She Strips to Conquer?

The German tablod newspaper Bild is reporting today that an American erotic dancer Dita von Teese will be on stage during swing number Miss Kiss Kiss Bang by German group Alex Swings Oscar Sings.

Bild is known for its colourful style of reporting, and goes on to speculate how it would affect the votes for Germany if Ms von Teese performed her famous strip tease to the German song, however the style of dancing has not yet been confirmed by the band. There is no word from the organizers of the song contest, the European Broadcasting Union, as to whether a strip tease would fit in with their concept of family entertainment.

The original Bild story including 34 pictures guessing how the German performance might look are available here. An unofficial translation of the text is here.

SBS Names Australian Commentary Team for Eurovision

SBS Television has announced it will be producing its own commentary for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009.

The team will consist of Julia Zemiro, co-presenter of SBS TV's Rockkwiz, and veteran broadcaster Sam Peng. They will be providing the commentary from Moscow during the two Semi-Finals and Grand-Final which, like last year, are to be broadcast in Australia on three consecutive Evenings from Friday 15th through to Sunday 17th May.

More information on the SBS Television Eurovision webpage.

Class Act from France

France has always sent the cream of their musical talent to the Eurovision and this year they do not disappoint. Patricia Kaas's rendering of her song Et S'il Fallait Le Faire (And If It Had To Be Done) starts slowly, but gets up to speed quickly and the melody of the piano accompaniment will haunt for for the rest of the week.

Like a modern Edith Piaf, her song lists the things she would be prepared to do to keep her love. A simple premise for a touching song with understated Stage Show, and likely to become an instant Eurovision Classic - and our tip for a top ten surprise in the final.

And If It Had To Be Done

Music: Fred Blondin
Lyrics: Anse Lazio

If it had to be done, I would stop the earth
I would turn off the light so that you stay asleep
If it had to be done to please you, raising opposite winds
In a desert without life, I would find the sea

And if it had to be done, I would stop the rain
It will turn around the rest of our lives
If it had to be done to please you, listening to you every night
When you speak of love, I would speak of it too

So you still look into the depth of my eyes
So you still see in there the biggest of the big fires
And so your hand clings to my skin where it wants to
If you fly away one day, I would follow if I could

And if it had to be done, I would repel the winter
With hard blows of springtime and long clear mornings
If it had to be done to please you, I would stop the time
So all your words of yesterday stay with me now

So I still look into the blue of your eyes
So your two hands still get lost in my hair
I will make everything bigger and if it’s too much or too little
I would be wrong all the time, if that’s what you want

I do want to give everything, if only you believe in it
My heart does want to bleed, if only you see it
Until being nothing more but the shadow of your nights
Until being nothing more but a shadow that follows you

And if it had to be done

Waldo's People Very Much in Control

Finnish group Waldo's People will bring an overdue breath of fresh Nordic air to the Eurovision with this high-octane rock number. With not two but four lead singers, the stage gets a little crowded at times, leaving little space for the fire artists whose pyrotechnic antics add a certain danger to their Stage Show.

Waldo is already an accomplished artist in Scandinavia with over ten year's of nightclub hits, the group seems to be a certainty to qualify for the final but it remains to be seen how many of their potential voters will be away at the nightclub during the crucual live Saturday Night broadcast of the final in Europe.


Music: A. Lehtonen, Karima
Lyrics: Waldo, A. Lehtonen, Karima, A. Kratz Gutå

I don't wanna lose control, but I'm falling
Falling down...

I got this panic emotion that I cannot describe to you
My world is tumbelling down what am I, what am I gonna do
Ca-can't deny it, deny it, what am I going through
Ca-can not fight it, can fight it, now I'm looking for the truth

Chorus1:
I don't wanna live a lie – Checking on my sanity
'Cause maybe baby I can do without – Is it all a fantasy
I don't wanna live a lie – Is this my reality
It's spinning round 'n' round day and night

Chorus2:
I don't wanna lose control, but I'm falling
I just can't believe it
Never thought that I would be the one
Falling down
(2x)

I'm on a critical mission, got my destiny in my hands
Like Peter Piper I take control put a spell on the mass
I cause hysteria, worry yourself, that's how I roll
It's not a drill, I'm for real, I'm a man who's out of control

Chorus1

Chorus2 (twice)

I'm falling, I'm falling
I just can't believe it
I'm falling, I'm falling down

Chorus2 (twice)

Estonian Clan(-nad)

Estonian group Urban Symphony entertain midly with their song Rändajad (The Nomads) but it has all been done before.

The song sounds like a faster version of Clannad's Harry's Game, and the seated blond female violinists are just so 2008 it's not true.

Estonian TV jazz up the performance by a very sympathetic filiming, but in the end no amount of strange camera angles and other visual tricks can hide what is essentially a boring show performed without passion by six otherwise talented musicians who can do better.

The Nomads

In the desert heat the sand
Blows like ice-cold snow
Night soon unfurls her wings
Nothing but the wind to escort the nomads

It is the way they wander from one day to the next
It is the way they wander from one life to the next
It is the way it weaves an invisible path
Before them it waits until you are ready to take the risk

It conveys only frozen souls
The moonlight makes shadows of them
Warmth in a ray of sunlight
Is what the morning brings once again

It is the way they wander from one day to the next
It is the way they wander from one life to the next
It is the way it weaves an invisible path
Before them it waits until you are ready to take the risk

They wander from one day to the next
They wander from one life to the next
It weaves an invisible path
It waits until you are ready to take the risk

A voice echoes over the mountains up to the heavens

It is the way they wander from one day to the next
It is the way they wander from one life to the next
It is the way it weaves an invisible path
Before them it waits until you are ready to take the risk
It is the way

Denmark Wants to Believe

Once again Denmark raises the bar at the Eurovision with an accomplished performance by Niels Brinck and his song Believe Again, co-written by former Boyzone member Ronan Keating. Unfortunately it has next to no chance at the Eurovision.

The Song Contest has long ago ceased to be purely about the quality of the song and its lyrics - being a Television show, the performance is just as important, if not more so. And this is where Niels' group falls down. His Stage Show dispenses with all visual embellishments - no dancers, few background graphics, in fact few visual stimuli at all which leads to boring television. Despite the good song, they will be lucky to progress past the Semi Final.

Music/Lyrics: Lars Halvor Jensen, Martin Michael Larsson, Ronan Keating

You made it so easy to fall
I could not stand at all
I saw you beside me
You never saw me there at all

I promised you all this
I made plans thinking this was it
I never imagined I’d find you
Lose myself instead

I never had a picture of an end

And I… I wanna believe in love
I wanna believe in something bigger
Than the two of us, yeah…
I… I wanna breathe again
I wanna go back to the days
The days I had my innocence
I wanna believe again

I picked up the pieces
And put them back where they belong
But something is missing
Though I look the same, I’m not as strong
But I’m gonna learn to trust again

And I… I wanna believe in love
I wanna believe in something bigger
Than the two of us (The two of us)
And I… I wanna breathe again
I wanna go back to the days
The days I had my innocence
I wanna believe again

For without love, what do we become?
I never had a picture of an end

And I… I wanna believe in love
I wanna believe in something bigger
Than the two of us (The two of us)
I… I wanna breathe again
I wanna believe
I wanna believe
I wanna believe again

Is It A Bird, Is It A Plane? No It's The Czech Republic

In a year sadly short of joke entries, the Czech group Gipsy.cz comest closest to spoofing the Eurovision - except that they appear to be deadly earnest. Lead singer Radoslav „Gipsy“ Banga is dressed in a day-glow orange comic book hero outfit including bright orange cape and of course gold-trimmed trousers. The version of the song on the official video of the Stage Show borrows heavily from the Roma tradition of lively folk music, and the super hero theme is elaborated in a low-budget Music Video filmed around Prague which puts some of the more well-funded competition to shame.

The selection of this group to represent the Czech Republic without a public National Selection process has been controversial. Gyspies, or Roma as they are more usually called, are an ethnic minority present in countries across Europe from England to Russia. As a group they suffered repression from Nazi and Communist Governments alike. The selection of Gypsy.cz led to a small street protest in Prague by members of the Czech National Party.

Music/Lyrics: Radoslav „Gipsy“ Banga

They use to call me Gipsy, hello there.
It means no problem to me, I don´t care.
Till I´ve got microphone making you act
I love to be that gipsy rat.

Rap 1:

Word ain´t key to me.
I can´t think that eazly.
If you keep that energy
Gipsy sounds like symphony.
Hate me or love me Baby.
Speed up from null to eighty.
In next three seconds music turns you to slave it.

Chorus:

Aven Romale!
If you really wanna understand, just sing it with me, dadada.
Aven Romale
I can make you really feel like Gipsy.
A da da da

Aven Romale!
If you really wanna understand, just sing it with me, dadada.
Aven Romale
I can make you really feel like Gipsy.
Music is that miracle
Rhytm is the mirror.
That´s right. ( Česko in da house!)

It´s truth that Gipsies are just everywhere.
I means no problem to me, I don´t care.
Listen the song and free your frozen mind.
And let the colours all behind.

I ( can make feel like)
Gipsy ( let color behind ).
Free ( your Gipsy inside of your music soul to be like )
Oh! ( and what the wonder )
Truth ( you got it inside )
Aven Čech, Jágr, Pivo, come together once more

Rap 2:
Aven Romale!
Ma ker the šun man more!
Listen and don´t matter where you from
I´ll make you jump, say it:
Aven Romale!
Praha Brno Normale.
Češí ví – my name is Gee, so everybody rock with me, please:

Chorus

I feel something wrong made us separate the world on pieces,
we got eyes and we still stay all so blind.

Chorus

Cyprus Is Back

Cyprus is not know for innovation at the Eurovision - in recent years the Cypriots have been content to send a traditional number to the Eurovision and collect their mandatory douze Points from Greece for passing go - but this year their entry is quite different, very contemporary, and beautifully performed by 17 year-old Christina Metaxa.

The song was written by her brother Nikolas, who was inspired by Christina herself thus: "Christina is shy and sensitive and she often needs an extra push to take risks in her life and pursue her dreams, as all teenagers do. Firefly tries to tackle the insecurities and doubts that people often have and give them a motive to take a ‘leap of faith’"

There are few signs of these insecurities in her performance, and if she pulls her stage show together we might have a surprise final qualifier here.

Firefly

Music/Lyrics: Nikolas Metaxas

It’s a question that drives us
to where we must go
It’s the unknown that drives from us
what we want most
But the firefly sits in the corner in rest

And he won’t care of you stare
but believe me, it’s best to let go
Don’t just go with the flow

And the firefly comes to you
sits on your finger
It shatters and shakes
but she wants you to go with her now
Follow her, out there, hm…

The firefly is spreading her wings open wide
thinks the sky will come crashing down, fall to her side
She’s afraid, but her fear’s only fair

So fly with the firefly
Fly side by side
Escaping the chains that held you from life
Don’t look down
You’re over the edge

Jump, take a leap of faith
Jump, take a leap of faith

It’s a question that drives us
to where we must go
It’s the unknown that drives from us
what we want most
but the firefly sits in the corner in rest

It’s a question that drives us
to where we must go
It’s the unknown that drives from us
what we want most

Don’t just go with the flow
But the firefly sits in the corner in rest

It’s a question that drives us
to where we must go
It’s the unknown that drives from us
what we want most
but the firefly sits in the corner in rest

It’s a question that drives us
to where we must go
It’s the unknown that drives from us
what we want most

Don’t just go with the flow
But the firefly sits in the corner in rest

Jump

Croatians SIng Two Songs

I am always supicious when I see a song billed with two lead singers - and Igor Cukrov featuring Andrea rings this particular alarm bell. It is almost as if the two artists are performing different songs, so uncoordinated are their presentations of this otherwise beautiful melody which could grace any Croatian restaurant between Perth and Moscow.

However in something only apparent when watching the stage show, Igor soon drifts wildly out of tune and spends the rest of the song having his key corrected by Andrea before launching into his grand solo when the song falls apart altogether. They must try practice some more before Moscow if it is to be alright on the night.

Lijepa Tena (Beautiful Tena)

Music: Tonci Huljic
Lyrics: Vjekoslava Huljic

Like a cloud floating high above
Without a single ray of sun
Waiting...
Lord Himself has ripped you from His heart
Sent you to me
He gives a breath of life
Making possible
Your miracle of love

Darling... Darling...
Tears... Like soft petals...
My eyes come to rest
You put a spell on them

Beautiful and saint
You turn water into wine
And pray for all of mine
Tena, Tena
Tena, Tena.
Like a cloud floating high above
Without a single ray of sun

Darling... Darling...
Tears... Like soft petals...
My eyes come to rest
You put a spell on them

Beautiful and saint
You turn water into wine
And pray for all of mine, all of mine
Tena, Tena
Tena, Tena.

It took a white, but he got there

Bulgarian singer Krassimir Avramov's trademark high tenor-altino voice almost deserted him at the start of his song in the Bulgarian national finals, however he quickly got back into his rhythm, his high notes adding an etherial medieval sound to a stage act which included spinning stilt walkers and medieval suits of armour.

His music video is visually stunning, telling an epic story of love and battle, however the story does not translate well to the limitations of the live Eurovision stage, and he will have to do some simplify it some more if he is to be successful in telling his song's story to the TV audience.

Music/Lyrics: TBA

Give me, give me your time
Show me, show me you’re mine
Give me, give me your time
Show me, show me you’re mine
So I want your touch
All I want is your touch
I need you much
Baby, I need you so much

Show me all I’ve never seen
Wrong, it feels so wrong
To be a part from afar

Your lips can solve it for me
You don’t know how
You don’t know where to go, to go

Give me, give me your time
Show me, show me you’re mine
So I want your touch
‘Cause I want your touch
I need you much
Baby, I need you so much

Give me, give me your time
Show me, show me you’re mine
So I want your touch
All I want is your touch
I need you much
Baby, I need you so much, so much

Aha… aha… aha…

(Give me, give me your time)
Show me, show me you’re mine
So I want your touch
‘Cause I want your touch
I need you much
I need you so much

Give me, give me your time
Show me, show me you’re mine
So I want your touch
All I want is your touch
I need you much
I need you so much

Give me, give me your time
Show me, show me you’re mine
So I want your touch
I need you much

Regina Europa?

Bosnia Herzegovina has a repuation for submitting thoughtful and melodic songs to the Eurovision, even winning the Australian Radio Listeners' Choice award in 2008. This year sees another strong entry from long-established Bosnian group Regina who have previously appeared on stage with the Rolling Stones.

It's unclear at first whether the song is a love song or a political anthem, as the music veers unexpectedly between both styles, and the red-flag waving dancers on stage do not add clarity. However the translated lyrics do reveal it is a love song, although it is unclear whether the singer is pining for a girl or the certainties of the vanished communist Yugoslavia and its May parades.

Unofficial English Translation

Clear Water

I’ve asked some people in my neighborhood
where does my soul live
Because a secret for me
they say you’re keeping, my dear
I’ve asked them to give me back
the time, days, hours,
There’s love scent
in the Spring
they say

Give me birth
at a May dawn
Bathe me
in clear water
I’m keeping a flower
when everybody else leaves
I’m keeping you
for as long as I live

Steal a bit of sun for us
there’s no tomorrow, no today
It’s easy
when a song finds your heart

Give me birth
at a May dawn
Bathe me
in clear water
I’m keeping a flower
when everybody else leaves
I’m keeping you
for as long as I live

Give me birth
at a May dawn
Bathe me
in clear water
I’m keeping a flower
when everybody else leaves
I’m keeping you
for as long as I live

Petr who?

Petr Elfimov knows he is supposed to be a star in Minsk. The standing ovation he acknowledges receiving from the adoring crowd at the start of his stage show at the Belarus national finals is obvious testament to his local popularity and something he clearly seems to relish, but if you look closely no one in the audience actually appears to be clapping, apart from one fan holding up a twisted poster.

The song itself is stranger still, a fast rock number of the style which went out of fashion at the Eurovision soon after Lordi won three years ago. Except Mr Lordi could sing, whereas Petr feels he only needs speak the words of the first verse, singing only from the first chorus onwards. And so the song lurches towards its inevitable microphone in the air climax, the audience continues to vote its support through silence, and the camera cuts quickly away.

If ever the organizers needed justification for the extra expense of running the Semi-Finals to eliminate the weaker songs, this is it.

Music Petr Elfimov
Lyrics Valery Prokhozhy

Eyes that never lie
I was wandering alone
I was turning to stone
I was going insane
When you came into my life

You chased sorrow away
You changed night into day
You cured all of my pain
With your eyes that never lie

All my life I waited
Thinking I would never fly
Then you looked and saw my wings
With your eyes that never lie

You are my desert and well
You are my heaven and hell
You are my reason to be
My love song, my battle cry

I know I will be whole
While I keep in my soul
The light shining on me
From your eyes that never lie

All my life I waited
Thinking I would never fly
Then you looked and saw my wings
With your eyes that never lie

Oh, my darling angel
Guide me through despair in the sky
If I’m lost I’ll see the way
In your eyes that never lie

Azerbaijan Out Of Tune

Azerbaijan is due for a top-five position in this year's Eurovision if the bookies are to believed, however their stage show fails to impress.

Pop duo AySel & Arash sing a fairly conventional Eurovision song with lacklustre dance number. The chorus switches between the two singers with such frequency that even the camera operator seems to get confused. Arash struggles to stay in tune, clearly outclassed by his singing partner AySel. And just as the song is getting tiresome, instead of pulling a chorus change or costume malfunction to freshen up the act, AySel & Arash launch into yet another identical repeat of the same tedious chorus.

Our predicition is that Aysel and Arash will follow DJ Bobo, another highly backed song two years ago which failed to make it past the semi-final.

Music/Lyrics: Arash Labaf, Robert Uhlmann, et al

Always on my mind
Always in my heart

I've been waiting for you night after night
Like a shadow staying close to the light
Suddenly you stand beside me
And I see a million burning stars

You are always on my mind
Always in my heart
And I can hear you call my name on a mountain high
Always on my mind
Always in my dreams
I wanna hold you close with me
Always all the time

I believe Im addicted to you
In your eyes I see dreams coming true
Finally I have found you
And now I will never let you go no

You are always on my mind
Always in my heart
And I can hear you call my name on a mountain high
Always on my mind
Always in my dreams
I wanna hold you close with me
Always all the time

Always on my mind
Always in my heart
And I can hear you call my name on a mountain high
Always on my mind always in my dreams
I wanna hold you close with me
Always all the time

Always on my mind
Always in my heart
Always on my mind
Always in my dreams
Always all the time

Armenia to wake up Granny

If Granny dozes off during the Eurovision, this is the song to wake her back up. It starts loud with a roar from the two Armenian cuties Inga and Anush, and then gets louder, developing into a strongly rhymatic mix of Eastern mystic and European pop, building to the final clash of cymbals an exhausting three Minutes later.

Their stage show at the Amenian national final was already very sophisticated; we can only look forward to what it will be like in Moscow with all that time to improve plus what will hopefully be more sympathetic lighting and camera work.

Music: Mane Hakobyan
Lyrics: Vardan Zadoyan & Avet Barseghyan

How can I stay?
When you are away
What can I say?
If ya gonna tell me nothing

How can I smile?
When you are alone
How can I be without me?

Without me you cannot be
Can’t you see?
We aren’t free
Fixed like a tree
To the holy ground
With my sound
I’ll be always around
I wanna dance don’t you stand
Sister, give me hand.

Everybody move your body
We are dancing NOR PAR /JAN JAN/
Everybody must be ready
Jumpin up with NOR PAR /JAN JAN/

Պար գարունքի, պար ծաղկունքի,
Մեծ հույսերի,
Նոր կյանքի, Նոր պարը փառքի,
Թող հոգին գովերգի
Մեր լեռների, ձորերի պարը չի մարի:
Հեյ, արի պարը պարենք
Արի, արի ջան ջան
Հայ պարերին ջան ասենք (2 times)
Արի յար,
Արի ջան ջան

NOR PAR /JAN JAN/
NOR PAR /JAN JAN/
Let the music make you raise your hand
Sister here we go and

Everybody move your body
We are dancing NOR PAR “JAN JAN”
Everybody must be ready
Jumpin up with NOR PAR “JAN JAN”

Andorran homage to ABBA

If ABBA were still around they would be singing La Teva Decisió (Get a life), but they are not so it is up to Susanne Georgi, the Danish-born singer for Andorra, to bring life to the song - and the result is magical. With a mix of Catalan rhythms, ABBAesque pop chorus and restrained chord changes, the contest's most unlikely red-head has a surefire hit this Summer in the holiday nightclubs of the Mediterranean.

Whether this will translate into success at the Eurovision remains to be seen - Susanne's song boasts a sophisticated
music video but her performance in clip we have of her stage show is marred by a clumsy "Muriel's Wedding"-style backing dancers who seem to be trying to steal the stage from her. We'll know if this has been fixed when rehearsals start in Moscow.

Music/Lyrics: Rune Braager, Lene Dissing, Marcus Winther-John, Pernille Georgi (Susanne's sister), Susanne Georgi

Sé que m’estimes, malgrat tot
Que desconfies de la sort
Però no pots negar, és un error
Deixar-ho tot serà la fí del nostre amor

La teva decisió m’allunya del present
La història entre tu i jo són fulles que s’endú el vent
Silencis compartits, somnis per recordar
Paraules que ens hem dit, mentides que són veritat

Ah ah ah…
Ah ah ah I, I know that I’m right
Ah ah ah I, I’m getting a life

És el moment de corregir
L’adéu serà com un suspir
Confio a que l’endemà
L’amor tornarà a mi i

La teva decisió m’allunya del present
La història entre tu i jo són fulles que s’endú el vent
Silencis compartits, somnis per recordar
Paraules que ens hem dit, mentides que són veritat

Ah ah ah…
Ah ah ah I, I know that I’m right
Ah ah ah I, I’m getting a life

Sabrem lluitar, sabrem seguir
Mirar al futur, trobar-te i ser feliç

La teva decisió m’allunya del present
La història entre tu i jo són fulles que s’endú el vent
Silencis compartits, somnis per recordar
Paraules que ens hem dit, mentides que són veritat

Ah ah ah…
Ah ah ah I, I know that I’m right
Ah ah ah I, I’m getting a life
Gonna get you to my life

Ah ah ah…
Ah ah ah I, I know that I’m right
Ah ah ah I, I’m getting a life
Amor meu, no ho oblidis mai

Australia now eligible for the Asia-Pacific Eurovision

The coverage area of the planned Asian version of the Eurovision Song Contest has been extended to include Australia and the entire Asia-Pacific region. The event has also been renamed from "AsiaVision" to "Our Sound, The Asia-Pacific Song Contest 2009".

This means we could see Australian participation in the first contest due in November 2009 - provided one of the Australian networks agrees to take part.

More on this breaking story as it develops. Visit the organizers' website.

Albanian Stage Show Needs Improvement

At just 16 years old, Kejsi Tola singing for Albania is the of the youngest entrant to the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest. She is singing a love song about the longing between two people who are in love but can't be close to each other, so they meet in their dreams.

Kejsi is no stranger to song contests, having won the “Young Voices of Albanian Festival” song contest when only 11 before going on to win the “Young Voices of the Shkodra Festival” contest not once but twice. She is studying to be an opera singer, but is also very familiar to Albanian TV audiences having won the Best New Artist prize in the last year’s “Friday Fever Song Contest” contest before going onto win the Albanian national final for the Eurovision Song Contest.

The Eurovision Song Contest has seen an enormous transformation over the last ten years with many countries entering more established artists, with a consequential increase of the quality of the music.

At the same time the “Idol”/”X-Factor” phenomenon has seen many countries opt to send new artists well known in their home country through TV reality shows. Unfortunately the so-called “Eurovision Idol Curse” has brought such artists little success - with their lack of experience combining with their internationally anonymity such artists have generally been outclassed by the more seasoned competitors from other countries and failed to qualify through the Semi-Finals.

Our Tip: despite a catchy pop song and great music video, Kejsi really needs to improve her stage show if she is to make to the Grand Final.

• Preview the Albanian Music Video and Stage Show
• Watch Albania, 16th song in the Second Semi-Final on SBS Australia
• Vote for Albania in the Australian Radio Televote.

"Carry Me In Your Dreams", sung by Kejsi Tola
Music by Edmond Zhulali; Lyrics by Agim Doçi

My love for you grows with each passing day
I’m by your side
When you’re away.
And when I miss you and long for your care
I close my eyes and you’re there.

All that I ask is one moment in time
No strings attached
No drawing lines
You feel my thoughts even when you’re not here.
I close my eyes
Close my eyes and I feel
You’re there.

[Chorus: 2x]
Take my love
Take my heart
Carry me with you in your dreams.
No no never let go
Wonder of love
Magical glow.

All that I ask is one moment in time
No strings attached
No drawing lines
You feel my thoughts even when you’re not here.
I close my eyes
Close my eyes and I feel
You’re there.

[Chorus:]
Take my love
Take my heart
Carry me with you in your dreams.
No no never let go
Wonder of love
Magical glow.

Search for me
In your dreams.
Search for me
It’s where I’ll be.

[Chorus: 2x]
Take my love
Take my heart
Carry me with you in your dreams.
No no never let go
Wonder of love
Magical glow

Iraq not in the Eurovision Song Contest after all

Congratulations to the many listeners who noticed our spoof story yesterday (April 1st) about Iraq taking part in the Eurovision.

The best spoofs are based in fact:

• Shada Hassoun is a popular singer from Iraq, however "yold" is not the name of her latest song but in fact the Yiddish word for sucker.
• Iraq is within the ITU European Broadcasting Area and therefore technically eligible to join the EBU and take part in the Eurovision, although they have done neither to date.

So if not Eurovision Baghdad 2010, then maybe 2011, stranger things have happened, as Lordi knows.

Iraq to replace Georgia at the Moscow Eurovision

In a surprise move sources at the EBU, organizers of the European Song Contest, have today revealed to us that Iraqiya the State Television Channel of Iraq has joined the EBU and will be taking up the slot left vacant by Georgia in the first Semi Final of Eurovision 2009. Iraqi singer Shada Hassoun, a former winner of the Arab Star Academy, will represent her country performing her latest song "yold" watch .

Iraq's eligibility to join the EBU and thus take part in the Eurovision Song Contest is defined by Article 3§3 of the EBU's Statutes, which in turn refer to the International Telecommunications Union's definition of the European Broadcasting Area.

Shada is an accomplished artist known across the Middle East. She won the Arab version of tv talent show Star Academy in 2007 and has gone on to have a series of songs inclluding "Rooh", "Asmallah Asmallah" and "Oushaq". She is known to have been cooperating with Iraqi poet Karim Al Iraqi and Lebanese composer Melhem Barakat, however it is not yet clear whether they were involved in her 2009 Eurovision entry.

She is multi-lingual and is known to have sung songs in English, French, Spanish, Italian and German as well as her native Arabic. Her offical website has yet to confirm in which language she will be singing in Moscow.

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