Denmark

UEFA 2020: DAY 7

We already face the 7th day of UEFA 2020. Again, three matches will be played. The first one will be Ukraine against North Macedonia. Both countries have had a contestant who faced troubles because of his or her identity. Gaitana sang “Be my guest” in 2012. The song is a soccer anthem, with the music being based on the vuvuzela. Yuriy Syrotyuk, politician of a nationalist political party, said that with this contestant people might think Ukraine is an African country. Gaitana is half Congolese. 2021 North Macedonian contestant Vasil faced a petition because in the video, something that looked like the Bulgarian flag was shown. Vasil also has the Bulgarian nationality. The second match is Denmark vs Belgium. We all know that the only Belgian winner, Sandra Kim, was a 13 year old child. But it was also a child star who participated in the 1985 contest for Denmark. It was Leah Bundgård, the 8 year old daughter of Søren Bundgård. Søren was the male half of the duo Kirsten & Søren. The third and last match will be between The Netherlands and Austria. That reminds us of 2014, when it was either one of them to get the win. It was the duo Common Linnets for the Netherlands coming second with “Calm after the storm”. It was Conchita Wurst for Austria winning with “Rise like a Phoenix”. But hey, you published “Rise like a Phoenix” before? Touché, but who minds watching Conchita’s performance twice?

UEFA Euro 2020 started!

With a year of delay, Euro 2020, the European soccer chiampionship, has started. The fun thing for a Eurovision fan is that a lot of matches remind us of Eurovision Songs, because it’s with (partly) the same countries. Yesterday, Italy won the match from Turkey. Many people on the internet mentioned Måneskin (of course) and Sertab (of course). But the match reminded us of another performance. You see Italian host Toto Cutugno (1991) learning Turkish. The Turkish contestants are Can Uğurluer, İzel Çeliköz & Reyhan Karaca singing “Iki dakika”. That is a hard one to pronounce for Toto. Today, Wales meets Switzerland. Wales is a part of the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest. But did you know that a Welsh woman almost won Eurovision? She became 2nd in 1970 and her name was Mary Hopkin. Also for Switzerland we chose someone who became 2nd: Daniela Simons in 1986. Both ladies have in common that in their years, one contestant could impossibly be defeated. In 1970 it was Dana and in 1986 Sandra Kim. Denmark meets Finland this year. Opposites attract, that’s what people say. We have a Eurovision winner from both countries. A ballad, sung by two man in their 40s from Denmark: “Fly on the wings of love” by the Olson Brothers. And a rock song from Finland, sung by Lordi, dressed as monsters: “Hard rock hallelujah”. And last but not least, Belgium meets Russia. They did so too in 2003. Turkey (as mentioned), Belgium and Russia struggled for the first place. Belgium became 2nd with Urban Trad, with a song in a non-existing language. Russia became third with the famous duo t.A.T.u. and their “Ne ver’ ne boysia”. Who is going to win? We put our money on Måneskin. Or were you talking about soccer?

Malta and Switzerland winners semifinals

The results of both the semifinals are known. Malta won the first one and Switzerland the 2nd one. Where the qualifiers of the 2nd semifinal were very clear (number 11, Denmark, follows with a distance), it was a close call at the first semifinal. Norway was 10th with 115 points while Croatia was 11th with 110 points. The full results are: 1st semifinal Malta, 325 pts. Ukraine, 267 pts. Russia, 225 pts. Lithuania, 203 pts. Israel, 192 pts. Cyprus, 170 pts. Sweden, 142 pts. Azerbaijan, 138 pts. Belgium, 117 pts. Norway, 115 pts. Croatia 110 pts. Romania, 85 pts. Slovenia, 44 pts. Australia, 28 pts. North Macedonia, 23 pts. Ireland, 20 pts. 2nd semifinal Switzerland, 291 pts. Iceland, 288 pts. Bulgaria, 250 pts. Portugal, 239 pts. Finland, 234 pts. Greece, 184 pts. Moldova, 179 pts. Serbia, 124 pts. San Marino, 118 pts. Albania, 112 pts. Denmark, 89 pts. Austria, 66 pts. Estonia, 58 pts. Poland, 35 pts. Czech Republic, 23 pts. Georgia, 16 pts. Latvia, 14 pts. photo credits: EBU

In the spotlight: Iceland-Daði & Gagnamagnið

Tonight is the night… the 2nd semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest. 17 countries compete for a place in the final, including Iceland with Daði & Gagnamagnið. But who are they actually? (It was announced yesterday( May 19th 2021) that one of the members, Jóhann Sigurður Jóhannsson, has tested positive for Covid-19. The entire band is in quarantine, and at least they will not be performing live at Ahoy tonight. footage from their rehearsals on May 13) Daði (full name: Daði Freyr Pétursson) was born on June 30, 1992 in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. Shortly after his birth, he moved to Denmark, only to return to Iceland, Ásahreppur, at the age of 9, where he spent his childhood. From an early age he has been involved in music, playing drums, piano and bass guitar. In 2012 he founded the band RetRoBot, with which he won Músíktilraunir, a national competition for emerging talent. The band disbanded in 2014, after which Daði left for Berlin, where he still lives, for musical training. In 2017 he founded Gagnamagnið (Meaning: Amount of Dates), together with his sister Sigrún Birna Pétursdóttir and his wife Árný Fjóla Ásmundsdóttir, and childhood friends Hulda Kristín Kolbrúnardóttir (backing vocalist), Stefán Hannóðursson (dancer), and Jóðóðursson (dancer), and Jóðursson . Árný and Daði have 1 daughter together, Áróra Björg, and are expecting their second child at the end of 2021. In 2017 they participate with Söngvakeppn in the Icelandic preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest, and become 2nd. They were already performing in what would become their trademark; the signature green sweaters, on which an avatar of themselves is printed, inspired by Daði’s greatest hobby; Lego. In 2020 they will give it another try and they win. The 2020 Eurovision Song Contest was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but Iceland was declared the unofficial winner of the festival. In October 2020, Icelandic public broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið, confirmed that Daði & Gagnamagnið was chosen internally to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021, in which they will participate with the song “Ten Years”. Anyone who thinks that tonight’s act is a gathering of accidentally awkward dance steps will be disappointed. Nothing at all has been left to chance. Everything, but everything is thought out, practiced and executed in detail. The costumes were devised and made by themselves, including the rings, which were designed by sister Sigrún (student goldsmith). They are also high in the polls this year. They will certainly make it to the final. Despite the dire circumstances, we wish Daði & Gagnamagnið a lot of success. In Cooperation with Eurovision Artists Photo-Video Credits: EBU

2nd semifinal overview

The 2nd semifinal also opens with beautiful images of the Netherlands. Eefje de Visser and the ballet with Redouan Ait Chitt can then be seen on stage in Ahoy. After that we see the presenters. Edsilia Rombley stands out most because of her bright green dress, and what you cannot see from afar: Nikkie de Jager’s dress has stitching in the colors of the trans flag. San Marino: Senhit wears one thing around her head at the start of her act. It most closely resembles an icon, and at the first rehearsal there were also images of Christ on it. They were later replaced by photos of Flo Rida, but they are now redundant because Flo Rida is on stage herself. We are absolutely sure of a place in the finale. Estonia: Uku Suviste had to fight for his place at the 2021 festival himself, even though he was already the candidate in 2020. Still, many feel that he got so many votes this year out of pity. He is a good singer, but with this song he really does not convince us. No Eurovision final for Estonia this year. Czech Republic: In recent days, Benny Cristo has been everywhere. Now that he is on stage, we still feel that he has forgotten to take that energy with him into Ahoy. We get a very strong feeling something is missing. His voice is not perfect either. We think it is not impossible for Benny to reach the final, but it will be hard. Greece: Stefania, who represents Greece, is secretly also a bit from the Netherlands, because she comes from Uitrecht. Greece has pulled out the technical gadgets of the greenscreen, which makes it seem as if the dancers are invisible. You only see their clothes. In addition, Stefania seems to float through the city. Greece, Stefania in the lead, makes something beautiful out of it. She will very likely reach the final. Austria: Another prayer, again “Amen”. David Bueno sings a ballad in which he can let us hear his strong voice. The staging has been kept simple. With the LED light around him, the whole thing is still spectacular. If Belgium succeeds on quality alone, you would say that Austria succeeds too. We think that’s what’s gonna happen. Poland: Hardly anyone believes in the Polish entry. The question that arises is whether Rafal does that himself. Rafal is on stage with four dancers and wears sunglasses. All fine, but with his song he doesn’t seem to impress for a single moment during the entire song. No final for Poland this year. Then Nikkie de Jager shows up. She gives the floor to Molly Sandén, who sang the soundtrack of “Eurovision Song Contest: the story of Fire Saga”. We also see Jeangu Macrooy pass by for a short while. Moldova: Natalia Gordienko once played a (scantily clad) supporting role, now she plays a leading role in the Moldovan entry about sugar, surrounded by dancers. Lots of pink on stage, but we still have the feeling that the Moldovan team has run out of sugar. Unfortunately, Moldova makes very little impression. However, it can still reach the final. Iceland: Do you see the Icelanders? In fact you don’t really see them, because they are not allowed to enter the stage stage. So you will see a recording of one of the rehearsals. The green sweater and the wicked dance: it has been thought through. Same goes for the instruments. We can reveal that they are not real. Still, it looks like a slick show. Nobody has any doubts about a place in the finale. Serbia: There is something weird about the Serbian entry: unlike you might expect, the ladies can sing quite good. Their dance is a bit stiff. Unlike the song, the Hurricane ladies themselves are not really rocking. Our entire team expects the girls to be in the final. Georgia: Before the festival, Tornike Kipriani grumbled that it was a shame you had to participate in such a shit show. Now he brings his ballad with verve with his Leonard Cohen-like voice. It is not such a shit show. Georgia is not going to reach the final. Albania: Just like two years ago, Albania has remained close to its own culture. The song is sung in Albanian. Lots of red and green smoke, especially in the second half a kind of golden glow like the setting sun. Does the Albanian trick work twice in a row? It’s not impossible, but it will be difficult. Portugal: Nobody gave a cent for the Portuguese entry beforehand. But with the right staging, people are no longer so sure that this will go wrong. Portugal starts in the time when the world was still in black and white, to bring some color to the stage halfway through the song. Portugal can be the big surprise in the final. Then Chantal Janzen will reveal that we are going to see former winners this Saturday. In the meantime she talks to Helena Paparizou (ESF05). Bulgaria: Victoria sits on a rock in the middle of a virtual sea. The picture is one of her and her father. That picture is dear to her because of her and her father. The father has ALS and therefore cannot be in Rotterdam. Viktoria’s vocals are fantastic as always. Bulgaria in the final? Was that a question? We know the answer: yes. Finland: You may not raise your middle finger in the family program that the Eurovision song contest is: then you paint it red. A number of metal fans were angry that the song is called metal. So, dear reader, this is not metal. It is enjoyable for those who like heavy rock. Or would people who enjoy enjoyment get angry now? Anyway, we will see Finland back in the final. Latvia: Samanta Tina brings a song that is extremely suitable for getting everything out of the closet in an act. We don’t understand why she doesn’t.

Liveblog 2nd Rehearsals Semi Final 2

Also today we follow the second rehearsals in Ahoy Rotterdam. We keep you live updated. In Cooperation with Eurovision Artists. Photo & Videocredits: EBU 13:55 – Denmark The guys from Fyr og Flamme perform a cozysong in Danish, which would have done well in the 80s. The gentlemen are not lacking in enthusiasm. Vocally, there could still be some finishing touches. With a 27th place in the polls it will be a just yes/ just no qualification for the final. 13.30 – Switzerland Gjon’s Tears once again puts on a rehearsal that is rock solid. Although opinions about the staging (busy, messy) are very divided, we see a total picture that suits Gjon and his song. Final? Without any doubt. Top 5? Most likely yes. Winner? Who knows. 13.05 – Latvia Samanta Tina is dressed in green, just like her background singers (with mudguards). With a song like this you expect a bit more spectacle in terms of dance and visuals. Actually, that doesn’t happen at any time. Samanta has a strong voice, nothing wrong there. Whether it is all enough for a place in the final is doubtful. 11.40 – Finland Everything you can expect from a rock act passes in review … x 10. Blind Channel rocks with devotion, and with red-colored middle fingers through the three minutes. With an 11th place in the polls, we will certainly see them back in the big Final. 11.15 – Bulgaria In a beautiful setting (Victoria is standing on a platform in the water) she sings her powerful ballad. Quiet, modest and full of conviction. With a 6th place in the polls, we will certainly see Bulgaria in the final 10.50 – Portugal The Black Mamba starts again in a black and white setting. And as during the 1st rehearsal, Pedro Tatanka sings as if it is all very easy. A calm, restrained act and staging, relaxed and full of conviction. Will Portugal provide a surprise? Who knows. In any case, they allready have a scoop , since it is the first time that a Portuguese participant sings in English. A place in the final is certainly possible . 10.25 Albania Anxhela is alone on the stage. Just like during the first rehearsal, vocals are fine. The graphics in the background are more organized. Anxhela is one of the few who sings in her own language. In a nutshell, her song is about how she used to laugh when someone was in trouble, and now that she’s in trouble herself, another laughs. She certainly has problems in terms of ranking in the polls; 37th place. We will most likely not see Albania in the final either. 10.00 – Georgia Tornike is alone on stage in jeans and a white shirt. The setting is sober. The lyrics of his song are projected in the background and on his head when he is seated. Vocals are very okay, and yet it does not get through. He looks rather angry, but that may have to do with his ranking in the polls; very last. We suspect that the Eurovision adventure for Georgia will end after Thursday.

Recap of the 4th rehearsal day

Today was a day of pleasant surprises. Georgia showed us a beautiful act, although we still don’t get Tornike’s behaviour during the last performance. Albania and Portugal surprised with great performances. Finland and Denmark did exactly what we expected from these countries: Finland gave a rock performance and Denmark brought us back in time. The performances of Bulgaria and Switzerland made us gasp, nothing more, nothing less. Biggest disappointment? Maybe Latvia. The Latvian performance is okay, but it did not stand out, especially not in this strong field of participants.

Rehearsal Denmark: eighties coming back

With lots of blue and purple graphics that remind you of the disco of your youth, with glittering suits in purple and silver and with the song “Øve oss på hinanden” you are completely back in the 80s. miss, with singer Jesper Groth halting the rehearsal. Soon the duo started again. Jesper’s vocals were unfortunately a bit poor. It should not spoil the fun: the song of Denmark remains the guilty pleasure of the year for a large group of people. in cooperation with Eurovision Artists

Road to Rotterdam: Denmark

The Danish duo Fyr og Flamme, consisting of Jesper Groth and Laurits Emanuel, was the surprise of the Danish national final. The two rose to fame in 2020 with two hits. That was enough to be the favorite during the Danish preselection Melodi Grand Prix. Their song “Øve os på hinande” therefore won. It is the first time since 1998 that a Eurovision song is sung entirely in Danish.

Lithuania opens Eurovision Song Contest

Today, the EBU announced the Eurovision Song Contest running order for the first and second semifinal. Lithuania will open the first semifinal, while it will be closed by Malta. The second one will be opened by San Marino, while Denmark closes it. Here are the full running orders: 1st semifinal 2nd semifinal The running order of the final will be known only, when all the finalists are known. There is one exception: Jeangu Macrooy, the Dutch participant, will perform 23rd.