All posts by Ian Fowell

Emmelie de Forest releases Wildfire with Fahrenhaidt

Emmelie

The winner of the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest, Emmelie de Forest, has released a new song and video with the band Fahrenhaidt. The song is called Wildfire. Emmelie won the Eurovision in 2013 with Only Teardrops.

Fahrenheidt are one of the acts in the 2015 Germany selection Unser Für Österreich.

Wildfire is taken from the new album by Fahrenheidt The Book Of Nature. You can see the video for Wildfire below.

Source: www.esccovers.com

The Six Finalists in Austria

The host nation for the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest, Austria, kicked off their campaign last night with a special show to find six acts for the final. 16 acts competed with covers or their own original songs.

The six acts that will be in the Austrian national final chosen by an expert jury are –

  • Celina Ann
  • Dawa
  • Folkshilfe
  • Johann Sebastian Bass
  • The Makemakes
  • Zoe

There will be two more shows where the six acts will face different challenges before we see who is chosen for Austria in 2015.

Source: www.eurovision.tv

Flag of Austria
Flag of Austria

New single and video for Ira Losco

Ira Losco {copyright: Videoink}
Ira Losco {copyright: Videoink}

Ira Losco represented Malta at the 2002 Eurovision Song Contest in Tallinn with her song 7th Wonder and she finished in second position that year.

Now Ira is back with her new single from her The Fire album. It is called Dead Or Alive. The promotional video was recorded in Manchester and Morecambe in England. The video is by Videoink and the music is produced by Howard Keith at Jagged House Studios.

There was much speculation in 2014 that Ira Losco would be back in the Malta Eurosong. That did not happen this time but Ira has not ruled out trying again for Eurovision in the future.

You can see the video for Dead Or Alive below.

Source: Times of Malta; www.esccovers.com

Litesound & Brothers Zapashny unique Russian Circus Show

Litesound - UFO
Litesound – UFO

Litesound rocked the Eurovision stage for Belarus in 2012 with We Are The Heroes. Their lively stage show and impressive sound was liked by many fans around Europe and the world.

Now Litesound have joined with Brothers Zapashny for a new project. It is for the unique Russian Circus run by Edgard and Askold Zapashny who have a rich history with the circus dynasty lasting over 100 years. Litesound have made a brand new video clip for their new song UFO. It will be used with the circus project. It features a spectacular story with a flight of the UFO and meeting amazing creatures with performances by the best acts from the Big Russian Moscow Circus. The acts include the Titchenkovy Sisters who play alien girls over 2 metres high.

UFO is composed by the brothers, Dimitry and Vladimir Karakiny, and they also wrote the video. The song is set to be a big hit in Russia and Belarus and other territories.

The circus show has already played to 10,000 people at Minsk Arena in Belarus to rave reviews.

Source: www.esccovers.com

Nikki Kavanagh hopes to have good Memories for Ireland

Nikki Kavanagh {copyright vebidoo.com}
Nikki Kavanagh {copyright vebidoo.com}

Nikki Kavanagh is one of the five participants in the 2015 Ireland Eurosong. She is hoping a contemporary and anthemic song, Memories, will get the votes to take her to Vienna. She will face stiff competition of course. So, we will see.

Memories was composed by Lee Anna James, Elena Morosanu, Simon Gribbe, Johnny Sanchez and Dimitri Stassos. Nikki was part of the Irish Eurovision team in 2010 when Niamh Kavanagh sang It’s For You. She also narrowly missed out when Jedward won the Irish selection in 2011.

You can hear Memories below.

Source: rte.ie; www.esccovers.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ies9w16h7Vo

Cheryl, Mike & Jay formerly of Bucks Fizz with Bobby McVey

Cheryl, Jay, Mike formerly Bucks Fizz with Bobby McVey {copyright: embassytheatre.co.uk}
Cheryl, Jay, Mike formerly Bucks Fizz with Bobby McVey {copyright: embassytheatre.co.uk}

1981 was the year Bucks Fizz won the Eurovision Song Contest with Making Your Mind Up for the United Kingdom. They went on to have two further number one hits in the UK – Land Of Make Believe and My Camera Never Lies as well as many more hits locally and internationally.

Three of the orginal members Cheryl Baker, Jay Aston and Mike Nolan are together now and touring with Bobby McVey (former member of Sweet Dreams ESC UK 1983 – I’m Never Giving Up). However, they cannot use the name ‘Bucks Fizz’. That is now owned by former member Bobby G‘s wife Heidi Manton. There has a been a continuous legal battle over the name for many years. Bobby G and Heidi tour as their own Bucks Fizz band.

It is probably due to the legal problems that the either of the bands have not been invited to the Eurovision Song Contest 60th birthday celebrations.

Cheryl, Jay, Mike and Bobby McVey now tour as Cheryl, Mike & Jay formerly of Bucks Fizz with Bobby McVey. The band are working on a single for summer release.

Source: mirror.co.uk

Three more acts make it to the final in Finland

Opera Skaala {copyright: YLE}
Opera Skaala {copyright: YLE}

The second semi-final of the Finnish Eurovision selection, UMK, took place yesterday. Six acts competed and three made it to final.

The six acts and songs were –

  1. SiruMustelmat
  2. Shava – Ostarilla
  3. Otto IvarTruth or Dare
  4. EeverestLove It All Away
  5. Opera Skaala – Heart of Light
  6. Jouni Aslak – Lions and Lambs

Televoting decided what three acts would make it to the final. They were Shava, Opera Skaala and Jouni Aslak.

The third and last semi-final will take place on 21 February with the final one week later on 28 February.

Source: www.eurovision.tv

Five more acts make it to the final in Estonia

The second semi-final of the 2015 Eesti Laul took place in Tallinn last night. 10 acts competed and five progressed to the grand final.

The five acts to make it to the final are –

  • Elina Born & Stig RästaGoodbye to Yesterday
  • Daniel LeviBurning Lights
  • Triin Niitoja & John4This Is Our Choice
  • Kali Briis BandIdiot
  • Luisa VärkMinu päike

The voting was a combination of jury and televoting.

Source: www.eurovision.tv

Elina Born & Stig Rästa {copyright: ERR}
Elina Born & Stig Rästa {copyright: ERR}

Two more acts qualify in Sweden

The second semi-final of the 2015 Melodifestivalen took place in Malmö last night. Two more acts qualified for the final and two acts have a second hope through the Andra Chansen show.

Sanna Nielsen, who represented Sweden at the Eurovision in Copenhagen in 2014 with Undo, and Robin Paulsson, a comedian, were the presenters.

The seven acts and songs were –

  1. Linus SvenningForever Starts Today
  2. Emelie IrewaldDär och då med dig
  3. Samir & ViktorGroupie
  4. NeverstoreIf I Was God For One Day
  5. Marie Bergman & Sanne SalomonsenNonetheless
  6. Magnus CarlssonMöt mig i Gamla stan
  7. MarietteDon’t Stop Believing

The two acts to qualify directly to final via televoting were Mariette and Magnus Carlsson. Also, Linus Svenning and Samir & Viktor go to the Andra Chansen phase.

Source: www.eurovision.tv

Magnus Carlsson {copyright: SVT}
Magnus Carlsson {copyright: SVT}