The curse of performing second is well known in Eurovision circles. "No song has ever one from the second position, you know", "If you sing second in the Eurovision then it will rain for forty days and forty nights", "Plagues of locusts and black boils be unleashed upon ye if ye is to be the second act to step upon a Eurovision stage"...
Well, I might be exaggerating a *tad*, but every year when the draw takes place, under the auspices of the EBU, for the order of performance in the ESC, you can actually hear a whole nation sigh if and when they are drawn to perform second...
Such is the fate that this year befalls plucky Norway, as they perform second in this years First Eurovision Semi Final.
Yes, Norway, who went from breaking all records two years ago with the mammoth winner "Fairytale", to, um, not doing quite so well last year, despite hosting the thing.
This year, Norway fielded, to my ears, a below-par selection of tunes for their national final, which led to a sizeable victory for Stella Mwangi, and the distinctly un-Scandinavian sounding "Haba Haba". I like to think that if Bobbysocks had of been born in Nairobi, they would have sounded like this:
Good things about this are:
It's got an introduction which grabs the attention. I can see the crowd cheering and clapping along to this right from the outset.
It's got a catchy chorus in a language that no country in Europe speaks (not as an official language anyway), which is a great leveller.
It's got that "ethnic percussion" feel to it that does well at Eurovision, like Greece's winner from 2005, or Armenia's "Apricot Stone" from last year.
On the downside, there are concerns over Stella's live vocal which is a wee bit flat at times - apparently they have changed the music to suit her voice since the national final performance above. Also, *whispers*, it's got the position of doom!! More than anything though, personally, I just don't like it!! I've never liked Ladysmith Black Mumbazo or any African-style chanting music, so I can't say that I'm taken with this I'm afraid...
Danpoints out of a hundred: 50
Is it getting out of the Semi Final?: I think it's catchy enough to, so I'm saying yes!
Would be better sung by: I *so* want to say Tor Endresen! :)) But it would get more Danpoints if it was sung by those smashing Charmed girls, hehehe!
What Would Terry Wogan Say?: Predictably, something like: "It's the Lion King! At Eurovision!" Then at the end he would say: "A whiff of the souk, there...."
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She reminds me of Makosi from Big Brother! I see this one doing well.
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