September 23 ➡️ the latest #Eurovision headlines

LITHUANIA – LRT and Ieva Zasimauskaite are holding the first ever Eurovision After Party on December 16 at Zalgiris Arena in Kaunas. It will be first Eurovision Party to be held after the competition. Cesar Sampson (Austria), Laura Rizzotto (Latvia), Ryan O’Shaughnessy (Ireland),Elina Nechayeva (Estonia) are the first names attending the event.

CYPRUS – Eleni Foureira takes a shot because crown three months of stay in the Spanish charts (to be precise 11 weeks) with the conquest of the first place in the standings at Los 40 Principales. This is the high rotation of the Los 40 airplay , the largest Spanish music network, with branches throughout the central and South American Spanish, owned by the powerful editorial group Prisa.

Platinum record in Spain (40,000 copies), as well as first in Greece and Cyprus, ” Fuego ” is the most successful of the artist who up until now had had excellent results in the two Greek-speaking countries but had practically failed to cross borders international, but now with this song, has managed to make itself known to the great European public, who also appreciated the sensuality

” Fuego ” is the eighteenth Eurosong that reaches the list of Los 40, the first Greek Cypriot, the sixth foreigner, three years after “Heroes” by Mans Zelmerlow. But above all, it is the one that arrived later than the Eurovision participation, a sign of the constant success in recent months.

SPAIN – U2 has surprised the audience of their two concerts in Madrid by inviting them to sing with them a very beloved artist in Spain. Amaia Romero performed with the Irish band ‘Women of the world’ , a song that pays tribute to women in the world and is part of a global campaign of the ONE Foundation to close the gender gap and help women and girls who live poverty.

GREECE – Sad news from the centre of Athens. LGBT activist attempted to steal a jewellery store but was beaten to death by the owner. The activist was Zak Kostopoulos, aka Zackie Oh (as his drag stage name was). Most of us kew him from his participation in thee tribute to diversity – video clip of Demy for the 2017 official video clip of “This is love”.

ICELAND – Jóhanna Guðrún got married yesterday, on 21st of September to her long time partner Davíð Sigurgeirsson. Yohanna married in a lovely church called Garðakirkja, in Garðabær, Iceland. Jóhanna took part at Eurovision in 2009 with the song “Is it True”, a strong ballad that gave Iceland one of their best results at Eurovision.

THE NETHERLANDS – One of the largest Eurovision pre-parties, Amsterdam’s Eurovision in Concert has confirmed the venue for its 11th edition. This news comes just days after the announcement of the date (6th of April). Alongside the announcement, AFAS Live, a new logo for the event was also unveiled on the official Facebook page.

UNITED KINGDOM – 2013 Romanian entrant and 2013 JESC winner Gaia Cauchi did well as they impressed the judges at the UK X factor and granted qualification spots to the next rounds.

RUSSIA – Philipp Kirkorov, Dimitris Kontopoulos, Ilias Kokotos, Fokas Evangelinos (ot included though in the photo), Katya Guseva and Olga Alekseevaa are ready for their 2019 Eurovision venture. For which country? Well everything points out that it will be for Russia but soon things will clarify.

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Eurovision 2019 🇮🇱 Opening Ceremony and Eurovillage venues

ISRAEL – Eurovision will take place in Tel Aviv for the first time next year, as Israel hosts the song contest for only the third time in the competition’s 62-year history. More than 186 million people tuned in to watch Israel’s contestant Netta sing her way to victory in the 2018 final with her upbeat pop song Toy.

Now the contest will return to her home country for the first time since 1999. The choice of city was confirmed today, with Tel Aviv – Israel’s second largest city after Jerusalem – selected after an inspection of its venues and amenities.

Tel Aviv’s mayor Ron Huldai said: “The Eurovision is perfect fit for our city, which has been internationally acclaimed for its vibrant energy, creative spirit, its lively cultural scene and its celebration of freedom. We are looking forward to host a joyful and non-stop event.”

The semi-finals and final will take place at the EXPO International Convention Center, after an opening ceremony at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.

The Tel Aviv Museum of Art was established in 1932 in a building that was the home of Tel Aviv’s first mayor, Meir Dizengoff. The Helena Rubinstein Pavilion for Contemporary Art opened in 1959. The museum moved to its current location on King Saul Avenue in 1971. Another wing was added in 1999 and the Lola Beer Ebner Sculpture Garden was established.

The museum also contains “The Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff Art Education Center”, opened since 1988. The museum houses a comprehensive collection of classical and contemporary art, especially Israeli art, a sculpture garden and a youth wing.

The city will also host what has been described as the world’s largest Eurovision Village, on the Tel Aviv boardwalk, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea at Charles Clore Park.

In the late 1930s, the city council decided to build a promenade for separation between bathing areas and hiking or promenading paths. It extended from Bugrashov beach to where Geula beach is located now. The introduction of the promenade was a turning point in common perception of the city’s coastline.

At the same time, World War II started in September 1939, and the British Mandate Regime prohibited bathing in the beach. As a result of that, the city’s beaches were abandoned and neglected. In addition, the developing new city was pouring its sewage to the sea and the beaches were banned for bathing for sanitary reasons. Seaside hotels and cafés were turning into questionable bars, gambling joints and brothels.

The public abstained from the area, and the city’s recreational centers were transferred to the city center, to areas such as Dizengoff Street. In 1942, London Square was founded in the northern part of the promenade. In 1953, Gan-haAtsmaut (Independence Garden) was founded on the gravel hill above Hilton beach. In 1965, at the time of the opening of the port of Ashdod, the ports of Tel Aviv and Jaffa were closed.

In the 1980s, the Dan District sewage treatment facility was founded, and the sewage was transferred to the plant and not to the sea. That enabled the cleansing of the beaches and preparations to be made in order to open them again to the public for bathing. During that period, tombolo breakwaters were placed, causing significant expansion of the beaches allowing a greater number of people to enter. In the scope of the project, beach facilities were restored and reopened.

Currently,the municipality is advancing a project to join the promenade sections into one continuous platform.

“The city will be exposed to the world through the eyes of the 1,500 journalists and thousands of tourists that will descend upon the city for the Eurovision events,” Eurovision 2018 project director Gidi Schmerling said. “Dozens of events will take place throughout the city on top of the main events, turning the city into one big Eurovision celebration.”

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Iceland 2019 🇮🇸 what changes implemented for Söngvakeppnin?

ICELAND – It is already announced that Iceland met with the Hebrew Consul and decided not to object in the country’s participation in the Tel Aviv 2019 Eurovision edition. National broadcaster immediately announced the rules and terms for the national selection, Söngvakeppnin, along with the dates. Therefore the submissions due on October 22nd and the shows will take place on February 9th and 16th at the Háskólabíóiv arena with the final set for March 2nd at the Laugardalshöll arena.

There will be changes in the 2019 edition of Söngvakeppnin though and here they are:

  • There be 10 semi finalists instead of 12
  • Each semi final will present 5 acts
  • Two songs from each semi final will proceed to the final
  • There is a possibility of a wildcard if the broadcaster decides so
  • In the semi finals there will be 100% public voting
  • In the final public will decide the two super finalists
  • Super final result will be decided by jury ad public voting, in 50% each ratio
  • There will be a Eurostar performing in the final just like the previous years (Loreen, Måns Zelmerlöw, Emmelie de Forest and more)
  • Besides those submitting a song, the broadcaster will invite composers to pen songs
  • The language of song lyrics should be Icelandic (at least for the national selection)
  • Each composer can submit up to two songs
  • There is no similar limitation for the lyricists though
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September 21 ➡️ the latest #Eurovision headlines

ROMANIA – Cezar Ouatu from Romania takes to The X Factor UK stage on Saturday 22nd September to win over the judging panel. At the end of the show on Sunday 23rd September, the acts will find out which ones are proceeding to the Six Chair Challenge round of the competition.

PORTUGAL – The singers Mariza and Sara Tavares are nominated for the Latin Grammys in the category of Best Roots Music Album in Portuguese Language. The delivery ceremony will take place on November 15 in Las Vegas.

SPAIN – Speaking to Spanish press Alfred García revealed an upcoming collaboration with… the U2! No information given by the artist yet. While Amaia is preparing her next concert that will take place in Sitges tonight, Alfred is working on his album, which soon will see the light: “My album is going to come out very soon and I am super happy as it is being “. In addition, the singer will spend next September 29 for El Prat de Llobregat. Alfred is plethoric when it comes to his city and he is sure that the appointment will be the most magical.

UNITED KINGDOM – British X Factor participant Sam Bailey And JOWST, the 2017 Norwegian representative in the Eurovision Song Contest teased on the social media their interest for the UK selection. Saara Aalto hinted her interest too in a collaboration with Steps and Armenian Eurostar Tamar Kaprelian is already submitted a song to the BBC.

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Australia 2019 🇦🇺 SBS rejects boycott petition

AUSTRALIA – SBS will broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest from Israel next year despite an online petition calling on the broadcaster to boycott the event. Expo Tel Aviv was announced last Thursday as the venue for the popular singing contest’s ­semifinals on May 14 and 16 and the grand final on May 19, following Israeli singer Netta Barzilai’s win earlier this year.

A spokesperson from SBS told The AJN, “SBS will continue to be the exclusive broadcaster of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2019. “SBS has been the home of Eurovision for 35 years because of the way the contest celebrates diversity and brings different cultures together, united in a common passion for music.”

The Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC) had written to the SBS board and CEO urging them to reject the petition, which accuses Israel of stealing Palestinian lands, of apartheid, of killing Palestinians in cold blood, and of using the competition, “as part of its official Brand Israel strategy, which attempts to whitewash and distract attention from its war crimes against Palestinians”.

“Eurovision should not be used to ‘artwash’ the Israeli government’s apartheid policies and the violence inflicted on Palestinian people,” it states.

ADC chairman Dvir Abramovich said the “grossly distorted” petition takes the extreme and hostile anti-Israel propaganda “to a shocking new level, invoking the antisemitic lie that Israel stole land from the Palestinians and outrageously accusing Israel of apartheid and of intentionally killing Palestinians”.

“The letter deliberately omits to mention that the terrorist group Hamas had carefully orchestrated the Gaza ‘demonstrations’, or that it urged participants to bring a ‘knife or a gun’ in order to kill civilians and kidnap soldiers, or that this was a suicide mission by combatants used as cannon fodder by Hamas,” he said.

“The BDS movement at its core is antisemitic as it denies the Jewish people, and only the Jewish people, a universal right of self-determination. Its aim is not to criticise Israeli policies, but rather to demonise and delegitimise the Jewish State.

“We have written to the SBS board asking it to be a moral voice and to reject this warped campaign, as well as to make it clear that it will never support a campaign that is bigoted in its origins and which makes the possibility of peace between Israelis and Palestinians impossible.”

The boycott petition follows news last week that a number of Australian artists had added their names to a letter calling for the event to be relocated.

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September 20 ➡️ the latest #Eurovision headlines.

ICELAND – Icelandic broadcaster confirmed Söngvakeppnin as the country’s national selection. There will be 10 and not 12 songs in the semi finals this year. Submissions for Söngvakeppnin 2019 due on October 22nd. The semi finals are set for February 9th and 16th and the final on March 2nd.

EUROVISION 2019 – FYR Macedonia and Romania are the two countries confirming their participation in the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest. It is likely to see all the 2018 Eurovision participating countries in Tel Aviv although San Marino seems kind reluctant. Moreover what we knew already is now officially confirmed as Poland confirmed also their participation.

IRELAND – RTE could be left without a song for Eurovision after a group representing Irish songwriters said they might boycott next year’s competition in Israel. Former Eurovision winner Charlie McGettigan has already said Ireland should shun the Tel Aviv event next May due to Israel’s “oppression” of Palestinian people. Now the Irish Association of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors plans to debate Ireland’s participation altogether. General Manager of IASCA, Sinead Troy, told the Irish Sun: “Should we protest? “Should Ireland even be involved in Eurovision next year? That’s what we will be asking.” Troy said she personally fully supported McGettigan’s call for a boycott.

THE NETHERLANDS – Just hours before the results of the final of America’s Got Talent, the Amsterdam native spoke with RTL Boulevard again. This time she expressly denied the rumours that the show itself had spread about Eurovision participation: “Na-ah! Nooooo! It’s something fun to do once, but then it’s finished.”

AUSTRIA – ORF boss and 2014 Eurovision Song Contest executive producer, Edgar Böhm, retires due to age. ORF is now looking for new chief. Böhm has been in charge of TV entertainment since 1999 and turns 65 at the end of the year. He had been working on the ORF since 1975. How will this effect Austria’s Eurovision participation and representation? Time will tell.

PORTUGAL – Festival da Canção 2019 will feature 16 songs in total, divided over two semi-finals. Out of those sixteen, 14 songs will be written by composers directly invited by RTP. These 14 composers, RTP confirms today, have already been chosen and approved.

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The 2018 Eurovision host country is the 30th one, confirming its participation for Tel Aviv. Portugal’s 51st participation in Eurovision will be decided through Festival da Canção which has some changes this year. There will be 16 semi finalists, eight in each one. Four acts from each semi final will proceed to the final. Last year winner’s privilege to select a composer for Festival da Canção, is scrapped 14 composers will be invited by RTP There are no limits in the production and the lyrics of the submitted songs. One composer will be decided through Antena 1 show “Mastre Class” One more composer will be decided through submissions to RTP by October 31st. In the semi finals the jury will prevail to the public In the final the public will prevail over the jury vote In the semi finals there will be a professional jury In the final there will bee seven regional juries @oikotimes #eurovision #oikotimes

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ARMENIA – Tamar Kaprelian confirmed in the social media that she is bidding to represent the UK in the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest. She represented Armenia in the 2015 contest with the super group Geneology with the song “Face The Shadow” she has since tried to represent Armenia in Eurovision in 2018 with her entry “Poison”

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