Due to circumstances beyond our control….

……we are unable to bring you this year’s Armenian entry, because there ain’t gonna be one. Yup, after months of will-they-won’t-they speculation, Armenia have decided that they won’t be going to Baku after all. And for once folks this isn’t a flounce over results. Nope, it appears the long-standing political tension between the Armenians and the Azerbaijans isn’t something that a song contest can overcome – and while it’s one thing for the pair of them to appear side by side on neutral territory, it’s another when one of them is actually the host nation. Or as the Contest Executive Supervisor Jon Ola Sand put it, “Despite the efforts of the EBU and the Host Broadcaster to ensure a smooth participation for the Armenian delegation in this year’s Contest, circumstances beyond our control lead to this unfortunate decision.”

While  there was always a chance this might happen, we will still admit that Armenia’s presence this year will be sorely lacking, given the impact they have made on the contest in the few years they’ve been taking part (OK maybe not last year but you get our drift). Still, they shall no doubt be welcomed back to the fold with open arms next year. Unless of course Azerbaijan wins again. Er…..

Stop being silly!

Eurovision – at least on those Eurovision nostalgia shows on TV that like to point and laugh at those crazy Europeans circa 1976 – is renowned for its nonsensical song titles, those of the La la la and Bem Bom variety. Now we thought we had seen the end of that era, but it seems it is returning to haunt us in 2011 – firstly with Finland’s sweetly pretty but ludicrously named Da Da Dum and now, it seems, with Armenia’s representative Emmy, who is fielding a track called – wait for it – Boom Boom. Which not only has the song title of a bygone era but sounds like it comes from one too. Guys – it is neither big nor clever, OK? Let’s just hope now that Dana International doesn’t triumph in Tuesday’s Israeli Kdam with her intellectually challenging track Ding Dong, or we are looking at clip show fodder for years to come…..

Normal Service Has Been Resumed….

Apologies for the lack of update when there were Armenian and Polish songs to be waxing lyrical about but your beloved editor has spent the past week looking after a poorly child (aka Junior Eurovision) only to be laid low by the same stomach bug. (Still, the Vampire Weekend gig we went to in the middle of all this was great, but anyway…..). We are indeed back with a vengeance and it’s time to play catch-up on what we’ve missed. Not a lot, as it happens, but we do have two more songs to report upon.

The first one comes from Armenia, and MAJOR kudos to them for coming up with possibly the first song this year that actually sounds contemporary, as opposed to a throwback to the days of old (unless of course you count the Glee School Musical antics of Denmark). The rhyme-tastically named Eva Rivas certainly has a cool tune on her hands here that brings a welcome splash of ethno-pop to the stage, although whether we could ever see a song called, er, Apricot Stone actually winning the contest is another matter entirely. Sounds uncomfortably to us like a character in a rubbish chick-lit novel. But anyway. Take a listen. Enjoy. And answer us just one question: that bloke in the hood at the start isn’t actually playing the recorder is he?

And so to Poland. And once again we are forced to ask ourselves, just how can a country so large that must clearly possess some kind of musical talent somewhere get it SO spectacularly wrong every single year? Honestly, we’d love to see Poland repeat the success of their 1994 debut or even replicate their Dance Contest victory from a couple of years back, but as long as they keep coming up with nonsense like this it just ain’t gonna happen. Sigh. For what it’s worth, here’s Marcin Mrozinski with Legenda. We’re going to go and hide:

Coming soon: Malta, Spain, Slovenia, Azerbaijan and  FYROM. No, we can barely stand the suspense either…..

The Great Big Eurovision Experiment 2009 – Armenia

Jumping up with a nor par (to answer our questions that is…..), it’s the lovely Inga and Anush……

How does it feel to be representing your country at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest?

Anush: It means a lot to us.

Inga: I can even define what “a lot” means. Let’s start from clichés: pride, responsibility, new horizons and boundaries:-) To be completely honest, these are not just words – we do feel all the mentioned. A contest like this is a huge source of professional growth for any artist. We are not an exception.

What are you most looking forward to about taking part?

Inga: The participation by itself is already very exciting. I’m sure I’ll receive bunch of emotions during the rehearsals so I can’t wait to get into the backstage life.

Anush: I’m very curious about meeting the participants from different countries and, of course, about  the contest itself.
What can we expect from your performance? Are you planning a lavish stage show?

Inga: As you probably know, our show will be made by the guys from the Fresh Art design trio. We decided to keep the details in secretJ  One thing is certain – it’s gonna be hot on the stage.

Have you ever been to Moscow and are you looking forward to it?

Anush: We have been to Moscow many times. Still, it doesn’t stop to surprise us with its crazy rhythm and fast changes.

Inga: During our last 2 visits to Moscow we were mostly involved in work with Fresh Art and it changed all our visions about this city:-) I personally fell in love with Moscow and can’t wait for the contest to be there again.

Which of this year’s other songs do you rate (Armenia’s is one of our favorites, incidentally!)?

Inga: Thanks :-).Turns out we have common tastesJ It’s one of the hardest questions we are being asked. However, I’ll mark Russia’s and Bosnia & Herzegovina’s entries.

Anush: My ratings for the songs are being changed in connection with my mood, right now I’d like to listen to Norway’s song:-)

Which is your favorite Eurovision song of all time, and which is your favorite from your home country?

Anush: Abba’s song that won the contest was very popular in Armenia and you can still hear it being played somewhere. We like it a lot. As for a favorite Armenian song, they all were unique in their own way, it’s hard to judge.

What do you think about the debate over so-called ‘political’ voting?

Inga: We believe that it is a song contest and no political row should interfere.

Anush: Even politicians should just relax and have fan sometimes. Our song will make them do soJ

How do you think the return of jury voting might influence the final result?

Anush: It surely can. That is why we want to attract the huge mass of voting audience across Europe. As for the jury, we hope that the professionalism of performing artists will be guiding principle in their decision.

Inga: To tell the truth, we don’t think much about the voting system and its influences. We are going to sing for the sake of singing.

Why do you think Eurovision is still so popular, even after all these years?

Inga: Maybe because it is a contest that incorporates so many different cultures and musical traditions. It is a multicultural contest and that’s why it is so interesting for people across Europe.

Anush: Besides, all people hear during the whole year – is mostly about wars and accidents. People do need some joy at least once a year.

Have you heard the UK’s song this year and what do you think? Any chance your country could give us some points this year (please…….? 🙂 )

We liked the UK’s entry very much. The chances of Armenia’s support are certainly big. Maybe we can discuss cross-promotion…..

Jan?????????

Is the Armenian song a tribute to our favourite 1982 Harrogate hostess? Possibly not but nonetheless Jan Jan is a fabby, unusual effort, while Inga and Anush seem to be the country’s answer to Spain’s Azucar Moreno. Probably best, on reflection, that we’re not sending The Twins to Moscow as we fear these two may have eaten them for breakfast….