ESC 2012 - Reviewing the countries beginning with "I"

Iceland sends Greta Salóme and Jónsi with the song "Never Forget" written by Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir.
What can I say here? If you're a regular reader you know the story... :/ I so miss the icelandic version! I have to admit it though, the english chorus is addictive and easy to remember and sing along. But the song lost its magic the moment they translated it. Nothing more to say here. Just that Iceland has the best preview video of 2012. Oh yes! I gave 10pts to the original version.
Iceland competes in the 1st semi-final with running order #3.

7pts from me and good luck to Iceland!

Ireland sends Jedward with the song "Waterline" written by Nick Jarl and Sharon Vaughn.
"Lipstick" was my guilty pleasure last year. This year, I don't even see them in the final (yeah I wish!). Ok they'll make it to the final but they'll do worse than last year. Anyway to comment the song, I don't like it. I find it below the average and their choreography is almost identical to last year's. Can't they do anything else apart from jumping around?
Ireland competes in the 1st semi-final with running order #18.

1pt from me and good luck to Ireland!

Israel sends Izabo with the song "Time" written by Ran Shem Tov and Shiri Hadar.

I would give anything to send Maya Buskila's "Ahava Acheret"! Anything! Don't get me wrong. I like "Time" a lot! But this year Maya had a top 3 song! But we can't do anything now. As I said I like "Time". It's something totally different this year and I like that Israel sends Izabo. I love the music of the song! It's so great! Israel is my dark horse this year.

Israel competes in the 1st semi-final with running order #10.

8pts from me and good luck to Israel! 

Italy sends Nina Zilli with the song "L'Amore È Femmina (Out Of Love)" written by Kristoffer Sjokvist, Charlie Mason, Frida Molander, Nina Zilli and Christian Rabb.
Another song ruined by the english language! Imo anyway. English is my favourite language but when it comes to eurosongs I prefere the original versions. The plus here is that they keep some parts in italian and that's good. I love the song! (the original version) I'm probably one of the very few that prefer this over "Per Sempre". I find "Per Sempre" really forgettable and indifferent. 10pts to the original version of "L'Amore È Femmina"!
Italy competes in the final with running order #10.

7pts from me and good luck to Italy! 

EDIT: I feel quite embarrassed coz I forgot to review Italy's song! I'm sorry guys! I missed the flag!

ESC 2012 - Iceland: "Mundu Eftir Mér" to be performed in icelandic or english?

I've never done this before. I never cared so much about an ESC entry to be performed in its original language. Since Iceland chose "Mundu Eftir Mér" I wanted it to be sung in icelandic in May. I added Gréta on my facebook friends list and I was thinking of asking her to keep the song in icelandic. Today I saw a post on her wall from one of my fb friends asking her the same thing. I commented on that agreeing with what she wrote and we started a conversation about keeping the songs in the original languages and how english almost always destroy the songs. Gréta replied. I will quote her reply (hope that's fine... :S)

We have to think of it this way; in Eurovision 90% of the people who watch and vote have not heard the songs before. So they don´t have a language preference for each and every song. English appeals to so many more people than any other native language. It ensures that the majority of the people who watch understand what we´re singing about. Mundu eftir mér tells a story and if English is a better tool to deliver that story than of course we will use English.....but only if it´s a BETTER tool. That is if it "sings" better. We are working on English lyrics but no decisions have been made on whether we use them or not. We do however have to give it a shot in order to deliver our story. The "nordic" elements are in the music arrangement and I´m trying my very best to enhance those elements. I´m so grateful that you guys have strong opinions about my song and that you like it. It makes this all worth while. I just hope that you will give the English lyrics the same chance I will. Thanks again!

 My reply

But you know, if you have a winning song (which I believe you do) then lyrics doesn't matter. I mean look at Serbia 2007! Of course if we look at the winners of the '00s only one winning song was performed in a native language but that's because everyone sends their songs in english.

I really hope you think about it a LOT! Mundu eftir mér is a song that will ONLY work in icelandic!! You don't have to understand the lyrics in order to get CHILLS from a song. I only understand a couple of words and I still get the chills every time I hear it. It's the music, it's the atmosphere you got on stage guys!

Just for a change Iceland! Send the song in your language! After all, that's what Eurovision is about! Showing to the rest of Europe YOUR country, YOUR culture, YOUR language!

Best of luck! ♥

Now I totally believe what I say! And I'm not the only one. There are eurofans out there who have great arguments on that. Try for instance esctodayforum.com! I'm listening to "Mundu Eftir Mér" while I'm blogging. It's amazing! It's a feeling that there's absolutely no way you can get if you hear it in english. Of course you can say "how do you know that? you haven't even listened to the english version!". Well no! But it's not a pop song. It's an ethnic song! It's an ICELANDIC song! The music, the atmosphere on stage, the language! All these make this song what it is. If you change the language you cut off an important part of the song! If not the most important! This song is meant to be sung in icelandic!!

What about the 90% of people who won't understand the lyrics? SO WHAT? Just go back to the first ESC decades! All the winning songs were performed in the original languages! What about then? Wasn't back then a 90% of people who didn't understand the lyrics? Yeah we had juries back then! Again, SO WHAT? Juries consist of people, right? Those people didn't speak every single european language or did they?

People don't need to understand the lyrics in order to feel the song! This is the magic of music! You need to give them something original! And "Mundu Eftir Mér" is original! I truly believe that it will fail if it's performed in english! I really do! And I am very sad that they want to send this beautiful song in english! :( They have a song that will definitely put them in the top 5 and they're thinking of ruining that chance...

I don't know what else to say! Seriously! Gréta, Jónsi and the entire icelandic delegation need to "take a walk" around the ESC forums and see what fans think! Because it's us that vote! I'm one person here but there are A LOT more out there thinking the same.

Just vote on the poll below and let me know what you think about the language. I still have readers right? I check my stats and I see I have views. Now I hope it's not random people who accidentally came here. :P

Anyway, vote please! :)

In which language should Mundu Eftir Mér be performed?

Thank you!

ESC 2012 - Iceland's, Norway's and Hungary's entries

Iceland
So the expected happened. Gréta & Jónsi won with "Mundu Eftir Mér". Ok this grows on me but I still wanted Regina Ósk! :( However I think they made a good choice. I just hope they keep it in icelandic!


Norway
Tooji with "Stay" will represent Norway. This sounds soooo familiar! Nothing much for me. Maybe it will grow on me? I don't think so...


Hungary  
Compact Disco for Hungary with "Sound Of Our Hearts". A bit indiferent... They have a good draw in the semi but I don't know if this will help them.