Fringe show celebrates Eurovision kitsch

Eurobeat - almost Eurovision mercilessly sends up the kitsch contest every night at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where flag-waving, wolf-whistling fans take audience participation to new heights of surreal lunacy.

Eurovision is mocked for its mishmash of power ballads, ethnic rhythms and bubblegum pop with critics complaining that tactical voting by East Europeans is skewing the results.

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source:stuff.co.nz

Nana's long goodbye

author:Martin Hutchinson /Manchester Evening News

BESPECTACLED star Nana Mouskouri is instantly recognisable, and has been for more than 40 years.

In fact, She made her first record 50 years ago, and has been touring pretty much constantly since 1960. However, as she approaches her mid-seventies, she has decided to retire from touring – but not before she has thanked her loyal fans with a Farewell World Tour. (...)

She explains: “I’m not actually retiring from singing, just from touring. If people still want me to sing I will, but I just won’t be touring.

"I wanted to quit while I was still healthy.”

Speaking about her final tour she said: "It started in 2005 and will end next year in 2008. You have to take time to do the whole world and I want to take the opportunity to thank fans for listening to me for so many years.”

There’s will be a variety of songs, from my beginnings with classical music and through my pop and jazz songs. There’s ’ll be a real diversity of cultures.”

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source:Manchester Evening News

photo:google.com

Eurovision not rigged, says broadcasting union

Following the widespread criticism and in a general climate of increasing mistrust of anything to do with television and voting, the organisers of the Eurovision song contest have held an inquiry into the allegations.

Members of the European Broadcasting Union discussed the allegations following this year’s contest but “found no evidence of irregularities”.

As a further check they engaged PriceWaterhouseCoopers to conduct an audit of the voting system, which again turned up nothing untoward.

Worries about the possibility of vote rigging extend beyond the UK, where the matter was even discussed in an early day motion in the House of Commons.

Malta led calls for the voting system to be overhauled, along with the removal of phone votes in the former Soviet Bloc countries, and Ireland and Andorra also expressed concern over this year’s scoring.

But the head of the contest, Svante Stockselius, insisted block voting could not occur: “We have looked into it and we have had auditors look at it, but it is not possible to manipulate the voting,” he said, adding, “I wouldn’t say 100 per cent because that would be impossible but there is no way you can manipulate the televoting.”It’s just that they have similar tastes in music (another explanation Mr Stockselius was keen to offer).

source: The Malta Independent Online

Icelandic TV Plans Early Start for 2008 Eurovision

doteurovision.com reports:

Icelandic TV looks set to be the first to kick off the search for its 2008 Eurovision Song Contest entry.After several disappointing results, state broadcaster RUV plans to begin airing a series of TV shows aimed at picking a song for Belgrade as early as 29 September.

Although the Eurovision rule book usually insists that songs must have been released after 1 October to take part in the following year's contest, the EBU often will grant special permission to broadcasters where they wish to bend the rule slightly.

Iceland's biggest circulation daily, Frettabladid revealed this weekend that thirty songs will be in the running to represent the country next year.

From late September onwards RUV will preview three potential entries each week with one song going through to a national final to take place either later this year or early in January 2008.

Nine writers have been contacted and asked to submit three songs each to the competition, alongside this, there will be a special wildcard show featuring songs submitted to a public competition.

Songwriters linked with the contest include Gudmundur Jonsson úr Sálinni, Dr. Gunni, Barði í Bang Gang, Magnús Þór Sigmundsson, Magnús Eiríksson, Hafdís Huld Þrastardóttir, Svala Björgvinsdóttir, Fabúla and Andrea Gylfadóttir.

Spice Girls' Mel C says 'Eurovision is a joke in the UK'

oikotimes.com reports:

The first thought when Spice Girls announced their return to the music scene was that the girl band would be an ideal solution for United Kingdom to make a good revamped come back to the contest and ultimately to the scoreboard after many years of plunge. A video interview is uploaded online with Melanie C saying some interesting things about the Eurovision Song Contest.

At first she was surprised that Eurovision Song Contest is popular across Europe (where does she live anyway). She backed up the opinion that the contest is not popular in the UK.

Mel C said that she wouldn't try to participate in a national selection since she considers a joke that Scooch got the ticket to Helsinki this year. She 'offers' though herself to Europe if BBC give her internally the ticket to Belgrade. Her favourite Eurovision entry is 1981 UK win entry Making Your Mind Up.





sources:belgovision.com;oikotimes.com

Nez claims she can bring ESC to Istanbul again

eurovision- turkey.com reports:

Nez is hiding all her energy for Eurovision.So many music authorities (who give the biggest support to Nez) want to see Nez at ESC Platform,but also she pointed that the trick of right job is the right time.

She also says that the waiting time in 2008 is MAY.On the other hand,Nez says that she had supported Sertab in 2003 too much and she knows ESC soul and feeling.

We asked her 'What style will be your prepared song?' and she answers 'A song that includes turkish flavour,modern but not too much west and that can be my song.'Also Nez thinks that only song is not enough to win,she adds that she will complete her stage show with Turkish culture and its elements so this proves her claims.

As we understood, Nez follows Eurovision for years.Thus, she claims that the song that she likes most is Dinle of Şebnem Paker(the song that turkey reached 3. place in ESC 1997).

And her slogan is from one of the most striking moments.it is: 'TRT,Are you ready for The 2009 ESC Final in Istanbul?''.

She also shares one of her dreams with us: ''I saw myself as a winner of Eurovision.I have a comic and strange side.My dreams come true!''

We are not releasing the rest of the interview with Nez.But we also learnt the name of the song that Nez prepared for ESC.:)Let me give u a clue that the name of the song reflects Turkish culture part of Nez.:)

Nez believes that she has an advantage of deaming,believing,being genuine and she thinks to bring Eurovision back in 2009 to Turkey. She also wants us to be near her from the moment that she recieved a call from TRT. We promise that we will be near her while she is getting prepared all.Nez who says that all of her works are ready says and adds ''I am only waiting for a telephone call...''