Heads of delegation meeting in Belgrade

The Heads of the Delegations of 43 countries participating in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest will meet in Belgrade, on 17-18 March.



During the meeting, the Host Broadcaster will present its plans and prepare the heads of delegations for the upcoming contest. The draw for the starting order of the participants willl take place at the Sava Centre on Monday, 17 March. At the end of January, it was decided by a draw which countries will compete in Semifinal 1 and Semifinal 2.

FIRST SEMIFINAL:
Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, San Marino and Slovenia. Ten countries will qualify for the Final.

SECOND SEMIFINAL:
Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, FYR Macedonia, Georgia, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine. Ten countries will qualify for the Final

FINAL:France, Germany, Serbia, Spain and the United Kingdom.

The draw for the starting order will be broadcast live on RTS and through the official 2008 Eurovision Song Contest website eurovision.tv

source:RTS

later edit: The Cypriot Broadcasting Corporation will broadcast live the draw from Sava Center in Belgrade.

source:esctime.com

Serbia:Jelena Tomasevic with Oro

Jelena Tomasevic will represent the host country at this year's Eurovision Song Contest with the song Oro.

The composer of her song is Zeljko Joksimovic, who is also one of this year's hosts and has represented Serbia and Montenegro in 2004 and composed the Bosnian entry in the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest.



source:esctoday.com

Mi Odio represents San Marino!

Eurovision.tv can exclusively report that the group Mi Odio, which means "I hate myself", will be the first ever representative of San Marino at this year's Eurovision Song Contest. The group will sing the song Complice, which is in Italian language.

The song and group that will represent San Marino in Belgrade has been selected internally, after artists, composers and song writers were openly invited to submit their entries.

The group Mi Odio consists of three Italian members and two San Marinese. "Complice is a fresh, young and original song," the head of the jury said to Eurovision.tv.

Here is a sample of the song "Complice"



source: eurovision.tv;youtube.com

Russia:Dima's winning moments at Russian National Final 2008 -video

Watch Dima Bilan's winning moments at Russian national final. As the results were announced and Bilan was called on stage, the singer was crying not making it to the stage immediately.

Russia:Dima Bilan again to Eurovision

Dima Bilan won last night the Russian national final having gathered maximum points from the jury and from the televoting. He sang a song produced by Timbaland titled Believe.


As the results were announced and Bilan was called on stage, the singer was crying not making it to the stage immediately. Eventually, through tears of joy, he performed once again his entry. Maria Serifovic, the last year's winner, handed the prize certificate which states the right to represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade.

Dima Bilan - Believe


SEE ALSO: Dima's winning moments at Russian National Final - video

Lyrics:
Even when the thunder and storm begins
I'll be standing stong like a tree in the wind
Nothing is gonna move this mountain
or change my direction

I'm falling off the sky
And I'm all alone
The courage that's inside is gonna break my fall
Nothing is gonna dim my light within

But if I keep going on
It will never be impossible
Not today...

Cause I got something to believe in
As long as I'm breathing
There is not a limit to what I can dream
Cause I got something to believe in
Mission to keep climbing
Nothing else can stop me if I just believe
And I believe in me

Even when the world tries to pull me down
Tell me that I can try to turn me around
I won't let them put my fire out without no
But if I keep going on
It will never be impossible...
Not today...

I can do it all,
Open every door
Turn unthinkable to reality
You see
I can do it all and more!

Believing... as long as I'm breathing
There is not a limit to what I can dream
Believing... mission to keep climbing
Nothing else can stop me if I just believe
And I believe in me

Greece: First interview of Kalomoira after NF

Kalomoira at Alter.tv

Rusia: Dima Bilan - Believing - audio

Dima Bilan's entry in this year's Russian final is called Believing and it has been arranged by Timbaland.



Listen "Believing"




source