Angelica Agurbash and the biggest promotional tour by a Eurovision Song Contest participant in history finally reached the stage in Kyiv, by way of a giant 8-metre stretched limousine. After touring 26, yes, 26 countries, Angelica and some highly over-active backing dancers rehearsed for the first time this afternoon, and the reaction was pretty much positive from everyone.
Angelica�s sound check was a little quiet, with the backing track perhaps needing to be a little louder, and the same with the backing singers. Choosing to use this rehearsal to check one of her potential outfits, Angelica stood on stage dressed in a giant golden cape that appears at first to be a dustbin bag, but is in fact one of the most expensive and intricately designed cloaks in the contest � which is ripped off approximately 20 seconds into the performance, bringing back memories of Linda Wagemakers� outfit when she appeared in the 2000 Eurovision Song Contest. The outfit underneath reveals a New York City styled fashion queen in a luncheon outfit.
The choreography for this act has to be one of the most intricate and intriguing for several years. The new routine will certainly keep the audience focussed, with three strapping dancers skidding onto the stage, frog hopping on their bellies and jumping into an up-tempo, fast moving mix of modern disco and Tolstoy Ballet.
The first run-through went well, and the second was used to perfect the camera work, and by the third run, the production was well synchronised with the performance. There is plenty of colour and the camera works both the stage, and with bursts of lighting, brings the audience into play nicely. A final run through was recorded for the viewing room.
The Press Conference
Angelica opened the press conference, mentioning that this was the first rehearsal and the first time she has presented the song in Kyiv, and that she was overcome with feeling and very happy to represent her beautiful country of Belarus. She said that she hoped the journalists enjoy the festival and that she would enjoy her time here. The Eurovision Song Contest is a great opportunity for an artist to broaden horizons, not just at home but across borders and the world�.
Angelica�s promoter then gave a brief biography of the singer, stating that she is a well established artist and actress in Russia and her native country, with 12 albums to her name already. She has participated in the National finals in Russia and Belarus in 1995, 2001 and 2004, coming third each time.
Asked about what she would do after the Eurovision Song Contest, having done so much already, Angelica announced some news: It all depends on the results here, and my dream is to win the Eurovision Song Contest. If not, I already have an offer from an international record label to record my first English album, and this is thanks to participation in the Contest. So afterwards, I will go to London and record it at the Abbey Road Studios�. These are the studios made famous by The Beatles and have been used to record some of the most successful albums ever made. Angelica went on to say that I�ve learnt a lot about other countries on my promotional tour, and about their musical tastes. This will help me with the album.
Angelica confirmed that her promotional tour had been funded by both the broadcaster and the Belarusian government, and would not have been possible without her producer. It had been possible to hire many professionals and that the tour was to support her future career plans in Europe.
Angelica talked about the Eurovision Song Contest and what it means to Belarus, saying I really want to win for Belarus because it would open up the doors to Europe. My country is beautiful and so I want many people to know about it and the culture. Belarus can be really competitive on the world�s music scene�. She then sang one of her songs in Belarusian to show how beautiful the language is, to the delight and applause of those present in the hall. She was then asked why she is singing Love me tonight in English, replying that I want as many people as possible to understand what I am singing, beautiful music always wins over language.
Finally, Angelica was questioned about why she changed from the song that won the National final: Boys and Girls was the song I won with, but the rules stated that I had until March 21st to present 3 songs to the jury and public. I did so, and they unanimously chose Love me tonight. Talking about how she met the composer, Nikos Terzis, she said I met Nikos accidentally when I was invited as the Belarus participant to perform at the Greek final . Nikos then carried on the story: The easiest thing for people who love music is to meet each other, even by watching on television. I love the Eurovision Song Contest and when I first met Angelica in Greece, I knew I was coming back again. I knew this song suited her like a glove.
