Terminal 3.... The Eurovision Blog

La Svizzera well seeing as the Swiss representative is Paolo Meneguzzi and will be singing a romantic ballad "Era Stupendo", I had no choice but to write Switzerland in Italian. Only November and we already know 4 singers and now one song as well..........I think the Eurovision Season has well and truly started!! By the way just in case your wondering the video clip is not of his Eurovision Entry!!!

Well by choosing Hind as their singer in Belgrade that is sure as hell what it feels like. Born in 1984 to a Moroccan father and Dutch mother in the town of Gouda, Hind Laroussi Tahiri entered the Dutch IDOLS in 2002/03 where she reached the finals. Since then the rest is history winning an Edison award for Best New Dutch Artist in 2004. Her first album "Around The World" was released in 2003 and was mainly pop and R&B but with a Portuguese and Arabic flavour. She herself described her last album "Halfway Home" as Arabpop. Personally I think that Hind is the perfect candidate to represent The Netherlands and hopefully style of music will appeal to many...... I better get my Dutch flag out ready!! Good Luck Netherlands

After starting the shift over to Eastern European wins in 2001 and hosting in 2002, you would have thought that interest in the Eurovision by Estonians would still be at a high, but poor finishes in the last three years are taking their toll on the Estonians. In 2004, they had a record number of entries into their national preselection with 153 songs entered. However, since that year there has been a slow decline and this year it has hit an all-time low with only 58 songs having been submitted. Could this be apathy towards the contest or could it be the fact that only 4 songs qualify for the final? So the big question is.... Having started the shift over to Eastern European countries, are they starting the shift away?!!!! Only time will tell.

Get ready a whole new genre of music to be born on Saturday - PUSSY PUNK! What's pussy punk I hear you ask? Read on as Terminal 3 has been able to turn the spotlight onto Hara in an exclusive interview! Hi, tell us about where in Iceland you live? We are born in a charming little town just outside of Reykjavik that is called Hveragerði. We still live there. If you could describe Iceland in one sentence, what would it be? A nurturing place for the soul. How did you get interested in the Eurovision Song Contest and what is your favourite all-time Eurovison song? We have been interested in the ESC since we were children and we have always watched the competition. As for favourite songs, Rakel's favourite is "La det swinge" and Hildur's is "Nina". Many Eurovision fans will not have heard of you before, how would you describe your style of music? We play a new musical genre called Pussy-Punk! What has been the biggest influence on your career so far? T...

Well I do anyway...........and I dont think I'm the only Eurofan to do so. Italy have not taken part in Eurovision since that fantastic 4th place in 1997 with "Fiumi di Parole" by Jalisse. What a fantastic song and why have Italy not bothered to follow it up. A big nation in Eurovision but sadly with only 2 winners Gigliola Cinquetti in 1964 and Toto Cutugno in 1992, mind you they had several top 10 finishes of which some of my favourites "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu", "Si", "I Treni De Tozeur" and "Gente de Mare" amongst them. It seems that the Italians don't have the following of Eurovision anymore that they did and with RAI not wanting to participate anymore it seems unlikely that we will be seeing Italy back in the Eurovision fold for a long long time. Come on RAI....we want you back...... Just for a reminder here is the last Italian Eurovision Entry to whet your appetite!

Hara Sisters .v. Euroband....... Even though the national selection season for 2008 is still young, the most anticipated semi-final will be aired this weekend in Iceland. Could we be seeing Iceland's next entrants on Saturday? The Hara Sisters, Rakel & Hildur Magnusdottir, were x-factor contestants this year in Iceland and got to the final, only to lose out to Jogvan Hanson from the Faroe Islands. However, their Eurovision stock has been boosted by the inclusion of Gerard James Borg in their corner, who has helped pen their entry "I wanna manicure". The song is described by Rakel as being "pussy-punk"! Euroband members will certainly be able to fall back on Eurovision knowledge, as three of their members have been to the final in some capacity. The song to perform is called Fullkomið líf (Perfect life) and it is written by Örlygur Smári, who wrote the Icelandic entry back in 2000. So have Iceland kept the best till last, or will we be wondering what all ...

One country that will be missing from the list of entrants in December for the 2008 Eurovision will be Austria. After failing to attract viewer's votes with Eric Papilaya's "Get a life - get alive", Austrian officials have decided not to return until people vote for them! Oh sorry, I mean, that they won't return until the political voting stops. They also give the reason that as the EBU has not yet decided on how to organise the semi finals, they didn't want to enter just in case there was still an east and west split. So it looks as if the list of possible entrants is down to 44. Will this be the last withdrawl? Who knows!

It looks like the line up for 2008 is complete with the news that, despite rumours of withdrawl, Montenegro will be back for their second contest in Belgrade. Once twinned together with Serbia, Montenegro took part as an independant country for the first time in 2007 with Stefan Faddy and had a poor result, finishing 23rd in the Semi final with 33 points. Rumours of lack of money, had led the Eurovision community to believe that they would withdraw from the contest next year, but it seems that these rumours have persuaded the powers that be in Montenegro to enter again. So it looks like the limit set by the EBU has been reached in that all 42 countries from last year are returning, together with Monaco, San Marino and Azerbaijan joining for Belgrade. It looks like the official list will be published in December. Wonder if there will be any shocks that no one has reported?

I certainly hope not. Following a fantastic contest in Helsinki and most definately one of their best entries ever with "Leave Me Alone" by Hanna what will the Finns have up their sleeves for Belgrade. We already know that they will be giving us a good old mixture of music styles in their National Finals including what seems to be a National Final trend (all over Europe)........."The drag act". 2006 was a high point in Finnish Eurovision History with their first ever winner and this was following 2 years being stuck in the semi finals and a year relegated. Before 2006 their best placing had been 6th place in 1973! Will Finland be in contention for winning the Eurovision again in 2008? I'm not sure but I would put money on it that the fans would love a trip back to Helsinki in the near future.

and this time it's Portugal. Portugal will be going to Belgrade knowing that their country is now the one with the longest time without winning since their first participation. Hopefully they will go one better than Helsinki when they missed out on the final by 3 points and 1 place. Good Luck Portugal

and it was announced on Armenian TV earlier today. They also confirmed that they will be holding a national final with 5 songs and the public will choose the winning song that Sirusho will take with her as the Armenian Entry. Eurovision fans may remember her from 2007 as being the Armenian Spokesperson. Another female with a good voice.............this could be an interesting contest already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and his name is Boaz Mauda and he has recently become the winner of Kohav Nolad 5 (Israeli Pop Idol). There is no information on a song as yet but it would appear that Channel 2 will arrange a 'private' national final for him comprising of 5songs which will be selected for the public and a special jury to vote on. Here is one of his performances from Kohav Nolad 5 and to be perfectly honest I think he has a fantastic voice and given the right song could probably do quite well in Belgrade.

Slovakia have announced that they will not be sending a singer and a song to Belgrade in 2008. Saying that they have not ruled out participation in the future. So what does that mean? By my reckoning there is a free space if San Marino are in!!!!! So who will it be? Monaco, Luxembourg, Italy? We shall find out on Thursday or Friday.

According to reports today on various websites San Marino could be entering their first Eurovision entry ever, and if they do I am so glad that I will be in Belgrade to see it performed. I was in Helsinki when the first Italian language song was sung in 10 years now it would appear that we will be seeing the Italian language sung in 2008 and I for one am over the moon. If San Marino do enter surely with an Italian language song they would start as one of the pre contest favourites...............well they would with me anyway!!!!! So if San Marino enter that would be 44 that we know of if we take all of the countries from last year plus Azerbaijan and then San Marino..............the question is who is number 45................Monaco?, Slovakia?, Luxembourg?, Italy?. Personally my money is on it being Slovakia!!! I so hope San Marino are in Belgrade that would be fantastic!!!!!!!

wow!!! what a day for confirmations. Hungary have now confirmed their participation in Belgrade and will be holding a National Final according to OIKOTimes. Will they do as good as last year??? We shall see songs have to be submitted by 20 December 2007.

will be.... "Will Macedonia make the Eurovision Final again?" Macedonia have today announced that they are the 29th country to confirm participation in Belgrade in 2008. So welcome to the party Macedonia and see you in Belgrade and good luck.................cos I think you will need it!!!!!!!!!!!! Now that comment brings me back to the question at the top!!! 2 semi finals no guarantee of who will be in the semi and the fact that only the countries in the semi can vote for the other songs in the same semi!!!!!! I think Macedonia could have a problem with qualification. Over the past 4 years since the semi final has been in place Macedonia have finished either 9th or 10th in the semi to then ended up down in the lower echelons of the Final. With 10 entries and their highest placing being 12th in 2006 their chances of qualification surely are not as clear cut as before especially as there is no guarantee of the neighbourly votes to get them there. Anyway Good Luck Macedoni...

....but Estonia did it with style and have never seen a Eurovision Song Contest Final since!!!!! 13 entries in 14 years, which include 1 win amongst the 4 Top 5 finishes yet since they won the whole thing in 2001 they have slipped further down the scoreboard which has ended with Gerli Padar finishing a disappointing 22nd in the semi final in Helsinki. Estonia have (since the semi finals taken place) never qualified to the final and along with Portugal and Andorra been the least successful of Eurovision nations over recent years. Good luck Estonia....please choose a song which will get you through to the ESC Final!

...........YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Today another country has responded to the EBU invitation to take part in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest. Poland become the 28th country to confirm their presence in Belgrade. There is no news on the format for choosing their representative at the moment but by the end of November the Broadcaster will announce their selection rules and information.

or is it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was reading earlier on OIKOTIMES that the EBU have announced the rules for the 2008 song contest and state in their rules that there will be a maximum of 45 nationas competing in Belgrade. Is this telling us that in fact there are already 45 countries taking part and that the places have been filled and that is with 10 days to go before all broadcasters are supposed to confirm participation:- By my reckoning we already know for definate now about the following:- Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Albania, Bulgaria, Ireland, Turkey, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Belarus, Belgium, Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Azerbaijan and Moldova. Im sure we can safely say that the remaining nations from last year will be represented in Belgrade but what about the other 3 places???? Slovakia have made it known that they are interested....not suprisingly really since they wont want to be outdone b...

This year there will be a touch of Maltese spice on one of Iceland ’s semi-final songs for the Eurovision song contest! Gerard James Borg, topline lyric writer and concept designer, is involved in the “Manicure Project” as a concept designer together with Icelandic composer Hallgrimur Oskarsson. Borg/Oskarsson are collaborating on the song “I Wanna Manicure” that has been selected for the Icelandic Eurovision semi-finals. The song will be performed by the “Hara sisters” who have had a close miss to winning the Icelandic idol, placing 2 nd . Hallgrimur Oskarsson is the composer of the song “Open Your Heart” that represented Iceland in the 2003 Eurovision Song Contest in Latvia , and received an impressive 12 points from Malta that year. Gerard and Hallgrimur have worked together in the past on a number of projects for European artists. “I wanna Manicure” is the result of some creative and somewhat crazy ideas fused together by Borg/Oskarsson, and will be premiered on Ice...

D espite the annual rumour that Moldova wouldn't be participating, television company TRM have today confirmed that Moldova will be participating in Belgrade. With money an issue, I'm sure their success in Helsinki has helped secure their Eurovision place. How they will react if one of their songs doesn't reach the final, is anyone's guess. Not a country for plain songs, I'm sure they'll unearth another gem for 2008!

can Denmark get through to the final again? Hopefully after a very disappointing show in Helsinki with what was one of the best songs in the competition. 19th place in the Semi was very upsetting. Denmark still at the present time hold the record for the longest gaps between wins from 1963 until 2000 (37 years)well that will be until Austria or Spain win again seeing as it is now 41 years since Austria won and 38 years since Spain won. Denmark have been one of the countries that have spent years away from the Contest only to come back and do relatively well. In fact they never took part from 1967 until 1977. The late 80's seemed to be a good era for Danish songs with 5 top 10 finishes in a row followed by a 5th place in 1995 with Aud Wilken. Denmark have won the contest twice and both were family orientated duets. Dansevise in 1963 was sing by husband and wife (Grethe and Jorgen Ingmann)whilst the spectacular win in 2000 was sung by The Olsen Brothers and followed by the bigg...

Well in my opinion it is. I watched it when I got home from work last night as is the norm for me on a Saturday if I happen to be working because of course I want to see whether the Icelandic heats are getting better or worse!!! Ihave to say in my opinion which I might add is not a professional opinion by any stretch of the imagination yesterdays heat was by far and away the best yet. The song which has been sent to the National Final in Iceland is probably the catchiest yet and I believe stands the best chance at the moment compared to the others................mind you with do have The Hara Sisters to see yet and their song...... Could the Icelandic Heats be turning into compulsive watching amongst fans!!!!????? we shall have to see.