Perhaps it is a bit telling that as I write this, History International is airing a documentary on Genghis Khan.
Not that I am about to say that AsOs are going to set the scoreboard aflame.
On with the musical hordes.
Bosnia & Herzegovina : Original video, even if the song isn't breaking the mold. Before I get into the video itself, a little rant about the state of current Bosnian entries. I've found most of the recent Bosnian entries (Bosniac, Croat, and the occasional Serbian one) to be relatively enjoyable. They're got perky pop songs, interesting progressive rock, and even the ballads have a smart and not-extremely patronising/manipulating side to them. Well, that track record is about to be broken, because Bistra Voda is relatively bland. Not so much in terms of lyrics (although they are covered in a haze of metaphors), but in performance and feel. As for the video, it's very stylish: lots of flowing red, black, and gold CGI banners, Communist-era writing of the lyrics in the background, and the lead singer looking like a repressed version of Chris Martin from Coldplay. The real funny thing though, is that even with a video that looks radically different, Bistra Voda still makes think that this is a minor league remixed version of Lejla with any shred of emotion removed.
Spain : Original video, which is not a surprise since the peculiar Spanish format for picking an entry practically makes any serious contender come with a video in tow. We see practically medical close ups of Soraya's back complete with tattoos in Arabic. (Well the song has more than just "a whiff of the souk," it's downtown Cairo.) This is followed by the very blonde and very fierce, to be honest, Soraya strutting around a set with blus fabric floating all over and her very handsome male dancers thrusting all over the place. It's simple, effective, and doesn't distract from the fact that the song is quite dangerously catchy. I still hold to my feeling that Spain will do very well, and could take the trophy.
Cyprus: Original video. (Colour me very surprised.) The Cypriot final came and passed me by without noticing, so this is pretty much my first exposure to the song. It starts out with nature, in particular forests. Christina sings a bunch of platitudes about how mystical fireflies are and the next thing you know we're in Rennaissance times. It's a pretty video, but it seems to really be about nothing, despite claiming to represent this deeply moving treatise on the meaning of life. I don't think Cyprus will be troubling the scoreboard or the jury. (By the way, you'd think after Lisa Andreas singing a ballad alone onstage back in 2004 got them 5th place, the Cypriots would realise that simple and basic is a gold mine amongst all the glitter.)
Estonia: Eesti Laul performance. It was nearly destined that this year's Estonian entry would be from the avantgarde-for-Eurovision genre, and this pretty much is the most televoter friendly one of the lot. (I don't think Eurovision could handle Estonian lo-fi just yet.) Sandra, her hair styled severely straight and clothed in the best formal Emo wear in Estonia, sings in Estonian about nomads, apparently, while the rest of Urban Symphony plays cellos in the background. There's a little more lyrical heft here than with the Cypriot entry, but by singing in Estonian, there's an added layer of mysticism and perceived depth. I do say perceived because all she's singing about is the fact that nomads walked all over creation--although one does wonder if the song is meant as precautionary tale about the environment. Estonia could very well make it out their semi, especially being between the over the top trashiness of the Ukrainian entry and the Disneyfied soul of the Dutch entry.
Malta : Dear Diary,
This is my third time at this big continental singalong in 11 years. I have placed 3rd and 2nd already. My first entry was nearly funeral dirge slow in terms of beat. The next one was a little bit faster and louder. This new one is even faster and louder than that one--which nearly beat that Greek girl. So I am telling you know, Diary, that if I don't win this damn thing the 3rd time around, I am chucking it all in and becoming a Buddhist nun.
Yours truly,
Chiara
Not quite an original video as it is basically clips of Chiara performing the song during the absurdly long and unnecessarily complicated Maltese selection process. Despite my disliking of her 2005 entry for Malta, I thought the video was excellent. The situation is reversed a bit here, as I am not indifferent to her song this year, and the video for it is horrid. Chiara's singing all these lyrics invoking ships and they can't scrounge up money for a couple of harbour shots? Weak.
Sadly, Malta will probably do unbelievably well this year, and poor Chiara will be stuck with this absymal video. Tsk tsk.
Sweden: Unfortunately La Voix did win, because I certainly was hoping that I'd wake up one day and discover that Stay The Night was the real winner, but alas not. Oh well. Let's just leave that for a parallel universe. It's Malena's MF-ing performance. Now, this year Melodifestivalen's powers that be decided to increase the amount of people onstage and add recorded voices. This means that whatever Malena did in Stockholm, it's not likely to be the same floor show in Moscow. And what did she do? She sang opera, sang pop, walked back and forth then down a MF-ing runaway and the rest is history and history-to-be. This being an alt.music year for the Swedes, and being between Armenia and Belarus in the early parts of the semi....I don't think they'll make it to Saturday, or if they do, then it'll be by the skin of their teeth.
Bulgaria: Original video. (Listen SVT, the Bulgarians can scrounge a few bob, so could you.) It's medieval time with Krassy Avry & Co: A knight charges on horseback across a stream! Mysterious people in cloaks! Men singing falsetto! Who would think we'd have to operatic techno songs this year? We don't see Krassy at the beginning, because as photogenic as he is, it is still pretty weird to hear that voice come out of that body--especially when that body can't handle his lower register that well. When we do get to see him he's singing the verse and it sounds like he's about ready to collapse from being stabbed or from food poisoning, either way something's causing him to hallucinate, because Sir Krassy is next shown splayed out on the ground where crow pecks him and a standard issue sexy Bulgarian preview woman is walking towards him with a sword. A very large sword. This is very trippy. As a video, it's pretty good--especially if you don't take it seriously. Unfortunately, I've seen the live performance of this, and all that Dark Ages imagery wasn't there. What was there was a wheezing and melodramatic Krassy and two Bulgarian backing singers performing the chorus in some of the strongest accented English I've ever heard sung. That said, it might be so bizarre that Bulgaria might beat Sweden and qualify...because I doubt both of them will make it.
Belarus : National final performance. The run of original videos from BRTC has come to an end, and in some way, this is a very good thing, because Eyes That Never Lie has no smoke and mirrors to it. It's a seemingly young man, in a 1970s haircut, and a very white suit, singing a very dated 1980s rock song with no comprehension of the lyrics whatsoever. He's just smiling, and smiling, and smiling. I wish the Belarussians would just start sending entries in their native language, the lack of English comprehension is beginning to go from amusing to downright embarassing.
Albania : Original video, with computer portions that seem to be snatched from Tron. The Albanians still remember that a preview is also a chance to market the country, and the winter wonderland Albania that Kejsi walks through is very beautiful. Kejsi's accent however, is a still a touch strong when she sings and you wonder if nerves got to her when she recorded it. Now the song itself is an interesting creature. Some may read the lyrics and see a simple "I miss you, do you miss me?" love song. I read them and I think mental disorder, because these lyrics subtlely suggest that Kejsi might be forever locked in the obsessive part of love, combined with a fair amount of a desire to manipulate and convince someone of their total dependence on her. Unfortunately with Albania coming on right before the car crash that is this year's Ukrainian entry, Kejsi's chances to explore that path on the 16th of May may be low.
The UK: National final performance!? That's a shocker, especially since ALW has been making such a continent-wide fuss about writing the British entry. Anyway, this is a very straightforward presentation. The very beautiful Jade starts out sitting down, then walks towards centre-stage (note: symbolism) , sings very confidantly throughout. The lyrics are cliched, but then ALW has created a bunch of those cliches himself, so it's to be expected. Quite frankly, I think the UK has a very strong chance in a year where simplicity in performance might pay off handsomely.
The Netherlands : Original video. Somewhere in shiny land, three very shiny men, sing a shimmering song about letting the inner light inside of you shine. It could veer into sickeningly sweet sentiment, but The Toppers look a little bit stoic in this shiny land, which saves them from going all the way into hardcore Disney territory. Nonetheless, it does sound like Disney Goes to the (non-threatening) Disco, and from what I've read that's their type of music. The Netherlands closes out the second semi, and coming after the moody and slightly pessimistic Estonian entry, this has a strong chance of qualifying and placing very high.
France : Original video, because it was going to get one whether she took it to Moscow or not. In stark contrast to the sun beams and lollipops of the Dutch entry, Patricia is moody and desperate, and doesn't care if it shows. The video is essentially a performance wherein Patricia stands dramatically still for most of the beginning, flashing a steel-like gaze at the camera periodically. No matter where one's comprehension of French stands, you immediately grasp two things: 1) She is desperate (the title translates as "and if it had to be done.") ; 2) She is about to do something major or have something mind-blowing occur to her and you just want to find out what happens. The fact that the music would be extremely appropriate for a Hitchcock film in the early 1960s highlights this even more. There are a lot of things on France's side this year, and the only thing that might be a liablity is that they are #3 in the running order for Saturday.
Next time (that Macedonian band has caused me to dread that turn of phrase): Il Rouvas hopes the Paparizou luck applies to males as well, Croatia hopes that they missed out on the bland wind that took over the Ex-Yu entries this year, Serbia thinks what Europe needs now is a comedy number--in Serbian--about footwear, Portugal plays it safe and familiar, the Irish remember that they do have a proud tradition of rock bands, Switzerland thinks it is the early 1990s again, Montenegro goes for abundant male homoeroticism--with a beat you can dance to, the Latvians romanticise road gridlock--in Russian, the Norwegians go for elfin charm (this time with a young male), the Slovaks return to Eurovision without missing one overraught beat, Ukraine creates the Frankenstein's monster version of its previous 3 entries, and Poland sends another woman with a screeching ballad, but at least this one dresses tastefully.
1 comment:
go malta!
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