Dima Bilan suddenly came to the press-conference of Patricia Kaas. In his interview he explained, why he came to support this renowned French pop star. He told the journalists that he respects and loves her very much. “I did not come to the press-conference because I won last year; I came just because I wanted to wish her good luck. If I my words can help her anyhow, I will be happy. I am not expecting anything in return”.

Dima also said that in his rating Patricia occupies the first position. It does not matter to him what is going to happen at Eurovision 2009, he has got his Top 3 already. These are Patricia Kaas, Sakis Rouvas, and Jade Ewen. So far Dima has not visited any Eurovision contestants’ rehearsals, because he is busy rehearsing his own act. He says that his act is rather complicated and has many interesting elements.

Dima Bilan is also going to present his new album at Eurovision 2009. The presentation will take place on the 15th of May. When Dima won last year, he decided that he should release his new album when the next Eurovision Song Contest takes place.

As for his own emotions before the Eurovision Final last year, Dima says that he was really nervous. He read the information on different Internet sites, analyzed the bookmakers’ ratings in order to understand his own chances to win. He was immensely busy. He was also making changes in his act and rehearsing it in a dance hall.

Eurovision 2009 is the third Eurovision for Dima. Even though he is only a guest star this year, Dima says that his heart is beating fast.

The performers who are going to participate straightaway in the Eurovision Final have started their rehearsals. There are five such singers who due to the excellent performance of their countries last year have earned the right to skip the Semi-final. One of them is a well-known French pop star Patricia Kaas.

Patrcia sang her song Fallait Le Faire S’Il without background vocal. But her charisma, gestures and facial expression created such an amazing atmosphere that all the listeners got shivers.

Patricia Kaas

At the press-conference the journalists stood up when Kaas came in. She confessed that it was very difficult for her to make the decision about participation in Eurovision. Her mother died on the 16 of May 20 years ago, and since then she has not given any concerts or interviews on this day.  But this year she decided to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. She also said that her decision has nothing to do with the new voting rules.

Patricia also added that she is ready to sing in Russian and even sang some lines in Russian. However, she is not going to sing in English. Patricia has got some songs in German, because when she was a child she lived near the German border, and German was the first language she learnt. But most of her songs are in French, and Patricia does not want to change that.

French people have chosen Kaas without any contests or voting. Patricia is very glad that she decided to participate in Eurovision 2009. She thinks that French songs are associated with emotions, romance, excitement, and not with rock-music. And her Eurovision song is exactly like this: romantic and full of emotions. At the end of the press-conference, Patricia said: “See you in Paris next year!”

“A Minute before Start”, Documentary about Eurovision, and Delicious Presents from Belarus

Ivan Toporischev, Moscow, exclusively for Eurovision Mania

Eurovision is one of the most famous music contests. It has been going on for more than 50 years already, and this year Russia hosts the famous Song Contest for the first time. In the documentary people will see how Moscow was getting ready for Eurovision 2009, how the “Olimpiyski” Sports Center was renovated, how the stage was built up, and how the unique computer and lighting equipment was installed. The documentary also tells how the emblem of the Contest came into being. The film is about Eurovision secrets, how the songs are chosen, how the acts are being prepared, and what challenges the contestants have to face on their way to the victory. The documentary also reveals the details that remain unknown to the ordinary viewer.

Up to 1994 nobody knew about Eurovision in Russia. Few people remember that the first Russian singer who came to Eurovision was Maria Katz. At Eurovision she performed under the name of “Judith”. She got the 9th position, and for 6 years none of the Russian singers could get a higher position in Eurovision chart. Even the Russian super-stars – Alla Pugacheva and Philip Kirkorov – got positions in the second ten only.

Only in 2000, Russia finally succeeded at Eurovision. Everybody was very surprised when Alsou, a young female pop-singer, got the second position. The second prize was like a victory for Russia. Alsou was also the first Russian singer, who sang in English at Eurovision.  In 2003, “Tatoo” were the third in Eurovision chart, although many people thought that they were the most probable winners.

At Eurovision 2006, the Russian pop-star Dima Bilan was very close to winning the Contest, but he failed to reach the highest step of the pedestal. Last year in Belgrade, Dima finally won the first prize.

Eurovision is usually thought to be a song contest for novices. However, real pop stars also take part in Eurovision. This year Patricia Kaas represents France. Russians love her enormously!

Patricia Kaas

For many years people have been arguing about the Eurovision voting system. This year a new voting system will be presented. The winner will be chosen by both: TV viewers, as it has been done previously, and by the professional jury.  The premiere of the documentary film about Eurovision is on the 11th of May, at 18.00, “Channel One”.

The rehearsals are going on, and Eurovision fans learn more and more about their favorite singers. Petr Elfimov from Belarus might not get the first position in Eurovision chart, but journalists will never forget his delicious presents: ice-cream, chocolates, and Belarusian vodka.

The Belarusian singer told that they brought the most delicious things produced in Belarus.  And nobody will regret if next year Belarus hosts Eurovision Song Contest. Everybody – the singers, the journalists and the guests – will have enough food and drink! Dima Koldun, who represented Belarus last year, also came to the press-conference. He said that he saw Petr’s rehearsal already and would like to change some things in his performance, maybe to add some dancing. But Petr wants it to be more severe and masculine. Dima Koldun also said that he likes the Ukrainian and Norwegian performances.

Patricia Kaas is now officially confirmed as the 2009 French representative in the Moscow Eurovision Song Contest. After many many years that the Big 4 didn’t bother to send a big name in the contest, France, surprises us with a name out of the blue. Patricia Kaas bids to bring the Eurovision glory back to France.

Patricia Kaas Eurovision Song Contest 2009

Here is her bio as posted in wikipedia.org

Kaas is one of the most successful French-speaking singers in the world. Stylistically her music is not classical chanson, but is closer to a mixture of pop music, jazz and chanson. Since the appearance of her debut album Mademoiselle chante… in 1988 Kaas has sold more than 17 million records worldwide. She had her greatest success in, e. g., Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Canada, Sweden, Russia, Finland, and Korea with her third album Je te dis vous, which reached 11th and 2nd place in the German’s charts respectively. Kaas is almost constantly on tour internationally. In 2002 Kaas had her film debut in And now… Ladies and Gentlemen beside Jeremy Irons.

Patricia Kaas was born as the youngest of seven children (five boys and two girls) on 5 December 1966 in Forbach, Lorraine, France, near the border of Germany. Her father, Joseph (a miner), was French, and her mother, Irmgard, German. Kaas grew up in Stiring-Wendel, between Forbach and Saarbrücken on the French side of the border. Until the age of six she spoke only a German dialect. Her Franco-German heritage resulted in a constant interest in improving the relationship between the two countries. Her mother encouraged Kaas to become a singer from a very young age. At the age of eight Kaas was already singing songs by Sylvie Vartan, Dalida, Claude François and Mireille Mathieu, but also English-language songs such as New York, New York, at various small events; among others the marriage of her brother. Her first great success came when she received first place at a pop song contest. At her first appearances Kaas was already displaying the throaty, smoky voice that would lead to comparisons with Édith Piaf and Marlene Dietrich. Kaas took her first step into the professional music business at the age of 13, when, with the help of her brother Egon, she signed a contract with the Saarbrücken Club Rumpelkammer. Kaas took the name Pady Pax, after the brass band Pax Majorettes from Stiring-Wendel, of which she and her sister Carine were members, and for seven years appeared with the band Dob’s Lady Killers. At 16 she took a placement with a model agency in Metz. Kaas’ first attempts to break into the music business once and for all initially failed, however; a producer rejected her on the grounds that the world did not need a second Mireille Mathieu. Kaas’ producer at this time was the architect Bernard Schwartz, who would lead her to her first great success.

Source: www.oikotimes.com