Since the introduction of the Semi Finals, Romania has been one of the few Eastern European countries that has consistently made it to the Final stage (it also helps that the country has friendly relations with its Balkan neighbors, who shower the country with high points, including Moldova's annual almost-certain douze points). Last year, Romania kept up its streak with Mandinga's Zaleilah (sung in Spanish and English), coming in third in its Semi Final in Baku and finishing twelfth on Final night. This year in Malmo, another English song will compete for Romania. Cezar's It's My Life is reminiscent of Tornero (you can see what I mean by watching the two clips that accompany today's blog entry) and hopes to replicate (and even surpass) the success of the 2006 entry. I'm not particularly overwhelmed by It's My Life, but am fairly confident that it will make the Final for various reasons: It's Ethno-pop electronica (though high in schlock value, very popular with the viewing and voting public); it's sung in a globally recognized music language; and Romania is in a Semi Final with many Balkan and Eastern European neighbors who have given it high marks in the past. Take a look:
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Romania
Last, but not least, of the 33 Semi Final contestants vying for spots in the Finals, is Romania. Debuting at the 1994 Dublin show with Dan Bittman's Dincolo de Nori ("Beyond the Clouds"), the country had a rough start, finishing 21st with 14 points, which led to Romania unable to participate again until 1998 (where the country finished 22nd in Birmingham). In 2002, Romania achieved its first Top Ten finish in Talinn, which it matched in Riga the following year. Romania's first Top Three finish came in Kiev in 2005 with Luminita Anghel & Sistem's Let Me Try, automatically putting the country in the Final the following year in Athens with Mihai Traistariu's Italian/English rendition of Tornero ("I will Return") finishing solidy in fourth place:
Since the introduction of the Semi Finals, Romania has been one of the few Eastern European countries that has consistently made it to the Final stage (it also helps that the country has friendly relations with its Balkan neighbors, who shower the country with high points, including Moldova's annual almost-certain douze points). Last year, Romania kept up its streak with Mandinga's Zaleilah (sung in Spanish and English), coming in third in its Semi Final in Baku and finishing twelfth on Final night. This year in Malmo, another English song will compete for Romania. Cezar's It's My Life is reminiscent of Tornero (you can see what I mean by watching the two clips that accompany today's blog entry) and hopes to replicate (and even surpass) the success of the 2006 entry. I'm not particularly overwhelmed by It's My Life, but am fairly confident that it will make the Final for various reasons: It's Ethno-pop electronica (though high in schlock value, very popular with the viewing and voting public); it's sung in a globally recognized music language; and Romania is in a Semi Final with many Balkan and Eastern European neighbors who have given it high marks in the past. Take a look:
Since the introduction of the Semi Finals, Romania has been one of the few Eastern European countries that has consistently made it to the Final stage (it also helps that the country has friendly relations with its Balkan neighbors, who shower the country with high points, including Moldova's annual almost-certain douze points). Last year, Romania kept up its streak with Mandinga's Zaleilah (sung in Spanish and English), coming in third in its Semi Final in Baku and finishing twelfth on Final night. This year in Malmo, another English song will compete for Romania. Cezar's It's My Life is reminiscent of Tornero (you can see what I mean by watching the two clips that accompany today's blog entry) and hopes to replicate (and even surpass) the success of the 2006 entry. I'm not particularly overwhelmed by It's My Life, but am fairly confident that it will make the Final for various reasons: It's Ethno-pop electronica (though high in schlock value, very popular with the viewing and voting public); it's sung in a globally recognized music language; and Romania is in a Semi Final with many Balkan and Eastern European neighbors who have given it high marks in the past. Take a look:
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Finally: quintessential Eurovision kitsch. 12 points for the falsetto!
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