Radio International: Centre Stage for Deborah C
Written by Juergen BoernigIn just a couple of days, the European Broadcasting Union will be officially unveiling the running order for this years' edition of the Eurovision Song Contest semi-finals in which Malta will be competing for yet another year as they hope to qualify to the final with Tomorrow co-written by Boris Cezek and Dean Muscat with vocals provided by Gianluca. We would like to invite you to the weekly Ultimate Eurovision Experience. Apart from the means of FM Radio in the Netherlands on FM 106.8 and the audio stream from the studio via www.radiointernational.tv and on Digital Cable 781 & cable 88.1Mhz in the Netherlands, the show will also be web-televised via the Radio International TV Channel from the studio and linking up the many international Eurovision fans and friends and play your requests and read your messages out on air. The simulcast will be from 2000 – 2300 hours CET when fans can join in and chat amongst each other via the Chat Room and request their favourite Eurovision entry.
One of the most professional selections to take place during this years' national selection season is definitely the Malta Eurovision Song Contest noting that the show was produced at an extremely high quality production apart from the fact that most of the songs could have all been worthy representatives hence forth the public and the jury made different selections. One of the artists which we managed to interview during our annual stay is none other than two time finalist; Deborah C whose entry Love-O-Holic was composed by Johan Bejerholm to the lyrics of Gerard James Borg. The public had somewhat realised that this is a track with potential awarding it sixth place within the tele-voting with the jury giving it a slightly lower position nevertheless, enough to finish within the top ten at an extremely respectable ninth place which is definitely better than last years' disappointment. Deborah C was the winner Konkors Kanzunetta Indipendenza last September and therefore has been riding a wave of momentum.
Belgium are somewhat similar to The Netherlands with regards to their qualification record at the Eurovision Song Contest having only qualified from the semi-final once having been pre-qualified to the final in 2004 based on the result achieved the year before by Urban Trad and their track Sanomi. Nevertheless, the man who managed to take the nation into the final for the very first time since then was none other than Tom Dice who by his standards was still a newcomer in 2010. He presented a beautiful guitar ballad entitled Me and My Guitar which did not sound of place during the competition and lit the venue up in Oslo, Norway. It finished first in the semi-final and ultimately managed to finish in sixth place when the final results where being read out. It was definitely a coup for the nation who are hoping to reach the final once more this time round with the track Love Kills performed by Roberto Bellarosa. Tom speaks to us with regards to his experience within the music scene, his two successful albums and what lies ahead for him in the future.
There will also be an interview with Joel Bennett, host of W12P, a radio show about the Eurovision Song Contest. Radio International is always keen to present songs during the show apart from the weekly features and therefore, collaborating the two ideas together will see the emergence of Eurovision UnverCover whereas tracks performed at the Eurovision Song Contest will be covered by other singers. The actual tracks will be played first followed by the cover and this will make things interesting. Apart from this feature, there will be new material played on the show by a number of former representatives including Sertab Erener. All of the latest news is also covered during the weekly broadcast noting resources from escflashmalta.com and escXtra where Luke Fisher, the Editor makes a weekly round-up. A round up of the current betting odds of this years' Eurovision Song Contest will be conducted by Alasdair Rendall. Follow the show through the official website and also send your requests through the contact link which is found on the aforementioned website.
Source: Radio International
Cyprus: CyBC Denies Rumours of Withdrawal
Written by Marc Calleja BaylissCyBC, the national broadcaster in Cyprus, also responsible for the participation of the Mediterranean country in the Eurovision Song Contest has seemingly been placed in a difficult situation pertaining to the economic state of the nation at this moment according to several critics. Nevertheless, the rumours of a withdrawal from this years' edition taking place in Sweden following the victory of Loreen with the track Euphoria were officially dismissed soon after they emerged. In thirty (30) participations, Cyprus has managed to contest the final on twenty-five (25) occasions, which is definitely a fair statistic.
CyBC announced earlier this year, that for the second consecutive time, their selection would be internal and indeed, it was revealed that Despina Olympiou would be representing her country with the track An Me Thimase composed by Andreas Giorgalli and penned by Zenon Zindillis. It will be be performed in the second half of the first semi-final. The song is a beautifully sounding Greek ballad which has been kept in it's original form for the simple reason that the lyrics are pretty much impossible to translate. Whilst the betting odds are somewhat unfavourable, people are getting the feel that with the correct staging and draw, this could be a dark horse and qualify. This would be the first back to back qualification for the nation who managed to make the final last year with the track La La Love performed by Ivi Adamou, even performing better than Greece for the first time in years. Stay tuned to escflashmalta.com for all of the latest news.
Source: CyBC, Showtime
GTP 2013: Valerie Vella Appointed Hostess
Written by Marc Calleja BaylissL-Għanja tal-Poplu, a local music competition in which all of the entries have to be submitted within the national language and ultimately performed live. In recent years, the lacklustre showcase has been dusting off the remnants of disappointment and gearing up with innovative strategies and this has been of great help considering that the list of entrants has been improving and will continue to do so should the direction continue in such a manner. Sir Temi Żammit Hall found within the University of Malta will once more be playing role of the host venue on the 20th April as nineteen entries will be vying for the top three places, all of which will be getting the chance to represent the country in an international competition.
Corazon Mizzi and Alfred Zammit were the hosts of the evening last year, a showcase eventually won by Kantilena and their entry Malta Tiegħi. but due to the fact that the former is actually a finalist in this years' edition, the organising committee thought it best to call upon two fresh faces for the role and indeed, it has called upon former finalist; Frank O'Neill as well as Valerie Vella who does not require any introduction within the world of the Eurovision Song Contest having hosted the Malta Eurovision Song Contest on three occasions, read out the scores of the Maltese Jury and Tele-Voting as well as been a commentator within the same event. Whilst keeping in line to the centrist changes made in recent years, there will be a traditional element to this years' showcase but we will not be revealing any details except that many will be surprised. Stay tuned to escflashmalta.com for all of the latest news about this years' L-Għanja tal-Poplu competition.
Source: Għanja Fest
Elias Kozas on vocals, Alexis Arhontis on drums, Stelios Siomos on guitar, Dimitris Christonis on bass guitar, Christos Kalaintzopoulos on accordion and Vasilis Nalmpantis on trumpet make up the group known as Koza Mostra and alongside Agathonas Iakovidis, they will representing Greece in the second half of the second semi-final of this years' Eurovision Song Contest which is taking place in the city of Malmo, found in Sweden. Despite officially forming last year, the group has become nationally popular following their several gigs, now totalling to more than a hundred (100). The debut album by Koza Mostra took quite a while to record and produce but it has indeed arrived.
Alcohol Is Free is the name of the song that they will be performing at this years' Eurovision Song Contest and it is one of the tracks on the album which bears the name Keep Up The Rhythm. One of the most intriguing tracks in the album though is surely the six minute version of the entry which they will be performing in May. They had to re-edit the song in order to fit in accordance with the rules as stipulated by the European Broadcasting Union. ERT organised this years' national selection with aid from private broadcaster, MAD and as a matter of fact, it seems that they have been working on the financing of the whole participation. Koza Mostra have been gaining credibility and will look to continue the 100% qualification record of the nation. Stay tuned to escflashmalta.com for all of the latest news from this years' edition of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Source: esctoday.com
Malta: Promotional Tour Continues in London
Written by Marc Calleja BaylissEarlier this year, Gianluca stole the hearts of the nation and the professional jury altogether as he won the Malta Eurovision Song Contest with the track Tomorrow co-written by Boris Cezek and Dean Muscat. The idea of the promotional tour is to spread the message of the song across, although this is something which is being done extraordinarily well with the preview video of the track which was produced by Duane and Angie Laus, commissioned for the project by the Public Broadcasting Services. The comments have been really positive by the foreign fans of the competition and one will be hoping for the best come this years' edition of the Eurovision Song Contest 2013.
In the beginning of March, Gianluca was invited to attend the national final in Armenia where Gor Suyjan alongside his band known as The Dorians were given four options for the Eurovision Song Contest with the final choice of both the public and the jury being Lonely Planet co-written by Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath. That was only the beginning of the promotional tour for Gianluca though because on the 13th April, he will be performing during the Eurovision In Concert held within The Netherlands. This is an annual party which is seemingly a rehearsal for the annual international competition due to the involvement of several participating countries.
Earlier today, our friends and colleagues of escXtra exclusively confirmed that the representative for Malta will be one of the artists performing during the London Eurovision Preview Party, joining the likes of Natalia (Austria), Koza Mostra (Greece), Zlata Ognevich (Ukraine), Alyona Lanskaya (Belarus) and Krista Siegfrids (Finland). Gianluca will represent Malta with the song Tomorrow in the first half of the second semi-final during this years' Eurovision Song Contest. Stay tuned to escflashmalta.com for all of the latest news about this years' participation within what has been described as the biggest non-sporting event in Europe.
Source: escXtra, Kris Micallef (Image)
KKI 2013: Passport 2 Indifest Acts Whittle Down
Written by Marc Calleja BaylissOne of the most prestigious music competitions to take place in the Maltese Islands is surely the annual Konkors Kanzunetta Indipendenza which has been won by several notable artists in the past including; Ira Losco, Claudia Faniello, Mike Spiteri and Eleanor Cassar amongst others. As of last year, nineteen (19) qualifiers made it through the typical submission process whilst another one (1) made the cut through a wildcard as given in another local competition known as Passport 2 Indifest which is organising within Sas-Sitta, a production of Spiteri Lucas Entertainment. Simone Gauci was the wildcard last year and she performed the song Id F'Id composed by Renato Briffa and penned by Keith Zammit which managed a mid-table showing.
This year, Passport 2 Indifest has been even tougher in my opinion with a higher level of talent getting through to the live shows and this afternoons' semi-final provided a welcome assessment of the upcoming music scene. The first performer was none other than Ana-Maria Grima who has already competed in the 2011 edition of the Konkors Kanzunetta Indipendenza with the track Kif Nista? written by Philip Vella with the second one being Karen DeBattista, a newcomer who made it through to the second phase of this years' edition of the Malta Eurovision Song Contest with the track Cold Whispers composed by Mark Scicluna and penned by Emil Calleja Bayliss whilst also having accompanied Francesca Borg as a backing vocalist in the Malta Eurovision last year.
At the end of the session which saw them perform Il-Messaġġ and Eternità, the latter performed by Karen DeBattista was definitely stronger in terms of performance and made it through receving the support of all the three judges being Janvil, Annabelle Debono and Neville Refalo. Next week, the second semi-final will be taking place with Marie Claire Attard Bason, a former finalist of the Konkors Kanzunetta Indipendenza in 2009 taking on Letizia Seychell who just took part in the talent show, Don't Stop Me Now hosted on NET Television by Eileen Montesin, former Eurovision Commentator. Stay tuned to escflashmalta.com for all of the latest news about the local music scene as soon as it becomes available.
Source: Spiteri Lucas Entertainment
Italy: Marco Mengoni Honoured to Participate
Written by Marc Calleja BaylissRAI, the broadcaster responsible for the participation of Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest has internally selected Marco Mengoni to do the honours and it seems to have been an extremely wise decision. The song that he will be performing during the final set to take place in Malmo, Sweden is entitled L'Essenziale co-written with Roberto Casalino and Frsncesco De Benedettis. The success of the track within the European Charts has already been noted having managed to peak at number #36 in Switzerland, #35 in Belgium (Wallonia), #88 in Belgium (Flanders) and of course, number #1 in Italy where it has also been certified platinium.
Following the release of his sophomore album #prontoacorrere earlier this week through Sony Music Entertainment, he is setting his sights on his participation within the Eurovision Song Contest where he is considered by many to be a favourite. Marco Mengoni has been receiving a lot of exposure on several media outlets in his native Italy in the past couple of weeks including television appearances on RAI UNO and RAI DUE specifically apart from giving a number of intervals, all in which he mentioned his participation in the upcoming edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. Marco has gone on record stating that he has been following the Eurovision Song Contest in the past couple of years and was honoured to see both Raphael Gualazzi and Nina Zilli score within the top ten. He hopes that his participation will open the doors to the music market in Europe. Stay tuned to escflashmalta.com for all of the latest news.
Source: RAI
#Lionkink is an upcoming production being organised by the Students Council within the University of Malta with the main aim being to serve the purpose that despite being the highest form of Educational Institution, individuals have the right to express themselves through the art of performance. The KSU Students' Fest has become an annual tradition for students at the University of Malta and beyond and this time round, it seems that the expectations are running high especially by tackling one of the most famous movie musicals created by Disney, known as The Lion King. The rewording of the title is vital to the modernisation of the show and the script will surely capture the attention of everyone present.
escflashmalta.com is proud to support the project for the third year running and the editorial team had a chance to catch up with Andrea Attard, the Public Relations Officer of the Council who states that 'the cast, the crew, the whole team is such a talented group to work with. At KSU, we believe that everyone has to work together as a team in order to achieve a positive final result', going onto add that 'whether or not you've seen the musical version, #LionKink is a must see'. The show is organised with the uttermost quality and this is seen through late night rehearsals because after all this is 'an event made for the students, by the students'.
Indeed, we have been through the roles cast for this years' edition of the Students' Fest and we are pleased to reveal that amongst those performing, there will be; Keith Zammit from the recently defunct band, Relikc as well as Gianni Selvaggi from the group; Sky City. One other notable individual in the chorus is definitely Rachael Tedesco Triccas who backed Davinia Pace in this years' edition of the Malta Eurovision Song Contest, finishing in third place with Betrayed. #Lionkink will be staged between Friday 12th April and Sunday 14th April at the Sir Temi Zammit Hall within the University of Malta and tickets can be purchased here. Stay tuned to escflashmalta.com for more news in due course.
Source: Andrea Attard (Public Relations Officer - KSU)
This years' edition of the Eurovision Song Contest taking place in Malmö, Sweden is set to re-ignite the flame of the fans which seemed to have heading into worrysome territory as of late with the European Broadcasting Union supporting a number of brand new projects. As a matter of fact, apart from the Euroclub which will once more be found close to the actual venue, another meeting place running under the concept Euro Fan Café is set to open within the Moriska Paviljongen. Organisers are describing it as a once-in-a-lifetime meeting place and escflashmalta.com is proudly supporting the project.
Music from the Eurovision Song Contest is going to be the main element behind this concept with live performances from artists competing with the event along with quizes, talkshows, films, special appearances and a karaoke night of songs which should have never surfaced within the competition yet are guilty pleasures of many. Christer Björkman, show producer of this years' Eurovision Song Contest has spoken highly of the project saying that 'the fans are a vital and important part and I am really happy about this initiative by the city of Malmö and Moriska Paviljongen, which will be a great meeting place for the fans'. He also went to add that he hopes to have the time to visit the venue.
Moriska Paviljongen has been working closely with OGAE International, Melodifestivalklubben Sweden and prominent English-language fan website 12points.tv in the past couple of months in order to plan this project from the ground out and to keep it light and entertaining for the visiting fans, of which there will also be media personnel. As a matter of fact, the programme was written by Albin Balthasar, a Malmö-based creative producer for the past 13 years, and Rick Jacobs, Malmö resident and one of the editors of Eurovision fan site 12points.tv. More details will be announce in due course, but there will be a number of surprises so stay tuned to escflashmalta.com for more updates.
Source: Press Release
Germany: ECHO Highlight Eurovision Success
Written by Marc Calleja BaylissCascada fronted by lead vocalist, Natalie Horler got another promotional activity settled as a performance of the song Glorious, the entry for the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Germany took place during this years' edition of the ECHO Awards which took place last night. In recent weeks, there has been a lot of talk over the general commercial disappointment regarding this years' national selection by nevertheless, the winning entry was as high as number #6 and is spending a fourth week in the top #50 which should definitely count as a positive element. That was only one of the several connections with the Eurovision Song Contest that evolved throughout the course of the evening.
Lena Meyer-Landrut, winner of the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest with the track Satellite is still going strong in her native Germany with both the album Stardust and the leading single of the same name managing to go up to number #2 in the charts. During the course of the gala, Lena was awarded with the accolade for Best Video whilst she gave a resounding performance of her latest track entitled Neon (Lonely People) which she had also performed during the national final earlier this year. In the meantime, last years' Eurovision Song Contest representative, Roman Lob was also awarded the Best Radio Single by the organising body for his song Standing Still which got Germany to eighth place at the annual event. Cascada will have to keep in mind that in the past three years, the country has managed top ten positions and thus, she might be feeling anxious but if last nights' performance is anything to go by, she seems very much prepared. Stay tuned to escflashmalta.com for all of the latest news.
Source: ECHO, Lina Schütze (Image)
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