The Second Semi-Final Just Ended; All the Eurovision Finalists are Known

Posted by Italo on May 15, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Ivan Toporischev, Moscow, exclusively for Eurovision Mania

The second Eurovision Semi-Final ended several hours ago. Now we know who is going to act at the Eurovision Final. Ten more countries have gained their right to fight for the first prize – “Crystal Microphone” – of the Eurovision Song Contest. These are: Azerbaijan, Croatia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Albania, Moldova, Denmark, Estonia, Norway and Greece. All in all, 19 countries presented their songs at the Second Semi-Final. However, only 10 of them have got through to the Eurovision Final. On the 12th of May, at the First Semi-Final the other ten countries got the right to present their songs at the Eurovision Final. These are: Finland, Portugal, Malta, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, Israel, Sweden, Romania, Iceland, and Armenia.

Russia is hosting Eurovision 2009, and that is why the Russian Singer Anastasia Prykhodko did not have to participate in the Eurovision Semi-Finals. The “Big Four” Countries – Britain, Spain, France and Germany – traditionally have the right to skip Semi-Finals and act right at the Eurovision Final. The singers from these four countries will come onto the Eurovision stage only on the 16th of May, when the Eurovision Final takes place.

It has become known that the hosts of the Eurovision Final Concert – Ivan Urgant and Alsou – will communicate with the crew members of the International Space Station. Dima Bilan, the Eurovision 2008 Winner, is going to show his extraordinary act. And there are a lot of other surprises that have been prepared for the Eurovision Final.

Eurovision Semi Final

The prologue of the Second Semi-Final was based on the stereotypes associated with Russia. The Russian folk-band “Terem-Quartet” presented the songs of the previous Eurovision Contests: “Waterloo”, “Ding a Dong”, “Diva”, and, of course, Dima Bilan’s “Believe”.

The first stereotype associated with Russia is Matryoshka, a traditional Russian nested doll. However, the nested dolls that appeared on the Eurovision stage were gigantic and covered with graffiti. The main Russian “character” is, of course, a Brown Bear. He appeared on the stage dancing together with a White Bear. At the end of their dance, the Bears unfolded a banner with the words “Eurovision 2009” on it, thus, marking the beginning of the Second Eurovision Semi-Final. Then Natalya Vodyanova and Andrey Malakhov, the hosts of the concert, came onto the stage.

Right after the concert the winners of the Second Semi-Final took part in the draw to get their numbers for the Eurovision Final. They also answered the journalists’ questions.

The Estonian performers reminded that this is the first time when their country managed to get through to the Final since 2004. Svetlana Loboda from Ukraine told that if she wins this year she will sell her another flat to get money for the Eurovision Show in Ukraine. The Moldavian singer, who has got number “13”, confessed that she is never lucky in lotteries. Alexander Rybak who has just celebrated his 23rd birthday got a letter with warm congratulations and wishes from his grandmother.

This is the schedule of the Eurovision 2009 Final that will take place on the 16th of May: