Verka Serduchka (Andrei Danilko) In the Spotlight

The Moskow Times reports:

Andrei Danilko revealed that he grew up without a bathroom and never takes off his baseball cap.
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The love life, and orientation, of Andrei Danilko, aka Verka Serdyuchka, is much more mysterious.

"Something happens about once a month, but I'm happier on my own," he commented obliquely in OK! magazine last month. The intriguing interview also revealed that the reclusive comedian grew up in a house without a bathroom and never takes off his baseball cap.

Far more predictably, newspapers have been reporting on a conspiracy against Serdyuchka after she possibly sang "Russia Goodbye" at Eurovision.

Various reports have said that she was disinvited to festivals in Sochi and Latvia and edited out of a concert shown on Channel One -- which happens to broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest.

It's all rather baffling. In an interview with Moskovsky Komsomolets on Wednesday, Danilko was noncommital, saying dismissively that "Russian television shows are reporting on an alleged ban on my concerts" but going on to hint at a negative attitude from "people from a certain channel."

Read full article here

Anna Vissi not to open George Michael's Athens concert

oikotimes.com reports:

On of the top events in Greece this year will be the concert of George Michael in Athens in two weeks. One of the most valid magazines in Greece Downtown published the information that Anna Vissi will open the concert of George Michael as supporting act. Oikotimes.com partner site www.loveradio.gr informs its readers that the news are false.

Anna Vissi is currently recording her new CD album and travels between Greek cities and United States as she has a house in New York including a restaurant. The George Michael Athens concert will take place on July 25th at the OAKA complex, next to the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest venue.

Dulce Pontes & José Carreras in the New Seven Wonders - VIDEO

from oikotimes.com


Last Saturday, 07-07-07, Lisbon received the New Seven Wonders show. The Portuguese Eurovision entry in 1991, Dulce Pontes, joined the stage with the Spanish tenor José Carreras to perform the hymn for the seven wonders. The song, produced and created by the Portuguese singer, is titled “One world”.

Switzerland & Greece selected their entries

oikotimes.com reports:

The national selection for the Eurovision Dance seem to continue.

The national broadcasters though seem not to make anything to introduce the national selection and entrants to the regional viewers.

Accidentally we learn today that Switzerland and Greece have decided on their participants. The European Broadcasting Union and BBC have launched no website to help the press and fans to get an idea on the contest. The line up at the moment for the first EDC edition is looking like that:

Current selectes participants:

Austria: Andy & Kelly Kainz

Germany: Wolke Hegenbarth & Allan Frank

Greece: Ourania Kolliou & Spiros Pavlidis

Ireland: Mick Donegan & Nicola Byrne

Poland: Katarzyna Cichopek & Marcin Hakiel

Portugal: Sonia Araujo & Ricardo Silva

Spain: Amagoya Benlloch & Abraham Martinez

Sweden: Martin Lidberg & Cecilia Ehrling

Switzerland: Denise Biellmann & Sven Ninnemann

Ukraine: Ilya Sidorenko & Yuliya Okropiridze

United Kingdom: Brendan Cole & Camilla Dallerup

source:oikotimes.com

picture:BBC

Kate Ryan - Voyage Voyage - VIDEO

from belgovision.com

The new video clip of Kate Ryan has arrived! For the recordings of the video clip of her new single Voyage Voyage, Kate and her director Peter Van Eyndt flew to Marbella in Spain, where they shot at some breathtaking locations. The result of this summery video clip can be watched below.

[UPD]Verka Serdyuchka runs for Parliament

Ukrainians ready for elections, polls say

More than 75 percent of Ukraine’s voters are ready to take part in early parliamentary elections, scheduled for Sept. 30, according to the most recent public opinion polls.

Voter turnout is important for these elections, because for the first time since independence, a minimum voter turnout of 51 percent has been established. Coalition and opposition politicians alike have pointed to the minimum voter turnout as one of the ways the elections can be undermined.

On July 8, the man behind pop icon Verka Serdyuchka announced that he would run for parliament. Andriy Danylko, who placed second in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, announced plans to organize the “Against All” electoral bloc. “Against all” is the very last option on voting ballots, as Ukrainian voters are given the choice to vote for “none of the above.” In the 2006 elections, nearly 1.8 percent voted “against all.”

source:Kyiv Post

[UPD] Delfi.lt reports that Verka Serduchka was not allowed to perform in the recent celebrations in Sochi for the appointment of the Russian city as host for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Mr A. Razin, Verka's manager and the organizer of the concert, told delfi.lt that the owner of the venue where the concert was held refused to have Verka perform on his property.

After Verka's participation in the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest and her controversial Russia Good Bye/Lasha Tumbai chorus line, it is reported that Verka is no longer welcome in many Russian venues,

Russian radio stations have stopped playing her songs and TV shows do not accept her video clips any more.

source:esctoday.com

Guardian Angel for the Next Parliament?

Marija in Belarusian Slavjanski Bazar Festival

Last weekend Marija was a guest at the greatest music festival in Eastern Europe „Slavjanski Bazar“ in Vitebsk in Belarus.

This festival with a long tradition and more then four thousand interpreters and participants is one of the greatest festivals in Europe.

At the invitation of the organizers Marija participated in the night of the grand festival opening.

She sang „Molitva“ live and the domestic audience gave her a standing ovation. Even the Belarus president Alexander Lukaschenko was present there. At the short meeting back stage Marija gave Mr. Lukaschenko her newest CD as a present.

Next evening in the special revue program concerning the Eurovision Song Contest entitled Viva Eurosong Marija appeared as the last singer and the audience stood up.

First she sang „Molitva“ in the Russian language and then she enchanted the audience with the phenomenal interpretation of the song „Nije mi prvi put“, when she went down from the stage to dance with the public.

During Marija’s visit to Vitebsk and Minsk journalists paid their utmost attention to Marija and it was really impressive that media representatives knew all the details on her life and career . Marija is in fact very popular in Belarus.

source: Marija Serifovic Official Website