The Greek broadcaster, ERT, have confirmed that Demy will represent them at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev in May. There will be a choice of three songs to select by public voting only all involving the team of Dimitris Kontopoulos and Fokas Evangelinos. They have previously worked with Sergey Lazarev and Elena Paparizou amongst others.
You can see two videos of Demy. First is her version in Greek of the Poli Genova entry from Bulgaria at the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest, If Love Was A Crime, entitled Isovia Mazi and a song called I Alitheia Miazi Psema.
After a special online broadcast LeKlein was declared the winner of the public vote and therefore will take her place in the grand final of 2017 Objetivo Eurovisión with five other selected acts by TVE. The final will takes place in February to see who will eventually represent Spain at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest.
Dihaj will represent Azerbaijan at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev. She has just released her brand new single entitled Eşqini Aşagı Sal (Float down the love).
Dihaj is renowned for her experimental music and this is no exception. The lyrics are by Uran and the music by Dihaj herself. The mixing and mastering is by Igor LOOPer Garanin.
Montenegro have selected Slavko Kalezić to represent them at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev with a song called Space. It is composed by Momčila Zekovića.
Slavko first became known after participating in X Factor Adria in 2013 and was mentored by Željko Joksimović (2004, 2012 ESC Serbia).
Space will be revealed in the new year. You can see Slavko perform a song he released in 2014 entitled Krivac below.
Artsvik will represent Armenia at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest after winning the national selection tv series Depi Evratesil (To Eurovision). The tv show stretched over a number of weeks beginning in October and culminated with Artsvik’s victory.
The result was decided by a combination of televoting and expert jury. The jury members were all well known to Eurovision and had all represented Armenia previously Iveta Mukuchyan (2016), Essai Altounian – part of Genealogy (2015), Aram MP3 (2014), Inga & Anush (2009) and Hayko (2007).
You can see Artsvik perform A Million Voices (2015 ESC Russia – Polina Gagarina) on the Depi Evratesil show below.
So, we have the first song for the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest. Albania have selected Lindita to represent them in Kiev in May next year. Lindita won the Festivali i Këngës 55 in Tirana with her moody and dramatic ballad, Botë (World). The song will probably be given a drastic makeover for the Eurovision next year.
The voting was a combination of expert jury and for the first time this year public voting. Botë was composed by Gerald Xhari and Klodian Qafoku
Lindita (full name Lindita Halimi) was born in Kosovo and she won the popular Top Fest competition in Albania in 2009. She as also participated in the last season of American Idol in 2016 and also made the top 10 candidates in the Albanian Idol tv show, Ethet.
After two semi-finals 14 acts have been announced to participate in the grand final of the Festivali i Këngës 55 in Albania to be held on Friday 23 December. The winning act will represent Albania at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev.
The 14 song and acts are –
1. Dilan Reka – Mos harro
2. Edea Demaliaj – Besoj në ëndrra
3. Fabiola Agalliu & Agnesa Çavolli – Shkon e vjen
4. Flaka Krelani – Osiris
5. Franc Koruni – Macka
6. Genc Salihu – Këtu
7. Lindita Halimi – Botë
8. Lorela – Me ty
9. LYNX – Sot
10. Orges Toçe – Shi diamantësh
11. Rezarta Smaja – Pse prite gjatë
12. Xhesika Polo – Eva jam unë
13. XUXI – Metropol
14. Yll Limani – Shiu
The lucky 16 finalists have been announced for the 2017 Malta Eurovision Song Contest final. A shortlist of 60 songs has been whittled down. Some familiar faces take to the stage once again hoping to represent Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Kiev, Ukraine in May of 2017. They include previous finalists Brooke Borg, Claudia Faniello, Deborah C (this time as part of a duet), Kevin Borg, Klinsmann Coleiro, Maxine Pace, Raquela Dalli Gonzi, Franklin Calleja and Richard Edwards.
Here are the 16 finalists –
Brooke Borg – Unstoppable Cherton Caruana – Fighting To Survive Claudia Faniello – Breathlessly Crosswalk – So Simple Deborah C & Josef Tabone – Tonight Franklin Calleja – Follow Me Jade Vella – Seconds Away Janice Mangion – Kewkba Kevin Borg – Follow Klinsmann Coleiro – Laserlight Maxine Pace – Bombshell Miriana Conte – Don’t Look Down Raquela Dalli Gonzi – Ray Of Light Rhiannon Micallef – Fearless Richard Edwards – You Shauna Vassallo – Crazy Games
The date of the national selection is 18 February 2017.
Austria have selected internally for Nathan Trent to represent them at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev. ORF and Eberhard Forcher and Christof Straub (father of Zoë, Austria’s 2015 entrant) looked for fresh new talent to enter the contest. They decided upon Nathan to do the job.
You can see Nathan’s latest single release, Like It Is, below.
Brendan Murray has been confirmed to be the representative for Ireland at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev. An announcement was made by his manager, Louis Walsh, on the Late Late Show on RTÉ tv in Ireland.
Brendan was a former member of the boyband, Hometown. A call for songs has been made and more information can be found at http://www.rte.ie/tv/eurovision/ Louis Walsh hinted he was looking for a ballad type song for Brendan in the style that Adele or Ed Sheeran might sing.
You can see Brendan do a short rendition of the Johnny Logan Eurovision winner, Hold Me Now (1987 ESC Ireland), below.
