My Favourites For Malmo 2013- Italy and Marco Mengoni

           For the past 6 weeks schlagertunes has been on a break, moving in fact and then for the past 3 weeks we have been without internet! can you imagine that? Ok better not it's too painful.
           During this time it was back to basics in more ways than one, for once I played the new Eurovision 2013 CD in full and tried to judge my options on the song merits along, apart from a few National Final clips I had seen... it was like the old days. Let's not forget the Eurovision music of the 70's and even early 80's were nothing more than a song heard on the radio station, for me growing up in UK. The BBC radio stations rarely played the songs and singles that did'nt successed in winning the contest!
 I even recall actually buying vinyl versions to just hear the music at all.

           So here is my early impressions from the recorded music tracks only, in no particular order for starters:
 Italy's Marco Mengoni with 'L'Essenziale' this song is fully sung in Italian. A trend stronger than any other Eurovision contest since the laugauge rule change back in the late 90s I am sure.
            This tune is not a give-away Eurovision style, jam packed with emotion. Since their comeback to Eurovision -Italy have sent only orginal quality songs from their own San Remo competition. Only for Baku last year the italians in their wisdom choose a more Eurovision sounding choice for the San Remo winner Nina Zilli. It worded very well however for 2013 we get nothing more than this amazing
 wonderful San Remo tune L'Essenziale' that won San Remo this year.
 I found that 'goose-bumb factor' on my second hearing... a great sign.

 I hope Marco will 'stand out' as this song and artist has winner or Top 3 -written all over it, oh and he loooks very cool as well
He did an eurovision.tv interview here too- very funny...he seems to have some of the same charm
we found from Germany's  Lena back in 2010 - when she sang her version of Boyzone's 'No matter what' at the Oslo press-conference- What a Eurovis'moment that was..

Melodifestivalen 2013 - What was different? just what happened

Melodifestivalen 2013, alot of eurovision fans seem to have been expecting more, even felt let down. The results seem to have gone abit wrong? It's not all bout the lack of schlager in the final.
As 2013 is the very year that Sweden get automatic qualification into Eurovision Final 2013 in Malmo, so I for one was expecting actually a far greater interest, and higher standard of established swedish artist and great songs.

Recently I was reading a old biography of Cilla Black, I stumbled upon a chapter covering 1968. When The Beatles manager Brian Epstein, was most keen to have Cilla Black to sing for UK at Eurovision 68 that year in London. Cilla was against the idea, for a simple reason Cilla could not believe a female singer would take winning honours for UK two years running! (Sandie Shaw won in 1967)

Does this ring true for Melodifestivalen this year- do the swedes think they cannot be a double winner two years in a row, so choose not to write or sing for Melo selection this year?
The songs this year did not seem up to the normal standard, however the final 10 songs were not the best choices as well. After several re-cap listens of my Melodifestivalen 2013 CD of which I did enjoy
these are the best songs and the result I would have liked to have seen...

1. Begging -Anton Ewald
2. Alibi -Eddie Razaz
3.We're still kids - Micheal Feiner & Caisa
4. Rockin the Ride - Army of Lovers
5. On top of the world - Swedish House Wives
6. Hello goodbye - Erik Segerstedt & Tone Damli
7. In and out of Love - Martin Rolinski
8. Skyline - David Lindgren
9. You- Robin Stjernberg
10. Trivialitet - Sylvia Vrethammar

Actually only 3 of these tunes made the Melodifestivalen final line-up that happened last week?

Agnetha Fältskog- The voice is back with us at last

This week saw the most exciting single release of them all- I'ts been 25 years since Agnetha Faltskog,
the part vocal-power behind Abba. Released original music and songs, in 2004 she did comeback with a 60's classic cover album 'My colouring book'. This next  album is different no covers, as new modern songs have been choosen by Agnetha herself, one new album track will be even wrote by Agnetha.
However this debut single from the new album 'A' is very impressive -

  the voice is realy back....

Crash Boom Bang- Lynda Woodruff is back for Melodifestivalen 2013 !

Well it came around so fast this year, the semi finals are over and last week's Second Chansen round brought us two finalist with the same hair! this is kind of ironic as Jedward made a guest appearence in the show.. That seems to create Sweden's own Jedward twins...with the results and winning singers

'I'm Robin, he's Anton 
and together we're 'Rob-ton' 

Yet separately these two songs from the twin starletts battling it out in saturday night's grand finale will add a limited sparkle. To what promises to be a actually rather dull song line-up of Melodifestivalen Final  2013.. This is the line up for Friends Arena'  

1. Ulrik Munther - Tell the world I’m here
2. David Lindgren - Skyline
3. State of Drama - Falling
4. Anton Ewald - Begging
5. Louise Hoffsten - Only the dead fish follow the stream
6. Ralf Gyllenhammar - Bed on fire
7. Ravaillacz - En riktig jävla schlager
8. Sean Banan - Copacabanana
9. Robin Stjernberg - You
10. YOHIO - Heartbreak hotel

But wait there is hope .... a couple of real Schlager Superstars will return for the show. Not of course in the Melodifestivalen competition but the most exciting news for us is the return of Lynda Woodruff aka Sarah Dawn Finer. Last year during Melodifestivalen in a real funny skit Sarah created Lynda.
A british host thrown into the EBU offices to put together an introduction of bakoo.
Lynda popped up again at Eurovision to present the votes of the swedish jury.
For Melodifestivalen final Lynda will return...we cannot wait to see the new skit.

Musically we can expect the long awauted return to Melo of Carola who will sing some of her many Melodifestivalen/Euroviison tunes that span almost 30 years (gulp)

As promised Army of Lovers are about to rocket into Melodifestivalen at semi-final 4

After last weeks Melodifestivalen 2013 semi-final 3, we are in shock still as to the unbelievable result. At least we have one of the best Melodifestivalen tunes of this year's Eddie Razaz's 'Alibi' to hear and hit replay on. Even if sweden voted it out of the contest!
Just now we have dug out all our Army of Lovers fab CD's to hear again in preparation for the return
of possibly the most fabulous and campest dance troup Sweden has ever produced.
So if at Malmo in May Sweden still plans to stay on the Eurovision map choose well ...
  and our vote is for the amazing return of Army of lovers with' 'rockin the ride'

A Hurricane is about to hit Melodifestivalen 2013 with Eddie Razaz

We are ready, for Eddie-

Well what has happened at Melodifestivalen 2013 !, already we are about to have semi final 3 go to air in Skelleftea. At last an exciting semi-final we feel with plenty of Thomas G:son magic as we go into the third contest.
Last week's semi final had the great schlager trio of Swedish House Wives with 'On top of the world' knocked out of the Melodifestivalen race- only to be beaten by Sean Banan (- no comment) and some random song making the Melodifestivalen final called,
wait for it.... "only dead fish follow the stream" (come on swedes what are you thinking? - an international jury could not save you with this kind of song choice?) apart from this semi- hick-up
 the potentional is still alive in a few more great tunes this week.

After 'Eurthoria' there had to be one song penned by Peter Bostrom. This is the song 'Alibi'
 the artist is a certain Eddie Razaz, amazing looks aside- for sure Eddie is a dream-boat of a hunk..
Eddie is a real deal and making an incredible solo
debut this year. Formally of the pop duo Rebound who had a huge dance hit with 'Hurricane'
We think Eddie and Army of Lovers are two artists who can carry the Eurovision trophy well in Malmo at Eurovision 2013. Just remember sweden, we get one chance,
and several thousand tele-votes in the right place.

Meanwhile over in Hannover - Germany chooses the Song for Malmo..

As you know schlagertunes has a certain soft spot for Le German Eurovision entries.

So this year at last German has gone back to a final Grand Prix style song selection, although it's still called 'Unsere Star for Malmo'
A firm fan fave was Betty Dittrich, image a german version of Emma Bunton, with a 60's style schlager song called 'Lalala' a very cute song and although not altogether 2013 we think it had alot of potentional anyhow and could still pop up in the German charts.
So the national final stuck with an artist we all know fairly well on the Dance charts of recent years
Cascada-
Or Natalie Horler has sold already in a region of 20 million albums, and her international breakthough came with 'Evertime we touch' back in 2006.
Cascada's entry for Euroviison is 'Glorious' and is already following her win in Hannover. Is at No:2
in the german charts already- a great start. Amazingly if Cascada hit's No 1 next week this will be her first No:1 single in homeland Germany. Yet all that international fame will hopefully see a german
success in Malmo.. we like the extended mix of Glorious    

It's ....the return of Petra Mede- she has been choosen to host Eurovision 2013

Anyone who saw Melodifestivalen in 2009 and remember the shows presenter - will know Petra Mede: she is a very famous comedian from Goteburg and great friends with Andreas Lundstedt. What else we know from back in 2009 is
.. if Eurovision Malmo is to be a onewoman show. Petra will do Eurovision proud, great choice Svt.

We expert only fantasic frocks!

Sarah Dawn Finer will she be Eurovision 2013's presenter ?

It's just a matter of hours minutes and seconds until SVT made public just
 who will be the presenter of the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 It was decided late last year that the show in Malmo will take an almost back to basic approch with a single show presenter. This is a format we have not seen since the Eurovision Song Contests of years ago in the 70s & 80s
Instead of having 3 or even 4 hosts for Eurovision semi finals and Final shows.

The other factor we think SVT will look for is humour in the shows presentation added to the fact that the presenter should be able to sing and dance when required. This has been evident in Melodifestivalen presenters in the recent past, all these ingredients come into consideration for choosing the right host. Now many Eurovision fans internationally have come up with just one name for this mega task and honour ......... Its .....Sarah Dawn Finer.

A singer who debuted at Melodifestivalen back in 2006 singer with a song "I remember you"
She became a firm favorite and even more so with her big hit "Moving On" at Melodifestivalen 2009.
Sarah then took on the big challenge of the star presenter last year at Melodifestivalen
and did an amazing job proving that she can sing dance present and make us laugh particularly with a skit she did in the shows final.
Sarah Dawn Playing the part of a British presenter who stumbled through place and artist names
At EBU headquarters this short clip pleased and made Eurovision fans laugh no end.

So we have finger toes all crossed that Sarah Dawn Finer will make 2013 Eurovision season

Malmo Gold for us all!

Melodifestivalen 2013- Let the musical fun and show begin

The Melodifestivalen season for 2013 is upon us... we can't believe in about 3 weeks all the fun will begin. Starting off with perhapes the most successful unknown artist from Melo last year David Lindgren.
 Also we see the return of Sean Banan and Ulrik Munther, strangely enough we can see from the semi-final list a noted lack of schlager veterans returning to Melodifestivalen this year. You would think with the one way ticket to a Eurovision final in Malmo alot of big names like Carola Lena Philipsson or even Magnus Carlsson would be there?. However we do have Eric Gadd- who has brought some fantastic Pop/R n B music and hits from 90's and since then in Sweden. Then Sylvia- as she was known in the 70's with her massive hit 'Y Viva Espana'
        This 'Belidorm' single in fact pre-dates alot of Abba's early 70's international hits of that time. Yet she has never done Melodifestivalen before...
    Lets have a look at the all important running order ...

Semi final 1:  Karlskrona 2nd Feb

1. "Skyline" – David Lindgren
2. "Burning Flags" – Cookies N Beans
3. "Paris" – Jay-Jay Johanson
4. "Gosa" Artist: Mary N’diaye
5. "Vi kommer aldrig att förlora" – Eric Gadd
6. "Heartbreak Hotel" – YOHIO
7. "Porslin" – Anna Järvinen
8. "We're Still Kids" – Michael Feiner & Caisa

Semi final 2: Göteborg 9th Feb

1. "Begging" – Anton Ewald
2. "Make Me No 1" – Felicia Olsson
3. "Annelie" – Joacim Cans
4. "On Top of the World" – Swedish House Wives
5. "Hello Goodbye" – Erik Segerstedt & Tone Damli
6. "Only the Dead Fish Follow the Stream" – Louise Hoffsten
7. "En förlorad sommar" – Rikard Wolff
8. "Copacabanana" – Sean Banan

Semi final 3: Skellefteå 16th Feb

1. "Alibi" – Eddie Razaz
2. "Island" – Elin Petersson
3. "En riktig jävla schlager" – Ravaillacz
4. "Dumb" – Amanda Fondell
5. "In and out of Love" – Martin Rolinski
6. "Hon har inte" – Caroline af Ugglas
7. "Falling" – State of Drama
8. "Heartstrings" – Janet Leon

Semi final 4:  Malmö 23 Feb

1. "Rockin’ the Ride" – Army of Lovers
2. "Must Be Love" – Lucia Pinera
3. "You" – Robin Stjernberg
4. "Trivialitet" – Sylvia Vrethammar
5. "Bed on Fire" – Ralf Gyllenhammar
6. "Jalla dansa sawa" – Behrang Miri
7. "Breaking the Silence" – Terese Fredenwall
8. "Tell the World I’m Here" – Ulrik Munther

The Malmo drop-out list for Eurovision 2013 -Ohh no !

Well I guess it was almost to be expected that a few countries given the current financial climate in the EU would be unable to afford to go to Eurovision next year. In fact everyone held their breath as Greece confirmed- and then their was a 24 hour panic on the web! As Spain one of the big 5 looked like they would be missing in Malmo! However finally Spain confirmed so all seemed well.
Until the sister-land Portugal shocked everyone by confirming their non participation
At Eurovision 2013 this was sad as Portugal often produce such great song in the full spirit of the European song contest. Although Portugal are not always Top 10 placed in the Grand Final  have not sent Eurovision typical song often original. So I will certainly miss Portugal and equally Poland who  will be out for a second year running.

Then yesterday came the news of Turkey was dropping out! Well now, Turkey! seem fairly
 financial so everyone is asking what is the story, here? It seems although one of the most successful European nations recently. Turkey gave given reasons such as 50/50 jury & Big 5 Final qualification rulebook changes back in 2011 and other rule changes recently as their reason to not be at Malmo 2013. This seems strange coming from one of the most successful Eurovision countries, since Turkey won Eurovision back in 2003 they have only once missed a great placing from taking part in the Eurovision final.

And now Bosnia & Herzegovina look most likely to be another 'popular' regular Eurovision country to be missing for 2013. Unless they find some independent funding. While the TV BHRT certainly cannot afford to send a song to Malmo, I think past songs such as Laka 'Pokusaj' (2008) and 'Bistra voda' by the unforgettable Regina prove Bosnia will be missed as well if they don't make it somehow?