The Grand opening of Eurovision Song contest 2013- it's a bugs life

Re-Live that magical opening and song 'We Write The story' by Bjorn Benny & Avicci

Sarah Dawn Finer - as Linda Woodruff she made us laugh, finally in Malmo she made me cry..

Sarah Dawn Finer is also singer known as the EBU personality Lynda Woodruff, during Malmo

The song "The winner takes it all"  is as we know a best loved Abba song written by Björn Ulveus and Benny Andersson.
It has been released world wide on iTunes just after the performance in Malmo's Eurovision Grand Final. 

Just like the legendary four swedes she made us laugh with joy and also cry...

Favourites for Malmo 2013- We do believe in Bonne for UK & Anouk from NL

                                             This may well be my final pick of favourites for Eurovision 2013 .. yet it certainly is'nt a case of  last but least. Far from it, in fact I have only 2 picks from Eurovision's Big 5 finalists this year -with Italy's Marco and UK. I also like Germany's Cascade song 'Glorious' and while this tune is not a rip of 'Euphoria' it is very simular in style and production so I think may be a big disadvantage in the Grand Final.
                                           I do like Cascada as a dance artist- but Malmo 2013 is all about  one international name Bonnie Tyler.
The return of an 80's diva and a wonderful personality as well, I wonder why she never got involved in Eurovision before? it certainly sounds like the Beeb had no problems getting Bonnie on board for 2013.
The story goes they popped around said 'will you do it?' Yes- Ok just pick a track off that new album..and we have 'Believe in Me'
                                      So the song it is a hit single, a grower of a tune. It certainly did'nt grab me on first hearing yet I have every faith that Bonnie Tyler will nail it on the Grand final night. A winning song? hmmm... I cannot be sure, Malmo is going to be a bit like Dusseldorf I think, we really have no clear favourite. Denmark maybe, but look what happened to France the favourite of 2011. I think Denmark may just make it this year. Maybe as 'Running scared' did for Azerbaijan back then the winner may win from the most scores instead of the most 12 pointers.
                                   Who could give us a surpise winner? it could be our Bonnie or even Anouk with her 'Birds'
it's going to be a cliff hanger whatever happens...

                                     
  Just how far can this 'Bird' fly in ESC 2013? Or will she fall from the sky?

My favourites for Malmo 2013- Lithuania's 'something..'

Lituania a country that have always brought to us, some homegrown interesting Eurovision entries in the past few years.

As well as so often as is the case for Malmo 2013  a self penned tune by Andrius Pojavis. I actually like 'Something' -these pidgin engliska songs, with

with a stong melody. However following on from the fantastic 'Love is Blind'from 2012 I through this song was a bit of a downgrade for

Lituania, I like the artist, yet the song finished up in the 2013 pile I called

"Great tune, but it has'nt got a chance to qualify" ( ...and not a small pile for this years ESC)  

                If you took a look at Andrius Pojavis's National Final performance of 'Something'it was rather bad, the top-hat did not help at all

the eye-brows did.

Yet during the month's inbetween they re-vamped the song completely for Eurovision and did all the right things..So while I am happy

to see a singer-songwriter in the Grand Final as it's always good to have self-penned stuff. The question is just how do Lituania continue

to qualify each year in the Grand final with such ease and songs that are always good but borderline... 

                in the past seven years only twice with 'Nomads of the night'and who remembers Le Great 'East European Funk'by InCulto did

Lituania not make it into the Grand Final! A record that cannot be equaled by their baltic cousins Estonia or Latvia. I guess we can

call it the 'Luck of the Lit's'

Malmo 2013: Petra Medes the perfect host and what a frock

Semi-final 1 has begun and what a show.
   Also we get the chance to see Sweden's one woman host the wonderful Petra Medes, and that dress that was designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier. It even out turned out better than the rising dress effect of Moldova's song and performance of 'O'Mie' by Aliona Moon.

What will Petra bring us next?

My favourites for Malmo 2013: San Martino return with Valentina

The schlager -master himself Ralph siegel has been responsible for the San Marino entry for the second year running and with an excellent

italian artist - Valentina. I have always been a big fan

of Herr Siegel and his tunes old and new. But 'the Facebook song' that Ralph did last year in Baku, was a rather strange choice

I liked the tune, however as 'The Social Network song'it became abit bland and meaningless and so did not qualify.

So for Malmo 2013 it looks like - 'Uh Ohh oh we make a small miss-take..." and it’s right back to a schlager style (hurrah with a tune called 'Crisallide'

and this has become rather quickly a fan favourite. I have a real good feeling this time Ralph & Valentine will do well.. as for a winning song

I think perhapes not. However a Top 15 placing for San Marino is going to be a vast improvement for them as a new country at Eurovision

Song Contest. Who knows they could end up being the modern day Monaco- or even Luxembourg ( a country Ralph Siegel also took under his wing in the 70s/80s)

Its so great to have schalger royalty at Eurovision again, and for that alone - San Martino gets my vote.

My favourites for Malmo 2013 - Ireland's Only Love survives

After 2 years of the irish Jedwards, that certainly offered Euroviison excellent entertainment value, but what could come next?

With have a excellent voice this time ireland has choosen Ryan Dolan. A dancey rhythmic track called 'Only love survives'. One excellent

advantage we got from Loreen's win last year with 'Euphoria'is that the song certainly put modern dance tracks back on the

Eurovision map again..

So why in Malmo are we swamped with ole style power ballads? is it just business as usual? as same thing happen in Baku 2012.

Plus it seems like the last ballad winner was actually Dima Bilan for Russia in 2009.So at least Ireland know how to pump up

the volume and bring us something up-beat.

I was actually in 2013 expecting alot more Eurovision entries in the dancey style of 'Only Love Survives'and this tune has an added bonus

of a excellent electronic

sound that reminds us even of the Swedish House Mafia. I like the song alot can you tell? and feel confident this will push Ireland back into

the Top 10 for Malmo. However alot depends on the performace on the night from Ryan, and it looks like he will impress yet not take

the winner prize.

My favouries for Malmo- Finland's Team ding-dong

Krista Siegfrids 'Marry Me' for Finland, as we know Finland don't always get it right at Eurovision,
however the songs and artists are normally full of charm and interesting.. I normal like what Finland sends, and unlike the danes can never be accused of being predicible.

So on first hearing of 'Marry Me' I luved it right away certainly the wedding dress will have alot
of appeal and the sound even is abit 'I- I love it' by Icona Pop a big smash in europe recently.
Good luck to Krista from schlagertunes

My favourites for Malmo 2013- Azerbaijan have done it again with Farid!

                                                A perrfect combination muscles & a mono-brow

                                  We cannot fault the recent track record of Azerbaijan at Eurovision Song Contestand for Malmo they have kept up the momentum with Farid Mammadov and a simple power pop ballad called 'Hold me' On first hearing I was thinking hold on ..Johnny Logan in 1987, surely this song title is wearing thin. With further listens the ballad grew on me, and with a powerful performance
from the stunning iron man Farid- in Malmo Azerbaijan will not be running scared but high on the scoreboard I think.
                                The only drawback being- Baku again in 2014, surely not?

My favourites for Malmo 2013- Hurrah for ByeAlex from Hungary

               As Sarah Dawn Finer would put it..there will be alot of 'crash boom bang' in Malmo this year.. and I am only refering to the special effects, fire, men in class cubes and all the rest. So among all this it is refreshing to find some simplicity 'Kedvesem'  has all this and more..
The moment I U-tubed this video, I got this track on i-tunes right away. It was love at first listen.

Hungary, as a country is one of the best team players at Eurovision Song Contest for me, they never bring to the contest the same sounds or song twice. Last year we had Compact Disco's 'Sound of our Hearts' and of course the wonderful Kati Wolf, this song is a another gamble for Hungary to make the final for sure. Yet it is a great song no less - I wanna see ByeAlex in the final.

Please note - there has been plenty stories going around that Malmo 2013- Is the Year for the 'mono-brow' although we can tell ByeAlex has infact not got a mono-brow eye-brow, that does not mean they have not been evidence earlier. If you need further proof of le mono-brow factor look no further than Armenia - Oh my Gor...

Eurovision 2013 : Downunder it's become all about Le Lovable- Julia & Sam

Since 2009 in Australia the hosts on SBS coverage have been Julia  Zemiro & Sam Pang for me they do each year an awesome job, and the Eurovision artists interviews and flirts are a joy to watch. So imagine when I read this morning they have history together...

Le Julia & Sam Story

              -it could one day be a TeleMovie !!