Austria

Blast from the past: Austria 1976

We know a lot about Eurovision and we want to share this knowledge with you! Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. Today, we go back to 1976, when Waterloo and Robinson represented Austria with the song My Little World. Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest Austria started participating in 1957. Their first victory came in 1966, when Udo Jürgens won with Merci Cherie. It was his third consecutive participation. After that, Austria did not make it to the top-3 again for decades. In 2014 this changed, when Conchita Wurst gained the trophy with her Rise Like a Phoenix. In 2018 there was another top-3 place for Austria: Cesár Sampson even won the jury voting with Nobody But You. With Teya and Salena (Who The Hell Is Edgar?) last year and Kaleen (We Will Rave) this year, Austria reached the final. Almost returning My Little World was, as far as we know, selected internally. But in 2004, Waterloo and Robinson took part in the national selection again. Their song You Can Change the World was 2nd. After the national competition, Waterloo and Robinson, sued the winning group Tie Break. They said that the song Du Bist was too long (over three minutes) and copied the song Für Dich by German singer Yvonne Catterfield. However, the lawsuit was rejected for legal reasons. ORF, the TV broadcaster, said that the small time over the limit wasn’t enough to disqualify the song and promised to shorten it to three minutes for the Eurovision Song Contest. So no return at Eurovision for Waterloo and Robinson. Waterloo and Robinson Waterloo & Robinson is a pop music duo from Austria. The group consists of Hans Kreuzmayr (Waterloo) and Josef Krassnitzer (Robinson). Beginning Hans and Josef met in 1969 when Hans was looking for someone to help design displays for his boutique. Both were already playing in local bands. They decided to make music together. At their early shows, they were called The Edward Brothers. In 1971, they entered a music competition and came in third place with their song Du Kannst Sehen (a song about a blind girl). After that, they had hits with songs like Lili’s Haus, Baby Blue (their first big hit in Europe), and Hollywood, a worldwide hit. In 1974, Baby Blue and Hollywood took turns being number 1 and 2 on the Ö3 chart. Eurovision and Wild Land The duo represented Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1976. They finished in 5th place with their song My Little World. In 1978, they filmed a movie called Wild Land in Kenya, and they also released an album with the same name. Germany Their popularity grew in Germany, but in Austria, their songs didn’t get as much attention. In 1979, they released Do You Remember Marianne, which became a hit in Germany but not in Austria. They appeared on many popular TV shows in Germany but started having disagreements due to their declining success in Austria. This led to their split in 1981. After the split After the split, Waterloo continued his solo career with songs like Im Land das Ewigkeit Heißt and other hits. Robinson also released some solo music and helped produce music for young artists, but he stayed out of the spotlight. Waterloo took part in the Austrian national selections for Eurovision twice as a soloist: in 1983 and in 1990. After about ten years, they tried working together again and performed concerts in 1989 and 1990. They both kept doing solo projects as well. Robinson went on an “Unplugged Tour,” and Waterloo spent time on a Native American reservation in North America. This experience influenced his later music, and he released albums with Native American themes like Tales of the Sun, Moon and Stars, Apaches’ Land, and Indio. While promoting Indio, Waterloo was playing Winnetou at a festival, where he met his current wife, Andrea. Nowadays Their concerts now include both their old hits from the 1970s and newer songs with Native American influences. In 2002, they released a new version of the Opus hit Live Is Life, which became a hit in Austria. In 2004, they placed second in the Austrian selection for the Eurovision Song Contest with their song You Can Change the World. Waterloo released a solo CD in 2005 for his 60th birthday, and a Christmas CD in 2006. Robinson also worked on solo projects during this time. They were still touring together at that point. In 2007, they decided to focus only on their solo work for live shows. In 2015, they reunited for a short time to perform at special events and on TV for the Eurovision Song Contest, which took place in Vienna. My Little World My Little World is a song performed by the Austrian pop duo Waterloo & Robinson. The song was composed by Gerhard Heinz, who is known for his work in film scores and pop music, while the lyrics were written by Peter Orthofer. The track was selected to represent Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1976. At Eurovision, which was held in The Hague, The Netherlands, My Little World was performed as Austria’s entry. The duo delivered a heartfelt and melodic performance that resonated with both the jury and the audience. The song, with its catchy tune and reflective lyrics, stood out during the competition. Ultimately, My Little World scored 80 points in the contest and finished in 5th place, a strong result for Austria. The song was well-received and helped further establish Waterloo & Robinson’s career both in Austria and internationally. Their Eurovision appearance cemented their reputation as one of the country’s leading pop acts during the 1970s.

The second semifinal

photo: EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett The hosts Petra Mede and Malin Åkerman open the show with their own version of “Tattoo.” Malta In the Maltese act by Sarah Bonnici, there is a lot of movement and dancing. Later during the act, she is blindfolded, as are her dancers. Despite so much movement, Sarah manages to sing remarkably well. Albania Besa wears a turquoise gown with gemstones. The stage also includes several dancers, which might make it look a bit messy. However, many dancers are projected onto LED screens. Besa’s voice sounds a bit sharp here and there. Greece First, we see her purple boots, then the whole Marina Satti. She is also flanked by four dancers, but it looks much more organized. Greece has chosen a sophisticated entry not meant for casual listeners. A lot happens during this entry. Marina continues to sing well. Switzerland Nemo takes the viewer into his story with the song “The Code,” managing to crack the (binary) code. Their clothing says it all. Nemo has so far managed to enhance their narrative through fashion statements. Nemo jumps, skips, shows himself to be a balancing artist… and continues to sing crystal clear. We do not know if this is a winner, but we definitely respect their skills. Czechia You would expect Aiko to be standing on a pedestal during her performance. That’s not the case, but we find that the ceiling (one of the cubes) is very low. Aiko has four… Her nipples are no longer visible. Pay particular attention to the high note that Aiko effortlessly hits. Aiko surprises! During the first semifinal, Nicole (from Hugo) received a tribute, and in this semifinal, Jahn Teigen (ESC 1978, 1982, 1983) is honored. We are treated to a journey through Eurovision history with several participants who did not finish very high. France Slimane, dressed in white, starts singing while lying down, then sits up. Everything is shot in close-up, which makes the song even more intimate. Slimane pulls out all the stops in terms of his singing ability. The song has its distinct fans, but others are completely on the opposite end of the spectrum. Austria It’s interesting to put someone on stage who has held various other roles at the contest. Singing is clearly not Kaleen’s strongest suit. Regardless of how enjoyable the song may be found, the singing is forgotten in Austria. However, the act looks absolutely tight, and Kaleen knows very well what she is doing in terms of dance. Denmark It seems like you only see a singer sprinkling some sand and singing her song. However, we also see a second Saba in the background… A hologram, as it turns out, because at one point she disintegrates into sand. Occasionally, Saba tends to sing too loud, which makes the whole thing seem a bit shouty. Armenia Cheerfulness all over, garnished with typical Armenian sounds. Singer Jaklin Baghdasarian of Ladaniva plays a leading role throughout the act. The other band members and backing band stand behind her, but at one point, the flutist also comes forward. We see all sorts of things in the background: trumpets, chickens, and the artists themselves. Latvia Looking at his Instagram account, he is very cheerful and humorous: the Latvian Dons. But seeing him standing there in his sleeveless leather outfit amid a circle, and hearing his very serious ballad, we notice little of that. There is nothing wrong with this song, but that might also be the problem. Spain Both the singer and the dancers are dressed in black. The singing isn’t fantastic, but Nebulossa certainly knows how to throw a party in the hall. And of course, halfway through the act, the dancers strip off their clothes and continue dancing with bare chests and buttocks. At the end, a keyhole appears behind the singer Mery. The Spaniards really throw a party. San Marino We stick with the Spanish language, as San Marino sends the Spanish group Megara. Singer Kenzy Loevett is briefly flanked by two dancers in scary Easter bunny suits. Everything is pink and black in this act. It’s all rock, and the group tries to match the scariness of Bambie Thug, but it remains rather tame for a horror show. Georgia Nutsa Buzaladze is dressed in gold and stands in a circle of fire, which at one moment looks like a sun, the next a burning hoop. Nutsa is flanked by four dancers, and gives her all in terms of singing, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good. For Georgia, it’s definitely not a done deal. Belgium We had already seen photos of Mustii amid a circle of microphones, but he starts alone on stage. He then stands on a rotating platform. Later, he goes into this circle. Mustii is dressed in white. The singing we hear here is very cautious, with Mustii consciously staying below the high notes. He did not, as we previously reported, take his shirt off. But towards the end, we see the whole hall going wild with the Belgian entry! Estonia 5miinust and Puuluup are having a party on stage. The title of the song is, as previously mentioned, the longest ever. Whether the party really come across with all the “hey hey hey” is still a question. Possibly a finalist position for Estonia, but that is by no means certain. Italy Angelina Mango starts lying down, with roses projected under her. She has a sort of henna-like print depicted. This print also continues with the dancers. There are so many prints all over. There are so many details that you occasionally don’t see Angelina and her dancers at all. The singing is fine where it concerns Angelina. She ends a cappella. That takes skilsl, and Angelina has them. Italy will finish high, but perhaps not win. Israel The Israeli entry is the only ballad in this latter stage of the second semifinal. Just before she starts singing, Eden Golan leans back in a circle with lights. Five dancers flank her,

Malmö Messages: another outfit and a lot of folkore

Austria: Here too, we have a different outfit. Kaleen was already wearing a swimsuit before, but the current one shows much more skin (read: flesh-colored bodysuit). The color is now silver. She is also surrounded by a group of four dancers. This act too is mainly focused on dance, with singing possibly taking a backseat. But we will only find out during the public rehearsals. Austria is ranked 14th at the bookmakers. Denmark: Little has changed in the Danish act compared to last time. Saba is still singing her ballad in a white dress. Like a real Sandman, she scatters sand. She is ranked 22nd by the bookmakers. Who knows, maybe she will break the negative spiral of not reaching the finals. Armenia: Armenia will actually be represented by a duo, which is not visible in the act. There is a lot of movement and several musicians have joined Ladaniva. A lot of cheerfulness is visible. And take note: you are not drunk, you really see the duo multiple times, displayed on the LED screens. The bookmakers give Armenia a 17th place. Latvia: We could now say that Dons’ hair is different from the last rehearsal, but that would be trivial. What we see in the photos is virtually the same as what we had seen two days earlier: Dons in blue in a circle, calmly singing his song. He is currently ranked 27th by the bookmakers. It will be a close call for Latvia whether Hollow will make it.

Malmö messages: Fire, costume changes, sand and tradition

“Pedestal” is the entry that Aiko brings for the Czech Republic. The Czech team announced, although they had said this before, that they would be depicting the five stages of grief. By now, Aiko has reached the fifth stage, acceptance. The four dancers represent denial, anger, bargaining, and depression. The dancers are dressed in black. Aiko herself too, with wide-legged pants. The lighting mainly consists of red and black. And if we are to believe eurovision.tv, there will be flames throughout the song. The ESCZ Instagram account had images of this, but unfortunately removed it. Austria has a costume change act. During her song “We Will Rave,” Kaleen starts in a long white coat with a train, which she later removes. Underneath, she wears a glittery outfit and matching boots. All this takes place under an inverted pyramid, where she and her four dancers perform. The men wear huge sunglasses. Dance plays a major role in this act. Eurovision.tv reports that Kaleen wears a different coat during the second rehearsal. And there’s a lot of smoke. We’re very curious about the singing in this song. In contrast to Austria, Denmark’s performance is static: Saba sings her song “Sand” entirely in one spot. She stands on a raised platform. She wears, as during the national final, a white pant suit. Her pockets are filled with sand which she then scatters across the stage. Behind her, a large LED version of herself is projected. The smoke machine is in full operation. As we move to Armenia, we see a circle of torches. Amidst them, Ladaniva sings their song “Jako.” Singer Jaklin Baghdasaryan wears traditional Armenian attire and has her hair in traditional braids. Many traditional Armenian images are also seen on the LED screens and the cube above the duo.

🇦🇹 Road To Malmö: Austria

photo: ORF We can not wait for the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. Therefore, we have a closer look at one of the contestants every day. Today: Austria. Kaleen Kaleen, whose real name is Marie-Sophie Kreissl, was born in 1994 in Austria. She loves dancing, choreographing dances, and singing. Even when she was very young, she enjoyed watching music shows and dancing in her living room. She started learning ballet when she was a little girl and soon learned many other types of dance like jazz, tap, and even Latin dances. Kaleen was really good at dancing from the start. She won her first big dance competition when she was just seven years old. Over the years, she won more than 100 competitions in Austria and Europe, and she even won five world championships. That’s a lot of wins! In 2018, Kaleen started working with the Eurovision Song Contest. She first joined as a stand-in lead artist and choreographer, helping to create dances for the show. Kaleen is also very talented in music. In 2021, she released her very first song that she made all by herself, and in 2023, she put out her first album called “Stripping Feelings.” Kaleen didn’t stop there. By 2021, she became the creative director for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest for Spain and Bulgaria. She was in charge of the stage for the 2022 contest in Spain and helped Austria, Armenia, Germany, and Georgia with their performances for the contest in Liverpool in 2023. On January 16, 2024, it was announced that Kaleen will be the one to represent Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest. She has come a long way from dancing in her living room to performing on one of the biggest music stages in the world! How Austria selects a song ÖRF (Österreichischer Rundfunk) does not have a tradition of national finals. The majority of the Austrian entries have been selected internally. The first time the Austrian song was selected by a national final was in 1981, but still Marty Brem was the only contestant. A year later, the first national final, with 12 competitors, was a fact. The last time was in 2016.One national final we cannot deny was the one of 1990; the contest was won by the duo Duett, singing “Das Beste”. Half way through the performance, Duett-singer Monika fainted and fell on the floor. Duett was allowed to sing the song again, and guess what: they won. However, the song already competed in a German semifinal 2 years before and was disqualified for that. In the end it was Simone who represented the country with “Keine Mauern mehr”. Duett, with Monika who fainted during her performance. Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest It was Bob Martin who brought Austria to the Eurovision Song Contest in 1957. After two failed attempts, Udo Jürgens won the trophy in 1966 with “Merci Cherie”. The country took several breaks, had some top-5 positions but finally won again in 2014, when Conchita Wurst presented her “Rise like a Phoenix”. Conchita brought Austria on the map again. Already 4 years later, César Sampson won the jury vote. His “Nobody but you” became 3rd overall. Conchita Wurst; Albin Olsson, Wikimedia Commons The Bookmakers A new success for Austria is a serious option: Kaleen is currently 10th in the betting odds for Eurovision win. In the odds for making it through the final, she has an 8th place. Conclusion: as soon as she is in the final, she will make it there. The song This is the song:

🇦🇹 Kaleen’s “We will rave” published

Today, also the Austrian entry “We will rave” has been published. Kaleen will represent the country. Where countries like Switzerland, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Cyprus published their entry with much publicity, it went completely different in Austria. The song was leaked, and this morning it was published on Spotify. Meanwhile, there is also an audio version published on Kaleen’s Youtube channel. The song “We will rave” is written and composed by Jimmy Thörnfeld, Anderz Wrethov, Julie Aagaard and Thomas Stengaard.

Kaleen

© EBU/Corinne Cumming About Quick Facts NameMarie-Sophie Kreissl Born12 November 1994 Nationality🇦🇹 Austrian National SelectionInternal selection In Eurovision2024 Malmö SongWe Will Rave (2024) Biography Kaleen (real name Marie-Sophie Kreissl, born in 1994) is an Austrian dancer, choreographer, and singer. Her passion for performing arts blossomed at a tender age. As a toddler, she was captivated by music shows on TV, often dancing in her living room. Her formal journey in dance commenced with ballet lessons. She rapidly diversified into various genres including commercial, tap, jazz, musical, modern, Latin, and standard dances. Kaleen’s talent shone early. She won her first national championship at seven. Kaleen subsequently clinched over 100 national and European championships, along with five world championships. Kaleen’s influence extended to the Eurovision Song Contest starting in 2018, initially participating as a stand-in lead artist and choreographer. Kaleen is also skilled in music. She released her first self-produced single in September 2021 under Wifi Records, followed by her debut album “Stripping Feelings” in September 2023. By 2021, she escalated to the role of creative director for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest for Spain and Bulgaria. She took over as the stage director for the 2022 contest in Spain. Her expertise was further sought in 2023. She aided Austria, Armenia, Germany, and Georgia with their stage performances at the contest in Liverpool. On 16 January 2024, it was announced that Kaleen was going to represent Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest. Her song, “We will rave”, was presented the 1st of March. Austria reached the final with the song. Entries We Will Rave Country🇦🇹 Austria Year2024 LanguageEnglish Lyrics Jimmy ‘Joker’ ThörnfeldAnderz WrethovThomas Stengaard MusicJimmy ‘Joker’ ThörnfeldAnderz WrethovJulie AagaardThomas Stengaard BackingsBradley SalterChase VollenweiderJaih BetoteLuca Rainbow Results Semi Points: 46Position: 9Running order: 6 Results Finals Points: 24Position: 24Running order: 26 https://youtu.be/VZ6SlZnk_EI?si=4tn-sevN1e5APtkd

🇦🇹 Kaleen represents Austria

29-year old Kaleen will represent Austria in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest. Austrian broadcaster ORF announced that news this morning. The song and its title will be announced later. Extremely proud Kaleen herself commented on her election: ‘I think I haven’t fully grasped the fact yet, that I’ll be standing on that stage as an artist myself. I am in love with this world of lights and cameras and believe it’s a privilege to take the audience on a journey. I worked hard for this, and I am extremely proud. I am very looking forward to showing the world what I can do!’ Dancing career Kaleen (real name Marie-Sophie Kreissl, born in 1994) is an Austrian dancer, choreographer, and singer. Her passion for performing arts blossomed at a tender age. As a toddler, she was captivated by music shows on TV, often dancing in her living room. Her formal journey in dance commenced with ballet lessons. She rapidly diversified into various genres including commercial, tap, jazz, musical, modern, Latin, and standard dances. Kaleen’s talent shone early. She won her first national championship at seven. Kaleen subsequently clinched over 100 national and European championships, along with five world championships. Music Kaleen is also skilled in music. She released her first self-produced single in September 2021 under Wifi Records, followed by her debut album “Stripping Feelings” in September 2023. Eurovision Kaleen’s influence extended to the Eurovision Song Contest starting in 2018, initially participating as a stand-in lead artist and choreographer. By 2021, she escalated to the role of creative director for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest for Spain and Bulgaria. She took over as the stage director for the 2022 contest in Spain. Her expertise was further sought in 2023. She aided Austria, Armenia, Germany, and Georgia with their stage performances at the contest in Liverpool. And now she will be in Malmö in 2024.

Is Sweden in for the win?

Is Sweden in for the win? Your guess is as good as ours. Currently the bookmakers predict a 52% chance for Sweden to win the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. That would be their 7th victory. Currently Ireland holds the record, also with 7. But bookies are bookies, we have our own prediction. We agree with Sweden for the win, but here is our entire top-5: 1.Sweden – Loreen – Tattoo 2.Finland – Käärijä – Cha-cha-cha 3.France – La Zarra – Évidement 4.Israel – Noa Kirel – Unicorn 5.Austria – Teya and Salena – Who the hell is Edgar? But…. tonight, 01.00 CET, we know more!

Liverpool live: red screens, a poet and an orange dress

The last part of the rehearsals for today is finished. We have now seen all the entries of both semifinals twice. photo credits: EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett/Chloe Hashemi San Marino Not much has been changed for San Marino since the previous rehearsal, at least that is what eurovision.tv tells us. So there is still the band playing in a reddish surrounding, with the graphics on the LED-screens having a main role. Still, no expectations at all for San Marino, as they have a 34th place at the betting odds. Austria The webteam of eurovision.tv was surprised about the impact of the graphics during the Austrian performance. We were not. We already saw that it was impressive during the first rehearsals and what we saw of it. No changes are made since the first rehearsal. Of course there is a main role for Teya, Salena and Edgar Allan Poe. In the betting odds, Austria is 9th. A higher placing however should also be possible. Albania What is remarkable of the Albanian performance is the use of the LED-screen and the LED-lightning on the floor. Maybe it helps, because Albania will face a hard time qualifying. A 35th place at the bookmakers is not very helpfull. Hopefully for Albina and her family the bookies are wrong this time. Lithuania Other clothes for Monika Linkytė: still orange, but she is now wearing a strapless minidress. That is the main change in the act of Monika, at least that is what the eurovision.tv webteam notices. The bookmakers have a 27th place now for Lithuania, but in the semifinal ranking they are 5th. So a place in the final for Lithuania is likely. Australia There are no changes noticed in the previews. Australia has a performance that at least the reporters of eurovision.tv like, for what it’s worth. When the performance start, Voyager frontman Daniel Erin is actually sitting in the car. The rest of the performance is around the car. Australia is currently number 13 in the overall betting odds ranking. in collaboration with Eurovision Artists