Follow ESC and other musical news in Latvian language.

Muzikas zinas

Следите за новостями Евровидения и музыки на латышском языке.

As requested more news on Tatu participation were added to Russia page. Also there are 4 new lines in lyrics and some slight changes - check it there with official English translation

You can download official lyrics of all 2003 songs in original, English and French language in pdf format from EBU site

Oleksandr Ponomaryov will be assisted by Snake-man on stage - more - Ukraine page

Вы можете скачать официальные тексты песен на языке оригинала, английском и французском в pdf формате с сайта ЕВС

Александру Пономареву на сцене будет помогать Человек-змея - подробней - стр. Украины

Read articles of "Molodezh Estonii" newspaper introducing ESC 2003 participants. Links in Ekspres column (in Russian only)

I have to excuse for not updating site in a three weeks because of crush of my computer. Now will be back and guide you through the rest of Euroseason.

Everytime new information on new participants in ESC 2004 is appearing, latest rumoured countries are Luxembourg, Andorra and Bulgaria.

Unofficial site of support of Polish entry, developed by eurowizja.com owners is online.

And as usual another bunch of rumours connected with tatu participation - posing nude on new album's cover, wedding in case of Eurovision victory etc. Real thing is - UK concerts were cancelled due to the lack of interest...

Открыт неофициальный сайт поддержки польской песни, разработанный создателями eurowizja.com

Ну и стандартно новые слухи о группе Тату - появление обнаженными на обложке нового альбома, торжественная свадьба в случае победы и т.д. Реальность одна - отмена концертов в Великобритании из-за незначительного интереса аудитории...

English version of Bosnian entry was issued. It is called "Could it be".
Possibly English duo Jemini will have to change it's name again because of copyright issues?
And finally it is announced that postcards will be filmed during euroweek, cause they will feature artists.

"We know nothing about the rules of the contest", told producer of Tatu Ivan Shapovalov not so long ago. Seems management of Tatu is last to learn every news connected with participation of band in the contest. Recently Mr. Shapovalov claimed that he hasn't received EBU warnings about possible disqualification. So pity. It is not so easy to participate not knowing rules. For example duet is preparing some kind of show (it's up to you to believe or not in Bild publication that duet will use rubber vibrators as microphones). But it seems that they intend to present show only on final night. But. In this case band will be disqualified if their performance during final night will be different from rehearsals, or it will get disqualified during rehearsals for non-respect, or... we will see average poor performance.
Also yesterday representative of ORT again announced that he has joker in his pocket - new version of song. Though now this representative looks like joker (or jester) himself everyday shuffling versions of the song. Deadline passed a long time ago. All songs are available on official site, and soon production of official CD will start, and surely no new changes after CD are produced will be allowed. We just hope that new version from ORT will be different from those fans homemade ones available at some Russian Tatu related websites.

EBU officially warned Tatu duet that they should change smutty words in their song or face disqualification. Also group was warned not to snog and drop on stage - as official rules state "The rules say the acts must do nothing to bring the competition into disrepute.” Some broadcaster have already cut some scenes from preview video of the group picturing two girls kissing.

Now you can read our review of preview videos - here
You can watch preview videos online on this link provided by Dutch broadcaster or here by Finnish one. First TV broacast is scheduled for Monday, April 7th on Turkish TRT, it is expected that after it some sites will offer videos for download.
Russia instead of full-scale video preview presented random footage from old Tatu shootings, just adding new song on the background.  For some years in a row Russia lost chance to prepare in time preview video to be broadcasted all across Europe, now there is no even live perforance. In previous years such a mistake costed number of valuable points to Russia.

Finally we've got a chance to listen to euro-russian entry by Tatu. Everyone can built his own opinion now... Temporary links - not by our site 1, 2, 3
Time to start polling. Eurovision-Kazakhstan poll is available on front page and on ratings pages. Webcharts daily review will start in couple of days.

Just in - same person from ORT changed his mind for 4th time announcing that Russian song will be performed in Russian this time. Seems that EBU refused to allow tATu extra time after push from independent mass-media and fans of the contest.

Eurovision-Russia scandals grow - official site of this year   eurovision.tv in it's article reproduced all scandals and doubts connected with Tatu participation, you can check it here.
Another famous site ::doteurovision:: printed article which raised new question should EBU give special treatment to famous Russian group despite missing all deadlines. This site confirmed that ORT asked EBU for extra time to prepare English version of the song and film a video. According to our info as on 30th  of March, Russia even didn't submit in time biography of it's representative.
Russia page

Скандалы связанные с Россией на Евровидении продолжаются - официальный сайт eurovision.tv напечатал статью, суммирующую уже известные нам факты, скандалы и вопросы, связанные с участием группы Тату, с ней вы можете ознакомиться здесь.
Другой известный сайт ::doteurovision:: опубликовал статью, поднимающую новый вопрос, должен ли ЕВС относиться по особому пусть даже к очень популярной группе, но пропускающей все сроки. Этот сайт подтвердил тот факт, что ОРТ запросил у ЕВС дополнительное время на запись английской версии песни и сьемки клипа. По нашей информации на 30-е марта ОРТ не подало даже биографию своего представителя.
Страница России

Belgian song was presented. On 7th of April TRT Turkey is scheduled to broadcast previews and Russian song should be there in some variant.
Site Eurovision Jukebox presents videos of National Finals winners, hurry up to grab them.

On Keith Mills' website http://devoted.to/eurovision you can find official gallery of 2003 participants.

Added all missing bios of 2003 participants.
Added page devoted to OGAE (organization of all ESC fans) - in Russian

Tatu to sing in English? ORT refute news already confirmed by their representative and Tatu official site. Full details on Russia page.

Tatu to sing in Russian because they "don't know rules of the contest", but "ORT asked to submit a song" Full details on Russia page.

Very quite period before the start of web-polls, only 2 songs still unheard - Belgium and Russia.
The same time 2 new versions were presented - new of Malta and English of Iceland.

The 4th edition of the National Finals Song Contest, NFSC 2003 is open. Contest is run by Eurovision - Madrid website.
It is a fan contest, where all songs from preselections that don't make it to the final ESC compete. All songs are divided into a number of groups (12 in the previous editions) and registered juries vote for each group in the eurovision way. The most voted songs (it depends on every year, normally 6 or 7) progress to the semifinals. Then, the same ... everybody votes in the semifinals, and the top 8 (if there are 3 semifinals) progress to the final. And finally, there is the voting of the final, where all juries decide the winner of NFSC 2003. The past editions were won by Magazin (2000), Ebonique (2001) and Karmen Stavec (2002).

Anyone who wants to take part as jurie in the NFSC can do it. The only thing they need to do is to register in the website (there is a special registration form) and with the password that they will be given, start to vote when the first round opens. 

4-й Конкурс Песен Национальных Финалов открыт. Конкурс проводится  сайтом Eurovision - Madrid.

В этом конкурсе соревнуются все песни национальных отборов не прошедшие в финал Евровидения. Все песни делятся на группы и зарегистрированные члены жюри голосуют за них в стиле евровидения. Песни занявшие первые места проходят в следующий этап. Там также песни делятся на полуфиналы, и лучшие песни проходят в финал, где все члены жюри выбирают лучшую песню NFSC 2003. На прошлых конкурсах побеждали Магазин (2000), Эбоник (2001) и Кармен Ставеч (2002).

Каждый может стать членом жюри этого конкурса. Для этого только надо зарегистрироваться на его вебсайте и получить пароль.

A new column is online - reviews of past Eurovision Song Contests, by our expert - Anton Kulakov. Right now coulumn is available only in Russian. History page (in English), reviews (in Russian)

While t.A.T.u. still continue giving interviews (this time trying to seduce for spontanneous sex famous Udo Jurgens) Ukranian song is available online. Two to go.

Part of Croatian entry (allegedly last refrain) will be performed in English.

Andorra postpone it's particiption in ESC, other countries are ready to start in 2004.

Часть хорватской песни (скорее всего последний припев) будет исполнена на английском.

Андорра отложила свое участие в конкурсе Евровидение, остальные страны пока готовятся стартовать.

Lou answers Tatu. Full translation of interview on Russia page.
On the same question - are persons like this good ambassadors for modern Russia? Lou answered "I don't know whether bitching, fighting and boozing kids are the right representatives for such a beautiful country as Russia."

t.A.T.u will represent Russia with "Ne ver', ne boisya".(Don't believe, don't be afraid). Composer of song is American Mars Lasar and lyricist - Valeri Polienko, person behind all t.A.T.u. hit singles. It is well known that this person split with group with huge scandal and bringing an action against manager of the group, asking for 500 thousands $ for usage his lyrics in t.A.T.u album.
According to our sources at the contest song will be performed in English, which will give the chance to completely rewrite lyrics and prevent another legal case. It seems that Russian variant of song was announced as band was completely missing deadline with entry submission.
Yesterday vocalists of scandalous duo gave such a scandalous interview to the newspaper Bild, (full English translation on Russia page) where they absolutely shamelessly claimed that no one but them will be winners of ESC 2003 and abused German singer Lou, calling her old hag, adding that in Russia they take care of old and blind persons, not sending them to ESC.
The interview ends with a question that we want to ask all of you - are persons like this good ambassadors for modern Russia?

Changes in LTV productional stuff. Executive producer Arvids Babris has been dismissed and 0replaced in his post by Brigita Rozenbrika. More about  LTV crisis in this ::doteurovision:: article.

Winner of Russian preselection is expected to be announced in next couple of days. But from sources close to Channel One management we already know that no candidates exept scandalous duet t.A.T.u. have been taken into consideration... Russia page for complete review.

Austria chose it's representative - comedian Alf Poier with Wiel der Mensch zahlt. More - Austria page.

It was announced that Slovenian song will be performed in English as Nanana, and Icelandic one too as Open Your Heart.

Croatian public by televoting selected that song will be performed in Croatian in final. 10926 votes were given for Croatian version and 5678 for English one.

Alex Panayi (Cyprus 1995, 2000) will be in backing team for Mando.

Выложена очередная часть нашей EKspertyz'ы (новые 9 песен)

Победитель шоу Фабрика Славы Магнус Бэклунд вместе с другой участницей того же шоу Джессикой Андерсон одержали победу в шведском отборе. Подробнее- стр. Швеции.

Австрия выбрала своего представителя. Им стал комедиант Альф Пойер. Подробности - на странице Австрии.

Объявленно, что словенская песня будет исполнена на английском языке, под названием Nanana, а исландская под названием Open Your Heart.

Хорватская публика с помощью телеголосования определила, что песня Клаудии будет исполнена на хорватском. 10926 голосов было оттдано за этот вариант, английская версия получила лишь 5678 голосов.

Алекс Панайи (Кипр 1995, 2000) будет в числе бэк-вокалистов греческой певицы Мандо.

News from Ukraine, confirmed on singer's website, are that song for Alexander Ponomariov is written by famous Israeli composer Svika Pick, and it is called Hasta La Vista. Svika was also behind ESC entries by Dana int and Sarit Hadad.

Paula Jones, ESC 1995, comes as a replacement singer for Tina Walter, she'll sing backing vocals in the group Substitute performing Girls Of Summer.

Пола Джонс, участница конкурса Евровидение 1995, примет  участие в национальном отборе 2003. Заменив Тину Уолтер, она исполнит бэк-вокал в группе Substitute с песней Girls Of Summer.

Claudia Beni won Croatian Dora with Vise Nisam Tvoja. Croatia page

Mickey Harte with We've Got The World Tonight will represent Ireland. Irish page.

The Viewer's Choice bring two more acts to Swedish final. More - Sweden page.

Микки Харт будет представлять Ирландию с песней We've Got The World Tonight. Страница Ирландии.

Выбраны последние шведские финалисты. Подробнее- стр. Швеции.

Turkish song had been presented

All Croatian finalists chosen. Croatia page

Last semi-final of Swedish preselection took place. More - Sweden page.

Избраны все хорватские финалисты. Страница Хорватии

Прошел последний шведский полуфинал Подробнее- стр. Швеции.

Added - a lot of bios of contestants, lyrics of songs and by special request - Russian translations of all lyrics, on separate page

New date is set for announcement of Russian preselection winner. It is March, 20. May be famous group/duet/singer (we are not authorised to name it yet) had no time to record their song? Pity...
Official version told to us is that there is a huge interest of Russian show-biz and Channel One received large number of submissions. But from other sources in Ch.One musical department we know that number of entries is lower than in 2002.

It is official - Louisa Bailechel with Monts et Merveilles for France. France page

We're cursed. Ralph Siegel again. Lou with Let's get happy for Germany. Germany page

Half of Croatian finalists selected. Croatia page

Это какое-то проклятие. Снова Ральф Зигель. Лу с песней Let's get happy побеждает в Германии. Страница Германии

Избрана половина хорватских финалистов. Страница Хорватии

Winner of Russian preselection is expected to be announced in next couple of days. But now there are very strong rumours in the air that winner of preselection is already known. Is it so? Let's hope for better, cause it's well-known that key to the success is not brand of the group, but good song combined with excellent live performance. What image, face, will Russia choose for this year? Soon in exclusive material on our site.

Older news are now put into archive.

Part 6 (01.02-05.03) - here

Part 5 (18.12.02 - 30.01.03) - here

Part 4 (16.11 - 17.12) - here (includes drawing ceremony)

Part 3 (07.10 - 15.11)- here

Part 2 (17.09 - 06.10) of it is here.

Part 1 (prior to 17.09) - here.

Более старые новости отправлены в архив.

Часть 6 (01.02-05.03) - здесь

Часть 5 (18.12.02 - 30.01.03) - здесь

Часть 4 (16.11-17.12) - здесь (включая жеребьевку)

Часть 3 (07.10 - 15.11) - здесь.

Часть 2 (17.09 - 06.10) - здесь.

Часть 1 (до 17.09) - здесь.