Moldova

Malmö Messages: party animals, tradition and strong women

Croatia: For a long time, Croatia was the number one with “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” according to the bookmakers. Now he’s in second place. The story is known: the song tells about young people leaving Croatia to find their fortune elsewhere. This is depicted by someone walking with a suitcase. The whole group wears traditional clothing. Baby Lasagna has not been praised for his singing talent so far, but that doesn’t seem to harm him. Split or Zagreb next year? Iceland: The friendly Hera Björk, who kindly spoke to us a few days ago, is back. With flair and enthusiasm, and without us having to worry about her vocals, she stands on stage. However, we do have a concern: the song. It doesn’t seem to make much of an impact yet. While Hera easily made it to the final in 2010, the odds currently give her a 29th place. The final seems far away. Slovenia: Many bodies around the Slovenian Raiven as she sings her Veronika. The dancers, all in bodysuits and with a lot of nudity, portray the story of this strong woman with her. Vocally, everything is well. But whether the beautiful but sad story of Veronika will be understood? We hope so! With a 19th place, the bookmakers are positive for now. Finland: What Käärijä can do, Windows95man must have thought he could do too. We have our doubts about thát, but what he and his companion Henri Piispanen definitely succeed in is throwing a party. With the blurred Windows95 logo, the underwear, and the way too short 1970s jeans, the entry stands out. “No rules,” sings the man who follows the rules perfectly. Moldova: We don’t understand it. Why wasn’t Natalia Barbu, who sings her “In the Middle,” allowed to bring all her look-alikes from the national final? Now she has added everything: butterflies, blossoms, wings, a violin… but she stands there alone. In 2007, she had to pay for her trip if she didn’t make it to the final. She did make it, but hopefully, she doesn’t have such a deal with the Moldovan broadcaster again. The bookmakers have her at 36th place.

🇲🇩 Road to Malmö: Moldova

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: Moldova. Natalia Barbu Natalia Barbu, born on August 22, 1979, in Bălți, then part of the Moldavian SSR, USSR, has firmly established herself as a versatile artist in the Moldovan music scene. Daughter of esteemed musician Ana Barbu, Natalia has blended rock and pop genres with her heritage of folk and stage music. Her early collaborations with Trigon on jazz-folk projects set a creative foundation, which evolved as she penned the lyrics for most of her songs. A pivotal moment came in 2006 with a contract from Cat Music Records (Sony Music) in Romania, marking her entry into a wider European market. Her single “Îngerul meu” soared to No. 1 in the Romanian Top 100, cementing her popularity. In 2007, her Eurovision entry “Fight” achieved a commendable 10th place finish. Embracing change, her 2012 single “I Said It’s Sad” showcased a major style evolution, topping Moldova’s Airplay charts. Esquire’s “sexiest woman alive” title in 2015 further celebrated her appeal. Returning to Eurovision in 2024 with “In the Middle,” Natalia Barbu continues to be a prominent figure in Moldova’s cultural tapestry. Etapa națională The national final in Moldova is called Etapa națională. Usually, the contest starts with an audition round, broadcast live on Moldovan television. 32 songs were submitted this year. However, two (a.o. Aliona Moon) withdrew before the contest and one was disqualified. Eleven songs headed to the final, which was won by Natalia Barbu. It was not an easy match: Natalia received the most votes of the jury, while Valeria Pasha won the televote. The rule in Etapa națională is that, in case of a tie, the jury winner goes to Eurovision. Moldova in the Eurovision Song Contest The first Moldovan entry for the Eurovision Song Contest was “Boonika bate doba” by Zdob şi Zdub in 2005. It was the first of 3 entries by this band in total, and reached a 6th place. The best scoring entry so far for the country was “Hey mamma” by Sunstroke Project in 2017. They were 3rd. Also Sunstroke Project took part before, in 2010. With “Run away” they became famous: the sax player and his solo became the ‘epic sax guy’. The Bookmakers Currently the betting odds for Moldova are not too positive: a 36th place for Natalia Barbu. But we all know that everything still can change until the very moment of the voting. The song And this is the song:

🇲🇩 It’s Natalia Barbu for Moldova!

It’s Natalia Barbu for Moldova. won the national selection Etapa Națională. Out of 11 songs, “In the middle” was chosen to represent Moldova in the Eurovision Song Contest. It was the favourite of the jury. Televoters selected Valeria Pasha, but the vote of the jury counted more. The song is written by Khris Richards and Natalia herself and composed by Natalia. She will perform in the 2nd half of the 1st semifinal. Here are the full results: Natalia Barbu, “In the middle”, 22 pts. Valeria Pasha, “Anti-princess”, 22 pts. Iulia Teleucă, “Runaway”, 16 pts. Cătălina Solomac, “Fever”, 14 pts. Viola Julea, “Light up!”, 9 pts. Reghina Alexandrina, “Contrasens”, 9 pts. Nicoleta Sava, “Bravo”, 8 pts. OL, “No time, no space”, 7 pts. Sasha Letty, “DNA”, 6 pts. Y-Limit, “Revolution”, 2 pts. Victor Gulick, “Fever”, 1 pts.

🇲🇩 Moldova selects their song

Etapa Națională 2024, the Moldovan national final, will be held. After an audition round, 11 songs are left to compete. The show starts at 18.00 CET from TRM Studio 1 in Chișinău. You can watch it here, on Facebook and Youtube. Here are the 11 songs: nr Title Artist(s) 1 Bravo Nicoleta Sava 2 Anti-princess Valeria Pasha 3 Contrasens Reghina Alexandrina 4 Light up! Viola Julea 5 No time no space OL 6 DNA Sasha Letty 7 In the middle Natalia Barbu 8 Revolution Y-Limit 9 Fever Cătălina Solomac 10 Fever Victor Gulick 11 Runaway Iulia Teleucă Nicoleta Sava was 7th in 2018.Viola Julea took part in 2022.OL reached a 6th place in 2023.In 2020, Sasha Letty was 14th.Natalia Barbu represented Moldova in the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Fight”. In 2011 she was 2nd in the national selection. Y-Limit took part in the 2022 and 2023 audition round.Victor Gulick was 9th in 2023.

🇲🇩 Moldova made a decision

Moldova has chosen 11 songs from today’s audition round. In the final, on 17 February, the next 11 songs will participate: Cătălina Solomac sings “Fever” Iulia Teleucă sings “Runaway” Natalia Barbu sings “In the middle” Nicoleta Sava sings “Brava” OL sings “No time no space” Reghina Alexandrina sings “Contrasens” Sasha Letty sings “DNA” Valeria Pasha sings “Anti-princess” Victor Gulick sings “Fever” Viola Julea sings “Light up!” Y-Limit sings “Revolution”

🇲🇩 MOLDOVA: audition round!

Today, the audition round in Moldova will be held. 30 songs will take part in Etapa Națională, the national selection of Moldova. 10 of them will be selected for the final. The show starts at 15.00 CET and you can watch it here, here or on YouTube. These are the 30 titles: Anna G sings “Ay Ay Ay” Anna Gulko sings “Perfect place” Cătălina Solomac sings “Fever” Denis Midone sings “Back to me” DPSTP sings “Rise up” Formația Vele sings “Carnaval” Iulia Teleucă sings “Runaway” Laura sings “Spune-mi” Maria Colac sings “Break free” Max Cara sings “Broke the chain” Natalia Barbu sings “In the middle” Nicoleta Sava sings “Brava” Nino sings “Up again” OL sings “No time no space” Oleg Spînu sings “Jungle” Oliv Sky sings “Another universe” Oliv Sky sings “Loud and clear” Poli sings “Lui” Reghina Alexandrina sings “Contrasens” Sasha Bognibov sings “Married to twins” Sasha Letty sings “DNA” Tudor Bumbac sings “Tudorel” Valeria Pasha sings “Anti-princess” Valleria sings “Rule (Rai di ri di)” Valleria sings “Run” Victor Gulic sings “Fever” Victor Lozinsky sings “Dirty wind/Joker and Harley move” Viola Julea sings “Light up!” Y-Limit sings “Revolution” Y-Limit sings “what’s the fun” Anna Gulko participated in 2010 (internet round), 2012 (14th), 2013 (13th), 2014 (semifinal) and 2016 (semifinal)Denis Midone took part in 2020 (14th) and 2022.Formaţia Vele auditioned last year.Natalia Barbu represented Moldova in the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest. In 2011 she became 2nd in the national final.Nicoleta Sava became 7th in 2018.Nino reached a 7th place in 2022.OL was 6th last year.Sasha Bognibov auditioned in 2007, took part in the 2010 internet round, took part in 2022 and auditioned in 2023.Sasha Letty was 14th in 2020.Tudor Bumbac auditioned in 2020 and in 2022.Valleria auditioned last year.Victor Gulic was 9th last year.Viola Julea took part in 2022.Y-Limit auditioned in 2022 and 2023. Natalia Barbu sang “Fight” in ESC 2007.

🇲🇩 🇳🇴 🇱🇹 🇮🇱 Update on several countries

Yesterday was the last quiet Saturday in the Eurovision universe. We have some upcoming events however: Moldova 31 songs will enter the annual audition round. 32 songs were planned, but Aliona Moon, who was selected, withdrew. We still have Natalia Barbu, the 2007 contestant, who will attempt to represent the country again. And….. Pasha Parfeny (2012 and 2023) wrote a song for Valeria Pasha. Norway Melodi Grand Prix, the Norwegian selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, starts next Saturday too. Last week, it was announced that KEiiNO and Margaret Berger will return. As 50% of the duo Mistra, we will also see Benedicte Adrian. Who!? Well, she was also 50% of Dollie Deluxe (1984). Lithuania Also Lithuania starts with their national selection. The name Pabandom iš naujo! is gone, the contest will now take place under the name Eurovizija LT. Not new is the name of one of the favourites: Monika. Could it be Monika Marija this time? A familiar name among the contestants however is…. The Roop!!! Will Lithuania colour yellow again? Israel The time of the auditions is over. The jury made a shortlist of 14 contestants. Devided over 2 shows, they performed again. This time, only the artist who was placed last is out of the competition. 3 January Mika Moshe, 96% Or Cohen, 94% Jonathan Bitton, 65% Moria Angel, 50% Dor Shimon, 60% Gal Kafri, 41% – eliminated Eden Golan, 85% 7 January Lian Biran, 93% Ido Bartal, 67% Shai Tamino, 84% Yehuda Saado, 50% – eliminated Orel David, 95% Mika Kertis, 72% Arik Sinai, 91% Arik Sinai also participated in the national final in 1985, and became 4th.

Olia Tira

About Quick Facts NameOlga Tsyra Born01 August 1988 Nationality🇲🇩 Moldovan National SelectionO Melodie Pentru Europa 2014O Melodie Pentru Europa 2010O Melodie Pentru Europa 2009O Melodie Pentru Europa 2007O Melodie Pentru Europa 2006 In Eurovision2010 Oslo SongRun Away (2010, with Sunstroke Project) Biography Olia Tira, also known by her stage name FLUX LIGHT, is a singer from Moldova. She was born on August 1, 1988, in Potsdam, East Germany, to a Soviet military family. At the age of 14, she began appearing in festivals and concerts. Tira attended school in Cahul and is currently studying at the Academy of Music, Theatre, and Fine Arts in Chișinău. Her first album, titled “Your Place or Mine?”, was released in December 2006. It was produced by Nordika Multimedia, and all the songs were written by Ruslan Taranu. Tira participated in the Moldovan national finals for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2006, 2007, and 2009. In 2010, she was chosen to represent Moldova in the Eurovision Song Contest along with SunStroke Project. They finished 22nd in the final. Tira also competed in Moldova’s national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2014 with the song “Never Stop No,” performing under the stage name FLUX LIGHT. She tied for sixth place but did not qualify to represent Moldova in the contest. In March 2015 Olia Tira released a new song, “Moj Angel”. In December of that year she was voted Woman of the Year in the “Voice of the Year” category. Meanwhile, Olia also worked as a model. In October 2016 it was time for yet another single, “Ya znayu tochno”. In 2017, she took part in The Power of Dance – Battle of the Strongest. In March 2018, Olia released a new single, “Fixcatine”. In October of the same year, the video of the song “Ultramarin” came out. On September 11, 2020, Olia was awarded Honored Artist of Moldova. In February 2022, she released a new single, called “Neodnoznachnye”. In May 2023 it was the song “My Champion”. In October of the same year, a video of her concert Kto ya was released. Olia Tira is also a goodwill ambassador for Unaids. Entries Run Away (with Sunstroke Project) Country🇲🇩 Moldova Year2010 LanguageEnglish LyricsAlina Galeţcaia MusicAnton RagozaSergey Stepanov Backings– Results Semi Points: 52Position: 10Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: 27Position: 22Running order: 4 https://youtu.be/pHXDMe6QV-U

Liverpool Live: something is happening at the betting odds

The day with the most rehearsals continue. Eight more countries rehearsed today, only 20 minutes each. That means we can inform you if there were major changes in the act. photo credits: EBU/Chloe Hashemi/Sarah Louise Bennett Switzerland Remo Forrer performs in his black jacket and black plastic pants again. It seems there are not many changes since the last performance: Remo with his four dancers, who at a moment wrap him in long ribbons. It is something that reminds us of Sertab (2003) and the late Toše Proeski (2004). Switzerland is currently number 13 in the betting odds, so the final doesn’t seem far away for Remo. Israel The Israeli act is one where a lot happens. She and her dancers are standing in front of a bunch of squares. The dancers bring their hands to their heads, to depict the horn of a unicorn. And of course there is a lot of fireworks in this performance. Israel is currently number 7 at the betting odds. Definitely an entry to look up to, Noa can do very well. Moldova There seem to be no changes in the Moldovan entry: Pasha Parfeni is, in his second Eurovision performance, still surrounded by two backing vocals with a horn, made out of their hair. Two guys accompany them playing the drums. Moldova is currently number 20 at the betting odds. But with a 6th place in the odds for the first semifinal it feels pretty safe for Pasha. Sweden And than there is the other returning participant from 2012, Loreen. Of course there are no changes in the performance, as everything was already there way before the rehearsals… as always in Sweden. All the eyes are at Sweden at this moment, as she leads at the bookmakers. But note that there is something going on: she has now 42% chance of winning, while the runner up has 23%. They are coming closer to eachother. Azerbaijan What we didn’t hear from the first rehearsals but what we know now: the performance of Azerbaijan on screen starts in black and white. Later it fades to colour. It seems to fit to the combination of sixties-like music and rap. However, Azerbaijan is at this moment number 32 at the betting odds. So far that doesn’t give the twins much hope for a place in the final. Czechia Finally a country were there have been some changes: Czechia. The Vesna ladies have altered their hairstyle. During the opening verse, there is some intricate hair choreography, and their braids have become notably longer and weightier than they were on Monday. At this moment Czechia is number 11 at the bookies. The Netherlands We don’t know if there are any changes in the performance of The Netherlands. The people of eurovision.tv say they got goosebumps of the intimate performance Mia and Dion gave. When they are singing the camera turns around them. That seems to work. The bookmakers seem to be more positive about The Netherlands than they were, with currently an 18th place. However, they are 11th at the specified list for the 1st semifinal. Finland The last one is Finland with the same energetic performance we saw Monday. Today a video went viral where Käärijä dances on the music of “Tattoo”, Loreen’s song. At the betting odds something is happening. Finland is coming closer and closer to the first place. Yesterday they had 18% winning chance, now it is already 24%. That might make Finland a serious contender for the victory. in collaboration with Eurovision Artists

Liverpool live: rehearsal schedule

The rehearsals continue with the 2nd rehearsal of 15 countries. The countries now have only 20 minutes to rehearse. 11.30 – 11.50 Norway11.55 – 12.15 Malta12.20 – 12.40 Serbia12.45 – 13.05 Latvia13.10 – 13.30 Portugal13.35 – 13.55 Ireland15.00 – 15.20 Croatia15.25 – 15.45 Switzerland15.50 – 16.10 Israel16.15 – 16.35 Moldova16.40 – 17.00 Sweden17.05 – 17.25 Azerbaijan17.30 – 17.50 Czechia17.55 – 18.15 The Netherlands18.20 – 18.40 Finland