LAME PENG, or, Eurovisionwatch 2008 it begins!

[anatol-merklich.livejournal.com]

"U r mad it is far too early" you say. "NO" I say, "because

1) Albania has made its selection, "Zemrën lamë peng" sung by Olta Boka!

2) Andorra has made its selection, "Casanova" sung by Gisela! (1 min vidless clip.)

(As far as I know, it is a coincidence that these are alphabetically the first countries participating. I also somehow suspect neither may trouble the very top reaches.)

3) Moldova is the site of this next year's first controversy, with Alexandru Bognibov's entry about his love for 13 year old girls. Unsurprisingly, it was thrown out before the final. For the real nutters, all 27 songs can be heard here; finalists are nos 1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 15, 18, 21, 23 and 25. (ie no 4 was robbed!!)

4) And finally, back here in Norway someone seems to have understood that step 1 towards breaking the Eastern dominance is not to gripe about internal voting, but to get people with at least some previous success of writing that (Reasonably) Young People's Pop Music to take part. So, this year, we have writers and composers such as
-- Fred Ball aka Pleasure (Bertine Zetlitz' Rollerskating, Brett Anderson's solo album, Justine Frischmann etc), writing with Hannah Robinson (Annie's "Chewing Gum" and "Me Plus One", a couple of R Stevens tracks)!
-- Christian Ingebrigtsen, cowriter of ONE and cosinger of TWO future Popular entries by A One Band, writing with erm Eivind Rølles of Geir H favourites The Monroes!
-- PK Ottestad of Robbie Williams' "Come Undone", writing with someone I've never heard of!
-- Pop Open Round 1 group winner Mira Craig!"

"Botherd!" you may reply. But you don't have to.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

PLEASURE! That's so exciting. "Uptown" off his album would have walked Eurovision. Bertine should sing!