MAY 11: LATVIA, SAN MARINO, AZERBAIJAN, FYR MACEDONIA

The 58th Eurovision Song Contest is ongoing and the next set of rehearsals are on their way. You can check the report of the second round of the fist semifinal rehearsals plus videos from the official EBU YouTube channel when available.

LATVIA – PeR – HERE WE GO
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
Latvia kicks off today’s rehearsals. The duo is in their glittery suits and the first act of the second semi final is very lively. PeR jump around stage throughout most of the performance. The vocals are generally good during this rehearsal. Near the end it all gets a bit messy with the stage movement with one of the boys diving into the audience. There is just a bit too much happening on the stage.

SAN MARINO – VALENTINA MONETTA – CRISALIDE (VOLA)
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
Valentina is up next. This entry is stylish and graceful. Valentina sings well and the dark stage works well with this ballad and provides a nice contrast to Valentina’s red dress. It remains to be seen whether this will leave a big enough impression on televoters. The start of the song with Valentina fondling the globe is just a bit wired.

FYR MACEDONIA – ESMA & LOZANO – PRED DA SE RAZDENI
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
Today Esma and Lozano are signing the song in Macedonian. Lozano delivers some shaky vocals at the beginning but warms up as the song progresses. The stage is dark and blue at the beginning and lights up as Esma comes on to the stage. FYR Macedonia has the unfortunate role of being in the semi final without its Yugoslav neighbours where this song would pick up big scores. Nevertheless, this is a memorable performance and could go both ways. Wind machines are used heavily in this one.

AZERBAIJAN – FARID MAMMADOV – HOLD ME
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
Since his first rehearsal, Farid has been rising up in the betting odds. The choreography is very sleek and is looking good on the Eurovision stage. The stage itself is predominantly blue throughout the performance with Farid standing on a glass panel for the first part of the song. The vocals are very good here and the Azeri singer should be happy with this rehearsal. Many are now seeing this as a possible winner. We could be back in Baku next year.