Introducing the 2009 entries: Poland

All entries in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest are known, but the actual contest is still six weeks away. As a warm-up, we introduce one of the entries every day in random order. Part sixteen is dedicated to the entry from Poland.

Basic information

The song

I don't wanna leave is a classic pop ballad in English. Through the lyrics, the singer tells that she willend arelationship she is unhappy in although it is very hard for her and she still feels close to her significatn other:

I can’t say the words
I feel inside so deep
Cause when the clouds come out
I feel so incomplete

I don’t wanna leave
But it’s my destiny
I will wrap my arms around the world
You’ll see
That I am not a child
Cause I’m standing taller this time

The singer

Lidida Kopania is not new to the music business. In 2003, she joined the German band Kind of Blue, which had taken part in the 2000 German national final and finished third with Bitter blue, replacing the original lead singer Katrin Holst. With her as a lead singer, the band started releasing recordings in Polish, among them three albums and an EP.

In 2006, Lidia started her solo career with the participation in the TOPTrendyFestival with the song Sleep, which was a success with the critics. Later, she would release a cover version of ABBA's The winner takes it all, a series of other singles andthe two albums Intuicja and Przed switem in 2005 and 2008 respectively. Both records were collaborations with her bandmate Bernd Klimpel.

In 2009, she entered the Polish national final with the song I don't wanna leave, which was co-written by Bernd Klimpel. She won the selection and the single is the first recording by her to reach the Polish charts peaking at number 57 at the moment. More notably, the song also reached the top of the radio charts. The song was presented during the national finals in Latvia and Ukraine.

The national selection

Poland sticked to its formula and held a classic national final with ten acts performing one song each. The winner was chosen by mix of televoting anf jury voting. Lidia Kopania won the televoting and finished second in the jury voting. She could win the national final as the jury favourite Renton was only seen fifth be the televoters.

Poland in the Eurovision Song Contest

Poland has entered the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994 and achieved second place to date, which is still the country's best result in the competition. The only other top ten placing came in 2003. Between 2005 and 2007, Poland was eliminated in the semi finals, which was especially hard in 2005 and 2006, when they finished eleventh two years in a row. In 2008, the country made it to the final again but finished equal 23rd and hence last.

Dużo szczÄ�Å�cia i osiÄ�gniÄ�cie dobrych wyników w Moskwie życzymy Polsce oraz Lidii Kopania!

Videos

Lidia Kopania speaks to esctoday.com:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4Kr4GF2kik&rel=0

Live in the national final:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQNSaqSM3Mc&rel=0

The preview video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1IVlCpDzh8&rel=0

Lidia Kopania's song Sleep:

Pocaluj mnie – the first single by Kind of Blue in Polish:

Other parts of this series

1. France
2. Portugal
3. Romania
4. Denmark
5. Netherlands
6. Cyprus
7. Latvia
8. Ireland
9. Malta
10. Armenia
11. Germany
12. Serbia
13. Belgium
14. Greece
15. Croatia

Tomorrow, we will take a look at the Czech entry.

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