Serbia: Joksimovic and Bajaga top Blic poll

by Stella Floras 183 views

Popular Serbian news website Blic recently conducted an online poll where the Serbian public expressed their opinion on which composer they would like to see chosen by RTS to compose the country's entry for the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest. The winners of the poll were Zeljko Joksimovic and rocker Momcilo Bajagic Bajaga.

This year saw the end of the popular Beovizija, the annual festival used to select the Serbian representative in the Eurovision Song Contest. According to the new rules set by the Serbian broadcaster, one composer will be selected internally and he/she will prepare three to five songs which will be performed by artists selected by the composer and the broadcaster for the public to choose from.

3.500 readers voted in the online poll conducted by Blic, the online Serbian news site, and the two names that topped it where those of the Serbian Mr Eurovision, Zeljko Joksimovic and local top rocker Momcilo Bajagic Bajaga. Prominent names of the Serbian music scene were also interviewed and some quite interesting names were mentioned. Jelena Tomasevic, who represented Serbia in 2008 with a song by Zeljko told Blic: "It has turned out that Zeljko's songs have a lot of success at the Eurovision Song Contest, but I think that Kornelije Kovac would also be a very good choice. Whoever is selected, I wish him luck. I completely support the new selection format, it should have been introduced much earlier."

2009 Beovizija jury member, Bilja Krstic seems to disagree with the poll result claiming that although it makes sense to select an experienced composer, a chance should be given to younger creators because: "Eurovision should be a festival which would affirm young singers".

Finally, Ivana Selakov, member of the Beauty Queens who backed up winner Marija Serifovic in Helsinki and took part in Beovizija in 2008 and 2009 prefers Aleksandra Milutinovic. She also votes for Zeljko Joksimovic and Srdjan Simic Kamba or if a younger, less known composer were to be selected, then her choice would be Goran Radinovic.

The mystery will soon be solved as RTS will be announcing their decision in the next ten days.

Stella Floras

Thanks to Johnny Logan and Hold me now I fell in love with the Eurovision Song Contest, a love that's been going strong ever since with undiminished passion. My first memories date back to 1977 and the lyrics of Rock bottom, Dschinghis Khan and A ba ni bi are still engraved in my brain.

I joined esctoday.com in 2006 as a junior editor after being invited by Barry Viniker, I soon became Senior Editor and during the 2007 contest in Helsinki I was appointed Head of Communications. Today I hold the post of Head of Human Resources and I am proud to be working with the best editorial team in the world.