Countdown to Eurovision 2019!

It's Eurovision season once again! (Seems strange that we're already in May, lol). The 64th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Tel Aviv, Israel, since last year's winner was Netta with Toy. Despite not being in Europe Israel has entered the contest since 1973 because the Israel Broadcasting Authority is a member of the European Broadcasting Union, the company which organises the event. Israel have won Eurovision several times, most recently with Dana International's Diva. (That was 21 years ago now!!). You can watch her performance here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv83u7-mNWQ&list=RDFv83u7-mNWQ&start_radio=1

The UK entry this year is Michael Rice with Bigger than Us. He won Eurovision: You Decide in February. Read more about Michael and the song here: https://eurovision.tv/participant/michael-rice

This is the first of 2 Eurovision themed posts. Today I'll do a round-up of previous posts and updates on some contestants.

In 2017 I did a round-up of previous Eurovision posts up to 2016. You can read that here: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2017/05/eurovision-round-up.html

And here are the posts since then:

Eurovision- Current Faves and Past Contestant Updates (2017): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2017/05/eurovision-faves-and-past-contestant.html

Countdown to Eurovision! (2018): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2018/05/countdown-to-eurovision.html

Selection of Eurovision Songs: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2018/05/selection-of-eurovision-songs.html

 

Former Contestants Update

Arash (2009 Azerbaijani entry)

Arash (who is Iranian Swedish but has Azerbaijani heritage, entered for Azerbaijan in 2009, along with AySel. Their duet Always finished 3rd in the final. Watch their performance here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OEIOS1oUeY

Since Eurovision Arash has released his 3rd album Superman in 2014 and several singles including Temptation, One Day with Helena and Dooset Daram with Helena, the World Cup single Goalie Goalie with Nyusha, Pitbull and Blanco, and One Night in Dubai.

Here's Goalie Goalie:

Listen to Arash's latest single, One Night in Dubai featuring Helena here:
https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2019/04/weekly-music-video_24.html

And for more of his music check out this post:

Tike Tike Kardi song: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2014/06/this-weeks-video-is-tike-tike-kardi-by.html

Want more Azerbaijan at Eurovision? Check out this post to watch their 2017 entry, Dihaj's Skeletons: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2017/05/eurovision-faves-and-past-contestant.html


Hadise (2009 Turkish entry)

Turkish Belgian singer Hadise Açıkgöz  was Turkey's entry with Dum Tek Tek in 2009, finishing 4th. (2009 was one of my favourite years and I have the 2009 official CD!). Her 3rd studio album included Dum Dum Tek as a track.

Hadise has released 4 more albums since then- 2009's Kahraman (Hero in English) which also features Dum Tek Tek, Aşk Kaç Beden Giyer? (What Size Does Love Wear?; 2011), Tavsiye (2014) and Sampiyon (Champion) in 2017. Her singles include Kahraman (there's also an English version of the song called Hero), Aşk Kaç Beden Giyer, Biz Burdayiz, Nerdesin Aşkım?  (Where Are You, My Love?), Prenses, Yaz Gunu (Summer Day), Bu Aralar and Sıfır Tolerans.

Here is Aşk Dediğin, Hadise's latest single. It's from her current album Sampiyon.

For more Hadise visit these posts:

3 Singers I Discovered Through Eurovision: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2012/05/3-singers-i-discovered-through.html

Includes Kahraman https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2013/09/girls-vs-boys-turkish.html

Nerdesin Aşkım? music video: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2014/08/weekly-music-video_7.html

Yaz Günu video: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2015/07/weekly-music-video.html

Video for Visal: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2017/05/weekly-music-video_10.html

Features Hadise's Farkımız Va video: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2018/03/new-turkish-music.html

Includes Sampiyon: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2019/03/turkish-music_30.html

And follow her at these links:

FB page: https://www.facebook.com/Hadise/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hadise/

Turkey haven't entered the contest since 2012 (which is a shame, I liked their songs) but you can find previous entries here:

Every Way That I Can- Sertab Erener (2003's winner): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2012/05/3-singers-i-discovered-through.html

Shake It Up Shekerim- Kenan Doğulu (2007 entry): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSs1XHuFfuQ 

We Could Be The Same- maNga (2010) and Love Me Back- Can Bonomo (2012): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2013/05/eurovision-songs-i-like.html



Dami Im (2016 Australian entry)

Dami Im entered for Australia in 2016 with the song Sound of Silence. It was one of my favourite songs and I voted for it. (Australia competed in Eurovision for the first time in 2015  with Guy Sebastian's Tonight Again which came 5th, after being long term fans of the contest.

While Sound of Silence didn't win, it did very well getting 2nd overall. You can watch Dami's performance here: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2016/05/current-eurovision-acts-nostalgia.html

In the past couple of years Dami has brought out the singles Fighting for Love, Hold Me In Your Arms featuring Jack Jones and also made a guest appearance of a performance of Grease: the Arena Experience. She released her 5th album I Hear a Song in March 2018 and it got to No. 3 in the ARIA album charts. Her latest release is the EP Dami I'm Live Sessions which came out in January. She's currently on the Dreamer tour in Australia.

In 2017 I featured Dami's single Fighting for Love in my Current Faves and Past Contestants post: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2017/05/eurovision-faves-and-past-contestant.html

Here is Dreamer, a song from the new live EP:  

Keep up with Dami at these links:

Official site: https://www.damiim.com/

Official FB: https://www.facebook.com/damiandmusic/ 

Fan of Australia in Eurovision? Watch their 2017 entry, Isaiah's Don't Come Easy: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2017/05/eurovision-faves-and-past-contestant.html


Joci Pápai (2017 Hungarian entry)

Hungary's entry two years ago was Joci Pápai with the song Origo. He has Romani heritage and was the first gypsy to represent the country. He came 8th. You can see his performance in the Final in this post: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2018/05/selection-of-eurovision-songs.html

Joci has released several songs in the past couple of years, including "Özönvíz and Távol. And he is representing Hungary once again this year! His entry is Az én apám (My Father) and is a tribute to his father and his roots, and also about the importance of family.

For more on Joci's 2019 entry visit the official Eurovision site: https://eurovision.tv/participant/joci-papai-2019

Hungary fan? Check out 2014's entry, Running by András Kállay- Saunders: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2014/05/eurovision-past-and-present.html


Jessica Mauboy (2018 Australian entry)

Popular singer Jessica Mauboy was last year's Australian entry singing We Got Love. She also previously performed in the interval at the 2014 second Semi-Final. Visit the 2018 Selection of Eurovision Songs post to watch her performance in the 2nd Semi-Final: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2018/05/selection-of-eurovision-songs.html

We got Love finished in 20th place in the Final.

Jessica's latest single is Sunday which was released at the end of April  and is from her upcoming new album.

For more news on Jessica visit these links:

Official site: https://www.jessicamauboy.com.au/

Official FB: https://www.facebook.com/jessicamauboy/

The 1st and 2nd Semi-Finals will be on Tuesday 14th and Thursday 16th May, 8pm GMT/9pm CEST, and the Grand Final will be on Saturday 18th. The semi-finals will be shown in the UK on BBC Four and the Grand final on BBC1. (According to the BBC website the time of the final is different for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, not sure why!). :)
 
Hope you liked the post! :) Who are you rooting for in Eurovision this year?

For more Eurovision visit visit the official site: https://eurovision.tv/