VALLETTA, MALTA – This year I delayed my editorial about Malta, the annual “goodbye host country” text of mine usually written in the airport while waiting for my flight. The reason is that I needed my time due to my dispute with the EBU’s Junior Eurovision team.
Despite huge efforts to make me feel uncomfortable mostly by rumours around the area, the overall trip to Malta was a true venture. For the first time I had time to see the host country from deep inside and tour the island of knights. A mixture of oriental elements with ancient Roman and European style in it. Maltese are true open hearted people and when they get to know you they do love you as family. The description for Malta is still phrase-less. A raw emerald of the Mediterranean I would say, which you have to visit in order to define it.
Junior Eurovision 2014 was a milestone. Not only because we had record of participating countries but because the production of the show was stunning. Yes, the power failure in the dress rehearsal was a big issue but then again these things are making a Eurovision event memorable as we will ALL discuss this in the history books of the contest. The international award also failed and I was also disappointed because that would be a milestone feature as well, a feature which I recall myself and Sietse Bakker when ruined esctoday.com thinking about it and proposing it to the EBU.
The winner of Junior Eurovision was not bad at all. Some say he won because it was the only boy of the contest. I say he was one of the most passionate performers in that age. Personally I would love to see Malta winning again. The reason is one: They believed in the project, they believed in the song and I still cannot believe Federica could sing opera at the age of 11. I am sad Europe didn’t appreciate Cyprus effort which was the best ever made for this contest. I also hoped more for Ukraine and Belarus.
It was a great success for oikotimes.com under the current circumstances. Having limited access to the event oikotimes.com had more than 780,000 views the period November 10 – November 18, lower than Kyiv’s Junior Eurovision edition. Still I am proud that oikotimes.com was the only major website predicting Italy as high as possible (2nd) while no other website had the country in their top three.
The hostess of the show Delia Moira was excellent although she didn’t use teleprompter or learned her lines by heart. It reminded me the good old days of 90s Eurovision edition. The postcards were simply amazing. My friends back home told me that they didn’t believe these places existed in Malta or anywhere in the world. It is also amazing that I saw for the first time people rising from their seats, out of respect, when Malta performed. Something that you rarely see in senior Eurovision as well. They usually rise up because of a dance song!
I have to make a special reference to my friends without which Maltese venture wouldn’t be a true dream. Olga, Victoria, Mika, John, Neil (especially for healing my leg), Alexis, Cynthia, Daniella, Olivier, Alex, Christina, Sophia, Gillian, Muxu, Daniel, Mikhail and Mama Conchita, were simply next to me helping and boosting my spirits up. I have to make a special note for Natalie without which I would never full fill my dream! Last but definitely not least my oikotimes.com team who where there supporting me through the web and made me feel special once again. I love you all guys, we are a dream team ready for Vienna!
So it’s up to Italy to host, this is why I said “Ciao Italia”. Yes, I do expect them to host the 2015 Junior Eurovision edition and they have to do a spectacular work!
Caw Malta, Ciao Italia
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