is certainly possible and this is leaning towards becoming a certain qualifier. 

FYR Macedonia

Firstly, seems like the delegation is yet unsure of whether to perform in English or native tongue pertaining to the use of the former in the first rehearsal. If I Could Change the World is the official title that is being used it seems so that should be clarified. Lozano sounds spot on in terms of vocals from the onset but when Esma comes on, it sounds strained and despite the additional help of a female backing vocal, it is not sounding any better. It seems that this is very much dead in terms of qualification chances unless they can iron things out for the second rehearsal especially when it comes to the messy stage presentation that penetrates the screens. 

Azerbaijan

Fresh off from hosting the Eurovision Song Contest last year, Azerbaijan are definitely doing their best to return to the winners' circle. Farid, a tourist in Malta not too long ago is clad in grey including shirt, trousers and waistcoat. It seems that the staging is definitely going to help this stand out ahead of Finland who are planning a superb show. Farid starts his song on a box, in which there is a male dancer who is copying his every move. This is deemed clever and impressive. There is also a female in a long red gown on stage to add to the art of it all. Farid himself is very strong vocally and this is coming across better than anticipated. 

Finland

Krista has somewhat been a revelation in the lead-up to the Eurovision Song Contest noting that she went on from not being a favourite of the international fans to one of those to look out for in a matter of weeks through her bubbly personality. She is clad in a wedding dress as revealed in several interviews including the one on escflashmalta.com and is joined by two backing vocalists and three dancers, the latter are dressed up as bridesmaids. For the second entry in a row, everything is being thrown into the performance including a wind machine which causes some problems for Krista. Vocally, this was near flawless. I predict this qualifying as the entry before it and the one after it, those being Azerbaijan and Malta!

Malta

Despite some technical issues during the first run, the second run could not have been any different with Gianluca, his two female backing vocalists being Louise Ann and Samaria along with the rest of the band including Kenny D'Ugo, Gabriel Cassar and Christopher Tate having a resoundingly successful performance. The vocals during the second run-through were really strong and to give you an idea of the show on stage, it seems that Malta is making use of the lyric video for the background which will definitely aid to create a sing-a-long vibe with bright colours throughout. Gianluca is clad in casual attire as was he during the promotional tour incorporating chinos, a shirt and an open jacket. This was a good start but things should improve by the second rehearsal on Saturday. 

Bulgaria

Deja Vu, that is the element which reignites my memory when watching this performance in full. Elitsa & Stoyan are wearing what seem to be traditional outfits with red being the most predominant colour. For the second rehearsal in a row, there are some problems with the inner ears that are given to the vocalists and this affects the vocals. Apart from the duet, there are three backing vocalists, and an additional dancer who plays the bagpipes on stage. First time round back in 2007, it was original and different hence the positive result but with the juries back in the Eurovision Song Contest, I can't see this entry getting out of the semi-final this time round. 

Iceland

Men! The first word that comes to mind with regards to this performance, considering that there are five men in total, the main vocalist and four backing singers as reported by escflashmalta.com during the past weekend. The staging is relatively dark, similar to the one used to the national final and the clothing is very much the same as well as he wears a white shirt, black waistcoat and white blazer. The vocals are strong and this is definitely this years' Estonia especially considering the improvisations that he is doing throughout the performance. The lighting is incredible and this is coming acoss really beautiful on the screens. It is Gianluca's favourite and we definitely have it in oue top three within this semi-final. 

Ég á Líf, co-written by Orlygur Smari and Petur Orn Gudmundsson with vocals provided by Eythor Ingi will be representing Iceland in this years' edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It comes as no surprise to learn that this is one of the dark horses in the competition noting that a similar type of entry in the form of Kuula on behalf of Estonia succeeded last year, achieving sixth place at the end of the evening. Hands Up Music, the independent record label responsible for the distribution of the entry along with the delegation have also decided on team that will be backing the main male vocalist as they embark on the trip to Malmö, Sweden.

In an official press booklet published by the same aforementioned record label which has been responsible for supporting the Icelandic entries for the past couple of years, it was noted down that there will be four male backing vocalists; Beggi Smart, Einar Johannson, Hannes Fridbjarnarson and Kristjan Gislason. The latter name of the four is definitely not new to the scene having also represent Iceland in the 2001 Eurovision Song Contest as part of the duo, Two Tricky whose entry Angel should have done way better than it actually did. Iceland will be competing alongside Malta in the second semi-final of the esteemed international competition with Ég á Líf being the favourite entry of Gianluca. Stay tuned to escflashmalta.com for all of the latest news as soon as it becomes available. 

Source: Hands Up Music

escflashmalta.com is proud to have engaged such professional individuals to analyse and assess the entries competing in this years' Eurovision Song Contest taking place in Malmö, Sweden noting that they had not had a whiff of what is seemingly in contention this time round. The first semi-final along with the three finalist countries voting there have long been concluded as we edge towards the mid-way of the second semi-final. Attention turns to Iceland whose broadcaster, RUV has been drawn in slot number #8 with the producers thinking this position best. The song entitled Ég Á Líf performed by Eythor Ingi is co-written between Örlygur Smári & Pétur Örn Gudmundsson.

Music was clearly a major part of Eyþór Ingi’s childhood; he used to sing Elvis Presley songs while still in kindergarten and he also loved acting. In 2004, at the age of fifteen, he won a part in the Icelandic version of the musical Oliver!, which turned out to be one of the most successful theatrical works ever staged in Akureyri, the capital of northern Iceland. This was only the beginning of his theatrical career as he was offered a part in Óvitar in 2007 as well as taking the leading role in a college staging of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar.

Eyþór Ingi won the College Song Contest in the spring of 2007 and was selected to compete as a contestant in TV talent show ‘Bandið hans Bubba‘. After winning the show in early 2008 he soon began working as a professional singer, musician and sound technician. Eyþór Ingi founded the progressive rock group Eldberg and in 2010 joined the renowned Icelandic band Todmobile, contributing to their seventh album, which was also entitled ‘7’. In 2011 Eyþór Ingi was nominated as best singer in the Gríman Theatrical Awards for his role as Riff Raff in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The following year he played hippie leader Berger in the musical Hair.

He also featured in the cast of Les Misérables as law student Marius Pontmercy, when the musical was staged in Þjóðleikhúsið, the National Theatre of Iceland, in 2011-2012. Eyþór Ingi was inspired to start singing by the music of Jeff Buckley and is also a big fan of David Bowie, Thom Yorke, Ian Gillan and Freddie Mercury. He has been a member of a Deep Purple tribute band and performed in the Freddie Mercury Tribute Show in Harpa Concert Hall in 2011-2012. The Icelandic national selection is one which people are seemingly becoming accustomed to every year and considering the recent tracks that have been submitted, it comes to no surprise. There were two former representatives competing this year, with only Birgitta from 2003 making it to the final.

Like Malta, Iceland will be taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest for the twenty-sixth time and their fortunes have also been quite similar with two first runner-up finishes, the first one coming in 1999 with Selma and her entry All Out of Luck and the second time round in 2009 with Yohanna and her song Is It True? Since the introduction of the semi-final system, the nation has been successful in getting through to the final on five occasions from a possible eight, as they were direct qualifiers in 2004. After three years of disappointments, Iceland got through to the final in 2008 with This Is My Life performed by Euroband and have always been there ever since but got their worst result since doing last year as Never Forget by Great & Jonsi mustered only forty-six (46) points in the final to finish in twentieth place. 

Professional Critics Voice their Opinion

Rating: 77%

Martin Isherwood: Translates as 'I have a life' - I wish. Good voice Good strong tune. Oooh, interesting dry vocal at the end. Nice Irish type piano ballad and a little in the style of Hallelujah in places. This type of song sometimes goes all the way but it’s very predicatable.

Sharon Vaughn: Very moving and compelling melody and performance, understated and sincere!

Stano Simor: "My Life" (Ég á Líf) is a beautiful emotional song. Eyþór Ingi has a pleasant voice color that when combined with a weeping melody transposed dramatic end, creates a perfect hit ballad. I believe that the audience will appreciate this enough to vote it into the final.

Source: eurovision.tv

SVT, host broadcaster of this years' edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in conjunction with the European Broadcasting Union and the Reference Group have revealed their verdict with regards to the running order as decided by the producers of the showcase. This will be the very first time that the draw has not been done in a random manner but nevertheless, the countries were drawn into their respective semi-finals and also the first and second part of the running order based on the results of the allocation draw which took place earlier this year. The only draw that had to be done in a random order was that for the host country of Sweden so that the producers could not inflict it in any wrongdoing, and as a matter of fact, was drawn in sixteenth (16th) position within the final.

Tomorrow, co-written by Boris Cezek and Dean Muscat with vocals provided by Gianluca on behalf of Malta was drawn to perform in slot number #6 noting that the country had been drawn in the first half of the second semi-final for the second  consecutive year with This Is The Night performed by Kurt Calleja having to start at slot number #4 last year. Yesterday, in an interview with our colleagues from Eurovision Ireland, it was revealed that Gianluca will be flying to Malmö, Sweden alongside the team that accompanied him on stage in Malta as well as his sister, Dorothy Bezzina who will be accompanying as a vocal coach. Marry Me by Krista Siegfrids will be performing prior to Malta on behalf of Finland whilst following us will be Samo Shampioni performed by Elitsa & Stoyan for Bulgaria. The full running order can also be seen below.

First Semi-Final (14th May)

1. Austria
2. Estonia
3. Slovenia
4. Croatia
5. Denmark
6. Russia
7. Ukraine
8. The Netherlands
9. Montenegro
10. Lithuania
11. Belarus
12. Moldova
13. Ireland
14. Cyprus
15. Belgium
16. Serbia

Second Semi-Final (16th May)

1. Latvia
2. San Marino
3. F.Y.R. Macedonia
4. Azerbaijan
5. Finland
6. Malta
7. Bulgaria
8. Iceland
9. Greece
10. Israel
11. Armenia
12. Hungary
13. Norway
14. Albania
15. Georgia
16. Switzerland
17. Romania

Malta was not the only country selecting the entry for the 2013 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest last night noting that Iceland were also making their decision and following a public and jury vote, it was decided that two entries would compete for the role and these were none other than Ég á líf performed by Eyþór Ingi Gunnlaugsson and Ég syng! sung by Unnur Eggertsdóttir, which competed in two different semi-finals, in which they were presumably the winners. The tele-voting had the most pivotal say in the final outcome though especially with Iceland having chosen qualifying entries for the past five years.

When the result was announced, it was decided that the winning song would be Ég á Líf, a beautiful ballad performed by Eyþór Ingi Gunnlaugsson, co-written by Örlygur Smári and Pétur Örn Guðmundsson. This is definitely not a new songwriting team having also worked with Gerard James Borg and Chiara in recent years. Iceland never won the Eurovision Song Contest. Their closest result was a 2nd in 2009 with the song Is It True? performed by Yohanna and in 1999 with All Out of Luck performed in 1999. This year are competing in the first part of the second semi-final alongside Malta. Stay tuned to escflashmalta.com for all the latest results.

Source: RUV, Eurovision.tv

RUV, the broadcaster responsible for the participation of Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest has been taking the competition very seriously in recent years and this has shown in consistent qualifications. Following the success achieved by Yohanna and her entry Is It True? The country has never looked back and with an increasing amount of submissions received this time round, the panel of internal judges as picked by the broadcaster is finding it more difficult to select which tracks should make it to the live stage. This evenings’ second semi-final will follow where last night left off in terms of song quality and will be hoping that the three qualifiers chosen by the public will ultimately be worth their place. Due to the fact that the entries are all in Icelandic, it is expected that the winning entry will be translated to English for international recognition.

Augnablik - Erna Hrönn Ólafsdóttir 

 

 

Closed the night with a more traditional song. This may attract the older crowds. The voice is quite powerful, especially at the climax of the song, but the singer herself lacks stage presence and is quite stiff throughout. Lights on the stage created an atmosphere which complemented the music.

 

Ég Syng! - Unnur Eggertsdóttir

 

 

Unnur Eggertsdottir's performance is the most lively of the night so far, and the first to include dancers. Together with her backing vocalists and dancers, life was brought to the stage. The performance lacked the maturity that other contenders possess but the upbeat melody may win over the younger crowd.

 

Skuggamynd - Klara Ósk Elíasdóttir

 

 

Klara Ósk Elíasdóttir took on the stage solo accompanied by 4 backing vocalists. Here live performance included an extravagant outfit with a train that almost covered the stage. The rhythm of the song was  reflected by the wind movement of the train. The vocals were quite good indeed but nevertheless, this needed a little bit more of a strong point for it to stand out more, nevertheless, a good entry.

 

Stund Með þér - Sylvía Erla Scheving

 

 

Sylvia Erla Scheving  began the performance quietly but as the song reached a climax, she was joined by 5 backing vocalists. These were necessary since her voice lacked power. Her bright red outfit attempted to bring more live to the performance but it's effect wasn't felt.

 

Til þín - Jógvan Hansen and Stefanía Svavarsdóttir

 

 

Jogvan Hansen and Stefania Svavarsdottir performed their powerful duet. Their vocals blended in together perfectly due to their amazing chemistry. They were wearing colour coordinated outfits consisting of black and blue colours. This duo is very very likable to win since load roars were heard from the audience at the end of the song.

 

Vinátta - Haraldur Reynisson

RUV, the broadcaster responsible for the participation of Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest has been taking the competition very seriously in recent years and this has shown in consistent qualifications. Following the success achieved by Yohanna and her entry Is It True? The country has never looked back and with an increasing amount of submissions received this time round, the panel of internal judges as picked by the broadcaster is finding it more difficult to select which tracks should make it to the live stage. This evenings’ first semi-final will showcase the leap of song quality witnessed in the past couple of years despite the use of the Icelandic language. It is expected that the winning entry will then be translated into English for better international recognition.

Guðrún Dís Emilsdóttir and Þórhallur Gunnarsson will be the hosts for the pre-selection process which has been coined as Söngvakeppnin 2013. The chosen performers are somewhat well known in the Icelandic music industry, with two particular artists having already been to the Eurovision Song Contest, these being Birgitta and Yohanna who did their country proud back in 2003 and 2009 respectively. The genres of the songs that are set to be presented could be denoted to be slightly slow but nevertheless, they evolve well and it should be an entertaining showcase. A live stream of the first semi-final this evening is set to air through the official website at around 21:00 CET. It is important to note that three entries will be making it through to the final this evening and tomorrow night with the possibility of adding a wildcard to be decided by the jury and the broadcaster in due course.

Þú - Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir

Johanna is in a gold halter shirt and is accompanied by the composer who is playing a guitar and four backing vocals, all in black. The song like all the others tonight is in Icelandic. A good pop song but has nothing special about it. Such a pity that she has returned to the competition with a weak song considering she had one of the best ballads the Eurovision has recently seen. Don't know what the competition hold tonight but it's surely not strong enough to leave any impact tonight to make the finals. 

Ekki líta undan - Magni Ásgeirsson

A good solid rock songs follows next. The singer takes the stage all alone and carries the song brilliantly. He has a great tone to his voice and makes full use of this. He sells it well and the song reaches a nice climax which is enhanced with the lights on stage. Surely a stronger entry than the previous one and if they have to go for the song this should do really well tonight. Nothing else to say except that this might be a little bit too much for Eurovision and might not stand out at all but the quality is surely great. 

Lífið snýst - Svavar Kristinsson & Hreindís Hólm

It's a sweet song that will go down well with the audience as it has the feel good factor. The main singers are accompanied by another four member on stage and they are all playing instruments along to the rhythm. The vocals are good but the duo need to work more on this especially in the parts they sing together. Good overall but once again difficult to stand out I reckon. It's a song we've seen at the Eurovision and some of them didn't do that well even though they were sung in English, so I doubt of its chances in Icelandic. 

Sá sem lætur hjartað ráða för - Edda Viðarsdóttir

The singer takes the stage with three backing singers, a guitarist and person who seems to be acting whatever the singers is singing. An interesting idea which has been used before and doesn't really have much significance in this run of the mill song. The backing add an interesting touch but that is it. Her dress is probably the best thing about the song and it's not really great either. She gives a good performance but there's nothing special that stands out and screams boring. 

Ég á Líf - Eyþór Ingi Gunnlaugsson

Finally a sweet decent ballad that is melodic and sweet. The Rockish look of the singer adds an interesting touch to the performance. I don't know what he is singing about but he's warm and oozes charisma throughout. The song is great in its simplicity and this should sail through the finals tonight as it is clearly the best entry we have heard thus far. It reaches an interesting climax with a folk sound to it. I can see this in Eurovision and even though it is in Icelandic, this works as a bonus. 

Meðal Andanna - Birgitta Haukdal

Birgitta is back. I do not think that this is a better song to what she has presented back in 2003 but the entry is a strong one. Her vocals are good but sound slightly strained at certain points in the song. The camera shots and the lights work wonders to elevate this song even more. She is wearing a long white dress and accompanied by four backing vocalists in black. A typical Scandinavian ballad which surely will go down well both the public and the jurors. This is a potential winner I reckon and surely deserve to make the finals tonight alongside the previous entry.

The Show (Part 2)

The first semi-final participants have performed and three will make it through to the next phase of the competition which will be staged on the same day at the final of the Malta Eurovision Song Contest. As a matter of fact, we are covering the semi-finals for this reason, to make sure that all of the acts will be analysed in the same manner. A recap has just been shown on screen, twice in order for the public at home to select their respective favourites. There seems to be a discussion on the programme about something related to music. Nevertheless, the announcement is expected sometime soon. A former Icelandic entry is performed by an upcoming group.

Qualifier 1: Meðal Andanna - Birgitta Haukdal

Qualifier 2: Lífið snýst - Svavar Kristinsson & Hreindís Hólm

Qualifier 3: Ég á Líf - Eyþór Ingi Gunnlaugsson

The Scandinavian country of Iceland is very similar to the Mediterranean country of Malta when it comes to competing in the Eurovision Song Contest noting that we are both competing for the twenty-sixth time in the event and that we have come close to winning the showcase on two occasions without actually coming out on top. In recent years, qualification to the finals of the prestigious musical event has been assured as the highest possible entries are being presented on behalf of the nation including the 2009 first runner-up, Is It True? by Yohanna. This time round, the broadcaster received a record number of 240 submissions and somewhat found it extremely hard to decide on which entries should ultimately make it through to the live stages.

Nevertheless, a decision was made and twelve (12) entries were selection for the national selection which has been coined as Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins throughout the years. Six (6) entries featuring either solo performers or duets will be competing in each respective semi-final set to take place at the end of this month as detailed below but the main focus is surely the tracks themselves which have been released to the public through audio files posted on the official website of RÚV, the Icelandic broadcaster, earlier today. Amongst the performers, it is to be noted that there are two former representatives in the form of Yohanna who represented Iceland in 2009 as well as Birgitta Haudkal who did the honour in 2003. Stay tuned to escflashmalta.com for all of the latest updates.

First Semi-Final - Friday 25th January

• Magni Ásgeirsson - Ekki Líta Undan (Sveinn Rúnar Sigurðsson / Ingibjörg Gunnarsdóttir)
• Eyþór Ingi Gunnlaugsson - Ég á Líf (Örlygur Smári / Pétur Örn Guðmundsson)
• Svavar Knútur Kristinsson and Hreindís Ylva Garðarsdóttir Hólm - Lífið Snýst (Óskarsson / Kristinsson)
• Birgitta Haukdal - Meðal Andanna (Birgitta Haukdal / Sylvía Brynjarsdóttir / Gladnikoff / Down / Poglajen)
• Edda Viðarsdóttir - Sá sem Lætur Hjartað Ráða För (Composer: Þórir Úlfarsson Lyrics: Kristján Hreinsson)
• Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir (Yohanna) - Þú (Composer and Lyrics: Davíð Sigurgeirsson)

Second Semi-Final - Saturday 26th January

• Erna Hrönn Ólafsdóttir - Augnablik (CSveinn Rúnar Sigurðsson / Ingibjörg Gunnarsdóttir)
• Unnur Eggertsdóttir - Ég Syng! (Elíza Newman / Gísli Kristjánsson / Ken Rose / Hulda G. Geirsdóttir)
• Klara Ósk Elíasdóttir - Skuggamynd (Hallgrímur Óskarsson / Ashley Hicklin / Bragi Valdimar Skúlason)
• Sylvía Erla Scheving - Stund Með þér (María Björk Sverrisdóttir)
• Jógvan Hansen and Stefanía Svavarsdóttir - Til þín (Sveinn Rúnar Sigurðsson / Ágúst Ibsen)
• Haraldur Reynisson - Vinátta (Haraldur Reynisson)

Source: RÚV, Eurovision.tv

Iceland is one of the Scandinavian countries which has found success in the Eurovision Song Contest within recent years noting that they have managed to make it through to the finals every year since 2008 when the group Euroband had performed the track This is My Life to a rousing audience which enjoyed the performance. It was followed by a first runner-up finish in 2009 with the song Is It True? performed by Yohanna and whilst subsequent entries have yet failed to match the expectations, they have not disappointed in song quality and have become a contender, having been out of the loop for quite a number of years. There seems to be a renewed interest in the Söngvakeppnin with the Icelandic broadcaster receiving a record number of 240 submissions in 2013 to see which entry will follow in the footsteps of Never Forget performed by Greta Salome and Jonsi. Following the earlier revelation of the songwriters and the song titles, the artists were revealed this evening. 

RÚV, the Icelandic broadcaster wants to make sure that the tracks that they present entries of a high quality in their national selection and therefore, artists which might have performed the initial demo of the qualifying entries might not be returning for the actual showcase with a number of other vocal artists brought about in order to give a whole outlook to the competition.The list of the entries could be seen below and there are a number of familiar names including none other than former representatives; Yohanna and Brigitta Haudkall who had represented Iceland at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009 and 2003 respectively, both acquiring top ten positions. Some other well known individuals who have also been shortlisted as songwriters are Jonas Gladnikoff who co-wrote the Irish entries in the 2009 and 2010 continental competition being Et Cetera and It's For You as well as Ashley Hicklin who one of the songwriters behind the most impressive Belgian entry in years, that being Me and My Guitar. Stay tuned to escflashmalta.com for all the latest news.

First Semi-Final - Friday 25th January

• Magni Ásgeirsson - Ekki Líta Undan (Sveinn Rúnar Sigurðsson / Ingibjörg Gunnarsdóttir)
• Eyþór Ingi Gunnlaugsson - Ég á Líf (Örlygur Smári / Pétur Örn Guðmundsson)
• Svavar Knútur Kristinsson and Hreindís Ylva Garðarsdóttir Hólm - Lífið Snýst (Óskarsson / Kristinsson)
• Birgitta Haukdal - Meðal Andanna (Birgitta Haukdal / Sylvía Brynjarsdóttir / Gladnikoff / Down / Poglajen)
• Edda Viðarsdóttir - Sá sem Lætur Hjartað Ráða För (Composer: Þórir Úlfarsson Lyrics: Kristján Hreinsson)
• Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir (Yohanna) - Þú (Composer and Lyrics: Davíð Sigurgeirsson)

Second Semi-Final - Saturday 26th January

• Erna Hrönn Ólafsdóttir - Augnablik (CSveinn Rúnar Sigurðsson / Ingibjörg Gunnarsdóttir)
• Unnur Eggertsdóttir - Ég Syng! (Elíza Newman / Gísli Kristjánsson / Ken Rose / Hulda G. Geirsdóttir)
• Klara Ósk Elíasdóttir - Skuggamynd (Hallgrímur Óskarsson / Ashley Hicklin / Bragi Valdimar Skúlason)
• Sylvía Erla Scheving - Stund Með þér (María Björk Sverrisdóttir)
• Jógvan Hansen and Stefanía Svavarsdóttir - Til þín (Sveinn Rúnar Sigurðsson / Ágúst Ibsen)
• Haraldur Reynisson - Vinátta (Haraldur Reynisson)

Source: RÚV, Eurovision.tv

The European Broadcasting Union has been pretty adamant about putting off rumours of a mass withdrawal from the upcoming edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and therefore succumbed to releasing the list of participating nations quite early due to the international media coverage which might have had a negative impact on the competition especially noting that Malmö is making several adjustments in order to accommodate a different type of show than what many have seen in recent years. The financial situation around the continent has not been a help and three of the four withdrawals; Bosnia & Herzegovina, Portugal and Slovakia have singled out this decision as the factor behind their pulling out with Turkey on the other hand believing that the recent amendments of the regulations at the event have somewhat put them in a disadvantaged position hence their disappointing results.

The Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest at the European Broadcasting Union, Jon Ola Sand is quite upbeat about the number of participating countries believing that despite the economic situation, public broadcasters are very much committed to the traditional element that the contest has created over time. In fact, since the semi-final system was introduced back in 2004, there have always been between 36 and 43 participating nations and the 39 that will take part in 2013 are similar to the amount that took part in 2010 when the competition was also held in a Scandinavian nation with Oslo, the capital city of Norway playing the role of host. Losing three countries to economic reasons was quite disappointing but nevertheless, Sand is quite 'surprised' by the decision of Turkey noting that they 'never formally objected' the rules as regulations which were brought in back in 2009, a year in which Turkey finished in fourth place.

• Albania (RTSH)
• Austria (ORF)
• Armenia (AMPTV)
• Belarus (Ictimai TV)
• Belarus (BTRC)
• Belgium (RTBF)
• Bulgaria (BNT)
• Croatia (HRT)
• Cyprus (CyBC)
• Denmark (DR)
• Estonia (ERR)
• Finland (YLE)
• France (France 3)
• Georgia (GPB)
• Germany (NDR)
• Greece (ERT)
• Hungary (MTV)
• Iceland (RÚV)
• Ireland (RTÉ)
• Israel (IBA)
• Italy (RAI)
• Latvia (LTV)
• Lithuania (LRT)
• FYR Macedonia (MKRTV)
• Malta (PBS)
• Moldova (TRM)
• Montenegro (RTCG)
• The Netherlands (TROS)
• Norway (NRK)
• Romania (TVR)
• Russia (C1R)
• San Marino (SMTV)
• Serbia (RTS)
• Slovenia (RTV SLO)
• Spain (TVE)
• Sweden (SVT)
• Switzerland (SRG SSR)
• Ukraine (NTU)
• United Kingdom (BBC)

As you can see, the leading European broadcasters including the Big Five featuring; the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain and Italy return for yet another competition noting that their results are improving especially with regards to three in particular. Some countries have already revealed their entries noting that national finals have already taken place in Belarus, Switzerland, Belgium and Lithuania whilst artists have been chosen for The Netherlands, Spain and Montenegro. Despite less countries than last year, the song quality thus far looks to be quite intriguing and this could be a strong edition for the Eurovision Song Contest with Sweden surely organising it to the best ability and letting it known that whoever did not want to participate would have missed out on a great opportunity. Stay tuned to escflashmalta.com for all of the latest news as soon as it becomes available.

Source: Eurovision.tv