Eurovision Song Contest 2017

[haiducii]

Netherlands: O'G3NE - Lights And Shadows

Girl group O'G3NE will represent the Netherlands at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Lights and Shadows. Although the timing of the announcement came as a surprise, Dutch media have already been speculating about the group's participation since summer 2016.

The three sisters - Lisa (22) and twins Amy and Shelly Vol (21) - are not entirely new to the Eurovision world; in 2007 they represented the Netherlands at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest with Adem In, Adem Uit (Breath In, Breath Out), finishing 11th out of 17. A lot has happened in ten years time - they won The Voice of Holland in 2014 and had several chart successes.

"We are looking forward so much to once again representing our country. This is a new highlight in our career and we are going to do everything we can to make our country proud," Lisa, Amy & Shelly said.

 

[haiducii]

Ukraine: O.Torvald - Time

Every year there is always particular interest in the act representing the host country of the Eurovision Song Contest and this year is no exception. O.Torvald has been chosen to fly the Ukrainian flag in Kyiv with the song Time. The group beat five other acts for the right to represent Ukraine on home ground in May.

O.Torvald is composed of lead singer Zhenia Halych, guitarist Denys Myziuk, drummer Sasha Solokha, bass guitarist Mykyta Vasyliev, and DJ Polarnik. The band was founded in the city of Poltava but relocated to Kyiv in 2006 where they began performing to large venues with thousands of spectators. They released their first album in 2008.

 

[haiducii]

Croatia: Jacques Houdek - My Friend

The Croatian broadcaster HRT has announced that Jacques Houdek will represent the country in the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest. Croatia returned to the competition last year for the first time since 2013. Houdek's song for Kyiv is call My Friend.

Jacques Houdek was born in Zagreb and is 35 years old. He has been singing professionally since 2002 and has previously entered the Croatian national selection, Dora, several times. He is well-known as a judge on The Voice of Croatia, the competition that last year's Croatian entrant, Nina Kraljic, won in 2015.

 

[haiducii]

Meet the hosts of Eurovision 2017

Oleksandr Skichko, Volodymyr Ostapchuk, and Timur Miroshnychenko are the hosts for the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest, which will take place in Kyiv Ukraine with Semi-Finals on 9th and 11th May and the Grand Final on 13th May. 2017 will mark the second time that Ukraine has hosted the Eurovision Song Contest. The appointment marks the first time in the history of the contest that the event will be hosted by three men; all of whom are familiar faces on Ukrainian television and come with a wealth of experience.

Jon Ola Sand, Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest, said; "We are thrilled at the prospect of having three hosts for this year’s contest. This will be the first time that Eurovision has had three male hosts in its sixty-two year history, and Oleksandr, Volodymyr, and Timur have a proven track record of combining humour, improvisation, and professionalism in their routines. I’m confident that they will provide much entertainment for viewers in May".

Stuart Barlow, Show Producer of the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest, explained; "We did not set out looking for three young men but after being so impressed by them in the castings, we started to develop the idea of having these amazing young guys working together. They have a great chemistry, and its great because it has not been done before at Eurovision".

Pavlo Hrytsak, Deputy of General Director of the UA: PBC added; "Ukraine is the first country to have three male hosts. Timur doesn’t need an introduction. Both the Ukrainian and European public know him well. Oleksandr Skichko and Volodymyr Ostapchuk are professional hosts who have conducted thousands of live shows and events. So I am totally sure that the Eurovision shows are going to be unexpected, interesting and memorable".

 

[haiducii]

Romania: Ilinca feat. Alex Florea - Yodel It!

Ilinca (18) and Alex Florea (25) have won the 2017 edition of Selecţia Naţională, the Romanian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. Ilinca and Alex Florea will perform the song Yodel It! in the second Semi-Final in Kyiv, Ukraine on Thursday 11th May. The winner of Selecţia Naţională was decided solely by the public.

Ilinca and Alex Florea have both taken part in the The Voice of Romania and are relative newcomers to the music scene. Their song Yodel It! was written by Mihai Alexandru who wrote Romania's entry in 2003, Don't Break My Heart which was performed by Nicola and finished 10th in Riga.

 

[haiducii]

Portugal: Salvador Sobral - Amar pelos dois

Salvador Sobral (27) has won the 2017 edition of Festival da Canção, the Portuguese national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. Salvador will perform the song Amar Pelos Dois in the first Semi-Final in Kyiv, Ukraine on Tuesday 9th May.

The winner, chosen by a 50/50 mix of TV viewers and expert jury votes is Salvador Sobral who sang the song written by his sister Luisa Amar Pelos Dois, which can be translated as Love Enough For Two.

Luísa Sobral is one of the most important composers and singers of the new generation of Portuguese musicians. A graduate by the Berklee College of Music, the singer and songwriter chose her brother Salvador Sobral to sing her song. "I never thought about singing this song myself because when I wrote it I already had my brother’s voice in mind.'' Salvador Sobral praises his sister just as well: "It's an opportunity to sing a beautiful song from an excellent songwriter, and show it to the world". Whether or not the competition is their goal, the composer believes that the song is strong and has a place in Eurovision "to represent a little bit of what is being done in Portugal".

 

[haiducii]

Azerbaijan: Dihaj - Skeletons

Last year Azerbaijan's national broadcaster ITV announced Dihaj as the country's representative in the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest. Today the video for Dihaj's entry, Skeletons, was released.

Dihaj is the stage name of Azerbaijani singer and musician Diana Hajiyeva. It’s taken from the first letters of her name and surname. After graduating from Baku Music Academy in 2010 she moved on to the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in London. While in the UK, Diana got involved with the local underground music scene by singing in a progressive trance trio called Looper & Mancus. Around that time, she decided to launch her own band.

In 2014, she created Dihaj, an electronic music collective from Baku. The band’s breakthrough single was I Break Again. Diana co-wrote it with Azerbaijani jazz pianist Isfar Sarabsky. Music critics have called the band “experimental doom pop,” praising its post-rock guitar riffs, semi-acoustic drum set, and atmospheric vocals.

 

[haiducii]

Montenegro: Slavko Kalezić - Space

Late last year Slavko Kalezić was chosen to represent Montenegro at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Space, composed by Momčila Zekovića. Yesterday the video for the song was released on the official Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel.

Slavko Kalezić, who was born in 1985, rose to fame after participating in X Factor Adria in 2013. He was coached by Željko Joksimović, who represented Serbia & Montenegro in 2004, hosted the contest in 2008 and returned as participant in 2012.

Since 2008 Slavko has been a permanent member of the acting ensemble of the Montenegrin National Theatre. He cherishes the arts and in addition to theatre, he has had success in film and television. He has had over 30 roles in theatre, acted in six films and appeared in several TV programmes and recently released his debut album, The Dream of Eternity.

 

[haiducii]

Ireland: Brendan Murray - Dying To Try

Brendan Murray will resepresent Ireland in the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Dying to Try. Irish broadcaster RTE made the announcement last year following an internal selection. Music manager Louis Walsh played a pivotal role in the decision-making process.

From Tuam in County Galway Brendan has been a member of the successful boy band Hometown since he was 17. Hometown's first single Where I Belong became the fastest-selling single from a debut act and the fastest-selling single from an Irish artist in 2014, reaching number one in the Irish charts. The band's second single, Cry For Help was released in March 2015 in Ireland and also reached number one. Hometown have toured extensively in the UK and Ireland and have supported such acts as Olly Murs, McBusted and The Vamps.

Brendan said: "When I first heard Dying To Try I instantly fell in love with it and knew it was the perfect song for me. I couldn’t wait to get into the studio to record it.''

Eurovision mentor for Brendan Murray, Louis Walsh said: "When I first heard Dying To Try it really stood out from the other songs that were entered by songwriters from all over the world.''

Dying To Try was written by Grammy Award nominated Jörgen Elofsson who has been writing music for international artists for more than 15 years. He also wrote four of Westlife’s Top 40 number one hits.

 

[haiducii]

Belgium: Blanche - City Lights

Ellie Delvaux, now known as Blanche, will represent Belgium in the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest with the song City Lights. Broadcaster RTBF announced Blanche as Belgium's representative late last year. The singer co-wrote her entry for Kyiv with singer-songwriter Pierre Dumoulin.

Blanche previously took part in the fifth season of The Voice Belgium. She was internally selected by Belgian broadcaster RTBF. Over the past few months Blanche has been working on her latest release, City Lights, with Pierre Dumoulin, lead singer of the group Roscoe. Roscoe won the Octave Award for Best Album of the Year on two occasions, in 2012 and 2015.

 

[haiducii]

Australia: Isaiah - Don't Come Easy

Australian broadcaster, SBS, announced Isaiah Firebrace as Australia’s contestant at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest, to be held in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Isaiah is an Australian singer who won the eighth season of The X Factor Australia in 2016. Isaiah is already experiencing global success, with his first hit It’s Gotta Be You going Platinum in Sweden, and charting in over 15 countries including Australia, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Canada, and the US.

Isaiah’s Eurovision song Don’t Come Easy is an emotive ballad showcasing his vocal range and unique ability to connect with powerful lyrics, which, in this track, speak to fighting for your dreams even when it isn’t easy.

 

[gorgik9]

Haiducii prayed for something else than a slow ballad, so I told the mafiosi behind Melodifestivalen: "The wizard from Maribor want someting uptempo!"

Well, Sweden delivered what haiducii wanted last night!

 

[haiducii]

Haiducii prayed for something else than a slow ballad, so I told the mafiosi behind Melodifestivalen: "The wizard from Maribor want someting uptempo!"

You did a very good job; thank you!

 

[haiducii]

Sweden: Robin Bengtsson - I Can't Go On

Robin Bengtsson has won the 2017 edition of Melodifestivalen, the Swedish national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song I Can't Go On.

Melodifestivalen is one of the most highly anticipated national selections in the Eurovision fan community. More than 30,000 people attended yesterday's live show and many more followed the spectacular show broadcast on TV and online. For most of the evening, #melfest was trending globally on Twitter.

Robin Bengtsson broke through when he finished third in Idol 2008 in Sweden. After his win, he got a record deal and released his first single "Another Lover's Gone". He participated in Melodifestivalen last year with the song "Constellation Prize" and placed fifth.

About his winning song, he says: "It brings a little more joy and momentum than last year. It is upbeat, funky and engaging in a different way."

 

[haiducii]

Lithuania: Fusedmarc - Rain Of Revolution

After a lengthy national selection process lasting more than ten weeks, Lithuania has now chosen its act for the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest: Fusedmarc will represent the Baltic nation with the song Rain of Revolution.

Until now, Lithuania has taken a part in the Eurovision Song Contest 17 times, since they first entered the competition in 1994. Lithuania's best placing was 6th in 2006 with the song We Are The Winners, performed by the group LT United.

Fusedmarc is a duo consisting of Cilia and Vakx. In 2005, Fusedmarc were called the breakthrough of the Lithuanian alternative scene. Year 2007 Fusedmarc was acclaimed the best experimental music band in Lithuania and in 2008 they got the award in the Best Lithuanian Electronic Band category. Today the band has developed its own style.

Fusedmarc: "In our deep belief, Rain of Revolution is so alive and true, that we wish to share and spread this strong energy with people! Our song reflects on what is going on in many people's lives and souls. "

 

[haiducii]

Greece: Demy - This is Love

Earlier this year Greek broadcaster, ERT, announced that Demy will represent Greece in the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest. The dynamic team of composers also include Dimitris Kontopoulos and director Fokas Evaggelinos. On March 6th the national selection took place and Demy's song for Kyiv, This is Love, was chosen.

Demy, Dimitra Papadea, was born in 1991 in Athens, Greece. She is signed to Panik records and, among other accolades, she won Best New Artist in the 2012 MAD Music Awards. Dimitris Kontopoulos and Fokas Evaggelinos were involved in the Eurovision Song Contest several times in the past, most recently in last year's Russian entry You Are The Only One, that placed third in Stockholm as performed by Sergey Lazarev.

 

[haiducii]

FYR Macedonia: Jana Burčeska - Dance Alone

Jana Burčeska (23) will represent FYR Macedonia in the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Dance Alone. As in 2016, Macedonian broadcaster MKRTV opted for an internal selection.

Jana has previously participated in Skopje Fest, one of the biggest musical events in the country, and a show which has previously been used as a national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. Jana took part in the first season of Macedonian Idol in 2011 where she placed fifth, the highest position achieved by a female singer that year.

After Jana was selected to represent FYR Macedonia she said: "I would like to infinitely thank the National Broadcaster for investing their trust and choosing me to represent our country in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest. I am grateful and really appreciate the opportunity I’ve been given, but am also aware of the responsibilities I must bear. My heart skipped a beat when I was told the good news and I have kept on smiling ever since".

 

[haiducii]

Iceland: Svala - Paper

Iceland has spoken clearly! Svala will represent the island nation at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Paper. Twelve acts battled for the ticket to Kyiv, eventually a jury and viewers at home decided upon the winner of what may just have been the biggest national final Iceland has ever seen.

Svala Björgvinsdóttir (1977), who lives in Los Angeles, already scored her first number one hit at the age of 9, performing a Christmas song with her father, singer and former Eurovision participant Bo Halldórs, who represented Iceland at the 1995 contest.

In 2006, Svala started the electronic music band Steed Lord with her brother and Einar Egilsson, who would later become Svala's husband.

In 2012, Svala launched her own clothing line. In 2015, she appeared as one of the four judges on the Icelandic version of The Voice.

 

[Mari0]

OMG! I had totally forgotten to check Haiducii's traditional -and amazing- ESC thread for this year!
So far my faves are Italy (my number one so far), Latvia, Belgium, Macedonia, Azerbaijan and Portugal

BTW Slavko's Space is "interesting"

PS: Loreen forever in our hearts :heart::heart::heart:

 

[haiducii]

Norway: JOWST - Grab The Moment

Last night, JOWST won Melodi Grand Prix, the Norwegian selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song Grab The Moment. Ten acts battled it out for the chance to perform at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest.

Norway received a record number of submissions for this year's Melodi Grand Prix. 1035 songs were submitted to broadcaster NRK. Songwriters and composers from all over the world were eligible to send songs this year. The final line-up included composers from Norway, Sweden and Iceland.

At fifteen years old Joakim With Steen took an interest in punk rock and songwriting. After finishing his education he went on to work as a teacher and later he started Red Line Studio where he has worked as a sound engineer and producer since 2011. Aleksander Walmann joins him on vocals. He participated in The Voice in 2012, where he reached the final.