There's been a lot of talk about the Second Chance Contest today, so what better than to shed some light on one of the many fallen favorites in this week's Retro Sunday:
Xandee's "1 Life" was one of the biggest favorites with the fans and the bookies back in 2004, and Belgium seems to have fallen in this category a couple of times over the past few years, God knows why. Perhaps a lack of loyal neighbors voting for them, or perhaps they send songs that simply do not appeal to people outside the hardcore ESC-fan crowd.
We like this upbeat, energetic number. Eurotrash at its very best, and Xandee really scares the shit out us when she nails us with her piercing eyes straight into the camera and wiggles her booty until we blush. Refreshing!
Showing posts with label Belgium. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Belgium. Show all posts
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Defeated, but not forgotten
It turned out to be Germany's turn this year and we say well deserved! Lena was one of our favorites from the beginning and we are confident the Germans will put on a massive show next year, we can hardly wait!
However, every year regardless of who takes home the victory, there will always be discussions around which country should have won. It might be the crazy disco act which finished second or the alluring ballad that keeps growing on you long after it finished seventh in the final. Do you remember who won in 1983? We can barely remember a lady in a pink dress wailing something in French, but the girl who came on third place sticks like glue to our brains!
Here’s our list with some of our favorite songs trough all times that didn’t win the contest but most certainly won our hearts!
1991 - France: Amina "C'est le dernier qui a parlé qui a raison”
An excruciatingly exciting voting process ended with a tie break between Sweden and France. Amina came second with the smallest margin ever to spare to the winner, having received fewer ten points than the winner Carola. – But what an astonishing lady with a heavenly voice and an even sassier orange scarf than the one WigWam had. She owned the stage that night in Rome.
1983 - Sweden: Carola "Främling"
Ironically enough it was Carola who snatched the victory out of Amina’s henna painted hands in 1991, but a few years earlier Carola had to settle for third place. Carola’s career path is somewhat similar to Michael Jackson’s: 1983: talented and wonderful, 1991: on top of their careers, 2006: freak show! We find this deeply disturbing….
1979 – West Germany: Dschinghis Khan ”Dschinghis Khan”
How come everybody remembers an act that came on fourth place in 1979? Magical!
2000 – Latvia: BrainStorm ”My Star”
During this beautiful evening in May one decade ago we realized that the Europe we used to know in our childhood back in the eighties had changed forever and no longer existed. This perfect pop song, with the most charming vocalist ever! Why did it only finish on third place? And why did the Pensioners Party from Denmark win?
1973 – Spain: Mocedades ”Eres tú”
The Basques sure know how to race a bicycle and to play soccer, but they also know how to make the perfect ballad! This song is commonly confused as the winner from 1973, even though the actual winning act was really strong that year.
1968 – United Kingdom: Cliff Richard ”Congratulations”
Sir Cliff looks younger today than what he did 42 years ago. Scary. However there’s no way getting around the fact that he nailed it with a classic and a massive hit when he came second that year. His contribution is especially loved and appreciated among those of us who loves birthday celebrations.
1987 – Norway: Kjersti Bergesen ”Go-go”
This entry didn’t even make it through to the international final; it finished on third place in the Norwegian national selection final behind Kate “Bad Hair Day” Gulbrandsen. But our Norwegian readers and Eurovision connoisseurs might remember that it beat strong household names like Sigvart Dagsland, Olav Stedje, Mia Gundersen and Finn Kalvik. Kjersti is not even close to sporting a decent singing voice, but the song itself is a perfect snap shot from the eighties, and the keychange towards the end of the song is priceless.
2005 – Latvia: Walter & Kazha ”The war is not over”
How can there be wars going on when cutie pies like this can make such wonderful music? Massive ”Extreme- More Than Words” factor going on and we immediately turn 13 again when we listen to this song which came fifth in Kiev.
2003 – Belgium: Urban Trad ”Sanomi”
As if Flemish isn’t silly enough to begin with, the Belgians decided to sing in a sort of gibberish language this year. World music is usually not our cup of tea, but we didn’t mind if this entry had finished higher than second place in 2003.
1983 – Yugoslavia: Danijel ”Dzuli”
1983 was a really strong year with a weak winner. This number came on fifth place and became an instant classic. Balkanswing rules!
What’s your favorite runner up?
However, every year regardless of who takes home the victory, there will always be discussions around which country should have won. It might be the crazy disco act which finished second or the alluring ballad that keeps growing on you long after it finished seventh in the final. Do you remember who won in 1983? We can barely remember a lady in a pink dress wailing something in French, but the girl who came on third place sticks like glue to our brains!
Here’s our list with some of our favorite songs trough all times that didn’t win the contest but most certainly won our hearts!
1991 - France: Amina "C'est le dernier qui a parlé qui a raison”
An excruciatingly exciting voting process ended with a tie break between Sweden and France. Amina came second with the smallest margin ever to spare to the winner, having received fewer ten points than the winner Carola. – But what an astonishing lady with a heavenly voice and an even sassier orange scarf than the one WigWam had. She owned the stage that night in Rome.
1983 - Sweden: Carola "Främling"
Ironically enough it was Carola who snatched the victory out of Amina’s henna painted hands in 1991, but a few years earlier Carola had to settle for third place. Carola’s career path is somewhat similar to Michael Jackson’s: 1983: talented and wonderful, 1991: on top of their careers, 2006: freak show! We find this deeply disturbing….
1979 – West Germany: Dschinghis Khan ”Dschinghis Khan”
How come everybody remembers an act that came on fourth place in 1979? Magical!
2000 – Latvia: BrainStorm ”My Star”
During this beautiful evening in May one decade ago we realized that the Europe we used to know in our childhood back in the eighties had changed forever and no longer existed. This perfect pop song, with the most charming vocalist ever! Why did it only finish on third place? And why did the Pensioners Party from Denmark win?
1973 – Spain: Mocedades ”Eres tú”
The Basques sure know how to race a bicycle and to play soccer, but they also know how to make the perfect ballad! This song is commonly confused as the winner from 1973, even though the actual winning act was really strong that year.
1968 – United Kingdom: Cliff Richard ”Congratulations”
Sir Cliff looks younger today than what he did 42 years ago. Scary. However there’s no way getting around the fact that he nailed it with a classic and a massive hit when he came second that year. His contribution is especially loved and appreciated among those of us who loves birthday celebrations.
1987 – Norway: Kjersti Bergesen ”Go-go”
This entry didn’t even make it through to the international final; it finished on third place in the Norwegian national selection final behind Kate “Bad Hair Day” Gulbrandsen. But our Norwegian readers and Eurovision connoisseurs might remember that it beat strong household names like Sigvart Dagsland, Olav Stedje, Mia Gundersen and Finn Kalvik. Kjersti is not even close to sporting a decent singing voice, but the song itself is a perfect snap shot from the eighties, and the keychange towards the end of the song is priceless.
2005 – Latvia: Walter & Kazha ”The war is not over”
How can there be wars going on when cutie pies like this can make such wonderful music? Massive ”Extreme- More Than Words” factor going on and we immediately turn 13 again when we listen to this song which came fifth in Kiev.
2003 – Belgium: Urban Trad ”Sanomi”
As if Flemish isn’t silly enough to begin with, the Belgians decided to sing in a sort of gibberish language this year. World music is usually not our cup of tea, but we didn’t mind if this entry had finished higher than second place in 2003.
1983 – Yugoslavia: Danijel ”Dzuli”
1983 was a really strong year with a weak winner. This number came on fifth place and became an instant classic. Balkanswing rules!
What’s your favorite runner up?
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Semi-Final 1
The rehearsals for the semi-finals have kicked off and with this, the speculations around which countries will proceed to the big final. We find the prediction game rather mind wrenching, and with the 50/50 jury and televote system it makes it even harder to guess the lucky 10 in each semi-final.
That's why we will settle for choosing our personal favorites which according to our opinion, in a perfect world without war, global warming and Dutch schlagers, would snatch a ticket to the final. Amazingly we agree on most entries. We suppose we have brainwashed each other and have pretty much morphed into one person by now. Ok, nuff said, here’s our pick for Semi-Final 1!
Which are your favorites from semi-final 1?
That's why we will settle for choosing our personal favorites which according to our opinion, in a perfect world without war, global warming and Dutch schlagers, would snatch a ticket to the final. Amazingly we agree on most entries. We suppose we have brainwashed each other and have pretty much morphed into one person by now. Ok, nuff said, here’s our pick for Semi-Final 1!
- Albania
- Belgium
- Estonia
- Finland
- Greece
- Latvia
- Moldova
- Poland
- Serbia
- Slovakia
Which are your favorites from semi-final 1?
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Retro sunday: We love life too!
In the Eurovision year of the young and charming boys and girls, lets look back on a girl who just loves life. Here's Sandra Kim's J'aime la vie.
Belgium's one and only winner is some pearl in Eurovision history. 13 year old Sandra Kim entered the stage in Bergen dressed in her own version of a typical 80s pink and white smoking pretending to be 15 and loving life. Guess she would have been a part of Eurovision Junior if this had been today, but are we glad she wasn't! Sandra Kim made us youngsters back then understand the world was open to us. We could do anything, and that pretty soon. We started rehearsing the moment she won, and realized there was nothing to do but to love life for what it was worth.
We never really stopped since.
Belgium's one and only winner is some pearl in Eurovision history. 13 year old Sandra Kim entered the stage in Bergen dressed in her own version of a typical 80s pink and white smoking pretending to be 15 and loving life. Guess she would have been a part of Eurovision Junior if this had been today, but are we glad she wasn't! Sandra Kim made us youngsters back then understand the world was open to us. We could do anything, and that pretty soon. We started rehearsing the moment she won, and realized there was nothing to do but to love life for what it was worth.
We never really stopped since.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Je t'adore or shut the door for Belgium?
Poor Belgium. Since the introduction of the semi-finals they have tried just about everything without any luck. Europe turned their backs to disco, rockabilly, euro dance, a seductive french ballad and whatever was going on back in 2008, we can’t even begin to describe. The bookies held Kate Ryan as a huge favourite in 2006, but the televoters did not love her, instead they brutally shut the door leading to the final.
New year, new tactic! Will Europe love Tom Dice and take him trough to the big final? ”Me and My Guitar” is a good song, and Tom Dice can sing, however we can’t help but think, in a sort of copycat way like so many other X-factor and Idol contestants. To succeed in Eurovision you need to bring something unique to the table, being really good at sounding almost like James Blunt or David Gray just doesn’t cut it in our opinion.
This song kinda reminds us of Jostein Hasselgård’s ”I’m Not Afraid To Move On” from 2003. Simple, down to earth, straight forward, with a cute guy and his instrument. Jostein succeeded with his formula so perhaps Tom will follow in his foot steps?
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