Category: ROMANIA

Romania 2019 🇷🇴 did Laura Bretan miss Eurovision venture due to her beliefs?

ROMANIA – It was. a shocking national final last night in Bucharest for the majority of us watching the show. Not only due the results but also due to implications behind the voting. We all agree that the voting system was already known in advance and we knew that there were big chances to see reactions like those we had in the previous Maltese selection where public voting was only a small part of the final score.

First of all we had two favourites: Laura and Bella. Those of us watching the show and following the live chat and social media we couldn’t miss noticing that they were indeed the favourites. The two favourites thought seem to have had two flaws. Bella had a song presentation which clearly reminded us Ruslana. That was simply tacky and personally I would never have voted for such a copy cat. Moreover Bella was totally out of tune. Laura on the other hand was brilliant in vocal performance and had a song which might have brought loot of media attention. But Laura recently took a stand against the same sex referendum in Romania.

When you have such a controversial participant (although I completely disagree with the homophobic status attributed to Laura because simply she has an opinion) you don’t invite the queers of Wiwibloggs. And as if this was not enough, TVR gave them two spots in the international jury panel which accumulated as 25% of the final voting. The two professional journalists who run the business of Wiwiblogggs – which openly earns money from their Eurovision “fan” venture, gave low scores to Laura and Bella, ranking first Ester in their voting, while previously they didn’t even notice as a winner through their multi viewed video reviews.

TVR made a huge mistake not only using international jury, not only using that specific voting system but inviting people without voting diversity. Of course fans are also furious with Emmelie de Forest who gave no points to Bella! OK the song was not the best but since it was considered a favourite at least it should have get some points.

Huge mess which resulted into complete realisation that fan sites (especially those who are getting paid and make money through Eurovision) should not be trusted. This is the main reason we at oikotimes.com stopped accepting any jury spots since 2008. Attending national finals as guest juries in Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Azerbaijan and more, we realised that there are lot of things happening behind the scenes. The last time oikotimes.com accepted a jury spot was in the 2008 Azeri final, represented by our black then editor Luke Fisher.

Was Ester though the worst entry? Well personally I think the song is quite OK. Of course it will not bring the trophy to Bucharest (we all know that) but we have to listen and say attention to the Romanian public which a awarded Ester only 3 points. Whether we like the song or not, whether people can choose the best song or not, public voice should at least be equal to any jury (international or national) vote.

The issue of international jury is a trend which anyway has no meaning. We know how it works (especially behind the scenes) as it aims to provoke the national audience and boost the tele voting revenues. International jury is calmed to give a more neutral view to a national selection of which entry is better for Eurovision. But who assures me that the international jury doesn’t want to destroy a country’s effort in Eurovision? We forget that these people coming from other participating nations will always have as a priority for their country to do better in the Eurovision scoreboard than the country they are invited from.

Weirdly besides www.eurovisionfun.com and us, no other website dared to speak about this issue! (yet)

To conclude: if your don’t stand pro gay (as Laura did) you are a homophobe and you don’t get a chance in Eurovision. It is also worth of notice, MIHAI’s statement as a tweet on Wiwibloggs account which was somehow a prophecy (?)

MIHAI reacted to the results of the Seletia Nationala 2019 on social networks: “I am happy that the international jury has done justice! Ester won without wildcards or morbid influences from Eurovision fans.”

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Romania 2019 🇷🇴 Ester Peony sends favourites home and goes to Tel Aviv

ROMANIA – Selecţia Naţionala 2019 conccluded and 112 songs gave their best to represent the country in Eurovision 2019. 12 great compositions to be honest but only one got the ticket from the international jury and the public: Ester Peony won the national final. The fans on Twitter fight hard still between Laura and Bella but one thing is for sure: Bella’s Ruslana-a-like act was not the proper one for Romania and we all know it. Emmelie de Forest (2013 winner) and Netta Barzilai (2018 winner) slay the stage with their guest performances.

ROMANIA 2019 🇷🇴 SELECȚIA NAȚIONALĂ FINAL

PARTICIPANT(S)SONG TITLEJURYPUBLICTOTALRANKOIKOTIMES POLL
Ester Peony"On a Sunday"623651
Laura Bretan"Dear Father"4812602
Bella Santiago"Army of Love"508583Predicted to win
Linda Teodosiu"Renegades"366424
Letiția Moisescu and Sensibil Balkan"Daina"355405
Vaida"Underground"287356
Trooper"Destin"1910297
Olivier Kaye"Right Now"261278
Claudiu Mirea"We Are the Ones"190199
Aldo Blaga"Your Journey"1041410
Dya and Lucian Colareza"Without You (Sin ti)"821011
Teodora Dinu"Skyscraper"70712
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Romania 2019 🇷🇴 watch the finalists and vote for your three favourites

ROMANIA – 11 songs competed in the first semi-final and 12 songs in the second semi-final, with the five entries in each attracting the most points from a national jury — consisting of Adi Cristescu, Mihai Georgescu, Crina Mardare, Andy Platon and Mugurel Vrabete — qualifying for the final. A further one entry from the remaining, non-qualified ones with the most votes from the audience were passed into the final. The semi-final allocation draw was released on 16 January 2019, although slight changes were eventually done. An international jury was made up for the final; the entry receiving the most jury and televoting points won the contest.

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Romania 2019 🇷🇴 results from the second Selecția Națională semi final

ROMANIA – As a consent from a conference regarding changes to be implemented for Romania’s next Eurovision participation following 2018’s “failure”, Selecția Națională 2019 has been announced as the national selection organized by TVR and its regional studios in order to select the country’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2019. Romania had previously confirmed its participation in the contest on 20 September 2018. Selecția Națională 2019, having the slogan “Împlineşte visul!” (“Fulfill the dream!”), consisted of three shows: two semi-finals in Arad and Iași and a final in Bucharest.

11 songs competed in the first semi-final and 12 songs in the second semi-final, with the five entries in each attracting the most points from a national jury — consisting of Adi Cristescu, Mihai Georgescu, Crina Mardare, Andy Platon and Mugurel Vrabete — qualifying for the final. A further one entry from the remaining, non-qualified ones with the most votes from the audience were passed into the final. The semi-final allocation draw was released on 16 January 2019, although slight changes were eventually done. An international jury was made up for the final; the entry receiving the most jury and televoting points won the contest.

ROMANIA 2019 🇷🇴 SELECȚIA NAȚIONALĂ SECOND SEMI FINAL

PARTICIPANT(S)SONG TITLEJURYPUBLICSTATUS
Aldo Blaga"Your Journey"539Qualified by the public
Olivier Kaye"Right Now"—Qualified
Letiția Moisescu and Sensibil Balkan"Daina"—Qualified
Laura Bretan"Dear Father"—Qualified
Ester Peony"On a Sunday"—Qualified
Linda Teodosiu"Renegades"—Qualified
2 Gents"Ielele"295
TMW"Make Me Your Man"254
Georgy"Tears"191
Xonia"Discrete"154
Johnny Bădulescu"Give Up Now"142
Echoes"High Heels On"141
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Romania 2019 🇷🇴 local press claims Bella Santiago should be disqualified

Bella Santiago, a favorite for the Selectia Nationala 2019 win, may be at risk of declassification: the lyrics of “Army of Love” may not meet the EBU regulations for the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest. The controversy is (again) set in the Romanian national final for the Eurovision 2019 … and again around Bella Santiago. After the singer’s qualifying for the semifinals has caused major controversy, leading to the withdrawal of MIHAI, the Romanian press advances that the singer is at risk of being disqualified from the National Selection 2019.

Romanian press claim that there is an issue with the lyrics which thee local press consider them a plagiarism from an Indian proverb. Though in the US that Indian proverb is free for reproduction as many T-shirts are printed with the quote which is the part of the lyrics Bellaa uses in her song.

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Romania 2019 🇷🇴 first Selecția Națională semi final results

ROMANIA – 11 songs competed in the first semi-final and 13 songs in the second semi-final, with the five entries in each attracting the most points from a national jury — consisting of Adi Cristescu, Mihai Georgescu, Crina Mardare, Andy Platon and Mugurel Vrabete — qualifying for the final. A further one entry from the remaining, non-qualified ones with the most votes from the audience were passed into the final. The semi-final allocation draw was released on 16 January 2019, although slight changes were eventually done. An international jury was made up for the final; the entry receiving the most jury and televoting points won the contest.

ROMANIA 2019 🇷🇴 SELECȚIA NAȚIONALĂ FIRST SEMI FINAL

PARTICIPANT(S)SONG TITLEJURYPUBLICSTATUS
Trooper"Destin"5Qualified
Teodora Dinu"Skyscraper"3Qualified
Dya and Lucian Colareza"Without You (Sin ti)"4Qualified
Claudiu Mirea"We Are the Ones"2Qualified
Bella Santiago"Army of Love"1Qualified
Vaida"Underground"61qualified by the audience
Berniceya"The Call: Dynasty of Love"
Ommieh and Anakrisez"Rock This Way"
Nicola"Weight of the World"
Steam"The Way It Goes"
The Four"Song of My Heart"
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Eurovision 2019 🇮🇱 results from France’s Destination Eurovision first semi final and Georgia’s second Idol show

FRANCE – Destination Eurovision 2019 is the national final organised by France 2 to select France’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2019. The competition will consist of three live shows, aired in January 2019 on France 2, which will be hosted by French-Canadian singer Garou. TV5 Québec Canada will air the shows in Canada on a time delay as will TV5Monde internationally. All shows will take place at the Studio de France – Bât 210 in Saint-Denis.

The format of the competition will consist of three live shows: two semi-finals, and a final. The two semi-finals will feature nine entries each, from which four are selected to advance to the final from each show.

Results in the semi-finals will be determined by public televoting (50%) and a five-members international jury panel (50%). Results in the final will be determined by public televoting (50%) and a ten-members international jury panel (50%). An international jury member is set to vote in only one of the three shows. Therefore, twenty juries will be involved in the voting this year.

Like the previous edition, the show will feature a three-members Francophone jury panel to provide feedback. They will no longer have a say in the results of the contest. The Francophone jury panel will consist of :

Christophe Willem – Singer, returning as a judge for the second consecutive year
André Manoukian – Jazz singer and former judge on Nouvelle Star, commentator of the Eurovision Song Contest semi-finals in 2018 alongside Willem
Vitaa – Singer, French female artist with the most radio airplay in 2018, Destination Eurovision 2018 participant as a songwriter

Artists and songwriters were able to submit their song entries starting 21 June 2018. On 6 December 2018, France 2 announced at a press conference at the headquarters of France Télévision the name of the 18 artists and songs selected to compete in the televised shows.

FRANCE 2019 🇫🇷 DESTINATION EUROVISION FIRST SEMI FINAL

PARTICIPANT(S)SONG TITLEPUBLICJURYTOTALSTATUSOIKOTIMES POLL
Bilal Hassani"Roi"5758115QualifiedPredicted
Chimène Badi"Là-haut"442266QualifiedPredicted
Silvàn Areg"Le petit Nicolas"213859Qualified
Aysat"Comme une grande"63440Qualified
Lautner"J'ai pas le temps"926355
Mazy"Oulala"1518336
Battista Acquaviva"Passiò"292317
Florina"In the Shadow"210218
Naestro"Le brasier"812209

GEORGIA – Georgia will participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019. The Georgian Public Broadcaster announced that they will choose their entrant and entry through the means of the reality TV show Georgian Idol.

SECOND AUDITION QUALIFIERS
Liza Μebonia
Pini Κapanadze
Giorgi Pruidze
Gedevan Kevlishvili
Besik Nemsadze
Oto Nemsadze
Merlin Monro
Anastasia Pirveli
Iru Khechanovi
Dima Kobeshavidze
Liza Kalandadze

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