Controversial
result from Slovenia - Sestre (=Sisters, pictured left) will
represent Slovenia performing Samo Ljubezen (Only love).
Controversial
result from Slovenia - Sestre (=Sisters, pictured left) will
represent Slovenia performing Samo Ljubezen (Only love).
Sestre are three men in drag who perform under the names Miss Marlena (whose legal name is Tomaz Mihelic), Daphne (Sreco Blas), and Emperatrizz (Damjan Levec). Its reported they will sing it in Slovenian.
Here's the list taken from the Slovene EMA site for the contest on 15 & 16 February. A report & more pictures below.
Some familar faces including Regina, who represented Slovenia
in 1996, and quite a few of these were in last year's excellent
contest. Girl trio Katrinas won a televised contest in
Ljubljana in the summer - maybe somebody can remind me of it's name!.
Karmen Stavec was beaten to the winning post last year by Nusa
Derenda
|
# |
Title |
Music |
Lyrics |
Arrangement |
Artist |
|
1 |
Ocean |
Rok Golob |
Marija Trampuž |
Rok Golob |
Katrinas |
|
2 |
V Ritmu, Ki Me Lovi |
Bor Zuljan |
Leon Oblak |
Bor Zuljan |
Irena Vrckovnik |
|
3 |
Plamen V Temi |
Boštjan Groznik |
Alenka Šmid |
Boštjan Groznik |
Alenka Šmid - Cena |
|
4 |
Zdravilo Sveta |
Bojan Logar |
Branimir Korošec |
Bojan Logar |
Manca & Nordunk |
|
5 |
Mi Paše |
Danilo Kocjanèiè |
Drago Mislej-Mef |
Marino Legoviè |
Monika Pucelj |
|
6 |
Baby Blue |
Gianni Rijavec |
Gianni Rijavec |
Sašo Fajon |
Gianni Rijavec |
|
7 |
Samo Ljubezen |
Robert Pešut |
Barbara Pešut |
Robert Pešut |
Sestre |
|
8 |
Shangri-La |
Sewer Nuhi |
Deja Music |
Sewer Nuhi |
Deja Music |
|
9 |
Oblaki |
Marino Legovic |
Damjana Kenda Hussu |
Marino Legoviè |
Polona |
|
10 |
Ljubezen Daje Moè |
Aleksander Kogoj |
Aleksander Kogoj |
Sašo Fajon |
Regina |
|
11 |
Angelina |
Franci Zabukovec |
Franci Zabukovec |
Franci Zabukovec |
Botri |
|
12 |
Vsako Življenje Gre Svojo Pot |
Karel Novak |
Damjana Golavšek |
Karel Novak, Damjana Golavšek |
Damjana Golavšek |
|
13 |
Pelji Me, Kjer Sem Doma |
Patrik Greblo |
Milan Dekleva |
Patrik Greblo |
Ana Dežman |
|
14 |
Ce Ni Ljubezni |
Matjaž Zupan |
Matjaž Zupan |
Matjaž Zupan |
Anika |
|
15 |
Še In Še |
Martin Štibernik |
Karmen Stavec |
Martin Štibernik |
Karmen Stavec |
|
16 |
Moja Moja |
Andraž Hribar |
Milan Hribar |
Patrik Greblo |
Andraž Hribar |
|
17 |
Slika Brez Pozdrava |
Dare Petriè |
Rok Ferengja, Mišo Radovancevic, Damjan Kuzmijak |
Rok'n'band |
Rok’n’ Band |
|
18 |
Imej Me Vedno S Seboj |
Enzo Hrovatin |
Enzo Hrovatin |
Enzo Hrovatin |
Faraoni |
The
first semi-final was held on February 15th presented by Nusa Derenda
& Darja Svajger. As last year, this semi-final with all 18
songs proved to be the better of the two shows. Nice postcards
between songs, and great little extras from Nusa & Darja made
this unmissable - until telephone votes and expert juries chose 10 of
the 18 for the Saturday 16 February show. A good many of the better
songs went out including those by Regina and the Katrinas
both of which were great.
Misa Molk presented the Saturday show which turned out to be a marathon. We had the 10 songs seperated with clips from performers in recent and future finals. We had words from Britain's Nicki French promising the winner the time of their lives, and from the 2002 Cypriot entrants One, as well as words from Lys Assia from Switzerland, Macedonian TV presenter Milanka Rashic, and Norway's (or is it Sweden's?) Elisabeth Andreasen. We also had the obligatory video welcome from the two Estonian presenters of the up-coming big final. This is the same tape for whichever country it is shown except for a clumsy insert of the country's name.
The
songs were mostly excellent - I say mostly. I thought Manca & Nordunk
was a bit uninteresting, but loved Polona's Oblaki
(Clouds), and Karmen Stavec vowed everyone with pre-show
favourite Še In Še (More and More) with a
wind-machine blowing a gale. Her lively power song had much in common
with last year's Energy. Andraž Hribar had a
terrific blond dancer who made up for weaknesses in the song. The
worst song? - undoubtedly the nonsense that is Samo Ljubezen
from Sestre. Not really terrible, but not good enough here,
but it had the novelty of the drag act. They were all dressed as air
hostesses, with backing male pilots, but one of those was a woman.
Novelty over - this was still trash. But this is where the voting
came in to confound everything.
|
# |
Title |
Performers |
Saturday's Picture |
Televoters, experts, and the studio audience all voted with different weightings, and we then there was a delay, and another delay. Misa looked puzzled, and we had more banter between presenters, and more delay. The on-stage green room began chanting for Karmen, and results eventually came in some 20 minutes late. Sestre had won, but the telephone vote had been massively for Karmen Stavec:
There was an off-camera fight between rival camps as Sestre sang the winning reprise. Meanwhile Karmen Stavec stormed out in tears.
The following night Slovene TV news had a feaure on the controversy, and put up this table of telephone votes.
However there were questions about the telephone voting - the lines had been open some 10 minutes longer than intended, so later in the week Slovene TV disqualified them. This made Karmen Stavec's song not 2nd, but 3rd placed. Questions were raised in the Slovene parliament - meanwhile Sestre were glowing in the limelight. However all is not rosy. Adria Airways have so far refused them loan of an aircraft for filming a video citing unavailability, and then a group of leading Slovenian singers, composers, record label owners, and songwriters wrote an open letter vowing to never again appear at TV Slovenia's Entertainment Program events. Perhaps surprisingly the majority of Eurovision fans usually so vocal at some injustices seem to have let this travesty go almost un-noticed. Basically Karmen Stavec won this contest and was robbed by a crooked system, and a now-discredited show. Pity, otherwise it was great. Make sure to get the CD of all the songs at Its in Slovene, but an e-mail to the guys running the shop will get you help. If you have any news or updates on this country's National selection I'd like to hear about it. E-Mail me, Geoff Harrison, at my contact page |
|
|
1 |
Zdravilo Sveta |
Manca & Nordunk |
|
||
|
2 |
Mi Paše |
Monika Pucelj |
|
||
|
3 |
Samo Ljubezen |
Sestre |
|
||
|
4 |
Oblaki |
Polona |
|
||
|
5 |
Angelina |
Botri |
|
||
|
6 |
Pelji Me, Kjer Sem Doma |
Ana Dežman |
|
||
|
7 |
Še In Še |
Karmen Stavec |
|
||
|
8 |
Moja Moja |
Andraž Hribar |
|
||
|
9 |
Slika Brez Pozdrava |
Rok’n’ Band |
|
||
|
10 |
Imej Me Vedno S Seboj |
Faraoni |
|
