Who is in and who is out

EBU have announced 39 participants for the 2013 contest.
Albania, Austria, Armenia, AzerbaijanBelarusBelgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, FranceGeorgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, ItalyLatviaLithuania,  MacedoniaMalta, MoldovaMontenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, SloveniaSpain, SwedenSwitzerlandUkraine and United Kingdom.

The Malmö Arena is actually finished

Armenia returns after one year absence, but Poland doesn't. Turkey, Slovakia, Bosnia-Hercegovina and Portugal have all decided to give the Malmö event a miss.
Although the list seems quite definitive, EBU are allegedly still negociating to get some of the AWOL countries back in the fore. (Apparently without result, ed.)

The first semi will have 16 entries
First half semi 1:  AustriaEstonia,  SloveniaCroatiaDenmarkRussiaUkraineNetherlands,
Second half semi 1:  MontenegroLithuaniaBelarusMoldovaIrelandCyprusBelgium, Serbia,

The second semi will have 17 entries
First hald semi 2: LatviaSan MarinoMacedoniaAzerbaijanFinlandMaltaBulgariaIceland,
Second half semi 2: Greece,  IsraelArmeniaHungaryNorway, AlbaniaGeorgiaSwitzerlandRomania.

Gustavsbergs pottery, Bersa design by Stig Lindberg 
Already in the final are Sweden, United Kingdom, Italy (these will be voting in semi 1), FranceSpain and Germany (voting in semi 2.)

The running order will be announced in April.

The Malmö Collection frontpage .

Also check the other collections
Baku, Düsseldorf, Oslo, Moscow
Find us on facebook too.

Also check the other collections:
BakuDüsseldorfOsloMoscow

or find us on Facebook

Georgia - Waterfall - Sopho Gelovani and Nodi Tatishvili

15 - 50 pts / 10 - 63 pts in semi 2

GPB have selected Sopho Gelovani (სოფო გელოვანი)
and Nodiko (Nodi) Tatishvili (ნოდიკო ტატიშვილი)
to represent Georgia in the Malmö Eurovision Song Contest.

On Januari 10 it was announced that the Georgian entry will be a song written by Swedish composer Thomas G:Son. On februari 5 the title was revealed: Waterfall.
The song was presented on Februari 27 in Our Morning (TV show). Watch and listen here at Eurovision Georgia,
Here you can watch the whole TV show with the song at around the 12 minute mark.
The lyrics are here at Eurovision Georgia

versions:
Waterfall
- on the official Malmö 2CD
Waterfall - Karaoke
- on the official karaoke collection (digital release)

A promo cdrom includes audio (wave file) and video of Waterfall.

G:Son wrote last years winner Euphoria and a lot of other Eurovision songs, read all about them at the Euphoria page at the Baku Collection.
G:Son wrote Waterfall with Erik Bernholm who we know from In A Moment Like This (Denmark 2010) and Quedate Conmigo (Spain 2012)
Bernholm also produced Runaway, Sahlene's Estonian entry from 2003.


links and sources
GPB
Eurovision Georgia
Nodiko FB

Afrikaans coverversion.
Update: South African singer Karlien van Jaarsveld released her latest CD Uitklophou (Knockout). Title track is a coverversion of Waterfall, a duet with boyband Eden.
Karlien van Jaarsveld website.

Sopho's Hall Of Fame.
The duo will be the 6th Eurovision entrants for the country and the 7th that were selected to sing for Georgia (the 2009 entry was withdrawn). If you count Ǝldrine's lead singer Sopho Toroshelidze it's the 4th time Georgia sends a Sopho, which is remarkable.
Sopho Khalvashi's Visionary Dream, Georgia's debut entry, ended 12th in Helsinki.
Sophia Nizharadze (who is actually called Sopho, really) ended 9th in 2010 and Ǝldrine, with their new lead Sopho also ended 9th. Ǝldrine actually had a different singer (Taka Vadachkoria) in the National Final, but she wasn't named Sopho, so she had to go.


Georgia's recent Eurovision hits:
2012 - Anri Joxadze
2011 - Ǝldrine
2009 - Stephane and 3G (withdrawn entry)

Macedonia - Pred Da Se Razdeni - Esma and Lozano

3rd promo cds
16 - 28 pts in semi 2

Esma and Lozano still smiling
Macedonia (F.Y.R.O.M.) will be represented in Malmö by Esma Redžepova and Vlatko Lozanoski (a.k.a Lozano).
Есма Реџепова и Влатко Лозаноски (Лозано)

The song for Macedonia is Pred Da Se Razdeni (Пред да се раздени, Before the dawn).
The song is written by Darko Dimitrov and Lazar Cvetkovski with lyrics by Magdalena Cvetkoska - Ena. The part sung by Esma in the Roma language is written by Simeon Anatasov (Симеон Атанасов, son of Esma Redžepova, actually one of her 47 adopted children).
Pred Da Se Razdeni wasn't Macedonia's first choice, see below for more on that.

1st promo cds
A version with Lozano's parts sung in English is recorded. The Esma bits are still in Roma.
Listen to the song here at Lozano's Reverbnation or here at Lozano's Youtube.
A remix of the English version is here at Lozano's Youtube
A remix of the Macedonian version is here at Lozano's Youtube
Both remixes can now be downloaded at Lozano's Reverbnation
The new official video is a version in English, Roma and Macedonian. (The last Lozano part is in Macedonian). You can watch this one at Esma Redzepova's Youtube.


An early1-track promo is issued and includes the original version.
A 2nd 1-track promo in the same sleeve has the Macedonian/Roma/English version.
A third promo has the same disc as the 2nd (with the Macedonian/Roma /English version) but comes in a fold out picture sleeve (top picture)
A 5 track promo cd-r has the versions marked * in versions list

Lozano Solo
Update: Post Eurovision Lozano released solo versions of Pred Da Se Razdeni and its English version If I Could Change The World.
The Esma parts are gone and the song has a new arrangement. There's also an instrumental. Available at amazon and iTunes.

Please note that the 1-track cdsingles with the Lozano solo versions offered through Amazon and e-Bay are cd-r's made by request. Source is undisclosed, better burn one yourself and save some money.

versions:
Pred Da Se Razdeni - Macedonian/Roma
- on the official Malmö 2CD, *
If I Could Change The World - English/Roma
- at Lozano's Reverbnation, *
If I Could Change The World - English/Roma/Macedonian
- at Esma's Youtube, *
If I Could Change The World - remix in English/Roma
- at Lozano's Youtube and download at reverbnation *
Pred Da Se Razdeni - Clubmix Macedonian/Roma
- at Lozano's Youtube, and download at reverbnation *
Pred Da Se Razdeni - Karaoke
- on the official karaoke collection (digital release)
Pred Da Se Razdeni - Lozano solo version
If I Could Change The World - Lozano Solo version in English
Pred Da Se Razdeni / If I Could Change The World - Lozano Solo Instrumental
- Solo versions are digital releases
There's also a remix by Erik Fox of Lozano's solo version in Macedonian,  here at Erik Fox soundcloud

At the contest the backing track of the English/Roma versions was used, but the song was performed in Macedonian/Roma



-------


You can also download several versions for free at Lozano's reverbnation.

Empirija
Pred Da Se Razdeni was the second song chosen for Macedonia's Eurovision adventure.
The first song Empirija (Империја,Empire) written by Simeon Atanasov, Dejan Momiroski with lyrics by Borce Nekovski was withdrawn for a host of reasons.
Allegedly experts and the Macedonian public were not happy. Skopje 2014, The location where the clip was shot was is political hotbed and some Greeks seem to be offended too in some historic way (sigh...), and there was something about Alexander the Great too. The original video was removed from official sources but if you do a search at Youtube you can still find the original song.
After first considering just making changes to Empirija, MKRTV and Esma and Lozano opted for a new song.
The original working title for Empirija was Опсесија (Obsesija, Obsession). It was also reported at an early stage that song was to be in English but the only released version was in Macedonian.


Malo Malo
Esma Redžepova Teodosievska has tried to get to Eurovision before.
In 1971 her song Malo Malo (Little by little) was entered for the Yugoslavian final by TV Beograd (Serbian TV) and ended 3rd.

In 2006 Ljubov E (Love is), a duet with Adrian Gaxha ended 2nd in the Macedonian final. Gaxha himself entered for Macedonia in 2008 with a bunch of other people.

When The Road Bends
The 2007 movie When The Road Bends - Tales Of A Gypsy Caravan, features Esma and the Teodosievski Ensemble feature along with Gypsy ensembles from Romania, India and Spain. They are followed on their U.S. tour. The movie gives an fascinating insight of the Gypsy culture and the important role of music in their life.
When The Road Bends website.

Vlatko Lozanoski also tried in the Macedonian selection. In 2009 Blisku Do Mene (Close to me) ended 4th and in 2010 Letam Kon Tebe (Only with you) did the same.

links and sources
Lozano website and FB
Lozano Reverbnation
Thanks to Lior

Macedonia's recent Eurovision hits:
2010 - Gjoko Taneski + Billy Sver
2009 - Next Time

Albania - Identitet - Adrian Lulgjuraj and Bledar Sejko

15 - 31 pts in semi 2
Adrian Lulgjuraj dhe Bledar Sejko have won the 51st Festivali i Këngës and will represent Albania in Malmö with their song Identitet. It will be the 10th Eurovision entry for Albania.
The music is written by Bledar Sejko, lyrics are by Eda Sejko.

A new edited version is recorded for Eurovision. Watch and listen here at Eurovision.tv's Youtube.
Watch the live performance here at the tube.

RTSH have issued two promo's. One is a cd-r with the Eurovision, instrumental and karaoke versions of Identitet (as wave files), the other a DVD with videoclip, performance video (with ESV version audio) and photoclip.

versions:
Identitet - Eurovision version
- on the official Malmö 2CD, promo cds
Identitet - Original version
- has been at Bledar Sejko's facebook
Identitet - Karaoke version
- on the official karaoke collection (digital release), promo cds
Identitet - Instrumental
- on promo cds

links and sources
Special thanks to Elena Malosmani at RTSH



Ukraine - Gravity - Zlata Ognevich

digital release image
3 - 214 pts / 3 - 140 pts in semi 1

Ukraine selected Zlata Ognevich (Злата Огневич) and her song Gravity to represent the country in the Malmö contest.

A new version is recorded for the contest.
Listen and watch here at Zlatas Youtube

Remixes can be heard here and here at Zlata's Youtube. They are partially in a fantasy language.
You can download Gravity (full), the remixes and ringtone at this soundcloud.

versions:
Gravity - full version 3:00
- on the official Malmö 2CD
Gravity - Radio edit medium 2:53
Gravity - Radio edit short 2:42
- full and both edits on promo cdrom
Gravity - Karaoke
- on the official karaoke collection (digital release)
Gravity - Remix, radio edit
Gravity - Remix - Club edit
The original version has only been performed with live vocals.
An instrumental of the original has been leaked to Youtube.


promo cdrom
A promo cdrom includes three versions of Gravity (mp3 and wave files) plus video, photo and info.

Charts
Netherlands sales top 100: 50

Kukushka
Murmansk born singer Zlata Ognevich participated in the 2011 Ukraine selection with the song Tiny Island and ended 5th.
In 2011 her song Kukushka (The cuckoo) ended 2nd in the heavily contested Ukrainian final.

The Giant
Ukraine hardly ever lets us down in the prop departement. Whips, Chains, Hell Machine, Sandlady and Verka Serduchka. This year they come up with a giant. The giant in the narration of Gravity is portrayed by Ukrainian born American Igor Vovkovinskiy.
At 2.35 or 2.43 he's officialy the tallest man living in the U.S.A. and made the news by wearing a t-shirt reading The Worlds Biggest Obama Supporter.
He's not the tallest Ukrainian in the world though, that honour goes to Leonid Stadnyk. He's reportedly 2 meters 57 cm, but it is not official as he wasn't measured by the Guinnes Book Of Records.
Think of it what you will, Ukraine's Gravity show will be talked about.

links and sources:
The list of participants at NTU (in Ukrainian)
Zlata Ognevich website
Special thanks for Dariia Partas
Tallest men of the world wiki

Also find out about Ukraine's recent Eurovision hits:
2012 - Gaitana
2011 - Mika Newton
2010 - Alyosha

Montenegro - Igranka - Who See ft.Nina

12 - 41 pts in semi 1
Rap duo Who See represented Montenegro in the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest. They were joined by singer Nina Žižić.
The song written by Wikluh Sky (Serbian producer/rapper Đorđe Miljenović) with Who See is titled Igranka.(Dance)

Pobjeda newspaper, one of the sponsors of Who See's Eurovision adventure, have included a promo CD of Igranka including the song and the video with their april 30 issue. (top picture)
The promo used in Malmö comes in a similar sleeve but it doesn't mention Nina Žižić on sleeve or disc (pic below).
Both have the same label numbers PAM CG CD 031, made by MACG / City Records.

versions:
Igranka
- on the official Malmö 2CD
Igranka - Karaoke
- on the official karaoke collection (digital release)


The song, premiered on March 14, can be watched here at RTCG.
You can download the song for free (wave file) at the Who See Facebook (16-3 message).

Who See are Dejan Dedović (Dedduh) and Mario Đorđević (Noyz) who have been working together since 2000. They released their debut album Sviranje Kupcu in 2007 under the name Who See? Klapa. Their second album Krš I Drača is from 2012.
They scored a radiohit in 2012 with Reggaeton Montenegro (ft Rhino).


Nina Žižić
links and sources
RTCG Eurovision pages
Who See FB
Special thanks to Pobjeda newspaper.

Lest we forget
Montenegro in 2012 - Rambo Amadeus
2009 - Andrea Demirovic

Lithuania - Something - Andrius Pojavis

22 - 17 pts / 9 - 53 pts in semi 1
Andrius Pojavis has won the Lithuanian final with Something and gets the ticket to Malmö
Pojavis wrote both the music and lyrics for the song.


Here you can listen to the first studio version of Something courtesy of Pojavis Reverbnation.
You can buy the song from youknowwho.
Update: A new version is recorded for Eurovision, listen to it here at Lrytas.lt

versions:
Something - ESC version
- on the official Malmö 2CD
Something - Karaoke
- on the official karaoke collection (digital release)
Something - Original version
- websites, first itunes release


After starting out in several bands, Pojavis scored his first solo hit in 2012 with Traukiniai. He followed it up with the release of his debut album 8.


links and sources
LRT Eurovision pages
Andrius Pojavis website (new)
Andrius Pojavis FB
Andrius Pojavis Reverbnation

Lest we forget:
Lithuania in 2012: Donny Montell
2011 - Evelina Sashenko
2010 - Inculto
2009 - Sasha Son

Spain - Contigo Hasta El Final - El Sueño de Morfeo

Digital release image Eurovision 'video version'
25 - 8 pts / not in semi

RTVE, Spanish national television announced El Sueño de Morfeo (ESDM) as the 2013 Eurovision entrants.
The song chosen is Contigo Hasta El Final (With you until the end).

Contigo Hasta El Final is released through digital sources like Amazon (Spain).
The version is listed as "Versión Gala TVE Eurovisión"
The second version released is listed as the "Versión Video" which is the Eurovision version
An English version is also recorded.

The new video is here at TVE

Digital release image first version
versions:
Contigo Hasta El Final (With you until the end)
- on the official Malmö 2CD, and CD Todos Tenemos Un Sueño
Contigo Hasta El Final (With you until the end) - karaoke
- on the official karaoke collection (digital release)
Contigo Hasta El Final (With you until the end) - English
- on CD Todos Tenemos Un Sueño
Contigo Hasta El Final  - first version (Versión Gala TVE Eurovisión)
- First on TVE website, later digital release

Charts:
Spain top 50: 32

Everybody Has A Dream
Todos Tenemos Un Sueño is the title of the album ESDM have released to coincide with their Eurovision adventure. The CD includes the Eurovision song (as Version Video, being the Eurovision version) and the English version.
It also includes two versions of their first ever hit Nunca Volverá, one being an acoustic version with Pastora Soler.  It also includes the other preselection songs (marked *) and popular songs from the ESDM back catalogue in new versions.
Next to Pastora Soler (Eurovision 2012) there are some well known Spanish and Italian singers guesting (see tracklist below)

Tracklist Todos Tenemos Un Sueño (CD)
1. Nunca volverá - versión 2013
2. Ojos de cielo - with Alex Ubago
3. Esta soy yo - with Georgina
4. Para toda la vida
5. Chocar - with Nek
6. Si no estás - with Morrigans
7. Lo mejor está por llegar - with Laura Pausini, Deborah & Ximena Xariñana
8. Gente
9. Contigo hasta el final - video version
10. Revolución * - with La Musicalité
11. Dame tu voz * - versión Gala TVE Eurovisión
12. Atrévete * - versión Gala TVE Eurovisión
13. Contigo hasta el final (With you until the end) - English version
14. Nunca volverá - with Pastora Soler (Acoustic)
Release date May 7 (Warner Music Spain), also available through your popular digital sources of course.

National Final
There were 4 songs by ESDM in the running to be Spains next Eurovision entry.
- Contigo Hasta El Final (With you until the end)
- Dame Tu Voz (Give me your voice)
Above two were sent directly to the National Final.

- Revolución
- Atrévete (Dare)
One of these Atrévete, was selected for the three-song final by the internet audience.

You can now listen to the four songs in full here at RTVE.

links and sources
TVE Eurovision pages
ESDM website and FB
Thanks to Jean-François

Lest we forget:
Spain in 2012 - Pastora Soler

2011 - Lucia Peréz
2010 - Daniel Diges
2009 - Soraya



Malta - Tomorrow - Gianluca Bezzina

8 - 120 pts / 4 - 118 pts in semi 2

Gianluca Bezzina has won the Maltese final with the song Tomorrow written by Boris Čežek and Dean Muscat.
The official videoclip is here at TVM
Watch the studio performance of the song here at TVM,

Tomorrow EP
A digital EP has been released on  iTunes. It's under the name Gianluca and has 4 tracks.
Tomorrow
I'll Be There
Tomorrow - Bezzina family version
Tomorrow - Instrumental (is actually karaoke)
The Bezzina family performed the song on a live TV show Xarabank (youtube). The EP has a studio version.
Update: The same four tracks are now available on cdsingle, for sale at Bearecords. On this release the karaoke is actually named karaoke

versions:
Tomorrow - Eurovision version
- on the official Malmö 2CD
Tomorrow - Bezzina family version
Tomorrow - Karaoke (listed as instrumental on the cds)
- all on cds
Tomorrow = Acoustic
- on album Waiting For Tomorrow, digital issue only
Tomorrow - Album version
- on album Waiting For Tomorrow, digital issue only

Charts:
Ireland top 100: 69, -
Netherlands sales top 100: 32, -
UK top 100: 66, -
German top 100: 70, -

Waiting For Tomorrow
In July Gianluca released his debut album Waiting For Tomorrow. (Albam records)
Below is the tracklist for the itunes version, the 11th track, the acoustic version of Tomorrow is not included on the CD version. (why not????)
Tracklist Waiting For Tomorrow
1. Count Me In
2. Tomorrow
3. I'll Be There
4. Perfect
5. Light Me Up
6. High and Away
7. Picture
8. Happy Song
9. Walk On Blind
10. Perfectly In Tune
11. Tomorrow (Acoustic) - digital release only.

FI and more
Gianluca Bezzina is the lead singer of Funk Initiative who formed in 2010 scored several local hits with their brand of jazz-funk rock, completely different to his Eurovision bid.
Their 2012 song My Robot Monkey Army Is Better Than Yours deserves a mention for the title alone.
It's definitely worth checking them out on their Youtube channel (link below)

TVM, maltese television, uploaded the 24 songs that in the running for a ticket to Malmö.
You can still check out the songs here, a click on the artist will lead you to their video and information.
The songs competed in two nights in februari, with eight that were axed on the first night, leaving 16 for the final.

Funk initiative logo from FB
links and sources
Gianluca's Facebook
TVM Eurovision pages
Funk Initiative Youtube channel and FB
Thanks to Jean-François and to Lior









Lest we forget
Malta in 2012 - Kurt Calleja
2011 - Glen Vella
2010 - Thea Garett
2009 - Chiara



Latvia - Here We Go - PeR

pic nicked from PeR's reverbnation
17 - 13 pts in semi 2

PeR (Please Explain the Rhythm) won Dziesma 2013 with Here We Go, one of two songs they had in the latvian final.
Here We Go is written by Ralfs Eilands and Arturas Burke.

Here We Go was already #1 in various Latvian charts before the final.

Originally starting out as a threepiece in 2007, currently PeR are Ralfs Eilands and Edmunds Rasmanis.

Here We Go and the other PeR Dziesma song Sad Trumpet are both already released on the album PeR, out since november '12. (see versions)
The album also includes 2012 song Disco Superfly.

The album also includes several songs they wrote and recorded with the late Mārtiņš Freimanis.
The digital release is available at Amazon, a CD version was used for promotion in Malmö.

Russian version
A video of a version in Russian and English was already uploaded in februari. It features both PeR guys plus rappers Vsego Lish' 2 Parnya (Only 2 men). Don't know if the track is available through any other source.

versions:
Here We Go -  ESC version
- on Malmö official CD
Here We Go - Dziesma (NF) edit
- as on LVT website, Only a slight difference in the intro between the ESC and Dziesma edits.
Here We Go - Album version
- on Album PeR. (PeRmuzik)
Here We Go - Karaoke
- on official karaoke release
Here We Go (Ты Поверь) feat. Всего Лишь 2 Парня (Russian/English)
- version Ty Pover' feat. Vsego Lish' 2 Parnya, video here


PeR have tried to make it to Eurovision on a few occasions:
2009 - Bye Bye - Sabrine Nerezina ft. PeR.* (9th)
2010 - Like A Mouse (10th)
2012 - Superfly (5th)
2013 - Sad Trumpet (finalist, outside top 3)
* Without Ralfs Eilands, as he was too young to participate.


Dziesma 2013
Latvian TV LTV have uploaded the 20 semi finalists for the 2013 selection.
After keeping the performers undisclosed for six weeks, they have now been announced.
You can listen to the songs and find all the details here at LTV

Listen here to all the songs

links and sources
LTV Eurovision pages
PeR Draugiem has the music
PeR FB and VK
PeR Reverbnation

Lest we forget
Latvia in 2012 - Anmary
2011 - Musiqq
2010 - Aisha
2009 - Intars Busulis