Thörnholm/Clauss/Attlerud compete in Norway’s Melodi Grand Prix 2016
MAKEDA performing STAND UP
The well-known Swedish composers Thomas Thörnholm, Michael Clauss and Danne Attlerud will compete in Norway’s Melodi Grand Prix on February 27th with the entry STAND UP, performed by MAKEDA, known from The Voice and Körslaget in Norway. The composers say:-” Makeda truly is the absolutely right person and voice for Stand Up! We know that NRK looked quite some time to find the best performer for the song and they really made it! We are extremely happy!” The recording of the lead song really went smoothly in Boomfactory Studio in Irsta, Västerås, Sweden, with backing vocals by Makeda and Kenya, Makeda’s backingvocals partner from numbers of recordings and live performances in Norway,
Stand Up is a modern pop song with roots in the history of soul, which Makeda, Thomas, Michael och Danne really hope will appeal to the Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix audience.
This is the 5th time the Swedish composers compete in Melodi Grand Prix, where the top score, so far, was reached 2004 when KNUT ANDERS SÖRUM won Melodi Grand Prix with the song HIGH composed by Thomas Thörnholm, Lasse Andersson and Danne Attlerud.
The BBC has announced that they will be holding a National Final on the 26th February 2016. Eurovision: You Decide, will be the first National Final show that the BBC have had in 6 years. The show will be hosted by television personality Mel Giedroyc, who Eurovision fans will remember as one of the British commentators from last year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna.
Eurovision: You Decide will feature 6 contestants vying to represent the UK at Eurovision. These 6 acts were chosen through 3 different methods. Firstly, the OGAE UK fan club shortlisted entries submitted from the public to the BBC. Secondly, the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA) ran a song-writing competition amongst its members. Finally former MD of record company RCA and founder of Innocent Records, Hugh Goldsmith acted as Music Consultant to the BBC overseeing communication with established record labels, publishers, managers, writers and producers encouraging high-level music industry involvement.
Eurovision: You Decide will be broadcast live on Friday the 26th February on BBC Four. Good luck UK!
Een, the Belgium broadcaster just completed their show Eurosong 2016, searching for the next Belgium entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. The show consisted of 5 acts vying for their chance to represent Belgium with the act being chosen by a mixture of tele voting and an international jury. The results of their Super Final declared Laura Tesoro the winner with her song What’s the Pressure.
Stay tuned for more news regarding the Belgian entry in due course, including a video of her song. Good Luck Laura.
The second show of the Lithuanian national selection has taken place. Eight more acts competed and three were eliminated. The eight acts and songs were –
Jurgis BrūzgaHold On
Ugnė SmileYou Don’t Know
LawreignaFalling
Ištvanas Kvikas & ElladaPlease Don‘t Cry
CatrinahBe Free
Eglė JakštytėLeisk dar būti
Valdas LackoStay Tonight
Rūta ŠčiogolevaitėUnited
The three acts to be eliminated by a national and international jury were –
I wanted to share with you a happy and very catchy song by Dea & Bora Neli. They are two charming girls from Albania. The song is called Gezuar Gezuar (Cheers, Cheers). The song has a peaceful and happy message at the start of the new year.
Gezuar Gezuar is a very catchy song and I am sure many fans of Eurovision and Junior Eurovision will like it. I am sure we will see more of Dea & Bora in the future. The video is produced by SWART.
Katherine & Litesound will participate in the 2016 O Melodie Pentru Europa (Moldovan Eurovision national selection) with the song Imagine. A special unisex perfume/cologne has been released. It is called UFO – Imagine by the Zapashny brothers, who are a top international circus act. Katherine & Litesound are the faces of the perfume. It has already made the Guiness Book of World Records. The record was made during a circus show in Minsk, Belarus. Edgard and Askold Zapashny presented the biggest perfume bottle in the world. Participants of the group Litesound were part of this record.
Litesound recorded the official soundtrack to the circus show and Katherine took part in the Benefit International project with the brothers Zapashny. UFO – Imagine is made by a Belarussian perfume maker.
So, Katherine & Litesound will not just look good on stage in Moldova but they will smell good too!! If any fans are interested in owning the unique UFO – Imagine perfume/cologne please contact Litesound’s manager, Victoria, at her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/victoria.urbanovich
Passed {copyright: @teampassed/offical video Driftin’}
Passed are the four piece group from Hungary consisting of Dorottya Nizalowski, Fanni Nizalowski, Levente Szabó and Áron Farkas. They participated in the 2015 A Dal Eurovision selection with the sensational Mesmerize.
Passed are back again for the 2016 A Dal. They have also released the official video for their song Driftin’. Videography is by Róbert Szín and video editing by dkart | dkartpictures@gmail.com.
Here the band speak to esccovers.com –
Hello Passed. Congratulations on making to the 2016 A Dal competition. Could you tell us something about your song Driftin’?
Fanni Nizalowski:Driftin’ is kind of an ambivalent song for us. It has a joyful, upbeat tune and sad, even desperate lyrics. It was written in three days, and we finished it just hours before the A Dal deadline. We really enjoyed working on it, and it started a new phase in the band’s life, because we are really new, we started making music only a year ago and it’s the first song we could work on like a real band.
How did you all get together?
Levente Szabó:The girls are twins and I met them online. We instantly clicked and soon became really good friends, so it was obvious to make music together. Áron joined us after last year’s A Dal, when we were introduced by a fellow friend, Marge, who also participated in A Dal a few years ago. We liked how he played the bass and we got on well with each other, so it was only natural.
Mesmerize was a big success last year. What have the band been up to since the 2015 A Dal?
Dorottya Nizalowski: It was an amazing year for us! We got the chance to play before musicians like Bonobo, Matisyahu, Parov Stelar and many many great Hungarian acts. We toured all over Hungary and had a few concerts abroad, it was all fun! We released our first EP called ‘1919’. Really it was the best beginning we could imagine, we learned and worked a lot and that’s all we wanted in the first place.
Do you have plans for an album, and can you tell us when it will be released?
Áron Farkas:Yes! We are releasing our first album this month titled ‘Dead Generation’. We don’t know the exact date, but the album release show will be on 23 January.
What can we expect from the album? What style of music?
LSZ:I couldn’t put it in one category, the songs’ styles will vary between many genres including acoustic songs and heavy hardstyle beats. We just wanted to try ourselves in everything we liked, and give space to all members to do whatever they desired.
Have Passed been touring and do you have more plans to tour soon?
FN:As Dorottya mentioned we toured all year, and we plan to have even more concerts in 2016.
What would it mean to you all if you won A Dal and represented Hungary at the Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden?
DN:Wow, representing our country would be a dream came true! That’s our main goal: to increase the good reputation of Hungary. We truly believe that this is a wonderful place and nowadays magic happens here. Let’s think about all the young, world-famous Hungarian inventors, sportsmen and artists!
Thank you Dorottya, Fanni, Levente and Áron. Good luck with Driftin’
Thank you
You can see the official video for Driftin’ below.
Katherine & Litesound will soon participate in the 2016 O Melodie Pentru Europa (Moldovan national selection) with their song Imagine. Katherine speaks here to esccovers.com.
1. Hello Katherine. Congratulations on making it to the O Melodie Pentru Europa 2016 semi finals with Litesound. How did it feel when you heard you had made it to the semi-finals?
Hello! That was such an amazing experience! First of all I was really excited being on stage with Litesound. The guys have already been on the Eurovision stage (for Belarus in 2012 in Baku) and I think it was superfun singing together. Next step is the semi-finals in Moldova. Hoping to make it to the final!!
2. What was the audition process like?
I was so enspired that I barely remember anything! That was just awesome – we came up on stage then it was full of light in front of me. Then I felt nothing but the sound of this wonderful music…
3. How did you get together with Litesound from Belarus?
Our countries have good relationships, and our musical project – proved it. Right before the semi-finals we will tell to our fans about how we met with the guys from Litesound and what happened. Well, Litesound band is really popular in their country. They are so talented and I can feel this positive energy coming from them and charisma. We already recorded a few songs … and that was a secret until now).
4. What would it mean to you to represent Moldova at the Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden?
I think that Eurovision is an extremely unpredictable contest. But our song is emotional and it truly can make you feel like you live your life with this melody. I love it!
5. Can you tell us about your song Imagine and what it is about?
Litesound leaders Dmitry and Vladimir wrote this song for us and I’m sure this is an extremely right entry for Eurovision. I like it when the song could wake up the world. This one can do that!
6. Can you tell us about your background in music? Have you recorded any other songs?
I am a creative personality and the stage is my life. It’s the place where I can give my kindness to people. My happiness are children who taking part in my videos and photos. Also I help animals and I take part in a charity that is compassionate attitude to people who need support. Some people call me “Mother Teresa” and I was offered to be a Goodwill Ambassador in the future.
I work with a foreigner composer who wrote a song for the cinema movie “Hobbit” and there will be premiere in April of our new job together. That is gonna be really interesing for all fans.
7. Who are your musical influences?
I used to listen to all kinds of music. I admire Nicole Scherzinger , Anastasia, Caro Emerald, Cher and Whitney Houston vocals.
8. Have you participated in any music festivals either in Moldova or abroad? If so can you tell us something about them?
Most of the festivals that I have taken part in are international. I have a silver medal in Delphi Games in Russia, Grand Prix in Kazakstan, also I was honoured at music contests in Italy, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belarus, Ukraine and Romania.
9. Do you watch the Eurovision Song Contest on tv, and do you have any favourite songs from over the years?
Yeah, Eurovision 2012, Belarus – LITESOUND – „We Are The Heroes!!!
10. Have the Litesound guys told you about their experience at the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, and what it is like to be on the stage in front of millions of viewers?
They told me it’s scary.. exciting… Feels like at the top of Everest! Just imagine!
Anyway, thank you and good luck Katherine at O Melodie Pentru Europa.
Thank you everybody.
You can hear Imagine by Katherine & Litesound below.
Gunesh, from Belarus with an Azeri background, has released her new single entitled Heartbroken Woman. It is composed by Nicklas Säwström and Christian Löwenborg Wahlström and published by Sweden Songs.
Gunesh has had much success nationally and internationally in countries such as Ukraine, Bulgaria, Latvia and Turkey. She took the second prize at the 2013 Türkvizyon competition and has also participated in the Belarussian Eurovision national selection on several occasions.
You can hear Heartbroken Woman below and Gunesh will also perform the song at the Belarus 2016 Eurovision national final as a guest.
Ireland have selected former Westlife singer, Nicky Byrne, to represent them at the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm. The local broadcaster, RTÉ, decided to pick their act internally this year.
Nicky will sing Sunlight composed by Wayne Hector, Ronan Hardiman and Nicky himself. The song has an upbeat pop/rock feel. An official lyric video has been released to accompany the song.
Nicky was part of the hugely successful Westlife group that had 14 number one singles in the United Kingdom and sold around 50 million records worldwide. Ireland have gone big this year so let us see if this leads to success for them in Sweden.
You can see the official lyric video of Sunlight below.
