Ani Lorak at New Wave 2008 Festival - Jurmala

Ani Lorak (ESC 2008) performing "Let's Get Loud" on the New Wave 2008 Festival in Jurmala (Latvia).

Nana Mouskouri bids farewell with Athens concert

Nana Mouskouri has bid adieu to a remarkable half-century in music with a farewell concert in her native Greece at the foot of the Acropolis in Athens.

Fans filled the ancient Odeon of Herodes Atticus on Wednesday evening to hear the 73-year-old songstress -- one of the best-selling recording artists of all time -- perform from her wide repertoire.

Hours earlier, the city of Athens bestowed its gold medal on Mouskouri, who has been on a worldwide farewell tour since she announced her plans to retire three years ago.

Born on the island of Crete, the bespectacled Mouskouri has sold more than 300 million records in French, English, Germany, Greek, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Hebrew and Japanese, her record company Universal says.

She was also engaged in humanitarian work, serving as a UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) ambassador, and served as a Greek member of the European Parliament in the 1990s.


photo: Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP
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Alexander Zhukov to head ESC 2009 organising committee

First Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov will head the organising committee for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009.

"The composition of the organising committee will be approved this or, at the latest, next week," Zhukov said on Wednesday.

He said not even tentative cost estimates for the event had been made yet.
"There are no estimates yet. We have to create the organising committee first," Zhukov said.

On Monday, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said the Eurovision Song Contest would be held in Moscow, taking into account the level of its preparedness, the development of infrastructure and the possibility of minimising the costs.[...]

Moscow authorities said they are ready to organise and hold the Eurovision-2009 song contest in the Russian capital.

Moscow will do it “at the highest level”, an official in the city administration said.

"We have big experience of holding such events. We can do it. We will receive the guests and provide them with transportation and accommodation," he said.[...]

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Helena Paparizou new videoclip: I Kardia sou Petra

Helena Paparizou, the greek winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, has a new videoclip for the song "I Kardia sou Petra"



Related posts:
MAD VMA 2008: Stavento ft Helena Paparizou

MAD VMA 2008: Helena Paparizou - Porta Gia Ton Ourano

The Golden Stag: Foreign participants

27 foreign artists will compete in the Golden Stag 2008 in Brasov, together with 3 Romanian artists, for a total of 30 contestants.


The 3 Romanians will be the winners of the semifinal held on 10th of August in a live show by TVR1.

Among the participants are San Marino's first entrants Miodio, alongside Biondo (Romanian NF 2008) representing Sweden, Crash (Norwegian NF 2007, 2008) representing Norway, Maya (Slovenian NF 2004, 2006 & Irish NF 2008) representing Slovenia and Alexandra & Constantin (Belarusian NF 2004) representing Belarus.

The complete list of foreign participants selected for the competition:

(in alphabetical order)

1. 3Nity – FRANCE

2. Alexa – MOLDOVA

3. Alexander Prosek – GERMANY

4. Alexandra & Constantin – BELARUS

5. Biondo – SWEDEN

6. Biu – CUBA

7. Chen Luhong – CHINA

8. Crash! – NORWAY

9. Deniz – TURKEY

10. Dewi Marpaung – INDONESIA

11. En Yang – CHINA

12. Josefin – SWEDEN

13. Krikka Reggae – ITALY

14. Lena Grach – RUSSIA

15. Maya – SLOVENIA

16. Millenium – MOLDOVA

17. Miodio - SAN MARINO

18. Mudmen – CANADA

19. Nevena – BULGARIA

20. Nicolas Cantoro – ARGENTINA

21. Nicole Jane – UK

22.Priscilla – MALTA

23. Sabine Berezina – LATVIA

24. Sarah Reeve – AUSTRALIA

25. Olia Tira - MOLDOVA *

26. Tami & Nir – ISRAEL

27. Victoria Linskaya – RUSSIA

* SOFIA, the competitor from Greece, retired from this year's edition of the GOLDEN STAG, therefor her place will be taken by OLIA TIRA, from Moldova, as she obtained the higest score from the jury after Sofia in the preselection for the GOLDEN STAG hold on July 16, 2008.

You can listen all the songs HERE

Putin settles it:Moscow will host Eurovision Song Contest 2009

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Monday chose Moscow as the host city for next year's Eurovision Song Contest.

Vladimir Putin made the announcement at a meeting of the Russian inner Cabinet.

Several Russian cities had applied to host the event. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov said the strongest rival bid had come from St. Petersburg.

Zhukov, charged with overseeing preparations for the event, said Moscow's Olimpiysky sports complex would be the likely venue.

Vladimir Putin, a St. Petersburg native, pointed to Moscow's developed infrastructure and the possibility of reducing costs as reasons for the choice.

source

Kostas Martakis at Slaviansky Bazaar Festival

Kostas Martakis (Greece NF 2008) singing Always and Forever, in russian language,at Slavianky Bazaar Music Festival.