Reality struck harsh earlier this week when we received the sad news that Latvian singer/songwriter Mārtiņš Freimanis died at only 33 due to serious complications caused by an influenza infection. This week's Retro Sunday is dedicated to him and goes out to all the people who mourn the loss of this talented young man:
We have previously listed this song as one of our favorite entries of all times. It is such a gem in all its simplicity and even though perhaps not as well performed as it could be, the quality of the song carry Walters & Kazha over troubled vocal water and what they may lack in skills they make up for with bundles of charm and heartfelt joy over being up on that stage in Kiev.
Thank you Mārtiņš Freimanis for giving us this song. RIP.
Showing posts with label Latvia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Latvia. Show all posts
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Monday, June 14, 2010
Barbara Dex Award; Latvia and Ireland
A far more deserving winner of the Barbara Dex Award would have been Aisha from Latvia. We are not exactly sure what happened here, but here's a few plausible scenarios. She simply forgot to change into her actual dress before she entered the stage. There just must be an explanation to why she unintentionally appeared in front of 130 million TV viewers dressed in a bathrobe.
After an even closer look we start to wonder if one of the hotel rooms at Oslo Plaza is missing a bedspread or perhaps a curtain. In that case she sort of takes raiding hotel rooms for "free" stuff to another level. We usually settle for shampoos, slippers and shower caps. And no, we don't wear the slippers and a shower cap while making an important presentation at work.
Before the performance in Oslo Aisha announced that there would be changes on stage from the national final. While we could hardly wait to see how they could manage to top the doing the laundry sequence it just turned out that Aisha would wear the fabric her backing singers worked so hard to clean while keeping up with the chorus. Disappointment from here to eternity.
"What for am I dressed like this?"
Guri considered to go Latvian on the big final night, but thank Gawd, she went for a proper dress instead.
Well, here's a lady who perhaps should consider taking fashion tips from Latvia. This snap shot is taken backstage before one of the dress rehearsals, and Niamh from Ireland looks all peachy and glamourous. She actually has a waist!
Instead she shows up on stage wearing this. We are lost for words. Almost. Or not really, here it goes. It looks awful!!! We read somewhere that she looked like a Cadbury cream egg ready to burst. And that it looked like she ate Ireland, rather than represented Ireland. That's just so cruel. But funny. And seriously, she is not that big, it's just the dress, it's so utterly unflattering. Just look at Hera Björk from Iceland. Far more junk in the trunk there, but she looked absolutely fab in her high waisted diva frock. Where is Trinny and Susannah when you really need them? This is a real fashion emergency!
Misplaced waistline missing. Last seen sometime during the mid 90's.
After an even closer look we start to wonder if one of the hotel rooms at Oslo Plaza is missing a bedspread or perhaps a curtain. In that case she sort of takes raiding hotel rooms for "free" stuff to another level. We usually settle for shampoos, slippers and shower caps. And no, we don't wear the slippers and a shower cap while making an important presentation at work.
Before the performance in Oslo Aisha announced that there would be changes on stage from the national final. While we could hardly wait to see how they could manage to top the doing the laundry sequence it just turned out that Aisha would wear the fabric her backing singers worked so hard to clean while keeping up with the chorus. Disappointment from here to eternity.
"What for am I dressed like this?"
Guri considered to go Latvian on the big final night, but thank Gawd, she went for a proper dress instead.
Well, here's a lady who perhaps should consider taking fashion tips from Latvia. This snap shot is taken backstage before one of the dress rehearsals, and Niamh from Ireland looks all peachy and glamourous. She actually has a waist!
Instead she shows up on stage wearing this. We are lost for words. Almost. Or not really, here it goes. It looks awful!!! We read somewhere that she looked like a Cadbury cream egg ready to burst. And that it looked like she ate Ireland, rather than represented Ireland. That's just so cruel. But funny. And seriously, she is not that big, it's just the dress, it's so utterly unflattering. Just look at Hera Björk from Iceland. Far more junk in the trunk there, but she looked absolutely fab in her high waisted diva frock. Where is Trinny and Susannah when you really need them? This is a real fashion emergency!
Misplaced waistline missing. Last seen sometime during the mid 90's.
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?
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Existentialism is the new black
Latvia’s journey trough Eurovision history has been a rocky road. In a decade they have given us everything from a winning act in 2002 to the most appalling rubbish with their pirates back in 2008. We don’t care much about Marie N’s latino flirt, but wouldn’t mind flirting with Renārs Kaupers from Brainstorm or the cutiepies Walters and Kazha, some of our all time ESC favorites!
This year Latvia has decided to shed some light on the big questions in life. The kind of questions you ask yourself when you wake up on New Year’s Day with a huge hammer inside your head and ski jumping from Garmisch-Partenkirchen on the telly in the background. Nothing can feel more meaningless than to watch Poland’s second best ski jumper reach 112.5 meters on a day like that. So does it really make more sense to watch Aisha on stage with her crew doing the laundry? In our opinion yes! You see, we kind of have a thing for artists who manage to take domestic chores to a higher level. Bosnia Herzegovina did the same on stage in 2008 and we can hardly wait to see someone doing the dishes or showing us some decent hoovering. Apparently, Aisha has announced that there will be changes to the performance before Oslo so we can only hope for something spectacular, the suspense is killing us!
Will Latvia reach the final this year? How should we know, ask Mr. God!
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