ROTTERDAM CALLING MAY 12 🇳🇱 Live blog: Belgium, Israel, Romania, Azerbaijan, (Ukraine) second rehearsal

Finally, the Ukrainian rehearsal video is up. So we wrap for the day and we will be online with tomorrow’s live blog. More stories coming soon on the main oikotimes website and on our social media.

• The Head of the delegation explained what happened with Kataryna and that everything is ok with the singer.
• Go_A member said that the led lights used in the performance are a symbol that will help the lead singer to wake up spring.
• It was not also, easy to cut the song from 4minutes to 3minutes and they had to write the song from scratch, in a way.
• The band met Jamala many times and she gave them advice about the vocals.

• Efendi spoke about the eye in the backdrop during her performance. It is a reference to Mata Hari, which means eye of the sun.
• Of course, the issue with TIX was posed. Efendi was shy to answer. Efendi says that she saw the Instagram post but she hasn’t met him yet. “Let’s see what happens after we meet” (we wonder how they will communicate as Efendi doesn’t speak English)
• Efendi’s impressions from Rotterdam as yesterday she had a small tour and she finds the city beautiful and she saw that the city was built in a forest and there are so many trees, which is beautiful.
• She loves both MATA HARI and CLEOPATRA but today she puts all of her heart into MATA HARI.
• So which historic figure she would sing next? Efendi answers that her next songs are not going to be about historic figures as she has more ways to convey the message she wants to spread to the world.
• If she qualifies for the grand final, Efendi will call her mother and share the news.

Three more videos awaited for this post to end its live coverage for the day, so stay tuned…

• Roxen feels more relaxed today and she thinks everything was OK in her second rehearsal.
• She also thanked God for having her dream come true, by participating in Eurovision this year.
• She feels ready and she will give her 100% in her live performance.
• Her song is about empowerment as she wants to inspire people because in the past she was trying to reach out but couldn’t find help.

The second rehearsal for Ukraine now, and a stand-in lead singer took the stage as Katryna was not allowed to enter the venue due to suspicion for COVID-19. The stand-in girl is by the way, amazing! In the latest development, Kateryna informed the fans through social media, she is OK, meaning that possibly the first testing was negative. I think this entry grows in me as it is a pure ethnic Ukrainian folk song that can attract votes, especially from Eastern Europe.

• Eden feels ok with her second rehearsal as today she was more focused.
• The delegation is satisfied as well.
• Although not famous for her patience she will be ok waiting six more nights for the semi-final in which she will appear. Impatience brings her nausea.
• All the hotel hears Eden rehearsing and some people actually complained today!
• It is a new experience for her as she was a ballet dancer and dint know how to pop on stage.
• A new experience for her is to find out what the red light on the came means

More press conference updates coming soon. Do not forget to watch the available by EBU videos here

One more powerful rehearsal for the in-love Efendi. In this act, I get memories from the 2012 Baku Eurovision edition, as the stage definitely reminds me of that edition. Efendi gives one more powerful performance. I would love to see some pyros and maybe something extra to make it spicy. But it’s OK for now. Predictions for Azerbaijan? Not sure…

One more take for Romania as it seems we are a bit behind schedule. It was suppose to be Efendi now on stage.