TALLINN, ESTONIA – Information on oikotimes.com on September 14th are now officially confirmed by ERR. The first semifinal will take place on February 14th, the second semifinal on February 21st and the final on March 1st.
The country will select it’s entry through Eesti Laul the submissions for which due on December 9th. 20 songs will compete in the two semifinals.
Mart Normet from broadcaster ERR said, “Eesti Laul seems to spread like a virus; its positive impact proven to us”.
ESTONIA IN EUROVISION – more history at http://www.oikotimes.com/history
Estonia first entered the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994. Its first appearance would have taken place in 1993 with Janika Sillamaa and “Muretut meelt ja sรผdametuld”, however a qualification round was just installed for former Eastern bloc countries and she did not manage to qualify to the Grand Final.
Its first contest participation in 1994 was not a successful one, coming second last only to Lithuania. As such, the country was relegated from the 1995 contest. Its second entry, Maarja-Liis Ilus and Ivo Linna with “Kaelakee hรครคl”, in 1996 was the complete opposite, coming 5th with 94 points. This was the first top 5 ranking for a former USSR country.
In addition, Estonia is the most successful Baltic country in Eurovision. Estonia is the first former USSR country to win the Contest and the second country of eastern Europe after Yugoslavia.
