Day 5. Live Blog 2nd Rehearsals

Today we will follow the 2nd rehearsals in Ahoy, and will keep you informed live.                                                 In Cooperation with: Eurovision Artists. Photo & Video Credits: EBU

17.15 – Ukraine

Last of the day Go_A, performs with a stand-in (Emmy) for singer Kateryna Pavlenko. Kateryna did not feel quite fit this morning, and in accordance with the security measures, she remains in quarantine pending a Covid-19 test. Whether the stand-in Emmy sings live, or whether the tape recording from the first rehearsal was used, is not entirely clear. Fact is, whether you like this genre or not … the act is rock solid. With a 9th place in the polls, Ukraine will undoubtedly easily qualify for the final.

16.50 – Azerbaijan

Also today, Efendi puts down a solid rehearsal. Here and there some minor flaws in song and dance, and a little more conviction than last Sunday. 21st place in the poll. A place in the final is certainly not excluded.

 

16.25 – Romania

Roxen performs in the same comfortable as last Sunday. Although vocally a little bit stronger than during the 1st rehearsal, Roxen comes across as nervous and anxious, which does not help her voice and the strong message of her song. 16th in the polls … Final perhaps , if she manages to recover.

16.00 – Israel

During the first rehearsal it became clear that it is sometimes difficult for Eden to combine singing and dancing. The whole act looks energic and modern, but also today, Eden has trouble with the combination of singing and dancing. 17th in the polls, but will Israel make it to the final?

 

15.35 – Belgium.

Hooverphonic still impresses today with their modest, sober and well-thought-out act. A welcome change from all the visual violence. Only a 20th place in the polls, but hopefully thanks to the professional jury we will see Belgium back in the final.

14.45 – Croatia

Vocally, this rehearsal sounds a lot better than the first. The act is well put together, Albina herself still seems a bit insecure and nervous. Hopefully she will get over that before Tuesday. Own the stage girl!! With a 19th place in the polls, a final place should certainly be possible.

14.20 – Norway

Today TIX puts on a much better rehearsal than last saturday, when the nerves seemed to be playing tricks on him. TIX has a high favor- and sympathy factor, and with a 15th place in the polls, we would like to see him back in the final.

13:55 – Cyprus

Elena once again puts on an okay rehearsal, occasionally she sounds a bit out of breath. With seventh place in the polls, Cyprus will reach the final without too much trouble.

1.30 pm – Ireland

Hard work has been done in the Irish camp in recent days. The whole thing seemed very messy last Saturday, during the 2nd rehearsal all the graphics come into their own much better, and it seems as if Lesley is running barefoot through a book, turning the pages. Vocally, there is still some gains to be made. With a 24th place in the polls, the question is whether it is all good enough for a final place.

 

13.05 – North Macedonia

While there were some minor flaws in his vocals last Saturday, today Vasil puts down a solid rehearsal, although it seems that, especially at the end during the last blow, he is holding back to spare his voice. North Macedonia ranks 32 in the polls. It is very doubtful whether Vasil will be able to qualify for the final.

 

11.40 – Australia

Just like last Saturday, no rehearsal in Ahoy , since Montaigne is not present in Rotterdam, but an exclusive preview

11.15 – Sweden

Tusse had still some problems with his voice last Saturday, this now seems to have recovered completely. On stage there was an apparently self-assured, radiant Tusse, with a well-thought-out, slick act as we are used to from Sweden. Sweden ranks 10th in the polls. We will certainly see Tusse in the final

 

10.50 – Russia

No changes in the act here either. Solid and stable act and vocals. The powerful message / ode to the Russian woman is very clear! Russia is ranked 14th in the polls. Finals should not be a problem. We would not be surprised if Russia managed to get a top ten, perhaps even a 5 position  in the final

10.25 – Slovenia.

In the second rehearsal for Slovenia, Ana comes out better than last Saturday. More confident in her singing and movement across the stage, although it seems her shoes are killing her. Slovenia is in 35th place in the polls. A final place will be a challenge.

10.00 am – Lithuania. The Roop shows  a solid,  dynamic act again in the 2nd rehearsal, with little or no changes. The Roop is ranked 8th in the polls. A top ten listing should certainly be possible for the Roop.

 

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Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest, part 2

This year’s Eurovision Song Contest has been won by Austria. It was the 57th Austrian entry. Reason for us to go back to all the Austrian entries in history! For the second episode, we will look back at the time when the world was still in black and white. Austria found the perfect contestant: Udo Jürgens. It took him three times to win, but he did it! 1963: Carmela Corren – “Vielleicht geschieht ein Wunder” Carmela Corren, an Israeli-born singer and actress, represented Austria in 1963 with the song “Vielleicht geschieht ein Wunder” (“Maybe a Miracle Will Happen”). It’s a romantic schlager-style ballad. The song was composed by Erwin Halletz with lyrics by Peter Wehle and performed in German (with a few lines in English). It earned a respectable 16 points, finishing 7th out of 16 countries. Corren was already known in the early 1960s German-language music scene and had appeared in films, bringing star quality to Austria’s Eurovision stage. In 1962, she did an attempt to represent Germany. 1964: Udo Jürgens – “Warum nur, warum?” Austria’s 1964 entry “Warum nur, warum?” was written and performed by Udo Jürgens. He was a renowned Austrian singer-songwrite. He would later win Eurovision 1966. The song is in an elegant chanson style, with Jürgens poignantly asking “why” bad things happen in life. Jürgens composed both the music and lyrics himself. The song scored 11 points and placed 6th among 16 entries, establishing Jürgens as a strong Eurovision contender. 1965: Udo Jürgens – “Sag ihr, ich lass sie grüßen” For the second year in a row, Udo Jürgens represented Austria at Eurovision. In 1965 he performed “Sag ihr, ich lass sie grüßen” (“Tell Her I Send My Greetings”). The ballad brims with longing and emotional depth. Jürgens again composed the music, with Frank Bohlen supplying the lyrics. The song earned 16 points and finished 4th out of 18 entries in Naples. That strong result further cemented Udo Jürgens’s status as one of Austria’s leading pop stars and set up his ultimate Eurovision triumph the following year. 1966: Udo Jürgens – “Merci, Chérie” In 1966, Udo Jürgens finally clinched Austria’s first Eurovision victory with “Merci, Chérie”. This entry, an earnest orchestral ballad of farewell, was composed by Jürgens with lyrics co-written by actor Thomas Hörbiger. Performed in Luxembourg, “Merci, Chérie” stood out for its emotional melody and gracious theme. It scored 31 points, securing the 1st-place trophy against 17 competitors. Already a beloved entertainer (Jürgens’s career spanned 50 years and over 1,000 songs), his Eurovision win solidified his legacy in Austrian pop music history. 1967: Peter Horten – “Warum es hunderttausend Sterne gibt” As host country in 1967, Austria fielded singer‑guitarist Peter Horten (the stage name of Peter Müller) on home soil. His entry, “Warum es hunderttausend Sterne gibt” (“Why Are There a Hundred Thousand Stars”), delivered a gentle pop‑schlager ballad with philosophical lyrics about life’s mysteries. Kurt Peche composed the song, and Karin Bognar wrote the words. Despite its reflective tone, the entry earned just 2 points, finishing 14th of 17 contestants. Horten, a classically trained singer, began his career in the Vienna Boys’ Choir. He remained active in music throughout the years despite this low Eurovision placing. 1968: Karel Gott – “Tausend Fenster” In 1968, Austria chose Karel Gott as its representative to perform its Eurovision entry. Fans dubbed the Czech pop superstar the “Golden Voice of Prague”. His song “Tausend Fenster” (“Thousand Windows”) is a dramatic chanson (a sweeping orchestral ballad). Eurovision veteran Udo Jürgens composed it, and Walter Brandin wrote the lyrics. The song about urban loneliness earned only 2 points, placing 13th out of 17 in London in the contest. Although Eurovision 1968 disappointed Austria, Karel Gott’s illustrious career continued. He released over 100 albums and enjoyed decades of fame across Europe. Next time, we will look at the next episode of Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Read More »
History
Martijn

Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest, part 2

This year’s Eurovision Song Contest has been won by Austria. It was the 57th Austrian entry. Reason for us to go back to all the Austrian entries in history! For the second episode, we will look back at the time when the world was still in black and white. Austria found the perfect contestant: Udo Jürgens. It took him three times to win, but he did it! 1963: Carmela Corren – “Vielleicht geschieht ein Wunder” Carmela Corren, an Israeli-born singer and actress, represented Austria in 1963 with the song “Vielleicht geschieht ein Wunder” (“Maybe a Miracle Will Happen”). It’s a romantic schlager-style ballad. The song was composed by Erwin Halletz with lyrics by Peter Wehle and performed in German (with a few lines in English). It earned a respectable 16 points, finishing 7th out of 16 countries. Corren was already known in the early 1960s German-language music scene and had appeared in films, bringing star quality to Austria’s Eurovision stage. In 1962, she did an attempt to represent Germany. 1964: Udo Jürgens – “Warum nur, warum?” Austria’s 1964 entry “Warum nur, warum?” was written and performed by Udo Jürgens. He was a renowned Austrian singer-songwrite. He would later win Eurovision 1966. The song is in an elegant chanson style, with Jürgens poignantly asking “why” bad things happen in life. Jürgens composed both the music and lyrics himself. The song scored 11 points and placed 6th among 16 entries, establishing Jürgens as a strong Eurovision contender. 1965: Udo Jürgens – “Sag ihr, ich lass sie grüßen” For the second year in a row, Udo Jürgens represented Austria at Eurovision. In 1965 he performed “Sag ihr, ich lass sie grüßen” (“Tell Her I Send My Greetings”). The ballad brims with longing and emotional depth. Jürgens again composed the music, with Frank Bohlen supplying the lyrics. The song earned 16 points and finished 4th out of 18 entries in Naples. That strong result further cemented Udo Jürgens’s status as one of Austria’s leading pop stars and set up his ultimate Eurovision triumph the following year. 1966: Udo Jürgens – “Merci, Chérie” In 1966, Udo Jürgens finally clinched Austria’s first Eurovision victory with “Merci, Chérie”. This entry, an earnest orchestral ballad of farewell, was composed by Jürgens with lyrics co-written by actor Thomas Hörbiger. Performed in Luxembourg, “Merci, Chérie” stood out for its emotional melody and gracious theme. It scored 31 points, securing the 1st-place trophy against 17 competitors. Already a beloved entertainer (Jürgens’s career spanned 50 years and over 1,000 songs), his Eurovision win solidified his legacy in Austrian pop music history. 1967: Peter Horten – “Warum es hunderttausend Sterne gibt” As host country in 1967, Austria fielded singer‑guitarist Peter Horten (the stage name of Peter Müller) on home soil. His entry, “Warum es hunderttausend Sterne gibt” (“Why Are There a Hundred Thousand Stars”), delivered a gentle pop‑schlager ballad with philosophical lyrics about life’s mysteries. Kurt Peche composed the song, and Karin Bognar wrote the words. Despite its reflective tone, the entry earned just 2 points, finishing 14th of 17 contestants. Horten, a classically trained singer, began his career in the Vienna Boys’ Choir. He remained active in music throughout the years despite this low Eurovision placing. 1968: Karel Gott – “Tausend Fenster” In 1968, Austria chose Karel Gott as its representative to perform its Eurovision entry. Fans dubbed the Czech pop superstar the “Golden Voice of Prague”. His song “Tausend Fenster” (“Thousand Windows”) is a dramatic chanson (a sweeping orchestral ballad). Eurovision veteran Udo Jürgens composed it, and Walter Brandin wrote the lyrics. The song about urban loneliness earned only 2 points, placing 13th out of 17 in London in the contest. Although Eurovision 1968 disappointed Austria, Karel Gott’s illustrious career continued. He released over 100 albums and enjoyed decades of fame across Europe. Next time, we will look at the next episode of Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Read More »
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