The semi final of Bulgaria's selection for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest is about to take place. 18 songs will be performed and half of them wil move forward to the national final on 23rd February where they will be joined by another three 'wildcard' entries.
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Live coverage with Gil Laufer.
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Good evening Europe! It's the Bulgarian semifinal tonight, orcan wesay – Svetozar Hristov's private National final? Anyway, good luck to all participants!
Dancers are now performing to the song Water, Bulgaria's entry in the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest.
1. Ivailo Kolev – Should've been the one
This is a slow rock song, Ivailo has four backing singers, three are playing the guitars and one the keyboards. The singer appears on stage casually dressed wearing a red-white T-shirt and jeans. Not a spectacular opener, but another 17 entries will follow.
2. Ivelina Kolaksazova – Dance with me
Ivelina has three girls as background dancers, they are dressed in various combinations of purple and black. It is a typical Bulgarian national final song and especially having been performed second it moght not be one of the biggest favourites tonight.
3. Deep Zone & Balthazar – DJ, take me away
This acts did not qualify through televoting and got a wildcard from the jury but is welcomed on stage with a very warm applause. The long intro of the disco/r'n'b song is illustrated by a breackdancer. The vocal performance is definitely better than in the quarter finals. The singer is wearing a black and red dress, a popular combination of oclours in the Eurovision Song Contest. The overall performance could be more impressive but nevertheless this is one of the favourites tonight.
4. Svetozar Hristov – Pandemonium
This song qualified from the December rounds of EuroBGvision and Svetozar receives a very warm applause too. There are five backing dancers/singers sitting on chairs – an Andorra 2006 flashback? They are all dressed in black and a dark atmosphere works well with the song.
5. Di-Do – Full of love
Di-Do has five backing singers, three girls and two boys, all dressed in white, the singer himself is dressed in black. The performance reminds of Karizma last year.
6. Mariya Bachvarova feat. Van – Love is not a game
Very strong beginning, Van is singing into a megaphone. Mariya wears a green dress while Van is dressed in grey pants anda black shirt. There are four backing singers and dancers.
7. Ivan & Stani – You are magic
They were long white shirts and pants, that looks a bit like Serbia and Montenegro in the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest – and they are barefoot. White flags are falling from above, a dramatic visual effect indeed.
8. Svetozar Hristov & Vladi Dimov – Tired soul
The second entry by Svetozar tonight, in the postcard they sing the Queen classic We are the champions. Well, we'll see. There is a special fil effect on the right side of the screen during the performance. Long black coats are wht they decided to wear tonight. Vlad is singing into a megaphone now too…
9. Te & Preslava Peycheva – Taci vezer
Preslava is a very famous singer in Bulgaria, she submitted a song for the Bulgariannational finallast year but she was rejected. The song is very catchy and niceand with a bit of luck and a bit of her fame she could qualify.
We are half way through and now it's time for a short break.
10. Mariyana – Moonlight
This is one of the most popular songs tonight. She wears a black dress with a balck tattoo on her arm and there is only one backing singer that does not really suit the very strong vocal performance of Mariyana. This is one of the entries that are very likely to qualify.
11. Stoian Roianov– Sombero
Stoyan finished 4th in Bulgaria's very first national final back in 2005. His music is of a very special kind – Indian would be the word. There has never been a song like this one in the Eurovision Song Contest before and this could be an advantage.
12. Sunnie – Do you loveme
This is a pop song with ethnic influences. The singer looks a bit frightened although she is not alone in stage – there are three backing singers and two dancers. She wears a blue dress just like her backing singers.
13. Simona Sivanio – Obeshtay mi
Simona wears a black dress and there is talking at the beginning of the song. Remarkably, there is a piano on stage – which nobody plays. Both Song and performance are similar to Draja Švajgars Slovenian entry in the 1999 Eurovision Song Contest, For a thousand years. White flakes are falling from above. Overall, this entry sounds a bit strange at the beginning but gets stronger towards the end.
14. Svetozar Hristov & Magdalena Dzhanavarova – Lonely world
This is probably the most popular song by Svetozar tonight. In the quarter finals, he was a bit out of tune but sounds better tonight. Surprisingly, the dancers are at the front of the stage with the two singers in the background. Overall, more of a dance entry than of a song entry.
15. Katina – Almost perfect
Unexpectedly, this is an up-tempo song with many dancers. They were many different colours and present some kind of a circus theme.
16. Generation – Runnig scared
It's a rock song with a guitarist singer, another guitarist, keyboards and drums. Unfortunately, they are out of tune. Probably not a favourite to qualify for the final.
17. Dani Milev – Svetlinata i mraka
Dani is sitting on a chair playing the guitar. In the background, there are five female violin players who are also sitting down. It's a slow song and it has some Spanish influences. A dancer in a white dress now joins on stage. Dani has a powerful voice.
18. Nikolai Manolov – Po-dobre
He is the favourite tonight. He has qualified from the quarter finals, too, actually from the very first one. The stage is in a very dark atmosphere and his voice fills the hall. There are three backing singers. The audience likes him very much.
We are through with the 18 entries. Noe let's wait for the results.
Prediction:
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Deep Zone & Balthazar – DJ, take me away
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Di-Do – Full of love
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Mariya Bachvarova feat. Van – Love is not a game
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Svetozar Hristov & Vladi Dimov – Tired soul
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Mariayana – Moonlight
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Stoian Roianov& YaYa– Sombero
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Simona Sivanio – Obeshtay mi
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Dani Milev – Svetlinata i mraka
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Nikolai Manolov – Po-dobre
Now, Az znam from the 2007 Bulgarian national final is performed.
The first wildcard entry, Sogno, is no performed. It sounds a bit like the Spanish entry in 2000 but a bit more rockish.
Nevana Tzoneva is the second wildcard entrant. Her song is a piano power ballad.
Desi Dobreva, the final wildcard entrant, performs her song now – it is called Strong. She appears in white with her backing singers in black when she performs her r'n'b song.
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