Day two in Helsinki sees the rehearsals gets underway with Bulgaria taking the stage first. With an array of drums at their disposal, Elitsa Todorova & Stoyan Yankoulovz got everything off to a flying start.
A beautifully crafted stage surrounded the duo as they began their bid for a place in the Grand Final on Saturday May 12th. As the song begins the viewer can be forgiven for their attention being drawn away from the performers to view the images being flashed on the seemingly invisible video screens. Everything in this fantastic opener has been carefully constructed with images fitting not only the style of music but also the timing of the track.
The Performance
Vocal warm-ups begin the routine but these are quickly sorted with sound levels being just right. As the music pipes out, Elitsa begins her performance. The intro builds at a nice pace into a thumping drum track. At this point it would be a good idea to have medication handy. Bulgaria has come up with a song that is as infectious as flu.
All elements come together magically on stage. The drums, the vocals, the arching lighting and the numerous video screens make Bulgaria a contender for viewers' votes.
Press Conference
A short while after finishing on stage, the press conference began (albeit slightly late). After introducing themselves the artists told how happy they were to be in Finland. The floor was opened to the assembled press and the questions kicked off with the hopes of the delegation with their different sounding up-tempo song. "We get good experience every year, this makes our songs better" was the response that met this.
Talk turned to the song itself and Elitsa described it as a mix of "Bulgarian folklore, drums and modern rhythms. This fits well with our style. We live with our music and feel it's important to make music that makes people feel positive". They spoke of their own positivity: "We feel good on the stage, it is a beautiful stage".
Time will tell if the annual experience gained by the Bulgarian Delegation will pay off and allow them a spot at the Grand Final on the 12th May.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-cDvbyS_iE
