Tonight the first semi-final of this year's Latvian selection for the Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Riga. Ten acts will perform during tonight's show and five of them will qualify directly to the final to be held on February 26th.

The show

Latvia will select its Eurovision hopeful after two semi finals and one second chance round take place. Five acts will qualify from each of the semi finals directly to the big final to be held on February 26th in Riga. The rest of the participating artists will compete for two additional final spots through a second chance round to be held on February 19th. Twelve acts will fight for the Latvian ticket to the Eurovision Song Contest 2011. The winner will be selected by a combination of televoting and jury's choice.

How to watch

• Live on LTV1 at 20:20 CET (21:20 local time)
• Webcast

Participants

• Girts Zebulins & Flame – Rough enough (Andris Barons, Atis Zviedris)
• D-Family – Daylight (Labveligais Tips, Valdis Cirksts)
• Sabine Berezina – Let me be (Ingars Vilums)
• Dace Upite & Nikolajs Puzikovs – It's not easy (Maris Elksnis, Liga Markova & Dace Upite)
• Candy – Love is like an aeroplane (Gints Stankevics, Guntars Racs)
• Evija Sloka –Don't stop the dance (Maris Sloka & Arturs Palkevics, Guntars Racs)
• Ineta Rudzite & Uldis Timma – Walking on my tiptoes (Andris Riekstins, Kriss Riekstins)
• Pienenu vins – You are (Jurijs Koskins, Evelina Protektore)
• Janis Stibelis – Let it be me (Janis Stibelis)
• Blitze –Hop (Martins Freimanis)

Have your say

You can vote for your favourite act in the first Latvian semifinal here.

LIVE

Song1. Blitze –Hop

Hop is a typical pop radio track which may not fit the style of the Eurovision Song Contest. The guys receive a warm feed-back from the audience. The vocal perofrmance is interesting enough and this should qualify for the final. Martins Freimanis is the composer of this melody which features a very contemporany orchestration.

Song 2. Dace Upite & Nikolajs Puzikovs–It's not easy

Another duo take the stage as Dace and Nikolajs perform a well-written mid-tempo pop song featuring a sympho touch especially created by the usage of the violins towards the end of the melody. They should really re-work the ending of this song as it sounds unnatural and it becomes obvious that it's a cut version of the original composition.

The lyrics are reminding us of a typical pop song about love that lacks some originality. Would this poppy number convince the Latvians that it should qualify for the final?

Song 3. D-Family – Daylight

D-Family perform a disco song which has the Melodifestivalen flavour packed in the routine. This type of duos were succesful in the recent history of Europe's favourite show. Although the vocal performance is decent, the song seems to be lacking something in order to sound as impressive as it should.

Song 4. Ineta Rudzite & Uldis Timma – Walking on my tiptoes

Walking on my tiptoes sounds like a jazzy christmas carol in May which should be played in the pubs during the Christmas time. The vocals are weak and seems to be going nowhere. Thumbs up for the nice piano orchestration though.

Song 5. Sabine Berezina – Let me be

Sabine is next on stage and she is singing one of the most beautiful ballads of tonight's show. Let me be is a contemporany pop ballad which features a nice acoustic guitars ensamble. The live vocal performance sounds as good as the recorded one on the CD. This is one of the best performed songs of the evening and it should qualify for the final.

Song 6. Pienenu Vins – You are

Dandelion Wine perform one of the few up-tempo songs of tonight's show. You are is an up-tempo pop song with disco influences which features a interesting and catchy chorus. The repetition of the title all over the song creates a impressive reaction of the listening public. Although this is one of the strongest acts, the group should re-work the ending of the song which is a little bit uninspired.

Song 7. Evija Sloka –Don't stop the dance

Don't stop the dance by Evija seems to be a bad rip-off of the 2002 Eurovision winner Marie N's hit I feel good. This song lacks originality and although it's well-written and performed, it sounds like a medley of popular pop songs over the years.

Song 8. Janis Stibelis – Let it be me

Let it be me is a nicely performed mid-tempo song that sounds as a poppy version of a Modern Talking melody. It reminds us of a famous Australian song by The Cat Empire. Actually, it sounds as a rip-off of the above mentioned song. The ending features a beautiful piano orchestration that sounds as not being a part of this composition.

Song 9. Flame – Rough enough

Rough enough is a mid-tempo song which reminds us of a typical American radio track. The lyrics are written in a very contemporany style involving direct speaking to the audience. Although the vocal performance needs some work, this is one of the most interactive performances of tonight's show. If we compare it to the past entries in the Eurovision Song Contest, this acts seems to be somehow inspired by Greenjolly's rendition of Razom nas bahato. Would this performance gather more points than the 2005 Ukrainian representative at the Eurovision Song Contest?

Song 10. Candy – Love is like an aeroplane

Candy gets on stage and performs a radio friendly contemporany mid-tempo song. Love is like an aeroplane is the title of this routine which seems to be inspired by the UK entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 2007. The vocal performance is strong and it's contrasting with the rest of tonight's renditions. This concludes tonight's performances.

Results

To the final :

• Blitze –Hop (Martins Freimanis)
• Pienenu vins – You are (Jurijs Koskins, Evelina Protektore)
• Evija Sloka –Don't stop the dance (Maris Sloka & Arturs Palkevics, Guntars Racs)
• D-Family – Daylight (Labveligais Tips, Valdis Cirksts)
• Janis Stibelis – Let it be me (Janis Stibelis)