The first semi final of the Maltese national selection for the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest is about to be held. Six acts will compete to be among the top 20 to reach the final.

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The line-up

Composer/Lyricist in brackets.

1. Raquela – Here I am
   (Philip Vella/Gerard James Borg)
   
2. Ally – Curiosity
   (Elton Zarb/Gerard James Borg)
3. Richard Edwards – Change
   (Richard Micallef)
4. Foxy Federation – Fired up
   (Philip Vella/Gerard James Borg)
5. Klinsmann – Her name was Anne
   (Jonathan Spiteri & Klinsmann / Aldo Spiteri)
6. J. Anvil – Mirage
   (Andrew Zahra/Deo Grech)

LIVE

The semi final is about to start. It will be held during the show that is currently on.

This article will be constantly updated.

The semi final has started. Claudette Pace is explaining the voting system before the first act appears on stage.

1. Raquela – Here I am (Philip Vella/Gerard James Borg)

Raquela takes part in the Maltese selection for the second time. She previously finished equal tenth last year with Crossroads. Philip Vella and Gerard James Borg are the most frequentcontributors in Malta. Their songs represented the country in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2007 and 2008.

Raquela's song starts off as a very fragile a capella ballad. The song turns more dramatic and more Eurovision-like as it progresses and could easily fit in a Disney film. The vocals are a bit shaky from time to time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk6wZrFTAh4

2. Ally – Curiosity (Elton Zarb/Gerard James Borg)

Alison Ellul has previously taken part in 1999, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2009. Her ebst result came in 2004 when she finished 5th with Wonderful life.

Ally delivers a confident performance of this electronic-sounding up-tempo song. Curiosity is a catchy entry but it might be a bit too simple and predictable to do well in the Eurovision Song Contest. It probably needs a stronger arrangement to stand a chance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBSdXk2yF9U

3. Richard Edwards – Change (Richard Micallef)

Richard Edwards is the first newcomer tonight. The piano song starts off nicely and even grows as the song proceeds. The vocal performance is strong and the singer delivershis entry in an authentic way. An more rockish arrangement might suit this song very well. However, in general it might be not catchy enough to score well in the Eurovision Song Contest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AdOkxb64tc

4. Foxy Federation – Fired up (Philip Vella/Gerard James Borg)

Foxy Federation are obviously big fans of British girlgroup Sugababes because certain similarities (both in song style and performance) cannot be denied. However, the song is catchy and the most modern one tonight so far and the performance is very confident.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFzps6GWP-c

5. Klinsmann – Her name was Anne (Jonathan Spiteri & Klinsmann/Aldo Spiteri)

Klinsmann has previously competed in 2007, 2008 and 2009 achieving his best result in 2007 when he finished third with She gives me wings.

Again, Klinsmann appears with his guitar on stage. The song is classic pop/rock and the whole act including outfit and performance reminds of 1990s Britpop. Another catchy, but simple entry that might be overseen by the televoters if it competed in the Eurovision Song Contest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCBvGGmZM7g

6. J. Anvil – Mirage (Andrew Zahra/Deo Grech)

J. Anvil has previously taken part in 2005, 2006 and 2009. He achieved his best result in 2005 finishing third with You.

Unlike his happy song last year, Mirage is a very dramatic musical ballad. J. Anvil is a strong vocalist, but the performance might be a bit too dramatic to be considered authentic. This is probably a disadvantage in Eurovision.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL6tDpQyIEY

The televoting will be open until this Saturday, 16.30 CET. No results will be revealed tonight.