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  • You Only Live Twice

    This morning my old friend Paul Giordimaina (who composed Malta’s 2011 Eurovision entry) wrote the following note on Facebook:
     
    “Irrelevant to certain comments made by some ‘armchair critics’ or self proclaimed music experts i want to congratulate Glen for an amazing performance filled with great positive energy.Also well done the backing vocalists and dancers for their total commitment. Thks to the numerous backstage proffesioanl people who worked endlessly around the team. A special thks to PBS for their dedication and support from day 1 and last but not least thks to the big majority to the maltese people who beleived in the project ‘ONE LIFE’”

     
    I commented by saying that Glen Vella gave a great show. He was in tune, hit the mark and the act looked very polished on stage. He (and the song) deserved a better placing but there’s clearly more to the Eurovision Song Contest than that.
     
    Veteran Maltese pop singer Jon Lukas Woodenman wrote his own note on Facebook after Malta failed yet again to yield a decent placing at the Eurovison Song Contest. Here’s an essential excerpt :

    [… ] “i will today ‘n tmrrw put on my artiste & production  hat and review the Maltese entry as projected last night and try to decide WHY this happened and find out where did we go wrong AGAIN cos’ i REFUSE to accept the usual moan that of voting of next door neighbours as the Maltese normal losing excuse. There probably is something intrinsically wrong in how Malta writes, produces, chooses and then projects the actual songs that needs to be seriously adhered to …. EMOTIONS ASIDE please .. there is ALWAYS something missing on the night. 50 years on we HAVE NOT HACKED it yet … do u seriously think it’s ONLY because they gang up on us ? The bookies ONLY want to make money (no patriotism there) the odds they offered fr the song was one to eleven …..bookmakers news 9 May 2011 … QUOTE ‘ Eurovision: Odds stacked against Glen, according to bookmakers’ …… are we gonna’ face this and TRY to PUT it RIGHT ? … are we gonna’ eliminate what we thought would work on the night that ACTUALLY did NOT … or are we to settle fr ‘THEY GOT IT IN FR US’ sad bull shit and go through the same rigmarole ‘n blunders next year.” […]

     
    I’m not sure the Maltese Eurovision structure is set up in such a way to get to the bottom of what’s going wrong year after year. The main reason is that the producers for Malta’s entry are removed almost completely from the music industry across Europe and involvement in this has now become a crucial ingredient for a decent placing at the ESC. And to be clear, it’s not enough to have a strong affiliation with a record company. It takes an up-to-date knowledge of trans-European PR for pop music: an expertise in how the music world operates online, or at least tries to.

    Also, to be fair, the old essential ingredient (i.e. the song and its performance) is the other element that needs more attention. There has been a (slight) improvement in the way the song is picked – or rather which song is picked – but there’s still a long way to go in determining what makes a memorable and/or impactful song for this show.

    There’s no point in over-analyzing Glen Vella and One Life in this context. The situation is not that radically different from what it’s been since about 2006, when weeks ahead of the contest I predicted that Lordi would win that year. The “armchair critics” or “self-proclaimed music experts” from Malta didn’t take me seriously then and the people who can really make a difference in Malta haven’t heard what I’ve been saying all these years now. Apparently that can’t really do much about what I’m saying either.

    Anyway, good thing I didn’t come to Düsseldorf just to follow the Maltese act, otherwise I’d be stuck in what is not a particularly interesting part of Germany until the weekend. The events we lined up from the Eurovision Research Network for this year start tomorrow and I hope to blog a little about that in the coming days too.

    Meanwhile if you’re only interested in Malta’s entry at the Eurovision Song Contest, perhaps you’d rather hear the comments I gave to Marlene Galea at the Maltese service of SBS Radio in Australia after Malta once again failed to qualify for the ESC final.

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 12:53 — 11.8MB) | Embed

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  • If There’s Any Justice in the World

    Once again I find myself in a European city in May for the annual Eurovision Song Contest. This year we’re in Düsseldorf, Germany. If I’m to be honest, this year I’m here almost exclusively for the Eurovision Research Network (ERN). We’ve organized three events this year: our annual symposium, our annual round-table, and the final of three workshops in the ‘New’ Europe series, which started last February at Royal Holloway, University of London.

    I know that most of my regular blog readers are not surprised by any of this, but you’re also expecting me to engage with the annual context, from a Maltese perspective, with a slightly less academic approach. So, I will try not disappoint you. Perhaps I’ll blog some more about the ERN later this week, once Malta is either no longer in the contest or while I get a respite before I blog about how miraculous it is that Malta has returned to the final without first establishing a significant pan-European presence for either it’s entry and/or the performer it selected to represent it.

    So, in the spirit of not voting for your own country, I give you my personal picks for the 10 qualifying songs in the ESC 2011 Semifinal 1, which will take place tomorrow (Tuesday) evening at 9pm CEST. I’m factoring in various prediction factors and a little of my personal experience with the Eurovision Song Contest…so this will undoubtedly be a very subjective and relative selection.

    Albania
    I don’t think this will make it to the final but I firmly believe it belongs in my top 10 picks for this year’s first semifinal. I’d probably like it more if it wasn’t sung in English.

    Turkey
    This year’s Turkish song has almost the same effect on me as the Albanian one. If only one of the two make it to the final, it’ll certainly be this one, even though the other sounds a little more sincere to me.

    Serbia
    An obvious throwback to the swinging ’60s a la Austin Powers. I can’t see Eurovision fans not liking this one – and it looks amazing live in the arena.

    Georgia
    One of the most interesting songs from a musical perspective and if offers a good alternative to most of the other songs in this year’ semifinal 1. However, I admit that I’ve rarely not liked Georgia’s ESC entry.

    Russia
    Can you honestly imagine a Eurovision Song Contest final without Russia? Now that would be a real shocker.

    Iceland
    I’d be very surprised if Iceland’s song didn’t make it to the final this year. If it doesn’t it’ll certainly mean the end of an era…but this is Eurovision so I expect it to get through simply because it appeals considerably to the main demographic for this show’s audience.

    Hungary
    Very catchy melody and exactly the sort of song you expect at Eurovision. This sort of thing is often hit or miss, but in relation to the songs its competing against it stands a very good chance.

    Lithuania
    If there’s any justice in the world, Evelina Sašenko’s C’est Ma Vie will become a Eurovision classic…but perhaps it’s now a couple of decades or so too late. It’s the most beautiful new pop ballad I’ve heard in a very long time. This song gave me goosebumps the first time I heard Evelina sing it live in the Esprit Arena. What a stand-out! If Andrew Lloyd Webber had written a song as good as this for Jade Ewen, the UK would have won ESC 2009.

    Azerbaijan
    A favourite with the bookmakers and it’s very spectacular live in the arena. You can still catch some of that spectacle on TV but perhaps the singers leave a little to be desired for those you seek something worthy of the spectacle and the honey sweet musical arrangement.

    Greece
    I can’t imagine a final without a Greek entry but stranger things have happened at the Eurovision Song Contest. Bringing in hip-hop in Greek is a brave and bold move, the type I wish the Maltese would take, so I’ll be watching this one closely to see whether my hunch is more than just that.

    Keep in mind that at least four of the top acts tipped to win the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest are not taking part in the first semifinal along with Malta and the rest of the songs presented on Tuesday.

    DISCLAIMER: The “predictions” made in this blog post are for your amusement only. I’m pretty sure that these will not be the 10 countries whose songs will actually qualify for Saturday’s final.

    CLAIMER: I’ll be greatly amused to see how many of my 10 picks are also the ones that will be seen/heard again on Saturday.

  • I Can

    Show notes for the 255th Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers from or in Malta:

    Relikc – Take the Blame
    This band has been a favourite of MMI podcast listeners since they first appeared a couple of years ago. I like their tight pop rock sound and they are quite radio friendly. Come the end of the this year, I have a feeling that this track will be among the highest ranking listeners’ picks for 2011 singles, or whichever category I’ll have nominated it for.

    TroffaHamra y los Mechones – In the Streets of Barcelona
    It’s not often that I play music in my podcast that surprises me as pleasantly as I’ve been by the sound of this Barcelona-based outfit. The connection with Malta comes in the Troffa Ħamra in the name of the band, who is none other than Ruth Abela, perhaps best known for playing clarinette with Brikkuni or sax with The I-Skandal. The bossa nova you hear here, along with the other tracks they’ve released on their MySpace page are simply delightful.

    Genn & Mayo – Princesses In Dungarees
    Annemarie Mayo and Janice (that’s Genn to you) Ellul came together as a duo after meeting in the ŻĦN’s Strummin’ Home annual concert a couple of years ago. With a little help from some friends (including some musicians from Relikc) they’ve made some public appearances as well as recorded some tracks, including the one you can hear on this week’s podcast. Mayo’s voice is the first of two great new voices on the Malta music scene. I hope to hear (and share with you) more of this in the coming months and years.

    Monobrow MP – Wet Roads
    A couple of weeks ago this duo released a limited edition of their online only 5-track EP featuring what is clearly some of their best work, even though most of it is their version of songs you already know (and possibly like) from worldwide stars; their version of Gnarls Barkley’s Who’s Gonna Save My Soul is blindingly good. Since I so rarely play covers on the MMI podcast, I thought I’d pick Wet Roads instead since I’ve been assured that it’s actually one of their original songs. Still, I think I’ll include their Gnarls Barkley cover on a future edition of the MMI podcast anyway.

    Divine Sinners – Cactus Rose
    I’ve been fascinated by the DIY, almost simplistic, sound of this duo. I was therefore thrilled to see that they’ve now even extended this to a new video for one of their songs. It’s a superb rendition of life on a Gozitan farm today, even if there’s very much a firm tongue in cheek approach to the whole thing.  Watch the video and if, like me, you like this brand of quasi-anarcho-folk you’ll certainly appreciate that this band is on its way to make an indelible mark on the local music scene.

    The RSS feed for the Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast is available here or you can simply click here to subscribe directly with iTunes. You can also follow each new episode through the MMI Podcast: Facebook Fan Page or on MySpace. If you have no idea what any of this means, just enjoy listening to the podcast on the player right below this text.

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:29 — 13.4MB) | Embed

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  • Helplessness Blues

    Show notes for the 254th Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers from or in Malta:

    Brooke – Love Not War
    One of Malta’s better pop exports has been making the round on radio stations for several weeks with this song. So I thought it’s about time that I include it on my podcast too. As pop dance tracks go, this is quite a catch one, with quite an appropriate timeless cliche that has stuck with us for over forty years now, but somehow still sounds as fresh as ever.

    Christabelle – Everything About You
    Although she is probably better known as a singer, Christabelle will forever remain to me as the first Maltese model to be prominently featured in a photo at Malta’s Addolorata Cemetery. It’s an interesting mix of pop, glamour and gothic asthetics in a way that were probably unthinkable (at least in Malta) just a generation ago.

    South Central – Paris in the 20th Century
    Just in time for their live set after tonight’s concert by Fat Boy Slim in Ta’ Qali, Malta’s most high-profile incognito electronica duo appear on my podcast with a track off their new album Society of Spectacle, which they’ll be launch officially in Malta on the 4th of June at Gianpula.  More about that in the coming weeks as it also coincides with the next major series of M3P events in Malta.

    Carlo Gerada feat. Scott Walker & Azazel – Can’t Stop
    After a couple of months in the pop/dance radio charts in Malta, with two consecutive weeks  at the top of the Malta’s Top 10 on 89.7 Bay earlier this month, I thought it’s the right thing to do including this multi-talented release on my podcast, especially since I would be totally amiss not including it among the nominations for the 2011 MMI Listeners’ Picks later this year.

    Malcolm Pisani – Day of Evolution
    My good friend Mario Axiaq told me that he liked this song very much when he first heard it. I wasn’t as impressed as he was on first listen, but then I heard it a couple more times and found it better than it seemed on first listen. Malcolm Pisani repertoire tends to have that affect of me and I wish I could put my finger on what sort of singer he really is. Perhaps he’s still looking for the style that best suits him, unless he plans to make this ambiguity his hallmark for the rest of his singing career.

    The RSS feed for the Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast is available here or you can simply click here to subscribe directly with iTunes. You can also follow each new episode through the MMI Podcast: Facebook Fan Page or on MySpace. If you have no idea what any of this means, just enjoy listening to the podcast on the player right below this text.

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:00 — 13.1MB) | Embed

    Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More