RAI, the broadcaster responsible for the participation of Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest has opted in favour of releasing the fifty percent split of the result in both the first semi-final and the final and there seem to be quite a couple of intriguing figures. During the semi-final stage of the competition, the Italian public clearly had one favourite and that was Zlata Ognevich with her song Gravity which received 42.3% ahead of Moldova's entry entitled O Mie performed by Aliona Moon which got just 15.5% in comparison. During the final, the tables turned and support shifted towards Romania and Moldova leaving Ukraine in the lurch and a third position. 

Italy were represented by Marco Mengoni and his song L'Essenziale who managed to take the nation into the top ten for a third consecutive time, finishing in seventh place, just ahead of Malta whose entry Tomorrow sung by Gianluca was awarded the second biggest amount of points from the Italian nation. In the tele-voting portion alone, Malta would have been given four (4) points in total and that means that the ten (10) points given during the show were a mixture of both public and jury votes respectively. You may view the full document as published by RAI here whilst we remind you to stay tuned to escflashmalta.com even through Facebook and Twitter for the latest news.

Source: RAI

During this years' edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, Finland was represented by Krista Siegfrids and her dance/pop entry Marry Me which stalled in the final, only obtaining thirteen (13) points to finish in twenty-fourth position. This was not the initial expectation of the broadcaster whose major success was recorded around seven years ago with the song Hard Rock Hallelujah performed by Lordi which finished in pole position in both the semi-final and the final respectively. 

YLE, the broadcaster responsible for the participation of Finland in the esteemed music event is the first to announce the way forward noting that the preselection procedure known as Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu will be returning. The showcase was first adopted back in 2012 and was not met with success noting that it was not a ratings winner and the winner did not yield an international result despite a stunning performance. The system was altered ever so slightly in 2013 and seemed to work much better noting that people were tuning in with the voting being quite intense during the final. Many had noted Finland to have a beautiful selection of entries with the first and second runner-up deemed more appropriate to represent the country from an international standpoint. Songs for the 2014 edition of the competition have to be submitted until 16th September 2013 with the qualifiers set to be revealed by the 10th December 2013. Stay tuned to escflashmalta.com and make to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all of the latest updates.

Source: YLE

In 2012, Pastora Soler was selected by the Spanish broadcaster with the hope of reigniting a flame for the general public and thus watch the Eurovision Song Contest and this indeed worked especially when in the weeks leading up to the showcase, she had been receiving positive reviews. It couldn't have been more different in 2013 though, noting that since the selection of the group, El Sueño de Morfeo, many had them down to finish in a disappointing position. This was the buzz when they drew to perform in the first half of the show with many stating that Raquel gave an off key performance which improved as the song gradually went on. TVE, the broadcaster responsible for the participation and thus financing a large portion of the competition has recorded a ten percent decline in ratings when comparing them to the ones achieved last year.

For people who are not too savvy with numbers, this marks more than one million viewers were lost during the transmission year on year. This was quite dissapointing especially because Pastora Soler and her song Quedate Conmingo had finished in tenth place and therefore, it seems that despite making the effort for one year, Spain has gone backwards once more unfortunately. The song which represented them this year entitled Contigo hasta el final could only manage eight points; two (2) from Italy and five (5) from Albania, thus managing only twenty-fifth place. Despite the result, and the loss in viewership, it is important to record the fact that the broadcaster still managed a strong 33.1% share during the evening, making it one of the most watched shows in the country. We hope that Spain manage to convince a successful artist to represent them in 2014 with a song that will give the top positions a true fight. Stay tuned to escflashmalta.com for all of the latest news, and make sure to follow even on Facebook and Twitter.

Source: Eurovision Spain

Chris and Moira, the representatives for Malta at the 1994 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest have somewhat been lurking in the shadows in recent years, stepping away from the limelight but it seems that the time is right to release some new material, their first in around five years. 2013, has been rather different for them noting performances all over the country as well as during the Malta Eurovision Song Contest as the results of the semi-final were to be announced. Chris and Moira are no longer a duo, havoing become a four piece band in recent years ,with the addition of Billy B on bass and Philip Borg Barthet on drums. Such a line-up has somewhat spurred them on to create new thumping sounds in the studio. 

The result of the foursome will ultimately be an album, one which will be officially released later on this year as some last minute tweaks take place. Until then though, in order to quench the thirst of fans, Chris and Moira have released a brand new original single entitled Flight 170 which marks a fresh chapter in their music career. 'The song was written with a comical approach, a bit like wanting to send everyone to hell instead of the usual love story lyrics'. Rolling in with a fairground type of chime, the song quickly picks up the pace, pushing ahead over a solid rock backbeat and a catchy melody that is as immediate as it is powerful. “It is rather different from what people might have expected from us” Chris commented,  “and it is also quite different from the rest of the album, which I would say is more ‘us’ but sounding fresher than ever before”. 

Flight 170 is available to stream on Chris and Moira’s YouTube channel. The single is also available to buy as a digital download on iTunes. For more information, visit the Chris and Moira page on Facebook. We urge you to stay tuned to escflashmalta.com for all of the latest news as soon as it becomes available, which is also found on Twitter and Facebook respectively. 

Source: Press Release (Michael Bugeja)

Tomorrow, co-written by Dean Muscat and Boris Cezek with vocals provided by Gianluca managed to win the Malta Eurovision Song Contest back in February. Since then, Gianluca embarked on a promotional tour across Europe where he visited several nations including Hungary, Romania, The Netherlands, United Kingdom and Armenia amongst others. In each of the rehearsals, Gianluca was seen to be a dark horse for victory noting that the foreign press described him as having one of the best personalities in this years' competition. A simple tune with a positive message is everything that Malta could have hoped for, ultimately leading to an extremely positive result which saw the nation getting points from most of the participating countries.

San Marino and Italy were amongst the beginning to vote and as a matter of fact, they both awarded Malta a total of ten points which were then followed by Norway later on during the evening. Tomorrow did not gather any points from Sweden, Albania, Austria, Israel, Serbia, Finland, Bulgaria, Belgium, Russia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Croatia and Switzerland respectively. In the semi-final stage of the competition, Malta did even better noticeably finishing in fourth place achieving top marks from three countries, including FYR Macedonia, Norway and Azerbaijan. Despite the fourth place finish, it was only a mere three points away from being the first runner-up. Gianluca along with his team consisting of Louise Ann Bugeja Tate, Samaria Bezzina, Gabriel Cassar, Kenny D'Ugo, Christopher Tate, Dean Muscat and Boris Cezek deserve a round of applause but the Maltese Delegation led by Anton Attard and incorporating Peter Carbonaro, Daniel D'Anastasi and Joseph Mizzi also deserve salutations for their hard work.

Since Anton Attard took over back in 2011, the results have been improving every year as Malta manages to reach their best position since the runner-up finish achieved by Angel performed by Chiara back in 2005. Sweden is becoming a hub for success when it comes to the Maltese Participation noting that back in 1992, Mary Spiteri managed third place with her entry Little Child whilst in 2000, Claudette Pace finished in eight place with Desire. Gianluca has also managed an eighth place finish with his entry Tomorrow. We would like you to stay tuned to escflashmalta.com for all of the latest news about the Eurovision Song Contest as the Public Broadcasting Services unofficially confirms a return to the competition as this is Malta's thirteenth top ten result. 

Source: Eurovision.tv

Emmelie de Forest on behalf of Denmark was crowned winner of the Eurovision Song Contest a couple of minutes ago with the song Only Teardrops co-written by Lise Cabble, Julia Fabrin Jakobsen, Thomas Stengaard. The song managed to garner points from across Europe, ultimately totalling to 281 points. Such a stagerring total actually puts her in fourth place amongst total points achieved from winners behind Fairytale (2009), Euphoria (2012) and Hard Rock Hallelujah (2006). Only Teardrops had been the favourite to triumph at this years' edition of the Eurovision Song Contest since it was selected in the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix when it had topped the charts.

SVT, the host broadcaster was slightly disappointing towards the end of the broadcast when with around four countries left to vote, they almost cut the transmission in announcing that Denmark was the winner but nevertheless returned to see the final votes which were met with almost complete silence as all of the buildup and excitement was lost. Only Teardrops is already a commercial success in several European countries noting that digital sales have seen it rise within the top ten in several countries including Sweden, Greece, Estonia, Malta, Denmark, Hungary and Belarus whilst entering other markets such as the one in the United Kingdom and Germany amongst others. The European Broadcasting Union will soon be announcing the way forward although it is expected that Copenhagen, capital city of Denmark. Stay tuned to escflashmalta.com for all of the latest news.

• 1st: Denmark - 281 points
• 2nd: Azerbaijan - 234 points
• 3rd: Ukraine - 214 points
• 4th: Norway - 191 points
• 5th: Russia - 174 points
• 6th: Greece - 152 points
• 7th: Italy - 126 points
• 8th: Malta - 120 points
• 9th: The Netherlands - 114 points
• 10th: Hungary - 84 points
• 11th: Moldova - 71 points
• 12th: Belgium - 71 points
• 13th: Romania - 65 points
• 14th: Sweden - 62 points
• 15th: Georgia - 51 points
• 16th: Belarus - 48 points
• 17th: Iceland - 47 points
• 18th: Armenia - 41 points
• 19th: United Kingdom - 23 points
• 20th: Estonia - 19 points
• 21st: Germany - 18 points
• 22nd: Lithuania - 17 points
• 23th: France - 14 points
• 24th: Finland - 13 points
• 25th: Spain - 8 points
• 26th: Ireland - 5 points

Source: eurovision.tv

The editorial team of escflashmalta.com has somewhat been busy with bringing you the latest news from the world of the Eurovision Song Contest in recent days whilst also letting you select your favourite entries in both semi-finals as well as selecting the best song in the final. At the end of the voting for the final, the decision was unanimous and the favourite for victory was none other than Italy whose entry L'Essenziale performed by Marco Mengoni will definitely be scoring high with both the Maltese Jury and Tele-Vote if past voting patterns are anything to go by. More than 500 unique votes in just a couple of hours made such a selection although thousands had correctly predicted seven (7) and eight (8) out of ten (10) qualifiers during the semi-final stage.

L'Essenziale, co-written by Marco Mengoni, Roberto Caslino and Francesco de Benedettis is one of the most successful entries in this years' edition of the Eurovision Song Contest having peaked at number #1 in Italy for more than two months whilst also entering the charts in Belgium and Switzerland. Following his victory at the Sanremo competition, Mengoni saw the heights of his profile rise to the extent of a superstar by appearing on several A-List shows and private events apart from making the cover of every magazine possible.  The song, a typical Italian ballad will have surely scored a lot of points with the jury noting that back in 2011, it was Italy who had won the Jury Vote when represented by Raphael Gualazzi and his entry Madness of Love (Follia D'Amore).

• 1st: Italy
• 2nd: Romania
• 3rd: Malta
• 4th: Hungary
• 5th: Denmark

Many will surely be surprised at the top five of the poll even though the numbers clearly deteriorate towards the end with the bulk picked up mostly by the top three as is to be expected when the poll is open for just a couple of hours. Romania who are being represented by Cezar and his entry It's My Life are somewhat a strange selection for the second place although it is rather well known that they will do much better than expected and most likely score mid-table this evening. In third place comes Gianluca whose smile has changed the perception of many. Tomorrow co-written by Dean Muscat and Boris Cezek seems highly placed to get the nations' best result from comments by the foreign media and many do hope for the best. Stay tuned to escflashmalta.com for all of the latest news. 

In years gone by, the running order of the voting process was scheduled in the same manner in which the performances took place but nevertheless, the system was altered a couple of years back when the juries gained their voting priveledges back, and which now undoubtely decide half of the respective result. The European Broadcasting Union would like to make the best possible showcase for the millions of viewers watching all over the world including; China and Australia and therefore, where possible, changes in the leaderboard will be implemented just to create an exciting feeling for all to enjoy.

Valletta, the capital city of Malta will be the backdrop for the voting this evening with the spokesperson being none other than Emma Hickey, otherwise known as Jeremy's love interest in the music video for Tomorrow, which is the entry representing the country in the international music showcase. The song which is co-written by Dean Muscat and Boris Cezek with vocals provided by Gianluca got through to the final round following an initial qualification phase held on Thursday. Malta was announced as the ninth country following what seemed to a nerve wracking situation. This evening, during the final of the Eurovision Song Contest, Malta will be performing in position number #9.

1. San Marino (John Kennedy O'Connor)
2. Sweden (Yohio)
3. Albania (Andri Xhahu)
4. Netherlands (Cornald Maas)
5. Austria (Kati Bellowitsch)
6. United Kingdom (Scott Mills)
7. Israel (Ofer Nachshon)
8. Serbia (Maja Nikolic)
9. Ukraine (Matias)
10. Hungary (Éva Novodomszky)
11. Romania (Sonia Argint)
12. Moldova (Olivia Furtuna)
13. Azerbaijan (Tamilla Shirinova)
14. Norway (Tooji)
15. Armenia (Andre)
16. Italy (Federica Gentile)
17. Finland (Kristiina Wheeler)
18. Spain (Inés Paz)
19. Belarus (Darya Domracheva)
20. Latvia (Anmary)
21. Bulgaria (Joana Dragneva)
22. Belgium (Barbara Louys)
23. Russia (Alsou)
24. Malta (Emma Hickey)
25. Estonia (Rolf Roosalu)
26. Germany (Lena)
27. Iceland (Maria Sigrun Hilmarsdottir)
28. France (Marine Vignes)
29. Greece (Andriana Magania)
30. Ireland (Nicky Byrne)
31. Denmark (Sofie Lassen-Kalhke)
32. Montenegro (Ivana Sebek)
33. Slovenia (Andrea F)
34. Georgia (Liza Tsiklauri)
35. F.Y.R. Macedonia (Dimitar Atanasovski)
36. Cyprus (Loukas Hamatsos)
37. Croatia (Uršula Tolj)
38. Switzerland (Mélanie Freymond)
39. Lithuania (Ignas Krupavicius)

All of the participating countries in this years' Eurovision Song Contest will be casting their votes, half of them as decided by a panel of professional experts and the other half by the million of people watching in their homes. As one could denote from the list above, there are a number of well known individuals who will be reading out the points of their country, amongst them being; Tooji (Norway), Anmary (Latvia), Lena (Germany), Alsou (Russia) and of course, the most famous one being Nicky Bryne of the former group, Westlife for Ireland. Speculation is running high that Italy did extremely well with the juries last night as opposed to Denmark who might have not scored one of the top results. This is yet to be seen. Stay tuned to escflashmalta.com for more of the latest news.

Source: eurovision.tv

Good Evening! Malmo, Sweden is playing host to this years' edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and in the past couple of days, thirty-three (33) participating nations had to compete for twenty (20) elite spots in the final round of the prestigious competition leaving thirteen (13) in the lurch. This evening is relatively important considering that juries in all of the participating countries will be selecting their favourites and of course, awarding half of the points which will be allocated tomorrow. It is important to denote that Malta will be competing in the final round for the second consecutive year after the qualification of Gianluca and his entry Tomorrow from the second semi-final which took place last night. We wish him the very best of luck this evening.

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. As a matter of fact, stay tuned on our YouTube Page for all of the latest. 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. Coverage of the Final of the Eurovision Song Contest will be led by Antoine Farrugia, Senior Editor for escflashmalta.com alongside special guests; Lauren White who has most recently signed a Publishing Deal with Universal Music Group and Brooke, winner of the Best Solo Artist at the Malta Music Awards earlier this year. 

The Show (Part 1)

SVT, host broadcaster of this years' Eurovision Song Contest should be commended on such an astonishing production and the acts selected for the opening and the interval have provided great entertainment. It's like the Olympics as the bridge is lowered and all of the finalists are in a procession like poise promoting themselves prior to the start of the actual show. Once more, Petra Mede is clad in an original Jean Paul Gaultier creation and despite not being black as worn last night, it seems to be pretty pink!

France

Amandine Bourgeois is clad in a beautiful black dress which seems to have come out of the 1920s era when charleston had been popular. The backdrop is stunning and has to be one of the most elaborate to be honest with graphic designs in the form of a wallpaper but lit within the beat. Amandine is joined on stage by two female backing vocalists and this has a lot of sass and thus coming across beautifully on screen. This has to be an intriguing openinng number and whilst, it would not have been my choice to open, it definitely gets the attention of many. She throws the microphone stand to the floor with anger. Stunning vocals, will earn a lot of points from the jury for being artistic. 

Lithuania

'I have to tell you something', how are you even competing in the final? Andrius Pojavis is lacking charm but nevertheless, managed to turn it on during the semi-final performance. This is a generic pop track which had managed to get my attention during the national final but has literally wilted. Andrius is wearing the same outfit from the semi-finals and is also joined on stage by the same team of backing vocalists. The backdrop is purple and there is nothing really wrong with this except that it is pretty boring. This is definitely a candidate for last year for singing number #2 and for being dull!

Moldova

Pasha Parfeni, the representative for Moldova last year is back on stage playing the piano and dancers are spread out across the stage for what is a pretty elaborate choreography. The staging is kept dark but nevertheless is lit up as the night sky appears. Aliona Moon is terrified this evening but nevertheless, it is defnitely not showing in the vocals. This is one of the songs which has a gimmick through the dress which changes colour and unites with the backdrop at times. Mid-way through the song and then throughout the bridge, Aliona rises to the higher point of the stage and this looks astonishing. Whoa! Impressive, I think that this will be receiving a lot of points tonight!

Finland

Krista Siegfrids is back on the stage of the Eurovision Song Contest and is performing her very own Las Vegas number which features a wedding which has to be re-thought. This track has been the centre of a controversy due to the fact that the lead vocalist ends up kissing one of the backing dancers. As a matter of fact, there are both backing dancers and backing vocalists on stage, clad as groomsmen and bridesmaids respectively. This is coming across beautifully on screen and Krista is definitely a good vocalist. Well, this is going to pick up tele-votes but I am not too sure about jury votes!

Spain

Ohh! Despite wearing black in the opening number held on the bridge earlier this evening, she is now clad in a flowing yellow dress. The beginning of the song on the flute is just wonderful and as we turn to the main stage, there is Raquel joined by the boys of ESDM and she is barefoot performing the song in the best possible way. I must say that this is an absolutely wonderful song but for some reason this presentation is just not working at all and the vocals are rather disappointing. I had been saying that this will not be competing for one of the last couple of spots but unfortunately, I have to say otherwise. I am not sure this will be picking up a lot of jury votes but it do a France 2012. 

Belgium

Roberto Bellarosa was one of the surprise qualifiers in the first semi-final and it seems that being clad in a suit and seen by millions of people has helped the artist garner recognition. Roberto is really performing well this evening for some reason and that could be just because the semi-final performance is out of the way. He is moving across the stage and is showing stage presence. The backdrop is featuring the title of the song and it has to be said that even I am thumping along to this one despite not thinking it would make it out of the semi-final stage. Roberto will be picking up a couple of points tonight but he will not be setting the scoreboard on fire.

Estonia

This has to be one of the most wonderful ballads competing in this years' edition of the Eurovision Song Contest with Birgit wearing the same white gown she was in the semi-final. She is a brilliant vocalist and has always a stunning repertoire of notes. Despite being in Estonia, it manages to capture the essence of many and this should easily do well. Whilst it might not be setting the tele-votes on fire, it should pick up a lot of votes this evening. I am predicting a mid-table result for this one. Well done to Birgit! Sometimes, I am left speechless and this is definitely one of those times!

Belarus

Following Estonia, Belarus just sounds terrible to be honest. Alyona Lanskaya walks out of the disco ball wearing a sparkling silvery dress. She is joined on stage by two dancers and three backing vocalists and whilst this might not be the typical jury favourite, it will definitely pick up some votes to finish mid-table. The vocals this evening are quite disappointing though and it seems that she is very nervous. Nevertheless, due to the strategic positioning of Belarus, this could manage to get Paelinck best result. Alyona Lanskaya needed to nail it this evening and I do not think she did. 

Malta

Gianluca takes to the stage in his white shirt, bright orange trousers and black waistcoat. He is joined on stage by two female backing vocalists, a drummer, a ukelele player, and a guitarist. This came through the second semi-final last night after being announced ninth. The vocals this evening are easily resembling the ones of last night. The backdrop featuring the lyrics of the song is definitely not in the way and aids the performance getting the public to sing a long. The public are very much engaged in this performance and this is coming across really well. He was somewhat nervous at some points but nevertheless, worked through them brilliantly! Malta should at least get a mid-table result.

Russia

Pink! but nevertheless, not anywhere close to the dress worn by the hostess because this is lighter and extremely salmon like. She is joined on stage by four backing vocalists and the staging has not changed a bit noting that there are balls on the stage and at the end of the performance is also seemingly throwing some balls into the audience. Dina Garipova is one of the most brilliant vocalists in the competition but I cannot believe I am saying this but she has just missed the high note and the juries will definitely penalise it for that. It might have just ruined her chances of victory. 

Germany

Nathalie Horler feeds off the crowd and is definitely pleasing the public. Many people have stated that this track might be too similar to Euphoria but nevertheless, the group Cascada invented this type of music in recent years. She is definitely enjoying this performance and comes down the flight of stairs, takes to the catwalk in stunning fashion. I am definitely not ruling out a return to Germany for next years' edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. Call me a fan, but wow, that was amazing!

Armenia

Eyebrows! That is definitely the focus of this performance. Armenia definitely qualified thanks to the power of the Rock voters or rather, the fans of Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath who co-wrote the song. The performance is nothing out of this world noting that it is just a typical band who are spreading out a message. Armenia did not take part in last years' edition of the Eurovision Song Contest for political reasons but are definitely excited to return in the final. Vocals are on key and are sounding pretty well. Nevertheless, this will do better than expected but won't be in the top ten. 

BREAK

The Netherlands

Anouk, one of the most competent performers in this years' edition of the Eurovision Song Contest takes to the stage for the final having managed to take The Netherlands through for the first time in eight years. She is wearing a dark outfit, the same within the semi-final. Initial reports were that she was supposed to start on the main stage but is giving the satellite stage another go. The lights are still in her eyes unfortunately but she is creating this mystical element by keeping them closed. The vocals are mesmerizing as expected from Anouk and I seriously believe that with a strong jury vote this evening along with a decent tele-vote that it could finish in the top ten. 

Romania

Cezar had to be one of the most intriguing acts to compete in the semi-final stage last night and took Romania through to the final keeping their perfect record in tact despite maybe not settling in with the typical voter at home. The fact that the jury had to vote on vocal prowess, original and an overall performance might have helped him solidify that vote and indeed, this will most likely get a mid-table result due to the juries this evening. Vocally, Cezar is stunning and he is indeed one of the up and coming tenors in his country. The staging is beyond over the top but I will keep to the comments above. 

United Kingdom

In the beginning, Bonnie Tyler had some vocal issues but nevertheless, she is a legend and does pick up after the first minute. This is a feel good country ballad and Bonnie does somewhat still have a vocal prowess that people might have to watch out for. There is a good round of applause in the press centre and the hall in the arena went relatively mad. Believe In Me will not be getting the top ten result that the United Kingdom would like to be honest but I am sure that her fanbase will enjoy this performance and vote for her tomorrow night to give her a mid-table result. 

Sweden

The host country of this years' Eurovision Song Contest has selected a song by virtue of an international panel of judges noting that You was not the choice of the public. Robin Stjernberg is wearing a white outfit and he is joined by several dancers and this choreography is just out of this world and whilst it looks a little bit squashed in the opening rehearsals, it has definitely come across well. The vocals need to be perfect for this performance and wait for it, they definitely are. Sweden will most likely be heading for another top ten result, meaning it would be the third one in a row and a continuation of positive history.

Hungary

Alan Montonaro, who was guest blogging for the Times of Malta absolutely enjoyed this performance last night and Alex is actually enjoying his performance ever so slightly this evening despite not showing it too much. There is no emotion for the performer but nevertheless, the look is very much translating well on screens. I had this as a qualifier last night and it is definitely giving everyone in the hall and the press centre an extremely good feeling. The vocals are fine and the song is just beautiful. Well done Hungary, this could be the best result for quite some time. There is a lot of applause for this one and considering the commercial sales, I would say this is picking up a lot of tele-votes.

Denmark

The pied piper has just started playing the flute and the audience has just gone mad. The crowd is definitely enjoying this performance. Emmelie de Forest is wearing the same white dress which she was wearing within the semi-final and is joined by drummers and backing vocalists. Many people have this down as their winner for this years' edition of the Eurovision Song Contest but I am not too sure it will manage to. The vocals are good this evening and will definitely get a potentially strong vote by the juries but should this win, it will do thanks to the backing of the public. The pyro curtain has just been used towards the end. 

Iceland

Eythor Ingi is one of the best male vocalists in this years' competition and has decided to stay with his black suit for the performance. The staging is kept really dark in order to accompany the mood of the song, which definitely reflects on personal experiences. Mid-way through the song, four male backing vocalists come onto the stage. Eythor Ingi has a stunning vocal range and he is definitely showing the jury this evening that he is more than competent to carry off practically the phone book. Stunning! Iceland deserve to finish in the top ten. This gets a huge reaction in both the press centre and the hall. 

Azerbaijan

Farid Mammadov is one of the worst performers when it comes to nerves but has the best ability in the competition to handle them because his vocals are stunning as always. This will definitely win a lot of points in the staging and originality sections which the juries have to assess this evening. The man in the glass box is managing to keep up this evening as was the case last night whilst the female dancer comes along and adds to the drama. Whilst this is coming in a difficult part of the draw following Denmark and Iceland, this is still going to competing for points and will be taking most of the typical points which Turkey normally gets considering their absence. 

Greece

There is a lot of commotion in the press centre for this performance especially due to the fact that this is following two ballads and a mid-tempo song. Greece are bringing about the only ethnic song in the competition and this is musically stunning. I am not too sure about the choice of lyrics but as soon as you start bopping along, you would lose the lyrics and just love the music. The boys are definitely good looking as been said by many and therefore will be getting that type of vote as well during the final tomorrow night. This is an extremely polished performance. I have no clue how this one will do but it could finish in the top ten.

Ukraine

According to the Betting Odds, this is still the third favourite to win this years' edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and I understand why because Zlata has one of the most powerful female voices in the competition. The initial walk with the giant is just silly though and might have come across as too much of a circus act during the semi-final. Zlata is wearing the cream/white outfit that she was wearing in the semi-final and seems that she will be sticking to this. Whoa! This part of the final is quite difficult and I am somewhat even more convinced that Denmark might not win. 

Italy

Marco Mengoni, the Italian hearthrob who stole the show at Sanremo earlier this year. He is wearing a teal suit as seen in this afternoons' rehearsal video and whilst this might not look great on the same video below, it comes across beautifully on the cameras. This is definitely going to pick up a lot of votes with the juries this evening considering that Sanremo is somewhat riddles with juries. He is definitely trying to play with his vocals and it seems that the performance is far too emotional. The vocals are just stunning and he manages to impress. I am sure that the juries will give this an extremely high position.

Norway

The magnificient Italy is followed by Norway who is represented by Margaret Berger. This is the second favourite for victory and clad in a tight white dress, this performance is far more convincing that the one that she gave in the semi-final in terms of vocals. The camera shots are good but it would have been better if they managed to recreate the feel of the Melodi Grand Prix. Berger is trying to convince the public. She does receive a lot of applause in both the press centre and the audience. It sounded strong tonight and it could derail Denmark. Norway have definitely managed to win over ample support in a couple of days. 

Georgia

Sophie and Nodi take to the stage in one of the final performances of the evening. This is track co-written by Thomas G:son who actually wrote the winning entry last year. They are both clad in formal attire this evening as has been the case throughout all of the rehearsals. The choreography is as cheesy as the song to be honest. The vocals are good or rather better than they were in the semi-finals but I believe that nerves have been getting the best of her mostly. Georgia will not be finishing in the top five though as previously expected. Massive applause in the arena for this one though. 

Ireland

Fire! Stunning end to this years' edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. I might not have been the biggest fan of Ireland when it was chosen to represent the nation. Ryan Dolan is still clad in casual clothing and the rest of his team is going about the shirtless look apart from the female backing vocalists. Ryan is a good vocalist but this is not the best rehearsal that he has had and will definitely suffer with the juries. Nevertheless, following the ballad that comes forward from Georgia, I would not expect this to do badly and whilst it would not be troubling the top ten, a mid-table position is very much possible. This is applauded well in the press centre. 

The Show (Part 2)

Petra Mede, our funny hostess for this years' edition of the Eurovision Song Contest is back on stage with the same dire outfit she started out with and says that the competition is actually over but time to turn to the public at home who will be decidnig half of the vote. A recap of the performances is currently being shown on screen and remember that Malta will be singing in position number #9. That's it from us this evening as we focus on the actual final tomorrow night. I have a sneaky feeling that the jury vote will be going towards Italy and The Netherlands. The interval act which will not be shown on Television Malta will include Carola and Sarah Dawn Finer.

In recent years, the Eurovision Song Contest has been regaining prestige with music labels across the continent due to the fact that exposure is guaranteed especially for those who make it through to the final and therefore get to be seen by millions of people across the world. Malta, for the second consecutive year will be participating tomorrow evening with all of the success definitely merited to Anton Attard, Head of Delegation for Malta who has redesigned the selection procedure from the initial stages in order to attract the foreign whilst keeping the product genuine and local. 

Tomorrow, co-written by Boris Cezek and Dean Muscat with vocals provided by Gianluca is a track which has a happy go lucky feeling and the charm and grace of the lead vocalist has been essential towards the success of the semi-final last night. Commercial success is not easy to achieve and whilst This is the Night did managed to have such positive acclaim, it was only after the final rather than the semi-final. Tomorrow has entered the iTunes Charts in several countries, with the most predominant though being The Netherlands where he peaked at #55 as well as Norway where he managed to climb to number #80 apart from managing positions #2 and #3 in Malta. Stay tuned to escflashmalta.com for amore of the latest news as soon as it becomes available. 

Source: esctracker