Andorra: 3 finalists announced

by roel 429 views

Andorran broadcaster ATV has announced the finalists of Eurocàsting, the program in which the Andorran representative for the Eurovision Song Contest will be selected. Among the three finalists are the two singers of Bis a Bis, who were defeated by Marta Roure in last year's Andorran final 12 Punts.

The next three finalists have been selected to proceed in the contest in which the Andorran singer for the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 will be selected:

� Isthar Ruiz
� Mar Capdevila
� Marie Ann van de Wal

The three girls were left after 13 other singers had been voted off in the second round of Eurocàsting. 7500 SMS votes and a professional jury selected the three finalists.

Isthar Ruiz (24) and Mar Capdevila (30) are no strangers to the contest. Last year they formed the duo Bis a Bis, which reached the final of the Andorran Eurovision Song Contest selection show 12 Punts in which they were defeated by Marta Roure. The two singers recently ended their professional cooperation as a duo and lost their oportunity to produce a CD as Bis a Bis.

Marie Ann van de Wal (34), born in the Netherlands, saw for the surprise as she was selected as third finalist of Eurocàsting. Laura Rodriguez will be the reserve candidate.

David Micó, one of the Andorran jury members, thinks it is a great opportunity for Isthar and Mar to sing alone, because both of them are great singers. Being in the final of last year's 12 Punts has helped them to improve their singing qualities. Micó described Marie Ann van de Wal as a singer with a powerfull and technically perfect voice.

The Andorran representative will be selected on 18th December in an special show on ATV. The show will take place in the Andorra la Vella Congresses Center and will be hosted by Meri Picart and Josep Lluis Trabal. The three finalists will each sing two songs: a ballad and a pop song.

The last phase of the selection procedure is the selection of a song, which will take place 22nd January. The selected representative for Andorra will then sing 3 songs in Catalan. A professional jury and SMS voting will decide which song will be sent to the Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev.

Special thanks to our correspondent in Andorra.