Live from Düsseldorf, Germany tonight, the second Semi-Final of the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest is expected to take place. Out of the 19 entries, 10 will go forward to the Final of the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest due to a 50/50 decision of tele-voting and national expert juries, the results of which will be added up for each respective country.
The expert juries has already voted during the Second Dress Rehearsal, based on the live performances of the participating artists, but the results have not been disclosed yet. The tele-voting will take place during the live show. TV viewers from the 19 participating countries as well as those from the United Kingdom and Spain will have the opportunity to take part in the voting, with the numbers and details being announced in the live broadcast of the public broadcaster in each country.
After the voting results have been tallied, the countries qualifying for the Final will be announced in random order by opening virtual envelopes.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference ahead of tonight’s show and after rehearsing their Eurovision entry “Watch my Dance” Greece’s own Loucas Yiorcas, Stereo Mike, and the entire Greek delegation expressed their optimism ahead of the contest and said that the Eurovision Song Contest has already been a very educational experience for him: “My favourite music is traditional folk music, but I also like to learn other types of music. This is the gift that I have received from taking part in this contest. Eurovision is like a school for us.”
Watch My Dance involves “a mix of two elements, the oldest folk music in Greek, and the most modern rap and hip hop”. Stereo Mike, a versatile rap artist who is also a Lecturer at the University of Westminster, admitted that this experiment was controversial: “Whenever something is completely new, there's as discussion about whether it will work. Rap has not been represented very much yet in Eurovision, but why not? This is a golden opportunity to deliver a message in rap style.”
The traditional Greek dance element of the song, known as “zeibekiko”, prompts the performer to look within and confront personal emotions. It includes spiritual catharsis and cleansing oneself of the evil inside oneself in order to survive. Survival on the street is also a common theme in rap. Stereo Mike saw the connection and wanted to produce a song that forges a bridge between the two.
The Greek delegation was asked if Greece would be able to host the Eurovision Song Contest next year in the event of victory this year. Loucas replied: “We have some economic problems, but we have a lot of positive energy and we feel that sometimes the energy is more important than the money.”
The Greek delegation was asked if Greece would be able to host the Eurovision Song Contest next year in the event of victory this year. Loucas replied: “We have some economic problems, but we have a lot of positive energy and we feel that sometimes the energy is more important than the money.”
He noted that the Greek delegation was there to participate. “If the audience trusts us, we will be the winner, and organise another contest like the wonderful contest we organized in 2006. ”
Watch the Eurovision Song Contest here live :
Source: http://www.eurovision.tv/
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