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2004

1st - Maria Isabel (Spain) - Antes muerta que sencilla

2nd - Cory Spedding (UK) - The Best Is Yet To Come

Details of the contest - here.
Flashback - participants of 2004 event after four years - here.
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photos - junioreurovision.tv

Schedule:
November 16 - arrival to Lillehammer
November 17 - rehearsals for first part of the participants
November 18 - hour long rehearsal for every participant of 2nd part of the show
November 19 - first dress rehearsal 16.00-18.30 CET, second dress rehearsal with audience 20.15 CET
November 20 - Final of the JESC 2004 20.15 - 22.30 CET

Greece - Secret Band- O palios mou eaftos (My old self)

Γιώργος Κουτσογιάννης & Ανδρέας Κεφαλάς - Ο παλιός μου εαυτός 

Giorgos Kotsougianis (Guitar and vocals) (1989), Andreas Kefalas (keyboard) (10/12/88), and Antonis Skrivanos (dancer) (31/08/90)

My name is Giorgos Kotsougiannis. I am 15 years old and I live in Athens with my parents. I don't have any brothers or sisters which, believe it or not, is a great advantage. I always get what I want! When I was 6 years old I listened to a synthesizer for the first time at a friend's house. It sounded so exciting. So after a while I got one of my own and, without knowing anything about music, I soon learnt to play my country's national anthem.
It was then that I realised that I love music. I asked my parents to let me go to a music school and learn the electric guitar. I managed to persuade them that this was my dream and not just a phase I was going through. So they let me go.

From the very first year, I passed my exams with honours and in 2003 I won a scholarship as well. Over the years, I have learned to play the flute and the piano too. I am also a senior student in the Harmony Diploma Class. But I’m aware that I am still at the beginning, and there is a long way to go. The saxophone is the next musical instrument I’d like to learn.

In my free time I love to play sport. My hobby is beating my dad at football. Well, I don't always manage it – Daddy will read this, so I’d better not insult him!

I decided to enter the Junior Eurovision Song Contest after being persuaded to by my friend Andreas Kefalas, who wrote the song. I’ll never forget the night of the Greek national final. The atmosphere was electric and the standard of the competition was extremely high. We believed in ourselves and in our song and we were desperate to represent the most beautiful country in the world, Greece. When the result was announced, my heart stopped beating! To paraphrase a verse of our song, "your announcement, baby, makes me feel like flying!" I am still on a high!

I am looking forward to the big night in Lillehammer. I will work hard and give my very best. Besides, from the day I applied to take part in the competition, I promised myself and my parents that they’d see a new Giorgos, and that I’d enjoy myself! I think I'm doing quite well so far! I hope you’ll all be partying with me in Lillehammer.

Hello! My name is Andreas Kefalas and I am 15 years old. I live in the capital of Greece, Athens. I first became involved in music when I started playing the synthesizer 8 years ago. I started writing my own songs at the age of 10.

Our song for Lillehammer, ‘O Palios Mou Eautos’ (‘My Old Self’) was originally written as a dance/pop track but after some significant changes, it’s turned out to be an exciting teenage rock song. It's about the young love of a 15-year-old boy who forgets his old self because of a girl.

When she looks at him, he feels like he can change the world. He’s completely in love with her, and tries to persuade her to love him, too. To find out how the story ends, you’ll have to listen to the song... because her feelings aren’t as positive as the boy thinks.

I use music to express my feelings, whether I am happy or sad. Sometimes I relax with music, sometimes it cheers me up. It might seem strange but I am a huge fan of rap and hip-hop music. My favourite artists are Eminem, 50 Cent, Ludacris, David Banner, Eastside Boys and D-12.

When I saw the 2003 Junior Eurovision Song Contest I made a bet with myself.

I wanted to write a song that was good enough for the competition. So I put the idea to my friend Giorgos who I thought was the right person to help me. We both share a passion for music as well as the desire to work together. When we first sang the song, our voices matched perfectly which was a great relief – I’d fulfilled half of my goal!

By reaching the national final (for the 10 best Greek songs), I was satisfied. But we also had the chance to come first and represent our country. And with hard work and determination that’s exactly what happened! I think my song is one of the best Junior Eurovision songs and I am very pleased with it. Now I’m determined to continue writing songs because, as I have already said, I want to be one of the greatest songwriters in my country. See you in Norway, everyone!

Archive: http://eurovision.ert.gr/juniors.asp

Name: Giorgos Kotsougiannis
Age: 15 years old
Hometown: Athens
Family: I'm an only child. My mother's name is Joanna and my father's name is Bill
What is the song about? It's about a boy who is in love with a girl. The girl avoids getting into contact with him. He is trying to attract her and change the world for her.
How long did it take to write the song? After Andreas wrote the song, it too us two months for the rehearsals and to have it prepared for the final presentation
I love: Playing the flute, electric guitar and piano with my Music Academy teachers
I hate: Lies
Favourite Artist: Sakis Rouvas
Favourite Song: 'Shake It'
Favourite Film: 'Armageddon'
Wish I could: Go on a trip to space
Hobbies: Football, swimming and cycling
Bad habit: I don't make my bed
I’m happy when: It is snowing
I get angry when: Someone wakes me up early in the morning
Favourite candy: Anything with chocolate in it
I wish: Peace and friendship around the world
Boyfriend/girlfriend: So far I have only girl fans
Favourite food: Spaghetti
Favourite colour: Red
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I look most forward to: A big applause from the audience and great performance for my country
By the way… You all know now that we have organised the best olympic games ever in Athens. So do visit the most beautiful country in the world, Greece! I'm expecting you all!!!


Name: Andreas Kefalas
Age: 15
Hometown: Athens
Family: I feel lucky because I'm an only child
What is the song about? It's about a boy who is in love with a girl. She rejects him but he would like to change the world for her.
How long did it take to write the song? It took me 3-4 days to write the song, because those were my feelings during these days.
I love: Listening to my favourite music, going out with my friends and having fun
I hate: The early rise for school every morning
Favourite Artist: Ludacris and Eminem
Favourite Song: ’Act a Full’, ’Get Low’, 'I Don't Wanna Know’
Favourite Film: American Pie 1,2,3, Spiderman 1,2, 8 Mile
Wish I could: Make the world a better place with my songs
Hobbies: Cooking, football, movies and video games
Bad habit: Sometimes I tend to be selfish but I soon realise it and try to change.
I’m happy when: I'm with my friends talking about card, girls and football
I get angry when: Someone is not being honest
Favourite candy: Vanilla ice cream
I wish: I had my own studio to record successful songs
Boyfriend/girlfriend: I want my girlfriend to be honest, to share everything with me and in general to have great time together. I haven't found anyone like that yet, but when I will, I'll do anything for her.
Favourite food: The traditional 'souvlaki' and spaghetti
Favourite colour: Black, blue and green
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I look most forward to: Winning a good place and getting better chances for my future musical career as a song writer
By the way… It's a great honour for me to represent my country, Greece.

Antonis Skrivanos was born in Athens, on 31 August 1990. He has been learning classic ballet and modern dance since he was 8 years old.

He has taken part in many dance performances and his greatest moment so far has been participating in the Greek National Opera’s production of ‘Don Quixotes’ in the Herodium Summer of 2003. His favourite sport is swimming for which he’s won several awards.

Not long ago the Greek participant Giorgos and his band were known only by their first names – Giorgos, Andreas and Andonis.

But as the big moment has approached, the three friends have been putting the finishing touches to their performance. And just before they made their video, they decided to give their youthful band a name.
They racked their brains, thought long and hard and ended up with ‘Secret Band’. The word ‘Band’ describes the group itself which is
made up of three good friends and ‘Secret’ refers to the secret of their success which lies in the song that won them the Greek final – and which they hope will earn them a good result in Norway.

After Eurovision:
Last thing heard from George Kotsougiannis was that he and his friends from conservatorium have set up a concert in 2008, where George presented his skills in guitar, drums and flute, for which he also participated in national competition. Since then he has graduated from Bangor University in UK. myspace

Andreas Harasson Kefalas had graduated from Kingston University in UK and is currently living in Oslo, Norway. He is still very active as singer, songwriter, music producer and lyricist. You can find his profiles on Youtube, NRK's Urort, soundcloud and myspace

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26/09/04, ERT Studio, Athens, hosted by Giorgos Frantzeskakis
01. Cloe Boleti (11) - Vima vima (Step by step) 2nd
02. Maria Nefeli Papadaki (13) - Do-re-mi-fa-sol
03. Alexandria Kalliope (Kalli) Georgellis (12) - Tha pistepso se ena asteri (I will believe in a star) 3rd
04. Eleni Fragoulia (12) - Simera (Today)
05. Maria Malantzi (10) - Ble tzin (Blue jeans)
06. Sivilla Vasiadi (13) & Giannis Chasapis (13) - I zoi synexizete (Life goes on) (written by Valeria Vasiadi (11))
07. Sophia Koutsouri (11) - Akouse me (Listen to me)
08. Aleksandros Chountas (14) - Tha thela (I wish)
09. Karolina Kountoupidou (14) - Ela kai chorepse mazi mas (Come and dance with us) (music by Stavroula Gianikoppoulou (13))
10. Giorgos (15) & Andreas (15) - O palios mou eaftos (My old self) (written by Andreas Kefalas) 1st
Guests:
'Breakers Without Fears', Nicolas Ganopoulos, Paschalis Arvanitidis, Fiona Tzavara, Christos Chatzinasios, Petros Imvrios and Apostolis Zoi.
60% tele / 40% jury. 100 entries received. Jury: Paschalis Arvanitidi (Chairman), Apostolis Zoe, Fiona Tzavara, Stavros Papastavrou, Petros Imvrios, Anthonios Pappa and Christos Xatzinasios.
Ο παλιός μου εαυτός
Κάθε φορά που σε κοιτώ
Σβήνω τα δάκρυα απ' το μυαλό
Με αποφεύγεις και ζητάς να μη μιλώ

Να ξεχάσω τον παλιό μου εαυτό
Δεν μπορώ να σε κοιτάζω
Και τον κόσμο να αλλάζω
Αν εσύ δε με αφήνεις

Να σ' ονειρευτώ
Να σ' ονειρευτώ, καρδιά μου
Να σ' ονειρευτώ

Εύχομαι να 'ξερες καρδιά
Εγώ δε ζήτησα πολλά
Μα έχει κολλήσει το μυαλό μου σοβαρά
Απ' τη μαγική γαλάζια σου ματιά

Δεν μπορώ να σε κοιτάζω
Και τον κόσμο να αλλάζω
Αν εσύ δε με αφήνεις

Να σ' ονειρευτώ
Να σ' ονειρευτώ, καρδιά μου
Να σ' ονειρευτώ

Μ' ένα σου φιλί μωρό μου θ' απογειωθώ?

Each time at you I gaze
my tears I try to erase
You avoid me, you ask me not to talk
to forget my self, my old self.

Looking at you is hard enough
to change the world is tough
if you don’t let me never
to dream of you for ever.

Oh! Not to dream of you is hard
my heart
Oh! Not to dream of you is hard

I wish you only knew
I never asked for anything new
but my mind’s seriously detained
when your magic glance at me is aimed.

Looking at you is hard enough
to change the world is tough
if you don’t let me never
to dream of you for ever.

Oh! Not to dream of you is hard
my heart
Oh! Not to dream of you is hard

Just your kiss, baby mine
makes me flying
Oh! I’ m flying, baby mine
Oh! I’ m flying!

Looking at you is hard enough
to change the world is tough
if you don’t let me never
to dream of you for ever.
Malta - Young Talent Team - The Power of a Song

Lead vocals: Charlotte Debbatista (30/09/91), Marilena Gauci (20/10/91). Backing vocals: Rodney Gauci (19/05/89), Sarah Naudi (07/11/90), Josef Aguis Degabriele (08/11/88). Dancers: Elaine Falzon (21/11/88), Julian Muscat (20/08/89), Timothy J.Aguis (23/06/89).

YTT is a group of eight dynamic teenagers: Marilena Gauci, Charlotte Debattista, Josef Aguis Degabriele, Sarah Naudi, Rodney Gauci, Elaine Falzon, Julian Muscat and Timothy J. Aguis. And under the guidance of their instructor Belinda Aquilina and their manager Colette Debattista they have become a formidable group.
In the last two years YTT has become quite famous in Malta. The group won the Malta Championship of Performing Arts and represented Malta in the World Championship held in Hollywood, USA. In December 2003, they were invited on various Maltese TV programmes, participated in major local events and became well-known faces. Another milestone in their short career was the invitation to the Grand Harbour, Malta-EU Accession celebrations on the 1st of May 2004.

The members of YTT are constantly improving their singing and dancing skills. They have joined Y.A.D.A. college of Jazz Dance and, under the tuition of Christina Schranz, have learnt new disciplines including hip-hop and Spanish dance.

Their experiences over the last few years led them to feel confident enough to participate in the Malta Junior Song for Europe Festival 2004.
Marilena and Charlotte composed the song and wrote the lyrics for the team. Now all eight hope to win the hearts of the European voters with the 'Power of a Song' in November.

Archive: www.youngtalentteam.com

There is magic in each song
It can make friendship so strong
Come on…share your music with me

There’s power in each song
It makes you sing along
Oh girl…what a beautiful world

Chorus

Hear the music
Keep the rhythm
Dance…and enjoy the sunshine
Hear our voices
Hear our stories
Hear…what we’ve gota tell you
Dance

Get the message of a song
It can teach you right from wrong
So boy…don’t you mess up your life

Like a rainbow in the sky
A song brightens up your life
Enjoy…we got so much to give

…Repeat chorus

ooh…dance…with me……

There is magic in each song
And there is power in our song
Get the message of a song
Enjoy life…enjoy life

Hear the music
Keep the rhythm
Dance….and enjoy the sunshine
Hear our voices
Hear our stories
Hear…ooh….what we’ve gota tell you
Hear the music
Keep the Rythmn
Dance….and enjoy the sunshine
Hear our voices
Hear our stories
Hear...Let’s hear…What we’ve gota tell you
Dance lets dance.


*arranged by Andrew Zammit

After Eurovision:

After JESC Young Talent Team have launched charity CD raising funds for Razzett tal Hbiberija and presented the festival Heart of Gold. They have launched new single Celebration in 2005 and performed another new single "Bikja ohra/179" as guests of 2005 JESC preselection and released Christmas album in December 2005. This album included their original hit tracks Magic of Christmas, Remix Power of a song, Love is and Celebration. They were also special guests at the CHOGM Children’s Day in November where Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth visited over 2500 school children. YTT also had their own 2 hour weekly radio show Saghtejn The Young Talent Team. YTT have disbanded in 2006 with several members embarking projects in UK.





Marilena Gauci took part in adult Eurovision preselection in 2011 with He's A Demon. She also took part in Malta Hit 2008 and KKI 2011 and 2012 and won festival in Alexandria, Egypt.

Charlotte Debattista or "Charlie" in 2007 was selected as a solo singer on a weekly show on Malta’s National Broadcaster TVM. The end of 2007 she had taken part in pantomime. In 2008 she has performed in ‘Shaftesbury Theatre’ on westend and got her first lead as Gabriella in Maltese "High School Musical on stage". In 2009 she auditioned in 5 leading theater schools in UK and was accepted in 4 of them, so in September moved to London starting her 3 year full time Musical Theatre Diploma course at Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. Youtube: charlottedebattista3

Sarah Naudi is currently living in UK, studied at Arts Educational Schools London and performed in several musicals, including "Porn The Musical" as the lead. Youtube: TheSnaudi

Elaine Falzon has been playing in various theaters in Malta, including theatrencore, Rodney Gauci has also been active as actor, while Josef Degabrieli living in UK is working as dancer and model. Julian Muscat also resides in UK, studying Sports and Leisure management in University of Brighton.

Name: Elaine Falzon
Age: 15
Hometown: Saint Pauls Bay
Family: my 1-year-old brother and my parents
What is the song about? How music can make your life better
I love: Listen to my Moulin Rouge CD
I hate: When I have nothing to do at home
Favourite Artist: Anastacia
Favourite Song: Breathe easy
Favourite Film: You got served & Honey
Wish I could: Fly
Hobbies: Singing, Jazz, Hip-Hop
Bad habit: Biting my nails
I’m happy when: I meet all my friends
I get angry when: My friends make me all curious
Favourite candy: Cherry flavoured lolly pops
I wish: There would be peace all over the world
Boyfriend/girlfriend: Yes
Favourite food: Chinese & Indian
Favourite colour: Purple
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I look most forward to: The snow and meeting new people
By the way… Good luck to all other contestants

Name: Timothy J Agius
Age: 15
Hometown: Santa Venera
Family: my parents
What is the song about? How music can make your life better
I love: Dancing, music, football
I hate: Watching people smoking
Favourite Artist: Justin Timberlake
Favourite Song: I don’t wanna know
Favourite Film: Dirty dancing
Wish I could: Dance in Wade Robinson's show
Hobbies: Cycling, football, dancing
Bad habit: Forgetting things
I’m happy when: I succeed my challenges
I get angry when: I fail my challenges
Favourite candy: Chocolate
I wish: I will keep on dancing & singing
Boyfriend/girlfriend: No
Favourite food: Chinese
Favourite colour: Red
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I look most forward to: meeting new friends from different countries
By the way… Good luck to everyone

Name: Marilena Gauci
Age: 13
Hometown: San Gwann
Family: 2 brothers + my parents
What is the song about? How music can change your life
How long did it take to write the song? 2 to 3 months
I love: Making new friends
I hate: Mushrooms
Favourite Artist: Mariah Carey
Favourite Song: When you believe
Favourite Film: You got surved
Wish I could: be allowed not to go to school
Hobbies: Singing, swimming, dancing, playing the piano
Bad habit: Biting my finger nails
I’m happy when: I achieve something
I get angry when: People make fun of me or say things about me
Favourite candy: Chocolate
I wish: I would be perfect
Boyfriend/girlfriend: No, unfortunately not
Favourite food: Pasta
Favourite colour: White/Blue
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I look most forward to: Meet other children
By the way… Good luck to all contestants

Name: Julian Muscat
Age: 15
Hometown: Saint Pauls Bay
Family: 1 sister, my parents
What is the song about? How music can make your life better
I love: Rhythm, beat, acting, dancing and swimming
I hate: Tomatoes, people who cannot be trusted
Favourite Artist: Hillary Duff
Favourite Song: Come what may
Favourite Film: Dirty Dancing
Wish I could: Fly high into the sky
Hobbies: Football, swimming, dancing, cycling
Bad habit: Biting my nails
I’m happy when: I succeed a challenge
I get angry when: People make fun of me
Favourite candy: Candy Floss
I wish: There would be no more terrorism in the world
Boyfriend/girlfriend: Not yet
Favourite food: Chinese
Favourite colour: Blue
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I look most forward to: Looking forward to meet and make new friends
By the way… Good luck to all contestants and see you in Norway

Name: Josef Agius Degabriele
Age: 15
Hometown: Xemxija
Family: 2 sisters, my brother and my parents
What is the song about? How music can make your life better
I love: Dancing, music, shopping, music
I hate: When I get curious
Favourite Artist: Britney Spears
Favourite Song: "I'd do anything for love" by Meat Loaf
Favourite Film: Moulin Rouge
Wish I could: Be famous or else have a good job
Hobbies: Singing, swimming, dancing
Bad habit: Being very curious
I’m happy when: I accomplish the impossible
I get angry when: People do not tell me what is on their minds
Favourite candy: Tutti frutti and candy floss
I wish: That Young Talent Team will become internationally famous
Boyfriend/girlfriend: Yes, Justine
Favourite food: Chinese
Favourite colour: Green
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I look most forward to: Snow and performing on stage
By the way… Good luck to all other contestants

Name: Charlotte Debattista
Age: 13
Hometown: Saint Paul's Bay
Family: 10 year old sister + my parents
What is the song about? How music can make your life better
How long did it take you to write the song? 2 to 3 months
I love: Dancing, singing, entertaining people
I hate: Snails & ants
Favourite Artist: Busted
Favourite Song: Don’t want you back (Eamon)
Favourite Film: You got surved
Wish I could: Fly
Hobbies: Singing, swimming, dancing, going out
Bad habit: I bite the top of my pen
I’m happy when: I meet up and see all my friends
I get angry when: People make fun of others and myself
Favourite candy: Chocolate & blue lollipops
I wish: There would be peace in the world
Boyfriend/girlfriend: No, not at the moment
Favourite food: Chinese
Favourite colour: Blue
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I look most forward to: Performing in front of millions and meeting new people
By the way… Good luck to everybody and hope that we all become friends

Name: Sarah Naudi
Age: 14
Hometown: Swieqi
Family: 2 sisters, my brother and my parents
What is the song about? How music can make your life better
I love: Making people smile
I hate: Wars
Favourite Artist: Julia Roberts, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Aniston
Favourite Song: Thicke: "When I get you alone"
Favourite Film: Save the last dance / You got served
Wish I could: Become famous
Hobbies: Singing, sports, dancing, acting
Bad habit: Biting my nails
I’m happy when: People make me happy
I get angry when: My parents shout at me
Favourite candy: Lollipops with chewing gum inside
I wish: I could fly whenever I want
Boyfriend/girlfriend: ----
Favourite food: Chinese & Indian
Favourite colour: Black, white, pink
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I look most forward to: the big night
By the way… Good luck to everyone who is taking part

Name: Rodney Gauci
Age: 15
Hometown: San Gwann
Family: 1 sister, 1 brother and my parents
What is the song about? How music can make your life better
I love: Going out
I hate: People who act unnatural and are not themselves
Favourite Artist: Ashley Olsen
Favourite Song: Come what may
Favourite Film: Bicentenial Man
Wish I could: Be a movie star
Hobbies: Singing, riding my bike, dancing, acting, playing guitar
Bad habit: Leaving things everywhere
I’m happy when: I succeed in something I have worked hard for
I get angry when: People get selfish
Favourite candy: Haribo
I wish: All the world could take a break from terrorism
Boyfriend/girlfriend: Yes
Favourite food: Spare ribs in honey sauce and Pizza
Favourite colour: Blue
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I look most forward to: Meeting all the other contestants from all over Europe
By the way… Good luck to every country

24/09/04, Sir Temi Zammit Hall University of Malta
01. Kylie Coleiro - Because we R friends 41
02. Jessica Muscat - Precious time 39
03. Yazmin and Sophie - The magic window (music by Yazmin, lyrics by Yazmin & Sophie) 116
04. Thea Saliba - Say 'No' 92
05. Klinsmann Coleiro - Warzone children 121
06. Leanne Ellul - Colours of love 76
07. Young Talent Team - Power of a song (music by Marilena Gauci, lyrics by Charlotte Debattista) 153 - 1st
08. Domenique Azzopardi - Talk to me 87
09. Yanika Fava - Dream 79
10. Brooke Borg - Come over 67
11. Christabelle Borg - One way journey (music by Giselle Spiteri, lyrics by Christabelle Borg) 121
12. Maronia Gafa' - Shalom 54
13. Dario Bezzina - Eviva I-Muzika 152 - 2nd
14. Ylenia Caruana - Colour dreaming 120
15. Raisa Piscopo - Don't you think it's time 67
16. Kristina and Ryan - Young and free (music by Ryan Abela, lyrics by Kristina Camilleri Burlo) 75

Because some singers had more than one song that made it to the final the song with the least point was dropped and another song qualified from the reserve list.

The songs that dropped are:
Colours - Brooke Borg
Freedom - Christabelle & Ylenia (music by Ylenia Caruana, lyrics by Christabelle Borg)
My Little Wish - Kylie Coleiro
Crazy About You - Young Talent Team (music by Marilena Gauci, lyrics by Charlotte & Rodney)

Those replacing them are:
Warzone Children - Klinsmann Coleiro
Talk to Me - Domenique Azzopardi
Shalom - Maronia Gafa'
Don't you think it's Time - Raisa Piscopo

118 entries received, 50 presented at live auditions at the Golden Tulip Vivaldi Hotel, St. Julians on 21/08.
60% jury / 40% tele. Jury: Christine Albani, Vince Fabri, Eric Montfort, Manuel Pirotta and Valeria Vella

YOUNG+TALENT+TEAM.jpg (63963 bytes)
The Netherlands - Klaartje Meulemeesters (28/10/93) & Nicky Bruyn (07/12/94) - Hij is een kei (He's a crack)

Klaartje & Nicky ‘He’s a Crack!’
Age:
Klaartje: 10 years
Nicky: 9 years

Hometown:
Klaartje: Boekel (in southern Holland)
Nicky: Veghel (in southern Holland)

Hobbies:
Klaartje: Singing, acting, drawing and writing stories
Nicky: Playing piano, drawing and acting

Favourite singer:
Klaartje: Shakira
Nicky: Too many to list

Klaartje and Nicky met 5 years ago and became close friends almost at once.
Even though they have different opinions once in a while, they never really fight with each other. After all, both girls know that they work well together: Klaartje plays the keyboard and writes the music, while Nicky mainly writes the lyrics.

The girls won a talent search under their previous name, ‘Skystars’.

Their song for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, ’He’s a crack’, is based on the girls’ own experience. It’s about a girl who falls in love with a boy from her class. But – and romantic stories always have a ‘but’ – the boy doesn’t love her. However, like most stories, the song does have a happy ending…

When it comes to the Junior Eurovision Song Contest final, the girls are sure of themselves: “We hope that we will win. We are the best friends in the universe and together we want to conquer the world.”

Archive: www.juniorsongfestival.nl

After Eurovision:
Watch "Back in Time" program of AVRO here

Name: Nicky Bruyn
Age: 9
Hometown: Veghel
Family: Father Wouter, mother Mais, brother Tim, baby sister Chris and dog Spike
What is the song about? About a girl who’s in love with a boy, but the boy is in love with her friend. The rest of the story is a surprise.
How long time did it take to write the song? half an hour
I love...: Dogs and my daddy (and my mummy)
I hate...: sauerkraut and spiders
Favourite Artist: Too many to answer
Favourite Song: "Coconutty woman" (Harry Belafonte) and "She wants to move" (N.E.R.D)
Favourite Film: Pretty Woman, Notting Hill, Mathilda and Annie
Wish I could: be an international top model
Hobbies: playing piano, table tennis, singing, drawing and acting
Bad habit: I bite my nails
I’m happy when: we’re eating french fries
I get angry when: my brother annoys me
Favourite candy: ice cream and pink cakes
I wish: Boys and men would stop fighting and going to war
Boyfriend/girlfriend: I don’t have one
Favourite food: French fries and macaroni
Favourite colour: Blue
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I look most forward to: having fun in Norway
By the way: it should be summer!!

Name: Klaartje Meulemeesters
Age: 10
Hometown: Boekel
Family: Father Tijn, mother Marjan, brother Jaap
What is the song about? It’s about a girl who’s in love with a boy in her class called Bas, but then Bas turns out to be in love with her friend. She doesn’t like it but sees another boy, Thomas, who’s actually nicer and becomes her boyfriend. Happy ending!
How long did it take to write the song? Half an hour
I love...: Animals (except spiders), music, badminton, acting and singing
I hate...: Spinach, spiders, telling tales, fighting
Favourite Artist: Shakira
Favourite Song: She wants to move (N.E.R.D.)
Favourite Film: Harry Potter, Films about nature/animals
Wish I could: Become successful in music
Hobbies: Acting, singing, drawing, reading books, writing stories and poems
Bad habit: Sometimes I get annoyed very quickly
I’m happy when: I act and sing
I get angry when: Someone is dishonest
Favourite candy: White chocolate
I wish: That everybody would be happy
Boyfriend/girlfriend: Wheee! I don’t have a boyfriend!
Favourite food: French fries
Favourite colour: Orange
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I look most forward to: Having a great time with my best friend
By the way: I’ll miss all other Dutch contestants, so I would like to say hi to: Danny, Shakira, Marnix, Four Stars, Anouk, Denise, Lorren, Kika, 4 Flying Elements. And I find it very exciting to go to Norway. It will be my first time in an aircraft!
Hello Klaartje! How does it feel after the final?
Klaartje: I'm fine, but I'm a bit sad because I had hoped for a better placing, but it's ok. But I think 11th place is very good anyway.

How did it feel representing the Netherlands?
Klaartje: I'm so proud and happy. It was so much fun!

When did you start writing your song Hij is een kei (He's lovely) ?
Klaartje: It was a long time ago. It was our parents who said we should submit the song to the national final in the Netherlands.

In your song, you sing about a Thomas van de Laar, who is that???
Klaartje: It's a made up person. The whole song is made up!:)

Do you play any instrument?
Klaartje: Yes, I play the keyboards. I've done that for about 2-3 years now.

Describe yourself with 3 words!
Klaartje: Helpful, kind, and I can keep a secret!

Where you nervous when you performed?
Klaartje: No, not today. I thought I would be, I was a bit nervous before, but not now.

What do you do in your spare time?
Klaartje: I act, playing theater, I actually like that more than singing! I play Keyboards, Badminton, write fairytales and songs. I also like computers and painting.

Who is your idol?
Klaartje: I don't have any idol. It's just some songs I like from some artists sometimes.

How was your week in Lillehammer?
Klaartje: Very much to do! But it has been very fun, but now I'm so tired, and it's nice that everything is over. It was actually just too much! But it was fun!

Which other songs were your favourites?
Klaartje: Switzerland, United Kingdom and Macedonia.

Did you find any new friends among the other artists?
Klaartje: Yes, Martina from Macedonia. She made me happy. She was very kind, I liked her song the best too!

What did you think of the Swedish song?
Klaartje: They were very good at singing, and they have good voices.

Which other languages were the most difficult to understand?
Klaartje: Cyprus was the most difficult. Malta and England were the easiest!

Would you like to take part in the "big" Eurovision Song Contest when you get older?
Klaartje: No, this was very fun, but I would rather do theatre.
Anouk.jpg (55181 bytes)Danny.jpg (49171 bytes)Lorren.jpg (54664 bytes)denise.jpg (58062 bytes)
Shakira.jpg (53096 bytes)Marnix.jpg (62351 bytes)Kika.jpg (60040 bytes)
jongens.jpg (82328 bytes)Four_stars.jpg (85642 bytes)
Junior Eurovisie Songfestival 2004 - watch the show and extras
Final 25/09/04, Pepsi Stage, hosted by Angela Groothuizen
01. Marnix - Het aller, aller, aller grootste hart 7+6+6=19
02. Shakira - Dansen in Afrika 8+8+8=24
03.
Danny - Van zingen word ik blij 6+7+12=25
04. Anouk
- Over en uit 12+10+7=29
05. Klaartje & Nicky - Hij is een kei 10+10+12=32
Kids jury/Professsiona jury/televoting
Nationaal Juniorsongfestival attracted 1.197.000 viewers in the Netherlands, that is about 8% rating and a market share of 18,3%.
1st semi 766.000 – 2nd semi: 776.000

1st semi 11/09/04
01. Four Stars (Lisa E, Lisa S, Tess, Jule) - Hoi (Hi) 21
02. Marnix van der Moezel - Het aller, aller, aller grootste hart (The biggest heart of all) 27
03. Klaartje & Nicky - Hij is een kei (He's great) 25
04. Shakira Wong Sioe - Dansen in Afrika (Dancing in Africa) 36
05. Lorren Rettich - Alles wat je kan (Everything you can) 20

Junior-Songfestival-2004-BACK.jpg (155117 bytes)
2nd semi 18/09/04
01. Kika (11) - Dansen (dancing) 22
02. Four Flying Elemenents (Jesse Bonger & Khalid Talebi (13), Paulo Hetsen & Ajay Mahabir (12)) - Zo is het leven (that's the way life is) 24
03. Denise Klein (13) - De jungle beat (the jungle beat) 21
04. Danny Hoekstra (9) - Van zingen word ik blij (singing makes me happy) 28
05. Anouk Hendriks (11) - Over en uit (over and out) 34

Jury:
Manuela Kemp, Jeroen Kijk In De Vegte, Angela Schijf and Sita
We hebben een nieuwe jongen in de klas
En hij heet Bas, en hij heet Bas
We hebben een nieuwe jongen in de klas
En hij heet Bas, en hij heet Bas

Hij is de beste van de klas
Met rekenen, is hij in zijn sas
Met taal is hij ook heel erg blij,
want dat kan hij zelfs
Beter dan mij

Hij is een kei, hij is een kei
volgens mij
Heb ik een oogje op hem
Hij kan zo mooi vertellen met die prachtige stem
Ik hou van hem
Maar houdt die ook van mij?

Hij is echt geen vechtersbaas
Maar misschien, helaas
Is hij niet op mij, maar ik op hem
En dat telt, en dat telt!
Ik hou van hem

Hij is een kei, hij is een kei
volgens mij
Heb ik een oogje op hem
Hij kan zo mooi vertellen met die prachtige stem
Ik hou van hem
Maar houdt die ook van mij?

Hij leende zijn potlood, vandaag aan mij!
En ik was blij, en ik was blij
Maar wat ik vandaag zag,
Was schokkend, maar waar.
Hij vroeg verkering aan haar
Zij, die eerst mijn vriendin was.
En hij, die eerst mijn liefde was!

Maar wie zie ik daar.
Thomas komt eraan,
Het is me nooit opgevallen,
Hoe knap hij is
En hij, vraagt verkering aan mij en ik zeg ja!

Hij is een kei, hij is een kei
volgens mij
Heb ik een oogje op hem
Hij kan zo mooi vertellen met die prachtige stem
Ik hou van hem
Hij blijft altijd mijn idool.
Hij is een kei!

*arranged by Ruud Muller

He’s a crack
Let’s swing
We’ve got a new boy in our class
His name is Bas, his name is Bas

We’ve got a new boy in our class
His name is Bas, his name is Bas

He’s at the top of the class
There is no test that he won’t pass
To languages he holds the key
He even outsmarts me

He’s a crack, he’s a crack
It might just be
I’ve got a crush on him
The way he talks, as if he sings
I love him, but does he feel the same ‘bout me?

He’s no thug and that’s for sure
I’m love sick and it’s too bad
There is no cure
But I’ve got this crush
And that’s what counts
My heart cries out, just hear it pound

He’s a crack, he’s a crack
It might just be
I’ve got a crush on him
The way he talks, as if he sings
I love him but does he feel the same ‘bout me

Today he lent me his pencil
And I was happy, simply thrilled
But what I saw today
Just made my poor head twirl
He asked somebody else
To be his girl
Someone that used to be my friend
And this is where my love must end

But who’s that over there
Thomas F. Astaire
I never noticed until now
How really handsome he is
And he wants me to be his girl
And I say sure, sure, sure

He’s a crack, he’s a crack
It might just be
I’ve got a crush on him
The way he talks, as if he sings
He’ll always be my idol
He’s a crack
Switzerland - Demis Mirarchi (08/03/93) - Birichino (Cheeky)

My name is Demis Mirarchi. I was born in Faido on March 8th, 1993.
As you can imagine from my name my family has Mediterranean ancestors. My mother is Spanish, my father Italian and I have a 15-year-old sister, Sheila.

I absolutely love to sing. In fact, we are a very musical family. My father plays the guitar, and together we perform at all our family parties.

My professional career started when I was selected as a singer by Alessandro Mara (singer and musical producer) in 2001. I participated in the children’s song festival Mara & Meo that I won.

My hobbies are singing, gardening and cooking. My favourite sport is swimming.

My plans for the future apart from singing? When I grow up, I’d like to become a TV presenter.

And finally: I am very happy and proud to represent Switzerland at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest and hope to win of course.

Name: Demis Mirarchi
Date of Birth: 08.03.1993
Hometown: Pollegio - Switzerland
Family: 4 Members: my Father Giancarlo (40 years old), whitewasher, my mother Maria Soledad (40 years old), librarian, my sister Sheila (15 years olds), student and myself
What is the song about? A shrewd boy who always wants to play and who doesn't want to sleep
How long did it take you to write the song? I'm still working on it !!!
I love: to put my things in order and to play with microphones
I hate: to get up very early in the morning
Favourite Artist: Cйline Dion
Favourite Song: "Titanic" song from Cйline Dion ("My heart will go on")
Favourite Film: x-mas in India
Wish I could: Become a TV journalist
Hobbies: Swimming, fishing, coocking, to film with a video camera, singing and gardening
Bad habit: I never look at my watch
I’m happy when: People congratulate me
I get angry when: people scold me with an angry face
Favourite candy: Bread cake
I wish: To present a funny TV program
Boyfriend/girlfriend: None, but a lot of friends
Favourite food: Pizzoccheri and pizza
Favourite colour: Blue
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I look most forward to: having a wonderful experience....I can’t wait to go to Norway
By the way… I hope to make a good impression and to represent my country best possible.
Daniela Tami: “In the Swiss Italian area we have a children song festival “Mara & Meo” which has the same rules as the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. All festival’s participants are of the same age as the J-ESC stars, are non-professionals and have created their own songs. The EBU Steering Group for the J-ESC event accepted the Swiss application with a song selected during the “Mara & Meo” festival. We are very happy to present Demis Mirarchi and keep our fingers crossed for him in Lillehammer. Demis is the winner of the past edition of “Mara & Meo” which will from now on be the official national selection show for the Swiss J-ESC winning song. For next year we will change the broadcasting times from November to some time earlier.”

22/11/2002, Palacongressi, Lugano Age: 4-11.
1. Gaia Bertoncini - Vola Vola (A.Maraniello)
2. Giorgia Malizia, Matilde Luzzine - Coniglietto (A.Maraniello, E.Rutherford)
3. Matteo Morandi - Filastrocca  (A.Maraniello, E.Rutherford, M.Tamburini)
4. Moiano, Ilenia, Ambra Moiano - Orologio Blu  (A.Maraniello, E.Rutherford, M.Tamburini)
5. Eleonora Brenni - Specchio Magico (A.Maraniello)
6. Roberto Cereghetti - Da Grande Viaggeri (Christina Biaggini, A.Maraniello)
7. Alessia Milani - Il Mio Nonno Pescatore (A.Maraniello)
8. Luana Biadici - Didi (M.Logan, A.Maraniello, E.Rutherford)
9. Mirco Ercegovich - Annie Lou  (A.Maraniello, E.Rutherford)
10. Demis Mirarchi - Birichino  (A.Maraniello, E.Rutherford)
11. Mattia Frigerio - Buon Natale (A.Maraniello)

Sono un bambino
Sono un pò birichino
Ed il sonno non so che cos’è

Sono un bambino
Sono forse piccino
Ed ho voglia di stare con te

Dai gioca ti prego
Non stare a pensare
Dai canta ancora con me

Rit.
Mamma ho voglia di giocare
Fammi un poco divertire
Che ne dici di cantare
Non ho voglia di dormire

Sono un bambino
Sono un pò birichino
Ed il sonno non so che cos’è

Sono un bambino
Sono forse piccino
Ed ho voglia di stare con te

Dai gioca ti prego
Non stare a pensare
Dai canta ancora con me

Rit.
Mamma ho voglia di giocare
Fammi un poco divertire
Che ne dici di cantare
Non ho voglia di dormire

Mamma ho voglia di giocare (solo drum)
Fammi un poco divertire
Che ne dici di cantare
Non ho voglia di dormire

Mamma ho voglia di giocare
Fammi un poco divertire
Che ne dici di cantare
Non ho voglia di dormire

Mamma ho voglia di giocare
Fammi un poco divertire
Che ne dici di cantare
Non ho voglia di dormire

A kid I am
Be cheeky I can
And sleep is not for me

A kid I am
Not yet a man
Next to you I want to be

Come on, please play
Don’t think away
Come on, still play with me

(Chorus)
Mommy I want to play
Some fun is all I beg
Come sing with me all day
I don’t want to go to bed

A kid I am
Be cheeky I can
And sleep is not for me

A kid I am
Not yet a man
Next to you I want to be

Come on, please play
Don’t think away
Come on, still play with me

(Chorus)
Mommy I want to play
Some fun is all I beg
Come sing with me all day
I don’t want to go to bed

Mommy I want to play (drums only)
Some fun is all I beg
Come sing with me all day
I don’t want to go to bed

Mommy I want to play
Some fun is all I beg
Come sing with me all day
I don’t want to go to bed

Mommy I want to play
Some fun is all I beg
Come sing with me all day
I don’t want to go to bed
Norway - @lek (Aleksander Moberg) (28/11/88) - En stjerne skal jeg bli (I'm going to be a star)

Hesitation and nervousness seem to be words that do not exist for 15-year-old @lek from Drammen in Norway. @lek loves to perform in front of a huge audience and therefore he is looking forward to rocking Haakons Hall in November.
Almost every song is about love and relationships, @lek explains. This is why he sat down and wrote ”I’m gonna be a star” – @lek likes to stand out from the crowd and do his own thing. Therefore, his lyrics are quite autobiographic. @lek’s strongest wish is to become famous! The melody came to him as he was trying out different things on his keyboard.

To make his wish come true, @lek works very hard. He is a fan of all kinds of music from pop to techno, sings with big band orchestras, takes part in numerous music competitions and has performed with the other Norwegian J-ESC finalists on a summer tour. You think this is enough? Not for @lek! He is already recording his first album as a solo artist.

But believe it or not, @lek still has some time for his hobbies – sports in a youth activity club and rowing – and even more surprisingly - @lek enjoys going to school. His favourite subject is – of course – music. He also spends a lot of time with his twin brother and his friends.

What is his wish for the future? @lek dreams of a good life, a job in the music business and a nice girlfriend.
But first of all: Winning the Junior Eurovision Song Contest is @lek’s wish for the near future! We keep our fingers crossed for him.

Backing dancers:
Christina Alexandra Jomark, Madeleine Bjørlo, Marita Richardsen, Marte Guldahl, Marie Elise Sterri Mæhle, Erika Calmeyer - all competed in MGP 2004.

Archive: freewebs.com/aleknett
www.nrk.no

After Eurovision:
After releasing album in 2005 Alex Moberg has disappeared from the stage. He has been studying economics in Trondheim.

Name: Aleksander Moberg, @lek
Age: 15
Hometown: Drammen, Norway
Family: Robert, my twin brother. Grethe, my mother and Aage, my father
What is the song about? It’s about how it is to become a star and thoughts and feelings the person has about being famous and popular. It tells you that life as a star isn’t always as easy as we think. My song gives you an idea about how it feels to be a star.
How long did it take to write the song? I spend 3 months writing the song. It was quite difficult first, but after a time I got better and better and the last weekend before the final deadline to send in the songs to the Norwegian Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2004 came up, I finished it.
I love: To be with the ladies of course, hang out with friends and party every weekend. Yihaa..:P I am rowing after school, so I practise every week, and of course I also practise keyboard and guitar, write songs and sing songs. I like to meet people and get to know new people. And girls I'm free...:P
I hate: Selfish people, war in the world, and other things bad things:P; I can not remember all I would like to write down here:P
Favourite Artist: Robbie Williams and Bryan Adams, but in Norway its Kurt Nilsen who actually won the WORLD IDOL 2003 show. I also like Kjartan Salvesen who won the Norwegian IDOL 2004.
Favourite Song: Let me entertain you, Feel, Sexed up, She`s the one, Angels (all by Robbie); Summer of 69, Everything I Do (I do it for you), Heaven (all by Bryan); She so High (by Kurt) and Standing Tall (by Kjartan)
Favourite Film: Rush Hour 2 (Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan are so good together. HAHA:D). And almost all films with Eddie Murphy:P
Wish I could: Travel around the world and give a concert for over 10,000 people or get a major job in a big Norwegian company. Hehe. And live a good life with a beautiful lady...;)
Hobbies: Work with music, rowing, go out with people, have girls around me:P And music, of course.
Bad habit: Emmm... The only thing Н can remember now: "he likes to talk", maybe I talk too much:P HAHA
I’m happy when: having fun with other people. Just come and invite me!!! Hehe
I get angry when: I'm bored and have nothing to do:P
Favourite candy: Of course, the Norwegian Chocolate and sweets and sour candy
I wish: That I will have a good future and a good life, and of course a better world for other people with fewer wars, less people who are poor, more medicine and help for poor countries that really need it.
Boyfriend/girlfriend: Im looking for a girl. Maybe it’s you?
Favourite food: Taco, Mexican food (love it:P), Pizza and the dinner that the girlfriend will make:P
Favourite colour: Blue, of course:p
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I am looking forward to: Meeting all the different people from the different countries, be a part of making a very big TV show. Be there the whole week and get into contact with new people. Sing and do my best during the Final and at last I hope there will be a nice girl!:P
By the way… See ya, I hope you will watch the TV show and wish you all the best. Write songs, so maybe one day you will stand in a Junior Final. I hope you like my song and vote for me.


MGP jr. (Melodi Grand Prix Junior 2004) - watch the show
12/06/2004, Oslo Spektrum, hosted by
Nadia Hasnaoui and Stian Barsnes Simonsen
1. Ceejays: Christina Johannessen (13) and Christina A. Jomark (12), Oslo -«Hør på oss» (Listen to us) 16188 3rd
2. Joakim Molander (10), Rånåsfoss, Akershus - «Vi to»
3. Vi: Vilde Hallgren Sandvik (12) and Ida Pape Rygh (12), Oslo - «Det er ikke deg, det er meg»
4. @lek: Aleksander Moberg (15), Drammen - «En stjerne skal jeg bli» 24765 1st
5. The Exocarps: Ida Ursin-Holm (13) og Cecilie Riis Iden (13), Bø i Telemark - «Andreplass»
6. Sheep Boys: Bendik O. Larsen (11), Robin Aasegg Araya (11) og Markus Henriksen (11), Trondheim - «Damer er no dritt»
7. Luna: Ida Margrete Rinde Sunde (13) og Julie Ofelia Østrem Ossum (14), Stabekk - «Min egen vei»
8. Hanne Merete Kristensen (12), Drøbak - «Her for deg» (Here for you) 13285 4th
9. Summerboys: Thomas Stenerud (12), Ole Martin Jølstad (11), Petter André Jølstad (12), Thomas B. Ottersen (14) og Simon Grimstad (11), Oslo og Tobias Dahl (12), Vikersund - «Det var sommer» (It was summer) 24181 2nd
10. Rosa klinkekuler: Sara Isabel Holmen (10) og Kristin Kulseth (10), Trondheim - «Bikinidamene»
452 entries submitted
Jeg satte meg på rommet
For å snekre på en låt
En låt som skulle få meg populær
Men det var ganske vanskelig
Det skjønte jeg jo snart
Men en låt - det skulle jeg få til
Men en låt - det skulle jeg få til

Jeg prøvde mange ganger
Men alt ble bare feil
Samme åssen hva jeg skrev
Om natta lå jeg våken
Jeg ble helt desperat
For låta den måtte bli bra
For låta den måtte bli bra

Ref.
Det er en stjerne jeg skal bli
Da hakke annet no å si
Da må jeg vise at jeg synge kan
Og skrive låter som en mann
Da blir jeg bare kjent og populær

Men så en tidlig morgenstund
Jeg våknet av meg selv
I nattens måneskinn
Kom alt på plass
Ordene de bare trillet
Ut av hodet mitt
Og så var det hele i gang
Og så var det hele i gang

Ref.

I sat in the room
To create a song
A song that should make me popular
But it was quite difficult
I understood it at once
But a song – I should be able to make it
But a song – I should be able to make it

I tried many times
But it sounds out of tuned
Whatever I wrote
I stayed awake during nights
I was quite desperate
Because the song has to be good
Because the song has to be good

Ref.
I am going to be a star
Nothing else
I must show that I can sing
And write a song as a man
I will then be known and popular

But an early morning time
I woke up
During the night moonshine
Everything came right
Words just flow out
Of my head
And so everything was on
And so everything was on

Ref.
France - Thomas Pontier (23/07/90) - Si on voulait bien (If we really wanted)

Thomas was born on the 23 July 1990, the youngest of three children. He has a sister who is almost 20 and a brother who has just turned 18.
Luckily, for his parents, his sister was born on the 21st, his brother on the 22nd and Thomas on the 23rd – so it’s easy to remember everyone’s birthday!

As soon as he was able to say a few words, Thomas asked for the “rara”, which is what he called his father’s guitar. And even before he was able to walk, he could bang out a rhythm on whatever he had in his hands.

Thomas’ family is very musical. His parents, sister and brother are all singers so it’s not surprising that his childhood was filled with songs and music. Whenever he can, he accompanies his parents on their tours and tries to learn as much as he can from them.

When he was 8 years old Thomas started to learn the drums. In 2001, during his parents’ tour of Quebec, he played the drums on three songs, proving his talent for percussion. Canadian people still remember him.

His brother Julien plays the guitar and has taught Thomas the basics, so he can now “strum a few tunes”. Thomas also gets singing lessons from his sister Charline.

In 2003, during one of his parents’ concerts, he found an old piano and was delighted when one of the musicians taught him a song.

That was the beginning of another chapter in Thomas’ life: playing the piano became an obsession for him. Within a few months, he was taking lessons and in less than a year he had built up a small repertoire of songs.

Asked to name his musical idols, Thomas’ thinks long and hard: he likes Benabar, Mano Solo, Sanseverino, Dick Annegarn, Arno but also Telephone, Corneille and the jazz of Petruciani, Fernandel and his idol Jacques Brel.

His second passion after music is cinema, particularly the movies of Mel Gibson, Bruce Willis, Jacques Villeret and Gerard Jugnot. His bedroom walls are covered with movie posters and Thomas says he plans to work in the film business at some point in the future. But could he really walk away from music?

In his free time, Thomas picks up bumps and bruises, skating with his friends. So what do they say about him? Be warned, they whisper, Thomas has a very, very dark sense of humour, but he is never boring. As soon as we wakes up, he’s performing – he seems to have so much energy, it’s frightening. But that is what’s so great about him…

Archive: http://participer.france3.fr/eurovision_junior/index.php3
http://monsite.wanadoo.fr/thomas-pontier/

thomas.jpg (2820 bytes)

Name: Thomas
Age: 14
I live in: Buis Les Baronnies
Family: One brother and one sister
My song is about: If everybody made an effort, the world could be a better place. And that would benefits us all
How long did it take to write the song: A weekend
I love: My parents, my family and music
I hate: News, night-time
Favourite artist: Benabar, Sanseverino, Mano Solo, Corneille, Brel
Favourite song: Les Majorettes, BENABAR
Favourite film: L‘Arme Fatale
I wish I could: Be married to Nicole Kidman!
Hobbies: Music, roller-skating, snooker
Bad habit: I lose my temper too easily
I am happy when: I’m singing and with my friends
I get angry when: My family is criticised
Favourite sweets: Dragibus
I wish: ----
Girlfriend: No
Favourite food: Potato omelette
Favourite colour: Red
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I wish: To sing my song in front of a huge audience
Finally, … ---


After Eurovision:
Thomas has continued his studies and began working on his album. In February 2006 he was invited to appear at Polish TV where he performed two of his songs live. He also took part in the music festival in Konin in June 2006. Has released an album " De riviиres de peut-кtre" (repacked in 2011 with new tracks as "Le bonheur et tout ce qui pleure avec"). Currently is regularly performing at festivals with new material under stage name Othello. His latest tracks can be heard on Youtube, myspace and soundcloud.

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20/09/04, hosted by Pierre Sled and Sophie Davant.
01. Cindy (11) | Zazie – Rue de la paix
02. Joris (10) | Jean Jacques Goldman – J'irais au bout de mes rкves
03. Lucie (14) | Edith Piaf – Mon manиge а moi
04. Jullian & Marine (10-11) | Indochine – J'ai demande а la lune
05. Julien (15) | Dany Brillant – Suzette
06. Les J.A.M.M.E. | Pascal Obispo – Fan
07. Julie (13) | Helene Segara – Il y a trop de gens qui t'aiment
08. Tiffanie (10) | Petula Clark- La gadoue
09. Thomas (14) | Telephone – Un autre monde
10. Axelle (15) | Fabienne Thibault – Le monde est stone
11. Marion & Julia (15) | Lio – Les brunes comptent pas pour des prunes

50/50
Superfinal, acapella
Thomas | Jacques Brel – Amsterdam
Julie | Helene Segara – Mrs Jones
Axelle | Edith Piaf – L'hymne а l'amour
Eurovision entry announced on 07.10.04

7000 candidates auditioned on tape and 1000 invited to live auditions.
Tous les jours je me réveille
Plein d’espoir et d’illusion
Mais les infos me ramènent
Me ramène à la raison

Moi qui crois en l’homme
Et qui espère en la vie
Je n’entends que mensonges
Et tristes récits

Pas à pas, je vais dans la vie
A chercher ma voie, à savoir qui je suis
On me répète souvent, qu’il faut toujours dire oui
Moi j’veux pas croire que tout est déjà écrit

Ref.
Tout pourrait aller si bien
Si on voulait bien
Tout pourrait aller si bien
Si seulement on l'voulait bien

Je voudrais prendre le temps
D’apprendre et de comprendre
Mais que veut ce monde
Et qu’a t-il à me vendre

Il a le temps le temps de ma vie
Pour m’étonner et me surprendre
Mais j’veux des rires d’enfants
Et voir ton regard tendre

Ref.

Chorus.

Pas à pas je vais dans la vie
A chercher ma voie à savoir qui je suis
Je ne veux pas croire que tout est écrit
Je veux croire en l’homme espérer en la vie

Everyday I wake up
Full of hopes and dreams
But then the news
Makes me see sense

I believe in mankind
And I live my life in hope
But I only hear a pack of lies
And sad stories

Step by step I go through life
Looking for the right path to take, to find out who I am
I am often told that I should always say yes
But I don’t want to believe that everything is written already

Everything could go so good
If we wanted
Everything could go so good
If we really wanted

I’d like to take my time
To learn and understand
What this world wants
And what has it to offer me

I want to have the time of my life
And be amazed and surprised
I want to hear children’s laughter
And see your kind face

REF

CHORUS

Step by step I go through life
Looking for the right path to take, to find out who I am
But I don’t want to believe that everything is written already
I want to believe in mankind and I want to live my life in hope

REF
Macedonia - Martina Siljanovska (14/03/94) - Zabava

The 10-year-old Martina Smiljanovska will represent the FYR Macedonia on November 20th in Lillehammer with her message “Be Happy”.
Martina who was born in Skopje on March 15th 1994. She is a full-blooded musician, sings in a music group, dances and plays the piano … and of course, Martina is very successful. In a piano contest in Macedonia she took 3rd place, and she won the national Junior Eurovision Song Contest final.

Apart from making music, Martina likes reading and learning foreign languages. At the moment Martina studies English and Italian.

Choreographer Sanja Sutevska, backing vocal Ivana and Vojdan

After Eurovision:
Next year after the contest Martina has released her CD "Under the starry sky" for which wrote music and lyrics to 7 of 8 songs. She has been performing promoting her album in amusement parks and several TV shows. She also performed several times as guest at Tose Proeski concerts. She had slowly disappeared from spotlight in around 2007. She has been studying economy in Skopje.

Name: Martina Smiljanovska
Age: 10
Hometown: Skopje
Family: Mother, Father and an older brother
What is the song about? It’s an invitation for all the children in the world to party
How long time did you spend making the song? 2 days
I love: Music, reading, travelling and skiing
I hate: Injustice
Favourite Artist: Robbie Williams
Favourite Song: ‘This Love’ by Maroon 5
Favourite Film: Harry Potter
Wish I could: Visit another planet in the universe
Hobbies: Playing piano, learning Italian and writing fantasy stories
Bad habit: Impatience
I’m happy when: I’m singing
I get angry when: I see injustice
Favourite candy: None
I wish: That all the children in the world could be happy
Boyfriend/girlfriend: No
Favourite food: Spaghetti and pizza
Favourite colour: Light blue
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I look most forward to: Winning
By the way… Don’t forget to cheer for me!

Archive: martina.com.mk

26/06/2004
01. Ljubinka Petrusevska - Na Vrata Tropa Ljubovta,
02. Elena Dimovska – Ako Dojde Kraj,
03. Gligor Dinev, Eva Hristovska, Ruben Jusuf, Veronika Sijak, Elena Jovanovska – Gradski Fraer,
04. Martina Siljanovska – Zabava 1st
05. Marija Pavlovska – Dozdot,
06. Irana Atanasovska & Bojdan Smilevski – Nema Sto Da Krieme,
07. Robert Mitrov – Te Sonuvam,
08. Gordana Monevska – Osamena,
09. Ivet Caro & Orchideja Dukovska – Angel Cuvar,
10. Stefani Brzanova - Gulapce
Во светот има многу деца
Радосни и весели
Ајде сите заедно сега
Да ори песна и смеа

Да ечи весел рефрен
Да сме срекни секој ђен

Ајде да се забавуваме
Заедно да играме
Да не понесе ритамот на нотите
Да пееме сите

Забава на забавуваме
Заедно да играме
Да не понесе ритамот на нотите
Да пееме сите

Ајде сите заедно сега
Да ори песна и смеа

Да ечи весел рефрен
Да сме срекни секој ђен

Ајде да се забавуваме
Заедно да играме
Да не понесе ритамот на нотите
Да пееме сите

Забава на забавуваме
Заедно да играме
Да не понесе ритамот на нотите
Да пееме сите

Vo svetot ima mnogu deca
Radosni i veseli
Ajde site zaedno sega

Da ori pesna i smea

Da eci vesel refren
Da sme srekni sekoj den

Ajde da se zabavuvame

Zaedno da igrame
Da ne ponese ritamot na notite

Da peeme site

Samo da se zabavuvame
Zaedno da igrame
Da ne ponese ritamot na notite

Da peeme site

Na zabava vo mojata kukja

Site dojdete tuka

Ajde site zaedno sega

Da ori pesna i smea

Da echi vesel refren
Da sme srekni sekoj den

Ajde da se zabavuvame

Zaedno da igrame
Da ne ponese ritamot na notite

Da peeme site

Samo da se zabavuvame
Zaedno da igrame
Da ne ponese ritamot na notite

Da peeme site

Vo stariot svet na atlantida

Taka da bide i ovde
Site da bideme radosni

Ljubov na sekade

chorus
 

There are lots of children in the world
happy and joyful
let's all together
sing and laugh

every funny refrain
and laugh happily every day

Let's be happy
and dance together
don't bring rhythm to the notes
let's all sing

Everyone come to my house to have fun
let's all together
sing songs and laugh

*arranged by Trajche Organdzhiev

Poland - KWADro - Łap życie (Grab life)

Kamila Piątkowska (15), Dominika Rydz (15), Weronika Bochat (25.08.1991), Anna Klamczynska (07.04.1990)

KWADro are a team of happy, lively teenage girls. They have known each other for years and have been performed together at various festivals and at vocal and theatrical workshops. And although they live hundreds of kilometres apart, in different parts of Poland, they all share a love of music.
In the past, the girls performed on their own. But, last summer at a vocal workshop, they decided to form a group. One day they’d like to make their own album but they are well aware that it will take a lot of hard work to achieve this dream. Their parents have become good friends, though, and plan to do all they can to help.

KWADro are delighted to be representing Poland in Lillehammer and are looking forward to a wonderful experience – and they’ll be giving it their best shot on the night!

Dominika Rydz is 15 years old and attends a music school. She says that music and theatre are the most important things in her life and she feels completely at home on stage. She plays the piano, the saxophone and the guitar and has been singing for as long as she can remember.

She’s confident that she can make a name for herself both in Poland and abroad. Polish kids already know her from the TV programme she presents but, in the future, she hopes to appear in musicals.

She has an older sister, Martyna, and a younger one, Ola.

When she’s not performing she likes to go swimming – she’s particularly good at breaststroke. She also enjoys skiing, horse riding, spending time with friends and reading a books or poetry.

Weronika Bochat is 13 years old and is in the first year of high school. She’s been singing since she was little and has received several international and national awards. She’s been on TV, too.

She loves animals but only owns a pet rabbit and some fish because her younger brother, Milosz, is allergic to pet hairs.

At the moment she’s learning to play the piano. And in the future she wants to be a psychologist or an actress.

Anna Klamczynska is 14 years old and has an older sister, Sonia, who plays tennis very well, as do the rest of her family.

Anna, however, takes piano lessons at a music school and plays the clarinet.
She says her most unforgettable experience was performing in a professional theatre in Warsaw.

Apart from making music and signing, she likes sport, horse riding and walking her two dogs, Anda and Korsa. One day, she’d either like to own a horse farm or be a famous actress.

Kamila Piatkowska is 15 years old. She lives in Tarnobrzeg, and is learning the piano at music school. Her favourite subject at school is history.

She appeared in the national final of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2003, in a group called ‘Fram’, which she describes as the highlight of her career so far. She has also performed in local festivals and has recorded songs for children.

She has a younger brother called Kacper and a little sister called Emilia. When she’s older, she’d like to be a psychologist or sing in musicals. .

After Eurovision:
Dear all, Our presence at the second Junior Eurovision Song Contest in Lillehammer was the adventure of our life, an unforgettable experience! We are very happy that we could go there. Despite the position we took there, we are happy with our performance. We did our best and fulfilled our promises to present ourselves as good as we can. I know that many Poles regard the first place as a victory, and our last position as a shame and failure. In our point of view, the 17th position in Europe is not a failure. All we showed in Norway was the result of our and parents? efforts and the work of people who helped us. There are many reasons for our final position in the contest. First of all, our song was not a hit. Eurovision Song Contest is the only event in which vocal abilities and musical performance do not count much. It is all about a good disco song, where you can make a big show. Good voice is not necessary. In Lap zycie we showed our vocal abilties as we sang in 4 voices. Secondly, there was lack of promotion for our song. Contestants from other countries participating in Junior Eurovision Song Contest were supported by music industry. They sold their own albums and had concerts. Many people worked for their success. In my opinion a song can become a hit if you listen to it numerous times. We were not promoted as only our families helped us to find sponsors and set up some place where we could have rehearsals. We were the only band in Lillehammer which sang to a clear music line. We did not have any other choruses and voices recorded on the tape. I will never forget the applause we were given by the stage crew after our first rehearsal in Lillehammer when we sang Lap Zycie a capella. Our band has been noticed and appreciated. We were given many invitatations for music festivals in Europe. We would like to thank for all those SMS, phone calls, letters sent by people from other countries, who appreciated our work and who liked the performance. We are normal teenagers who do not want to be famous nor become stars. Now we have to come back to our schools to take notes and pass the tests. Dominika Rydz


Watch ESCKAZ interview with Weronika Bochat at Eurovision 2010 here.
Weronika Bochat became first ever Junior Eurovison entrant to enter adult Eurovision stage as backing vocalist of Marcin Mrozinski at Eurovision 2010. "Junior Eurovision is not as popular as Eurovision for adults, but I think that the contribution of these two projects are comparable. Perhaps a child has no consciousness of such large challenge of representing his or her country, but I think it was also directly related to my age and I considered it as a great adventure", she said. In addition to a fantastic adventure, exploring, talented people from many European countries, young singers have an amazing opportunity to learn from the professionalism of the organizers. ‘For me it was a huge test' Weronika explains. 'Daily interviews, tests, for which I was not accustomed and all at a truly global level. This competition is a unique opportunity, even for a moment, to be fully respected artist, a star and that’s priceless. I think that Junior should return to Poland, provided that after such important contest a young artist would be easier to start and develop a career in our country. That's only possible, when we will make some loud noise around Junior in Poland."

Weronika is regular actress at Roma Music theater, performing at such musicals as "Phantom of the Opera" or "Les Miserables". Currently she also works as vocal coach, conducting workshops and giving private lessons to beginner singers. She has also been dubbing various productions. She won many first prizes at prestigeous song festivals - Grand Prix at Festival im. Anny Jantar, Grand Prix at Festival in Konin etc, for many years hosted a program of TVP 1 5-10-15.

Dominika Rydz had almost similar career - she has been performing regularly at national and international festivals, as Universong 2008, Tanczace Eurydyki im. Anny German, V Festiwal Piosenki Polskiej, Konkurs mlodych talentуw, and co-hosted 5-10-15 as well. Currently she also works as vocal coach. In 2012 Dominika and Weronika have reunited and released several duet songs, which can be heard here.

Anna Klamczynska is playing in theaters "Roma", "Wprost" and "TiM", and also took part in various music contests, and was involved in dubbing.

Kama Piatkowska took part in various music competitions including "Wygraj sukces", graduated from music school on piano, sang in Fram badn, but later proceeded mostly with her dancing career, currently teaching in Egurrola Dance Studio .

Name: Dominika Rydz
Age: 15
Hometown: Pabianice
What is your song about? Enjoy every second of your life
How long did it take you to write the song? 2 weeks (in Rabka)
I love: music, music halls and summer
I hate: autumn, rain and dirt
Favourite artists: Sade, Oleta Adams
Favourite song: “Mungojerie e Pumpernikel” (Les Fйlins)
Favourite film: ,,Effet Papillon’’ with Ashton Kutcher and documentaries about nature
I wish: to do what I like and be happy
Hobby: music, swimming, theatre
Bad habit:
I am happy when: I did my best and succeeded
I am unhappy when: I forget something important
Favourite sweets: chocolat with nuts
My deepest wish: visit the whole world and speak a lot of languages
Friends: I have a lot
Favourite food: Chinese, Pizza
Favourite colour: blue
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I am looking forward to: singing with the other 18 contestants, meeting new friends
And finally… I hope it will be an unforgettable experience. And I would like to give my best.

Name: Kamila Piatkowska
Age: 15 ans
Hometown: Tarnobrzeg
What is your song about? About the joy of life
How long did it take you to write the song? 2 weeks in August (in Rabka)
I love: music, dancing, my little sister
I hate: maths, sciences (physics, ...)
Favourite artists: Mieczyslaw Szczesniak, Whitney Houston
Favourite song: there are many
Favourite film: ,,Flashdance”, “Footloose”
I wish: to do what I like - singing
Hobby: music, swimming, computer
Bad habit:
I am happy when: the sun shines and I am together with my friends
I am unhappy when: it rains
Favourite cakes: chocolat (cakes)
My deepest wish: to sing with a famous artist
Friends: Madzia Mierzwa, Patrycja Rawska
Favourite food: Pasta
Favourite colour: blue and white
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I am looking forward to: visiting Norway for the first time, meeting new friends, representing my country together with my friends

Name: Anna Klamczynska
Age: 14 ans
Hometown: Varsovie (Lesniakowszczyzna)
What is your song about? To live your life as good as possible
How long did it take you to write the song? approx. 3 weeks
I like: life
I hate: lies
Favourite artists: Anna Maria Jopek
Favourite song: Joszko Broda
Favourite film: ,,Amelie”
I wish: to live my life the best I can
Hobby: music, tennis, sports
Bad habit: I don't like to clean up
I am happy when: all people are happy
I am angry about: ... if nothing works
Favourite sweets: Cake from my Mum
My deepest wish: To sing with a famous artist
Friends: My sister and a lot of others
Favourite food: "knedle"
Favourite colour: blue
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I am looking forward to: visiting Norway, meeting new people, enjoying myself
And finally… I hope to make great experiences in life and succeed with work later on

Name: Weronika Bochat
Age: 13 ans
City: Solec Kujawski
What is your song about? You have to enjoy life because every single moment is so precious.
How long did it take to write the song? 2-3 weeks
I like: Smiling people
I hate: Intolerance, rude behaviour
Favourite artists: Anna Maria Jopek, Edyta Bartosiewicz, Sistars
Favourite song: ,,Beautiful Girl”
Favourite film: ,,Shrek’
I wish: that children would no longer suffer from hunger and I hope for peace
Hobby: music, theatre
Bad habit: playing with my hair
I am happy when: I can help someone
I feel angry about: I have no good relationship with my relatives
Favourite sweets: Chocolat
My deepest wish: to have a dog
Girlfriends: Dominika, Karolina
Favourite food: Chinese, Tomatoe soup
Favourite colour: blue
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I am looking forward to: meeting new friends, visiting places I haven't been before
And finally… I am a teenager with a "wide" heart ...

Archive:
http://ww2.tvp.pl/17,20040826115503.strona

It might be freezing cold outdoors but in the classrooms of Еretta school in Lillehammer, the welcome was definitely a warm one.

The Junior Eurovision Song Contest is based on the motto ‘Fun and Friendship’ and that is why every Junior star has paid a visit to a local school over the last two days to make friends with Lillehammer’s school children.

Today, the contestants from Poland, France and Greece were at Еretta school and junioreurovision.tv was one of the few ‘oldies’ to be invited along. We joined the four girls of KWADro as they met the 30 pupils in the class of Lisa Kramprud.

The warmth of the greeting was overwhelming. The pupils had covered the blackboard with the words ‘Velkommen KWADro’ (‘Welcome KWADro’) and had made banners in the colours of the Polish flag with enthusiastic messages of support – including ‘Go Polen’ and ‘Good luck KWADro’.

The four members of KWADro – Dominika, Kamila, Anna and Weronika – were delighted by the gesture and they chatted with the pupils for over half an hour, answering questions about their experiences in Lillehammer, about how they qualified for the competition and whether they were feeling nervous.

To repay the kindness of the pupils, the girls signed autographs and performed an incredible ‘a cappalla’ version of their competition song ‘Lap zycie’ (‘Grab Life’) as well as another Christian song. The class were rightly impressed by the performance. Even in a small classroom with no music and no warm-up, the girls sounded pitch perfect.

And then it was time for the presents to be given out (well, it is nearly Christmas). The girls handed out CDs containing their song and a video clip of them performing. They also gave the class postcards, whistles, pencils and a photo album of their home town back in Poland. But one present in particular had the class clapping with delight – they were each given a ticket to the show on Saturday!
“Their greeting was so friendly,” said Weronika. “It was wonderful. We definitely hope to keep in touch with them.”

After a round of applause, the girls left and spent a few minutes talking to junioreurovision.tv. We asked how they were finding Lillehammer so far.
“The students here were so kind but so is everyone we’ve met here,” said Dominika. “The other participants are very friendly. In fact, what’s most impressed us about the contest so far is the spirit of international friendship. We’ve been really amazed by the atmosphere.”

The girls had spent some of the previous day rehearsing. What was that like?
“We were pleased with the rehearsal,” said Anna. “It felt wonderful being on the stage. There’s a lot of space for us to perform in. And the organisation of the contest has been really impressive. If we ask for something, they listen to us and really try to help.”

KWADro are one of the newest bands in the competition – they only formed in August – but they were able to write the song quite quickly.
“The music and lyrics came about at the same time,” said Kamila. “The song is a prescription of how to live your life. Seize the day, smile a lot, be positive.”

junioreurovision.tv asked whether their lives had changed much since they won the Polish final.
“We just seem to have had more energy to live our lives,” said Kamila. “We always knew this would be a great adventure and we’ve been really excited. We’ve had more and more rehearsals too, which means less free time. But it’s not a set regime. And anyway, it’s what we love doing!

So how do the girls spend their final moments before going on stage?
“We try to focus and concentrate and motivate ourselves,” said Weronika. “We give ourselves a kick.”

The girls’ enthusiasm is infectious. And it’s sure to rub off on the audience – you’ll see it for yourself on Saturday. Good luck, girls!

19/09/04 (broadcasted 26/09/04), hosted by Michal Juszczakiewicz and Zuzanna Madejska.
1. Monika Bekalarska (Poznań) - "Mur" (The Wall)
2. FART Bielsk Podlaski) - "Śpiewaj" (Sing!)
3. Natalia Goerne (Toruń) - "Marzenia" (Dreams)
4. GRAFFITI (Głogów) - "Dogonić marzenia" (To catch the dreams)
5. Dominika Guzek (Tarnowskie Góry) i Kasper Zborowski (Suwałki) - "Czary" (The Magic)
6. Julia Kopczyk (Złotów) - "Jestem jaka jestem" (I am what I am)
7. Agata Korwin (Nowy Sącz) - "Swoje zdanie" (Own opinion)
8. Patrycja Kowalska (Szczecin) - "Wyobraźnia" (Imagination)
9. KWADro (kwartet - Pabianice, Tarnobrzeg, Warszawa, Solec Kujawski) - "Łap życie" (Catch the life)
10. Paweł Pietrzyk (Brzeg) - "Rockendrolowe sny" (Rock and roll dreams)
11. Agata Stodolna (Toruń) -"To samo"  (The same)
12. Adrianna Wenclewska (Łódź) - "Chcę pamiętać" (I want to remember)

100% jury
Łap życie
Łap życie, łap
Żyje się tylko raz!!
Łapmy dzień jak z drzewa owoc
Jak soczysty deser
Łapiemy dzień, żeby przed nocą
Nacieszyć się kolorem, złowić blask.

Ref.
Złap go i podaj, nowa moda,
gola strzelić snom
Przeżyć i dotknąć, niechby gorzko
życie duszkiem pić.

Nie krzyw się, gdy cierpki posmak
Zjadłeś kwaśny owoc
Poczułeś że, ten smak cię rusza
To nie cukierków słodkich sztuczny smak.

Łap, życie, łap
Pij, życie, pij
Żyje się tylko raz.

Łap życie, łap!!

Grab life,
Grab it, grab life,
You only live once.

Let’s grab life like the fruit off a tree,
A juicy dessert.
We should grab life before nightfall so we can enjoy the colours, catch the light.

Refrain:
Grab it and pass it on, a new fashion,
Score a goal for your dreams.
Live it and touch it, even if it tastes bitter,
Drink life up.

Don’t pull faces when you’ve taken a bite,
And the fruit tastes sour.
The taste gives you a kick and makes you feel,
Because it’s like not candy that comes from a packet.

Grab life, grab it,
Drink life, drink it,
You only live once.
Grab life!
Cyprus - Marios Tofi (24/02/90) - Oneira (Dreams)

Marios was born in Athens, Greece of Cypriot parents who went back to Cyprus when he was 4 years old.

Aged 8, Marios started his professional career with a big bang: He took his first ballet, Latin and Flamenco lessons, began studying the piano, guitar and saxophone and also started taking vocal courses.

His many 1° places in children’s song competitions are the reward for all his work.

But believe it or not, Marios still has some time to practice his hobbies: painting, gymnastics and working on his computer.

After Eurovision:
In June 2005, Marios participated in the international song festivals in Bulgaria "Song Magic", Lithuania "Palangos Gaida" and Czech Republic "Universetalent" - 3rd prize, as well as guest in Malta. In December 2005, Marios collaborated with Chiara from Malta and made a duet with title “Once upon a dream”. In February 2006, Marios was one of the 10 finalists who pre-selected among 114 participations in order to select the one who will represent Cyprus in Eurovision Song Contest 2006. After a hard competition he took the 2nd place by televoting with the song “Congratulations”. In 2006 he took part in music contests in Bulgaria "Discovery" - 2nd prize, Poland "Konin" - 2nd prize, Belarus "Slavianski Bazaar", Macedonia "Ohrid" - 2nd prize, Italy "Canzoni Dal Mondo" - 1st prize, Germany "Berliner Perle", Malta. In 2007 he had appeared at "Tahtede Laul" in Estonia, "Universong", Spain - 2nd prize, as guest at "Discovery" in Bulgaria. In 2009 he performed in the International Fashion Project “Sunrise in Baku” in London, United Kingdom for the support of children from Brazil and was invited to perform in the National Beauty Contest of Slovakia “Miss Horna Nitra”, he also took part in "The Golden Stag" festival in Romania. In 2011 he has hosted and performed as guest at "“Golden Melody" festival in Cyprus. Youtube, myspace, soundcloud

Whatever happens in the contest tonight, you can be sure that the girls in the audience will be screaming very loudly for one contestant.
Marios from Cyprus has the face, style and good looks of a true pop star. And he also has the voice and dance moves to be a favourite with the ladies!
junioreurovision.tv manages to chat to him after the dress rehearsal and finds him happy and relaxed.
“I’m having lots of fun in Lillehammer,” he says. “My favourite time here was yesterday in the mountains in the snow. We did all sorts of activities like bobsleighing. It was great.”
He looked like he enjoyed the rehearsals too!
“The rehearsals went well,” he says with a big smile. “I’m very happy with them. I can almost say they went perfectly.”
It is less than 24 hours before the show itself, but Marios doesn’t look nervous at all. “I just feel excited,” he says.
Marios tells us that the song, a loud and upbeat piece of flamenco pop music, is about the feeling of being in love.
“The song is about a girl I’m in love with,” he says. “In the song, I see her at a party and I get such a happy feeling.”
So, junioreurovision.tv has to ask, is the song based on fact or fiction? Marios just smiles and says, “I can’t say.”
So does he have a girlfriend at the moment? Another smile. “I can’t say.”
When he wrote the song Marios says he started by writing the lyrics. “Once I had written the words, the music came quite easily,” he said. “It started as a kind of big ballad then I changed it to make it faster and more upbeat like it is now.”
Marios says that he is inspired by his favourite artists Ricky Martin, Michael Jackson and Britney Spears. We tell him that his style reminds us of another star called…
“Sakis. Yes, I know!” he says before we even finish the sentence. “A lot of people say that my choreography is like him. I do like Sakis but I have never tried to be like him. All modern choreography uses the same five steps. So if I am like Sakis then it’s only by accident.”
But back to the contest. Marios insists that he isn’t too concerned about the result of the show tomorrow.
“Whatever happens, I’ve made many friends from many countries,” he says. “I just plan to do my best. And if I am the best, then I will win. If someone else is best, they will win.”

 

07/09/2004, hosted by Nikos Mpogiatzis
Stella Maria Koukkidi - Afta pou hriazome (All I need) 1056
Nikol Papahristodimou - Ena latin se prokalei (One latin is challenging you) 1994
Louis Panagiotis - Gela tragouda (Laugh sing) 4544 2nd place,
Andreas Christoforou - Tha se agapo (I will love you) 750
Loreni Kalliopi Kostantinou - Kalimera sto mellon (Goodmorning to the future) 1742
Malvina Charalabidi - Parti kalokairino (Summer party) 2547
Marios Tofis - Oneira (Dreams) 5423 1st place,
Georgina Panagi - Mpla,mpla,mpla (Bla, bla, bla) 1193
Rafail Georgiou & Anna Loizou - Doste ta heria (Give your hands) 2639 - 3 place
Christodoulos Tsagaris - Diakopes (Holidays) 663
50/50, only televoting revealed
Κλείνομαι μόνος στο δωμάτιο
κι ακούω ράδιο κι όλο χορεύω
φώτα παντού μουσική και ρυθμός
και συ μες το μυαλό δεν το πιστεύω

Φτάνει απόψε η στιγμή
πάρτυ να κάνεις και συ
να ‘ρθω ξανά να σε δω
κι αν είμαι παιδί ντροπαλό
ίσως σου πω, σ’ αγαπώ...

Όνειρα κάνω και τρελαίνομαι
στο πάρτυ που σε βλέπω και ζαλίζομαι
τα μάτια σου κοιτώ και ταξιδεύω
με σένα θέλω μόνο να χορεύω (Χ2)

Ντύνομαι και χτενίζομαι
μα ντρέπομαι κρύβομαι τα λόγια χάνω
ένα τραγούδι σου έγραψα
να σου το πω γλυκά σε κάποιο πιάνο

Χρώμα γεμίζει η καρδιά
κι όλο κτυπά δυνατά
να ‘ρθω κοντά σου ξανά
κι αν είμαι παιδί ντροπαλό
ίσως σου πω σ’ αγαπώ...

Όνειρα κάνω και τρελαίνομαι
στο πάρτυ που σε βλέπω και ζαλίζομαι
τα μάτια σου κοιτώ και ταξιδεύω
με σένα θέλω μόνο να χορεύω (Χ2)

I close myself in my room alone
dancing to the music on the radio
I feel the rhythms, the music and
the lights shine bright

I can’t stop thinking of you
and I just can’t believe it!

The moment is near
the party is tonight
I can’t believe that I’ll see you again
If I’m not too shy
I just might tell you “I love you”!

I’m dreaming of you, it makes me crazy
when I see you I feel dizzy
I look in your eyes and dream of you
I want to dance only with you

I prepare myself for the party tonight
I feel so shy and a little afraid
I wrote you a song
I want to sing it to you
I will play it for you, so sweet
on my piano

My heart beats so strong
I hope I’ll see you again
and if I’m not too shy
I’ll tell you “I love you”…

*arranged by Christos Kyriakidis

Belarus - Yahor Vauchok (04/08/92) - "Spayvaitse so mnoyu" (Sing with me)

Yahor was born on 4 August 1992 in Mazyr, Belarus.
His musical career began as early as the age of 8 with singing lessons in the “YUMES” studio. Two years ago he took another major step and joined a music school to learn the clarinet.

But it is with his song ‘Sing with me’ – a story about a magical land of childhood dreams – that Yahor wants to crown his career, by beating the other 17 contestants in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest final in Lillehammer.

In his few moments of leisure time Yahor likes to play football and go roller-skating. At school his favourite subjects are maths and languages (Russian and Belarusian). And asked what is most important to him, Yahor immediately responds, “I cannot imagine my life without music.”

After Eurovision:
Watch "Kids of Eurovision" documentary on Egor Volchek here.
Egor Volchek was ESCKAZ' guest reviewer for Junior Eurovision 2010
"After the contest, I had a 3-year break in my career, which was caused by the mutation of the voice. But I kept creative activities: I hosted various TV shows, competitions, several selections for Junior Eurovision Song Contest! Since 2007, I studien in a vocal studio "Paleskaya zorachka" under the direction of Lora Ketner. In the same year I won first place at the international festival "Sergeevskie zori", held in town of Sergeevka, as well as at the festival "World of Talent" (Kiev, Ukraine). In 2008 I became the winner of the International Festival "Flower of Hope" (Kemer, Turkey). Also won the international festival "Krishtalevy zhayvir" (Ternopil, Ukraine). In summer 2009, I have entered the Faculty of Economics of Belarus State University in Minsk. In 2010 I became the winner of the contest "BSU Pop Festival". Now I study and continue my active, creative life"
In 2011 Egor Volchek made comeback to the big stage and became vocalist of the band "Sky Tie". Producer of the band has made a castings to find other members of the band. Egor also plays saxophone.

Name: Yahor Vauchok
Age: 12
Hometown: Mazyr, Belarus
Family: Mom, Dad, Myself
What is the song about? It’s about a fairyland of childhood
How long did it take writing the song? One day
love: Skating, playing football, singing, riding a bike
I hate: Cleaning my room, washing up plates
Favorite Artist: Eminem, Ruslana, Piotr Yelfimau
Favorite Song: "Lose Yourself" by Eminem, "Alexandryna" by Pesnyary (a legendary group from Belarus)
Favorite Film: The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter
Wish I could: Make a parachute jump, ride a water bike
Hobbies: Singing, playing the clarinet
Bad habit: I’m unquiet and out of control
I’m happy when: My parents are in good health and everything in my family is OK.
I get angry when: ----
Favourite candy: Fancy cakes, pastry
I wish: All participants to perform well
Girlfriend: Ulada Suslenka
Favourite food: Pizza, French fries
Favourite colour: Damask, red, gold
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I look most forward to: Win
By the way… I wish good luck to all participants... and victory for myself!!!

"Song for Eurovison" - watch the full show here.
21/09/04, hosted by Evgeniy Bulka and Olga Satsiuk
1. Alexandra Zaharyk - Dsivny Vecar (Beautiful night)
2. Viktorya Padverbnaja - Budsjem sjabravats (Let us be friends)
3. Yegor Zavatsky - Belarus maja (My Belarus)
4. Galina Klabukova - Potantsui! (Dance!) - 3rd place
5. Julia Varabei - Rozovye ocki (Pink-red sunglasses)    
6. Alla Nadtocheva - Zvjozdnyj Karnaval (Carnival of stars)
7. Katsjaryna Levcik - Ja ljublju etot mir (I love this world)
8. Iryna Kulagina - Zatshem? (Why?) - 2nd place
9. Yegor Valchok - Spjavajtse sa mnoyu (Sing with me) (Yegor Valchok/Vlada Suslenko) - 1st place
34 entries from 27 singers received. Jury: V. Rainchik - composer, L. Zakhlevny - composer, T. Parkhamovich - chief expert of art management, Ministry of Culture of Belarus, V. Sharapov - Art Director of "Pesnyary", L. Borodina - Executive Producer of Lad Channel, N. Shoba - Director of the Television Project "Constellation of Hopes".

zakharchik.jpg (8870 bytes)podverbnaya.jpg (8932 bytes)zavackiy.jpg (9414 bytes)klabukova.jpg (10732 bytes)vorobey.jpg (10706 bytes)
nadtocewa.jpg (10806 bytes)levchik.jpg (10264 bytes)kulagina.jpg (9536 bytes)volchek.jpg (9813 bytes)
З усходу высока
Ляціць у свет далёка
Крыштальнае рэха.

Там казкі, там дзіва,
Там сноў маіх радзіма,
І радасць, і ўцеха.

Зоркі сыплюцца ў рукі,
Сэрцаў чуюцца стукі.
А-а...

Прыпеў: Сонца плыве над зямлёю,
Спявайце са мною, спявайце са мною.

Сонца плыве над зямлёю,
А-і-я-і-я-і-я...
Спявайце са мною.

Ўсім дзецям на свеце
Нясе лагодны вецер
Пяшчоту і ласку.

Заўсёды там фея
Усмешкай нас сагрэе,
Запросіць у казку.

Зоркі сыплюцца ў рукі,
Сэрцаў чуюцца стукі.
А-а...

Прыпеў: Месяц плыве над зямлёю,
Спявайце са мною, спявайце са мною.

Месяц плыве над зямлёю,
Дам-чыкі, дам-дам-чыкі, дам-дам...
Спявайце са мною.

Песня плыве над зямлёю,
Спявайце са мною, спявайце са мною.

Месяц плыве над зямлёю,
Спявайце са мною, спявайце са мною.

Сонца плыве над зямлёю,
Спявайце са мною, спявайце са мною.

Песня плыве над зямлёю,
Спявайце са мною.

Z uskhodu vysoka
Liatsits u svet dalioka
Kryshtalnaye reha.

Tam kazki, tam dziva,
Tam snou maih radzima,
I radasts, i utseha.

Zorki sypliutsa u ruki,
Sertsau chuyutsa stuki,
A-ah...

Sontsa plyve nad ziamlioyu,
Spiavaitse sa mnoyu, spiavaitse sa mnoyu.

Sontsa plyve nad ziamlioyu,
Ah-e-ya-e-ya-e-ya...
Spiavaitse sa mnoyu.

Usim dzetsiam na svetse
Niase lagodny vetser
Piaschotu i lasku.

Zausiody tam feya
Usmeshkai nas sagreye,
Zaprosits u kazku.

Zorki sypliutsa u ruki,
Sertsau chuyutsa stuki,
A-ah...

Mesiats plyve nad ziamlioyu,
Spiavaitse sa mnoyu,
Spiavaitse sa mnoyu.

Mesiats plyve nad ziamlioyu,
dam-chi-ki, da-dam-chi-ki, dam-dam...
Spiavaitse sa mnoyu.


Pesnia plyve nad ziamlioyu,
Spiavaitse sa mnoyu,
Spiavaitse sa mnoyu.

Mesiats plyve nad ziamlioyu,
Spiavaitse sa mnoyu,
Spiavaitse sa mnoyu.

Sontsa plyve nad ziamlioyu,
Spiavaitse sa mnoyu,
Spiavaitse sa mnoyu.

Pesnia plyve nad ziamlioyu,
Spiavaitse sa mnoyu.
From dawn’s first light
A crystal echo flies upwards
Here are miracles and tales,
Dreams, happiness and joy

Stars are falling into your hands
Your heart is pounding and beating
A-ah…

The sun is floating over the land
Sing with me,
Sing with me

The sun is floating over the land
Ah-e-ya-e-ya-eya…
Sing with me

The gentle wind is tender
To all the kids in the world
A little fairy will warm you
With a smile and an invitation
To Fairyland

Stars are falling into your hands
Your heart is pounding and beating
A-ah…

The moon is floating over the land
Dam-chi-ki, dam-dam-chi-ki, dam-dam…
Sing with me

The song is floating over the land
Sing with me,
Sing with me

The moon is floating over the land
Sing with me,
Sing with me

The sun is floating over the land
Sing with me,
Sing with me

The song is floating over the land
Sing with me,
Sing with me
Croatia - Nika Turkovic (07/06/95) - Hej mali (Hey, little boy)

Nika, the Croatian J-ESC star, was born in Zagreb on June 7, 1995 and she still lives there with her parents Goga and Petar, her five year-old sister Kiara and her grandma Biserka.
Her days are filled with singing, tap dancing, learning English, Italian and Slovenian, enjoying her musical classes – and getting bored in her mathematics classes! Asked to name her favourite singers, Nika says that she loves jazz and pop music, especially the Divas, Celine Dion, Pavarotti, Norah Jones and local hero Gibonni.

Nika’s musical career started very early when, at the age of 6, she performed a song by Laura Pausini in a Croatian TV show called ‘Turbo Limach Show’. For the J-ESC, Nika wrote two songs: ‘I Can’ and ‘Hey, Little Boy’ – the latter was sung in the Croatian language and was that she decided to perform. Out of 100 songs and 12 finalists Nika was voted the winner. She can also be proud that her second song ‘I can’ (which was sung by another girl) made it to 4th place.

In the future Nika – who doesn’t want to grow up – dreams of going to the UK and becoming a doctor or a singer. But at the moment, she’s likes to just let the wheel of fortune take its course, stay as a child and enjoy her favourite food, chicken wings.

Archive: http://www.hrt.hr/dpe/
http://nikaturkovic.bloger.hr/

After Eurovision:
Nika participated and won several music contests, among them TV show Studio 10 together with Dino in 2005. In summer of 2005 Nika got to sing in front of Swedish Royal couple at a conference in Sweden. In June 2006 Nika has released album "Alien" with 4 songs composed by Nika herself. In 2007 Nika performed in Japan, Sweden and England and became ambassador of Global Angels. Recording of a new album together with her friend Dina was ungoing in 2009, but it was not released. You can find 2012 recordings of Nika performing various cover versions here.

25/09/2004
01. Petra
Škofić (13) – Potres
02. Anita Novak (10) – Moja utjeha
03. Mia Kordić – Mogu (Nika Turković, 8) 4th
04. Kristijan Stepanic (11) - Da li jos
05. Lana Ivanković (14) – Svakom tko zna
06. Nela Buj (13) – Suze malene
07. Tea Zec (9) – Don't worry
08. Iva Valentić (11) – Hajde upali mrak 3rd
09. Kristina Jarić (12) & Niko Miljanić – Djeca svijeta (Kristina Jarić)
10. Sedmo nebo – Odlazim (music Jakov Milanković (14), lyrics J.Milankovic, Ana Guberina (14)
11. Nika Turković (8) – Hej mali 1st
12. Party Kiss & Double F (12) – Nije ok (Hana Blazević, 12) 2nd

100 entries reseived. Jury: Sandra Bagaric, Josip Cvitanovic, Rajko Dujmic, Mladen Kusec, Marin Margitic and Maja Vucic

The 2 reserves:
Lucija Lučić (8) – Zbogom Oru je
Igor Opočak (13) & Tea Gjini (14) – Hi, hi baby!


Guests: Dino Jelusic, Colonia

Svakog jutra kad se probudim,
Ja pomislim na tebe
I kažem si:
Danas ću u školu i opet vidjet ću ga
A on će me gledati kao nikada.

Hej mali kako mi nedostaješ
Hej mali moje oči traže te,
Hej mali da li znaš da volim te,
A ti samo gledaš me
Hej mali kao mi nedostaješ
Hej mali moje oči traže te,
Hej mali da li znaš da volim te,
A ti samo gledaš me

Danas sam tati rekla svoju tajnu,
I jako se začudio
Jer još nikad nisam tako voljela,
Kao ovaj put.

Hej mali kako minedostaješ
Hej mali moje oči traže te,
Hej mali da li znaš da volim te,
A ti samo gledaš me.
A ti, a ti ...

Hej mali kako mi nedostaješ
Hej mali moje oči traže te,
Hej mali da li znaš da volim te,
A ti, ti, ti, ti
A ti, ti, ti, ti
Samo gledaš me .......


* arranged by Tihomir Preradovic

Every morning when I wake up
I think about - only you
And I say to myself
When I come to school today
I will see his face
And he will be staring at me
Like he's out of space

Ref.
Hey little boy
How I miss your face today
Hey little boy
I'm looking for you everywhere
Hey little boy
Don't you know how much I care
But you don't even know I'm there

Ref.

I told my dad about this little secret
And he, he was so amazed
'Cause never before had I loved that strong
Like I love you in so many ways

Ref.

But you...but you...

Ref.

But you...but you...

Don't even know I'm there
Latvia - Mārtiņš Tālbergs (15) & C-Stones Junior  - Balts vai melns (Black Or White)

Mārtiņš, the 15-year-old winner, is from Ventspils, a city by the Baltic Sea. His two big passions in life are music and in-line skating and he is almost equally successful at both.

Of course, most of his time is dedicated to music and singing. Mārtiņš is one of the lead singers in the pop group 'Juras akmentini' and has taken part in several song festivals in Germany, Sweden, Italy and Denmark. In 2004 he performed in an international contest in Konin, Poland to great acclaim.

But if he is not singing or listening to his favourite artist J-Kwon, Mārtiņš spends his time in-line skating. You can often find him in the skate park of his home town and he has taken part in Latvian skating competitions as well as international tournaments, in countries such as Estonia, Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

But back to the music. While writing his Junior Eurovision song 'White or Black', Mārtiņš was inspired by one thought: when something bad happens, you have to hold your head up and keep going because so many interesting things happen in this world.

Mārtiņš will perform his song in Lillehammer with his friends Kārlis, Edgars, Reinis and Jevgēņijs from C-Stones Juniors who are backing singers and dancers.

After Eurovision:
Martins has concentrated in his sports career, becoming one of the best snowboardists in the Baltics and taking part in various international competitions. 

Name: Mārtiņš Tālbergs
Age: 15
Hometown: Ventspils
Family: Me and my father
What is the song about? Good or bad things happen, yet life still goes on
How long did it take writing the song? I started last December
I love: To skate
I hate: Lies
Favourite Artist: J-Kwon
Favourite Song: ”Tipsy”
Favourite Film: ”Bruce all Mighty”
Wish I could: Turn time back
Hobbies: Inline skating, singing
Bad habit: Sleep long
I’m happy when: ... I succeed, ... my wishes come true
I get angry when: ... my cat rips up my sofa
Favourite candy: I like potatoe chips
I wish: I could win the Junior Eurovision Song Contest
Boyfriend/girlfriend: All kids in the city
Favourite food: Potatoe chips
Favourite colour: White and deep blue
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I look forward to: Get new friends
By the way… The boys of ”C-Stones Juniors”: Kārlis, Edgars, Reinis and Jevgēņijs - are my friends!

talbergs_.jpg (46121 bytes)

02/10/04 Juras Varti, Ventspils, hosted by Ruta and Lauris Reiniks
Baiba Skudiķe (15, Liepaja) – Manis del (Because Of Me)
Mārtiņš Tālbergs (14, Ventspils) – Balts vai melns (Black Or White) 1st
Sabine Berezina (14, Aluksne) – Ir laiks (It's Time)
Miks Dukurs (Cēsīs) – Mes esam viens otram (We Have Each Other)
Ilze Migliniece (8, Liepāja) – Tad, kad lauka list (When It's Raining)
Kristina Zaharova (15, Alūksne) – Pardomas (Thoughts)
Ralfs Eilands (10, Rīga) – Dziesmina par merkaki (A Song About A Monkey) 3rd
Fade Out (lead singer Madara) – Meitenes dziesma (A Girl's Song) (written by Edgars Šmiukšis (12, Liepāja)
Nadežda Maņkevica (Jelgavas) – Es velos (I Wish)
Evita Gržibovska (11, Daugavpils) – Nac, dziedi, dejo lidzi! (Come To Sing And Dance With Us) 2nd

Reserve: Armins Larks – Nejust neko (Feeling Nothing)

zaharova.jpg (27478 bytes)

Brēc vai kliedz – laiks iet uz priekšu
Saules lēkts būs un saules riets
Mainīsies viss, bet kā iepriekš
Zeme griezīsies!

Par ko tu runā, ko raizējies?
Nav viegli atšķirt, kur balts, kur melns?
No tūkstoš ceļiem, ko pasaule sniedz
Kurš ir tavs īstais ceļš?
Par ko tu cīnies un rūpējies?
Lai tev ir labāk, vai citiem lai prieks?
Ko novēl citam, to novēl sev pats –
Tad no tā arī sāc

Bridge:
O – e – o, ir dzīve tāda –
O – e – o, ar galvu strādā!
O – e – o!

Chorus (2x):
Brēc vai kliedz – laiks iet uz priekšu
Saules lēkts būs un saules riets
Mainīsies viss, bet kā iepriekš
Zeme griezīsies!

Rap:
Balts vai melns, labi vai nē –
To tev tik pašam uzminēt
Tu esi citāds, kā dažiem šķiet, bet
Patiesībā tev tāpat vien iet, savu
Mērķi tu redzi – to sasniegt vispirms tev
Vajag – un tad tālāk iet, jo
Balts vai melns, labi vai nē –
To tev tik pašam uzminēt!

Bridge:
O – e – o, ir dzīve tāda –
O – e – o, ar galvu strādā!
O – e – o!

Chorus (3x):
Brēc vai kliedz – laiks iet uz priekšu
Saules lēkts būs un saules riets
Mainīsies viss, bet kā iepriekš
Zeme griezīsies!
Brēc vai kliedz!

Chorus:
Yell or cry – life goes on
Sun rise or sun set
Everything’s is going to change, but the Earth
Still will be turning as before.

What are you talkin’ about? Why (you) worry?
It’s not easy to tell, what’s black and what’s white?
From thousand’s of ways that world offers to you
Which one is yours?
What are you fighting for? Why (you) worry?
For your own pleasure or for the pleasure of others?
What you dedicate to others, dedicate to yourself –
That’s what you have to begin with:

Bridge:
Oh – e – oh, life is like that –
Oh – e – oh, think with your head!
Oh – e – oh!

Chorus (2x):
Yell or cry – life goes on
Sun rise or sun set
Everything’s is going to change, but the Earth
Still will be turning as before.

Rap:
Black or white, good or bad –
You have to decide it yourself
You are different, as others might think, but
Actually you are the same,
You know your goal and you have to achieve it first,
And then go on, because
Black or white, good or bad –
You have to decide it yourself!

Bridge
Oh – e – oh, life is like that –
Oh – e – oh, think with your head!
Oh – e – oh!

Chorus (3x)
Yell or cry – life goes on
Sun rise or sun set
Everything’s is going to change, but the Earth
Still will be turning as before.

Yell or cry!
UK - Cory Spedding (02/06/1991) - The Best is Yet to Come

“The Best is Yet To Come”, promises Cory in her winning J-ESC song that secured her a ticket for Lillehammer.

“Writing the lyrics took ages and was the hardest bit”, Cory admits. But with her family (her mum Clare, her dad Alan, her older sister Ashley and her younger brother Max) and not to forget her granddad Don believing in her talent, the 13-year-old succeeded.
Actually, it was Don who spotted her talent when she was singing old Frank Sinatra songs with him. He encouraged her to apply for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest.

What is Cory’s song about? Cory says that she wanted to write an uplifting song that “gives people the feeling that there’s something to hope for.” Therefore, singing in front of thousands of people is great fun for Cory. She is confident to bring a positive feeling to her fans. During the Christmas lights ceremony in Carlisle Cory got “a dead good cheer” from 25.000 screaming people in the audience.

Practising her music even 5 days a week is still fun for Cory. Singing is her life. Ever since she was a little child, Cory has been dreaming of becoming a famous musical star in one of her beloved West End musicals.

When Cory is not singing herself, she listens to her favourite
cory_n.jpg (39709 bytes)singers Katie Melua and Natasha Bedingfield … and dreams of her life on stage …

Archive: www.coryspedding.com
www.itv.com/junioreurovision

After Eurovision:
In 2005 Cory has released single Orange Flame, which also featured her Eurovision entry. Since then she had been occasionally performing at a local festivals, taking part in competitions and recording new songs. In October 2011 gave birth to a daughter Eden Lily, who became the first baby for Junior Eurovision entrants. Myspace: coryspedd, Youtube: sped988

As I sit here alone
Been sleeping with the light on
And I think to myself
Mankind has got it wrong
And I know in my mind
If tomorrow never comes
We must all join hands as one

People say the time will come
When there’s peace throughout the world
And I hope and I pray
No- one spoils a better day
Make a stand make it right
Say the voices of our hearts
For the best is yet to come

Chorus

Join hands and unite
The futures looking bright
Hear it in the lyrics of the music that I write
We can bring this dream together
You know it’s worth the fight
Let’s stand as one thoughout the world
And I know this time we’ll get it right

We will all see the time
When mankind has got it made
And I know long ago seemed like yesterday
But the future we build
Will see children laugh and play
So now the time has come

(repeat chorus twice)

As I sit here alone- no more sleeping with the light on
And I think to myself –thoughts of happiness and hope
We feel the love that will make a new tomorrow
For the best is yet to come.
“This is even better than I expected,” says United Kingdom contestant Cory Spedding. “I’m loving every minute of it.”
You can see that from her smile. And it’s no wonder she’s having so much fun. She says she saw the competition last year and decided immediately that she wanted to represent the United Kingdom in 2004. And now here she is.
The singer from Cumbria in England, with the bubbly personality, will have plenty of support on the big night too.
“My mum and dad are here,” she says. “And my grandma and granddad are coming tomorrow too. Then on Saturday, two of my neighbours are coming to Lillehammer and they’re bringing a daughter and a niece.”
And, of course, there will be another 7,000 people in Haakons Hall too. But she’s not worried by the thought of such a big audience.
“I once performed in front of 25,000,” she says. “I won a competition in England called 'Reach For A Star' which meant I had to turn on the Christmas lights in Carlisle and perform a song too.”
That’s not bad when you consider she only started singing just over a year ago. When she saw the J-ESC last year, she was inspired to write her own song. So she used a basic tune she’d thought of during one of her piano lessons.
“Then I slowed it down and thought of a melody to go with it,” she says. “That became the chorus. And after that I wrote the verses. The lyrics came afterwards. I wrote about the state of the world and how I’m hoping it can become a better place, without terrorism and with peace instead of war.”
In total, she says she spent “three or four months” making slight changes to the song until she was happy with it. Then she worked on it in a studio to add the other instruments. She takes her singing seriously too and says she always does voice warm-ups before she comes on stage.
“I do get a bit nervous before I come on,” she say. “But once the music starts, you forget all that and you get more confident.”
Now she’s in Lillehammer, she’s making sure she enjoys herself and says the best thing about being here is performing. She’s also become good friends with the other Junior Stars, particularly with the participants from Spain and the Netherlands. And she’s a fan, as well as a friend.
“I’ve got all the songs on one CD and I listen to it all the time,” she says. When asked which are her favourites, she says she really likes the songs from Spain, Norway and Romania. “But I really think they’re all good. “
Away from music, Cory says she spends her time “chilling out and shopping” but adds, ”Things have been a bit hectic since I won the UK final. It’s been a bit weird at school and with so many people phoning me. I’ve done a lot of interviews.”
04/09/2004, ITV 2, presented by Ministry of Mayhem Presenters Holly Willoughby, Stephen Mulhern and Michael Underwood

01. Samantha Seth - Rock Star Wannabe 17
02. Kirsty Williams - Sunshine 29

03. Nathan Sykes - Born to Dance 34
04. Charlie Allen - One in a Crowd 17
05. Loaded Dice - Dill 24
06. Jessica Hamilton - Because of you 19
07. Andrew Merry - Together Again 46
08. Cory Spedding - The Best is yet to come 48

100% televoting regional: A: England South; B: Scotland; C: Northern Ireland; D: England North; E: Wales; F: UK Text and Mobile

Denmark - Cool Kids - Pigen er min (The girl is mine)

Ibrahim Chouqeir (03/05/94), Caroline Forsberg Thybo (28/06/93), Niki Popovic (18/11/92)

Performers:
Caroline Thybo, 11
Ibrahim “Ibo” Chouqeir, 10
Niki “Nack” Popovic, 11
Dancers:
Jens Tranh Phan, 12
Beyar Sindi, 12

Backing vocals:
Tine Linneberg, 13

Say hello to Danish hip-hop. Entitled ‘She is Mine’, the song is about two boys ‘battling’ (i.e. rapping against each other) over who gets to be the girl’s boyfriend. The girl, meanwhile, is in two minds about who she should choose.

However, the song doesn’t reflect reality, as Nack and Caroline have been a couple for the last 3Ѕ years. Ibo and Nack know each other from dance classes and are really good friends because they share the same taste in everything – well, everything except salad dressing!

All three of them love hip-hop and Nack and Ibo are constantly rapping. According to Nack, Ibo is a master MC, but Nack certainly also knows how to handle the mic too – he’s the lead rapper in a local hip-hop band. Nack came up with the lyrics to ‘She is Mine’, while all three of them wrote the tune.

Young – but experienced on stage
Although they’re normally cheerful and charming, the thought of having to perform on prime time TV in front of the whole of Europe does make the three Cool Kids a little nervous. But the experience they’ve had with the Danish Junior Eurovision Song Contest puts them at ease. Besides, performing in front of big crowds is not new to them. Caroline has previously sung in front of an audience of 500 people and Ibo was suddenly pulled on stage at a big concert venue in Denmark’s second largest city, where he had to dance in front of a crowd of 700 people. This was at the show of Danish singer Razz, who won the 2002 Junior Eurovision Song Contest, with his song ‘Kickflipper’.

Although all three of them are fairly confident on stage, they’ll probably have to cut back on some of their various sporting activities if they are going to be well prepared for Lillehammer on November 20. Caroline plays football and handball twice a week, but also enjoys badminton and gymnastics. She even has time to be the lead singer in a girl band in her local youth club. Nack goes bowling twice a week and also plays tennis and basketball, while Ibo “only” plays basketball.

Archive: www.cool-kids.nu
http://ibo-music.com/

http://www.dr.dk/mgp/sporgsmaal.asp

After Eurovision:

JESC hit went double platinum and band went on tour all over Denmark, performing at many places and festivals, including The Skanderborg Festival. Cool Kids have disbanded in 2007 after releasing some new songs on compilation albums.

Caroline Thybo continued her career as handball player in Skanderborg, recently moving to adult team.

Niki Popovic has moved to Portorose in Slovenia, as his father Misha, composer, originally comes from this country. Myspace

After the end of Cool Kids Ibo was the only to continue music career and released his debut single in 2007 and album "Tilbage igen" in August 2008, financed by his mother Hoda Khalil. Ibo wrote all the lyrics for the album. Myspace

Denmark’s contestants in this year’s J-ESC are rap group Cool Kids and they are definitely one of the more energetic entrants in the competition. Their performances mix quick-fire rap with break-dancing so, when junioreurovision.tv met up with the group after a tough afternoon of rehearsals, they were understandably tired.
Even so, they agreed to an interview with us and so we sat in their dressing room and talked for a few minutes about music, their relationship and how they’re enjoying Lillehammer.
The three main members of Cool Kids are rappers Niki, Ibo and singer Caroline. They also have three backing dancers. We asked Niki, Ibo and Caroline what their song is about.
“It’s a battle,” says Niki. “We’re two boys who both want the same girl. And we rap against each other to win her.”
“It’s all fictional, though!” adds Ibo quickly. They explain that in real life Caroline is Niki’s girlfriend and there’s no rivalry between Niki and Ibo! (That must be a question they have been asked hundreds of times.)
As the only rap act in the competition this year, we asked them who their favourite artists are, and who has influenced their music.
“I really like Eminem and Tupac,” says Niki. “But I prefer Eminem.”
“And I really like Eminem and Tupac,” says Ibo. “But I prefer Tupac!”
So there’s no rivalry in music either! Caroline is more of a singer than a rapper so she says she prefers Avril Lavigne.
As fans of Eminem, we asked the boys how they write their rap lyrics – do they invent them spontaneously, to music, like Eminem does in the film '8 Mile'? Or do they sit down and write them?
“We sit down and think about what we’re going to say,” says Niki. “And we ask for help when we need it. But we write lyrics about everyday life and the world around us.”
Since they won the Danish final they have received plenty of attention and publicity. But they don’t think their lives have changed. Ibo and Niki say that they are no different now than they were before.
“And my friends say I haven’t changed at all,” Caroline adds.
Although they are having fun in Norway (they certainly seemed to enjoy the bobsleighing!) and they have made friends with the other participants, they refuse to pick their favourite song, saying that they have no particular preference.
The band aren’t nervous about performing in front of nearly 7,000 people on Saturday. Previously, their biggest audience was 2,000 at the Danish final (as well as the millions watching on TV) but they’re not worried about the size of the audience.
“Everyone who has interviewed us has said we’re very cool about everything,” says Ibo.
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mgp 2004 – De unges Melodi Grand Prix - watch the performances
25/09/2004, Studio 3, hosted by Mads Lindemann and Christine Milton
01. Simone Tang, 14 - ”Hvorfor gik du din vej?” (Why did you walk away)
02. Green Kidz (Sallie Gade Kaplan, 10, Emilie Frandsen Larsen, 10) - ”På en grøn, grøn sommerdag” (On a green, green summerday)
03. G=Beat (Gbandi Bougonou, 14) - „Buster Buster“ 32
04. Frigg Falk Sabroe, 13 - ”Jeg ka’ li’ det” (I like it)
05. Cool Kids (Caroline Thybo, 11, Brahim „Ibo“ Chouqeir, 10, Niki „Nack“ Popovic, 11) - ”Pigen er min“  (The girl is mine) (dancers: Jens Tranh Phan, 12, Beyar Sindi, 12, backing singer: Tine Linneberg, 13) 58
06. Line Riis Rømer, 12 - ”Stop, stop” (Stop, stop) 22
07. Amalie Sigmann Beck, 9, Frederikke Hjortdal Palludan Larsen, 9 - ”Jeg tænker på et kram” (Thinking of a hug) 36
08. Cozy (Oliver Lübbert, 14, Jonas Rosendahl Jensen, 14, Andreas Klestrup Larsen, 14, Christian Petersen, trommer, 14, Sebastian Strandvold, 14) - ”Helt speciel” (Very special) 52
09. Nicoline Pabst, 12, Julie Rasmussen, 12 - ”Første blik” (First look)
10. C-Kat (Katinca Keller, 10) - ”Det er helt utroligt” (It's unbelivable)
Appr. 1600 entries received. Jury: Jorgen Olsen, Mimi Lund, Kristian Borregaard, Christine Milton, Mads Lindemann, Lene Nordin, Preben Vridstoft. Guest: Olsen Brothers, Emma Bunton, The Loft
Hun er min, hun er min, na-na-na
Hun er min, hun er min, na-na-na-na
Hun er min, hun er min, na-na-na
Hvem skal jeg så vælge nu?

Hey smukke pige, der´ noget jeg må sige dig
Dit søde smil, det er lige mig
Hvis bare vi ku´, flette fingre i smug
Jeg slår aldrig dit hjerte itu

Ay yo hva´ så honey, la´ mig gøre det klart
Du skal ikke ha´en duks, hellere én der er smart
Der gir buksevand til de pæne drenge i klassen
Går i store bukser og er længe oppe om natten

Hun er min, hun er min, na-na-na
Hun er min, hun er min, na-na-na-na
Hun er min, hun er min, na-na-na
Hvem skal jeg så vælge nu?

Du skal vælge mig, jeg gi´r dig røde roser
Kærlighed og et digt med søde gloser
Nej, du skal vælge mig, vi passer sammen
Lad os høre høj musik og danse natten lang

Yo, læg din hånd i min, lad os gå en tur i sandet
Kærligheden spreder sig som ringene i vandet
Jeg kan se du rødmer når jeg kigger på dig
Dine tanker ligger hos mig

Hun er min, hun er min, na-na-na
Hun er min, hun er min, na-na-na-na
Hun er min, hun er min, na-na-na
Hvem skal jeg så vælge nu?

Det er på tide at du vælger mig og ikke ham
Jeg står ved din side og I passer ikke sammen
Du fortjener mere, hvorfor er du i tvivl?
Hvad vil du med ham, han har ikke noget liv
Og jeg fortjener dig, det burde du ku´ se
Har bedre stil, og så´n ku´ jeg blive ved
Hvem vil du ha´? Hvem er den rette?
Giv os et svar – du kan ik´ synge dig fra det

Hun er min, hun er min, na-na-na
Hun er min, hun er min, na-na-na-na
Hun er min, hun er min, na-na-na
Hvem skal jeg så vælge nu?

Arranged by Sieber og Schrøder

She is mine, she is mine, na-na-na
She is mine, she is mine, na-na-na-na
She is mine, she is mine, na-na-na
Who should I choose now?

Hey pretty girl, I have something to say
Your sweet smile, I dig you that way
If just we could hold hands secretly
I would never break your heart

Ay yo what’s up honey, let me make it clear
You don’t want a sissy but a guy that’s cool
Who gives wedgies to the pretty boys in class,
Wears baggy pants and stays up late at night

She is mine, she is mine, na-na-na
She is mine, she is mine, na-na-na-na
She is mine, she is mine, na-na-na
Who should I choose now?

You should choose me, I’d give you red roses,
My love and a poem in the sweetest words
No, you should choose me. We are right for each other
Let’s listen to loud music and dance the night away

Yo, put your hand in mine, let’s take a walk in the sand
Our love spreads like rings in the water
I can see you blushing when I look at you
You are thinking about me

She is mine, she is mine, na-na-na
She is mine, she is mine, na-na-na-na
She is mine, she is mine, na-na-na
Who should I choose now?

It is time to choose me – not him
I am standing here next to you and you two don’t match
You deserve better, why do you doubt it?
What do you want him for? He has no life
And I deserve you, you should be able to see
I have better style, I could go on and on
Who do you want? Who is Mr Right?
Answer us – you can’t sing your way out of it.

She is mine, she is mine, na-na-na
She is mine, she is mine, na-na-na-na
She is mine, she is mine, na-na-na
Who should I choose now?
Spain - María Isabel (04/01/95) - "Antes muerta que sencilla" (I'd rather be dead than plain)

Nine year old María Isabel is from the Andalusian town of Ayamonte on the southern coast of Spain and, from a young age, she has been a passionate musician and a fashion fan.
She was singing and dancing before she was able to speak. But apart from music, María Isabel loves fashion and beauty. She adores clothes and dreams of having her own clothes shop one day. Her style is a big thing for her and so she never goes out without her make-up bag.

So it’s no wonder that María Isabel knew right from the beginning what her song was going to be about. She wanted to express with Flamenco pop music just how much fun it is to get dressed up.

Asked what her greatest wish is, María Isabel says that she would like to be able to fly and glide through the sky, looking down at the landscape of her homeland. Maybe that is why she would also love to act in a Harry Potter film!

María Isabel really is afraid of nothing – you can see it in her eyes!

October 23-24
Maria Isabel has just spent a weekend rehearsing in Madrid with her four backing singers: Anabel (who’s 10 years old and from Marzagan, Las Palmas, Canary Islands), Carolina (11 and from Bornos, Cadiz, Andalusia), Sara (11 and from Cangas de Onis, Asturias) and Alba (12 and from Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz, Andalusia), all of whom competed in the Spanish national final ‘Eurojunior’ themselves.

The girls have just spent four days at the TVE central studios, where they rehearsed their dancing with their choreographer Poty, and tried out outfits, make-up and hairstyles with their stylist Natalia. They also had photo sessions and performed on TVE’s main pop music show ‘Mъsica Uno’ before attending a concert by Rosa, who represented Spain in the 2002 adult Eurovision Song Contest in Tallin with her song ‘Europe is living a celebration’.

After a busy weekend, the girls have returned home to go back to school. They’ll be back in Madrid on November 14, before setting off for Norway the next day. To get to Lillehammer from their homes in Spain, the girls will have the longest journey to the Junior Eurovision Song Contest of any of the contestants.

Name: María Isabel López Rodríguez – 'María Isabel'
Age: 9 years old.
Hometown: Ayamonte in Andalusia, Spain.
Family: My brother Saul (who is 16 years old), my parents and me.
What is the song about? It is about me and the way I am. I am pretty fancy and I take a lot of care over the way I look. I like to put on make-up and lipstick and all the other things that make girls look pretty.
How long did it take to write the song? Several weeks.
I love: Playing with dolls. I also like to play at shopping and auditions with my friends and I love combing my hair into cute styles.
I hate: I don't like having my hair in plaits or a pony-tail.
Favourite Artists: Bisbal, Manuel Carrasco, Chenoa, Merche and 3+2.
Favourite Song: 'Antes Muerta Que Sencilla' ('I'd Rather Be Dead Than Simple') and my song!
Favourite Film: Garfield The Cat and Doraimon And Matilda.
I wish I could: Win the Junior Eurovision Song Contest.
Hobbies: Playing and singing.
Bad habit: Going to bed too late.
I'm happy when: I'm singing.
I get angry when: Someone is angry with me.
Favourite sweets: Lemon flavoured.
I wish: For my CD to become a huge success.
Do I have a boyfriend? No.
Favourite food: Meat, macaroni, seafood.
Favourite colour: Sky blue.
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I look most forward to: Winning!
By the way... I hope to finish in a good position, meet lots of people, make friends and have a lot of fun.

Archive: http://www.portalmix.com/eurojunior
www.mariaisabel.org

After Eurovision:
Watch ESCKAZ' interview with Maria Isabel in Minsk here.
Watch BTRC movie "Kids of Eurovision" here.

Several weeks before winning Eurovision Maria Isabel has released her first CD, titled "No me Toques las Palmas que me Conozco" ("Don't clap Because I Know Myself"). This CD included "Antes Muerta que Sencilla" and became 5x Platinum. "Antes Muerta que Sencilla" became an instant radio hit in Spain, and was later promoted in Latin America, where Maria Isabel's album was released in 2005. In addition, Maria Isabel began her first tour of Latin America and the United States after the album's release. Her song has become a charttopper in Argentina, Colombia, Puerto Rico and other places.

Her second album "Numero 2" was released in October 2005 and became 3xPlatinum. It includes the hits "Pues Va A Ser Que No" and "En Mi Jardin". These songs are part of the soundtrack of the Spanish Barbie movie "Y La Magia De Pegaso". Her third album Capricornio was released on November 21, 2006 and has been a huge success. It is a double disk set which also includes a DVD with all of her videoclips and extras. Her fourth studio album is collection of songs from the soundtrack of her first movie, Бngeles SA. Both 3rd and 4th albums also reached platinum status.

In November 2009 Maria Isabel released soundtrack for the TV show she hosted for several months - "Los Lunnis con Maria Isabel", which ended her 3 years contract with Jet Management. In 2010 she has appeared as guest for the Junior Eurovsion 2010. Since then has been guest of several TV shows on Spanish TV.

mariaisabel1.jpg (8040 bytes)mariaisabel2.jpg (8432 bytes)mariaisabel3.jpg (7340 bytes)mariaisabel4.jpg (8205 bytes)
3,000 children have been presented to the first phase of the casting, which was held in 12 Spanish cities during the months of March and April: Barcelona, San Sebastian, Madrid , Seville, Granada, Palma de Mallorca, Santiago de Compostela, Zaragoza, Alicante, Valencia, Oviedo and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Of the 3,000, only 150 children entered the second phase of the casting took place between late April and early May, of which only 80 are in the finals. The 80 children will enter the Academy on June 19 and for three days, pass various tests of singing, dancing, etc. Of the 80 children selected, 40 were  chosen to be the ones who finally participate in the 3 quaterfinal galas.

40 quaterfinalists - 3 galas - 3 by jury 1 by SMS

29/06/2004, hosted by Carlos Lozano
Ruth (11, Alicante) : Fiorda Liso - Yo no te pido la luna
Alex (9, Barcelona) : David Civera - Rosa y espinas
J+Lidia (14, Barcelona) : Christina Aguilera - Ven conmigo
T+Nico (9, Madrid) : Backstreet Boys - As long as you love me
Bella (14, Cadiz) : Malu - Aprendiz
Anias (10, Lleida) : Chenoa - Siete petalos
J+Blas (12, Murcia) : Joan Manuel Serrat - Lucia
Margarita (13, Sevilla) : Merche - Pasar de los demas
Abel (12, Cadiz) : Luis Miguel - Te necesito
J+Maria Isabel (9, Huelva) : Pastora Soler - Guerra fria
Guests: Alex Ubago, 3+2
Jury: Alejandro Abad, Carlos Quintero and Mar de Pablos, Octavi Cruz , Chasqui and Toni Ten and Josep Llobell.

06/07/2004
J+Miguel Angel (12, Almansa, Albacete) : Juanes - Es por ti
Ambar (11, Las Palmas) : Thalia - De dуnde soy
Daniel (11, Socuellamos, Ciudad Real) : Paulina Rubio - Y yo sigo aqui
T+Rocio (11, Benissa, Alicante) : Natalia - Besa mi piel
Marina (14, Barcelona) : Tamara - Si nos dejan
Abian (12, Telde, Las Palmas) : David Bustamante - Dos hombres y un destino
Vicky (11, Barcelona) : Alejandro Sanz - Corazon Partio
J+Carolina (11, Bornos, Cadiz) : Gloria Estefan - Oye mi canto
Miriam (13, Algeciras, Cфdiz) : Merche - Se acabу
J+Laura (14, Los Barrios, Cadiz) : Junior - Down
Guests: Anastasia, 3+2

13/07/2004
Lara (9, Madrid): La Oreja de Van Gogh - Pop
T+Jose Maria (12, Barcelona): Mariah Carey - Heroe
Anahi (13, San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante): Cher - Mi gente
Alex (10, Girona): David Bisbal - Buleria
Raquel (10, Valencia): Marta Sanchez - Soy yo
Dario (11. Guadalajara): Mercedes Sosa - Sуlo le pido a Dios
Nerea (10, Madrid): Lucrecia - Mi gente
J+Anabel (10, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria): Lara Fabian - Otro amor vendra
J+Gloria (14, Murcia): Amaral - Te necesito
J+Alba (12, Cadiz): Christina Aguilera - Falsas esperanzas
Guest: Marc Anthony, 3+2

20/07/2004
J+Sara (11, Cangas de Onis, Asturias): Christina Aguilera - Genie in a bottle
Fali (10, Cadiz): Ramon - Para llenarme de ti
Tenisara (13, Los Realejos, Tenerife): Jenifer Lopez - Let's Get Loud
J+Mirela (13, Madrid): Dulce Pontes - Oye Mar
Eliezer (12, Arucas, Las Palmas): Santana - Corazon espinada
Cristina (9, La Nucia, Alicante): Merche - Me han vuelto loca
Asun (15, San Jose de la Rinconada, Sevilla): Pastora Soler - Cafe cafe
J+Rocio (14, Granada): Antonio Orozco - Devuelveme la vida

Pedro (13, Murcia): Nina Pastori - Amor de San Juan
T+Lucia (14, Zaragoza): Shakira - Suerte
Guests: Andy & Lucas, 3+2

27/07/2004, semifinal
+Anabel, Rocio & Sara: Alaska - A quien le importa
Miguel Angel: Cuidate
+Maria Isabel: Damela ya
+Lucia & Lydia: Christina Aguilera & Britney Spears - Te aviso, te anuncio
+Blas: Te extrano
Laura, Rocio & Gloria: Amaral -Toda la noche en la calle
+Nico: Alex Ubago - Sin miedo a nada
+Mirela: Rosa - Ausencia
+Carolina & Alba: Mujer latino
Jose Maria: Te extrano, te olvido, te amo
Guest: Vicente, Ramon, 3+2

7/09/2004
Alba y Carolina: "Qué calor" 41% / "Loca loca" 59%
María Isabel: "Mira niño" 39% / "Antes muerta que sencilla" 61%
Anabel, Sara y Rocío: "Eres un bombón" 71% / "Ponte las pilas" 29%
Blas: "Sentir" 68% / "Cantaré" 32%
Mirela: "Sí o no" 47% / "Conocí el amor" 53%
Nico: "Te propongo" 34% / "Yo soy un bambino" 66%
Lydia y Lucía "Música en el corazón" 60% / "Un poco tú y un poco yo" 40%
Guest: Carlos Baute, Merche

Final, 21/09/2004
Carolina Armario Panal & Alba Gil Santana – Loca, loca (Crazy, crazy)
María Isabel Lopez Rodriguez – Antes muerta que sencilla (Better dead than normal)
Sara Moritan Moran, Anabel Rodriguez Santana & Rocío Cabrera Torregrosa – Eres un bombón (You are a candy)
Blas Canto Moreno – Sentir (To feel)
Mirela Cabero Garcia – Conocí el amor (I knew what love was)
Nicolo Urbaniti Munarriz  – Yo soy un bambino (I’m a kid)
Lydia Fairen Ruldua & Lucía Estella Escobar – Música en el corazón (Music in the heart)
Guests: Natalia, David Demaria, Coti. Group song: Nuestra amistad

El pintalabios
Toque de rimel
Moldeador
Como una artista de cine

Peluquería
Crema hidratante
Y maquillaje que belleza al instante
Abre la puerta que nos vamos pa’ la calle
Que a quién le importa lo que digan por ahí

Antes muerta que sencilla, ay que sencilla, ay que sencilla
Antes muerta que sencilla, ay que sencilla, ay que sencilla

Y es la verdad porque somos así
Nos gusta ir a la moda, que nos gusta presumir
Que más nos da que digas tu de mí
De Londres, de Milano, San Francisco o de Paris

Y hemos venido a bailar
Para reir y disfrutar
Después de tanto y tanto trabajar
Que a veces las mujeres necesitan
Una poquita, una poquita, una poquita, una poquita libertad

Muchos potajes de los de antes
Por eso yo me muevo así con mucho arte
Y si algún novio se me pone por delante
Le bailo un rato
Y una gotitas de Chanel nº 4
Que es más barato
Que a quién le importa lo que digan por ahí

Antes muerta que sencilla, ay que sencilla, ay que sencilla
Antes muerta que sencilla, ay que sencilla, ay que sencilla

Y es la verdad porque somos asi
Nos gusta ir a la moda que nos gusta presumir
Que más nos da que digas tu de mí
De londres, de milano, san francisco o de paris

Y hemos venido a bailar
Para reir y disfrutar
Después de tanto y tanto estudiar
Que a veces las mujeres necesitan
Una poquita, una poquita, una poquita, una poquita libertad

Y hemos venido a bailar
Para reir y disfrutar
Después de tanto y tanto trabajar
Que a veces las mujeres necesitan
Una poquita, una poquita, una poquita, una poquita libertad

Antes muerta que sencilla, ay que sencilla, ay que sencilla
Antes muerta que sencilla, ay que sencilla, ay que sencilla

Lipstick
A touch of mascara
Hair gel
Like a Hollywood actress

Go to the stylist
A bit of moisturising cream
And some instant beauty make-up
Open the door, we’re gonna hit the street
And who cares what they say about us out there

I’d rather be dead than plain, than plain, oh so plain
I’d rather be dead than plain, than plain, oh so plain

And it’s true, that’s what we’re like
We love dressing up, we’re into showing out
We don’t care what they say about us
In London, Milan, San Francisco or Paris

And we’ve come to dance
To laugh and have some fun
After so, so much hard work
You know sometimes women need
A little, just a little, just a little bit of freedom

Plaster on the make-up, like we always used to
It helps to give me rhythm, I’m a real little mover
And if one of my boyfriends tries to stand in my way
I dance with him a while
With some drops of Chanel nє 4
Which always works out cheaper
Who cares what they say about us out there

I’d rather be dead than plain, than plain, oh so plain
I’d rather be dead than plain, than plain, oh so plain

And it’s true, that's what we’re like
We like dressing up, like showing out
We don’t care what they say about us
In London, Milan, San Francisco or Paris

And we’ve come to dance
To laugh and have fun
After so, so much hard work
You know sometimes women need
A little, just a little, just a little bit of freedom

And we’ve come to dance
To laugh and have fun
After so, so much hard work
You know sometimes women need
A little, just a little, just a little bit of freedom

I’d rather be dead than plain, than plain, oh so plain
I’d rather be dead than plain, than plain, oh so plain
Sweden - Limelights (Liselotte Östblom (19.04.1992) and Anna Jalkéus (04.05.1992)) - Varför jag? (Why me?)

The duo will try to win the Junior Eurovision Song Contest with the song: ‘Varför jag’ – ‘Why me’
Twelve year olds
Liselotte Östblom (from Spånga) and Anna Jalkéus (from Tyresö) are in the same class at Adolf Fredrik music school in Stockholm and have written music together before.
They first wrote a song together for a contest at school and since then both girls have become experienced performers.

Music is something their families have in common: Liselotte’s mother is a music teacher so you’d expect Liselotte to play an instrument wouldn’t you! She has played flute since she was six years old and the piano for as long as she can remember. Ask her what she wants to do when she grows up, and she answers without hesitation: she wants to work in the music business – obviously! – either as a singer or as a music teacher. When she’s not singing or writing her own music, Liselotte likes to listen to Stevie Wonder or Maroon 5.

Anna’s family is musical, too. Her mother, her father and many of her relatives are singers or musicians. Like her friend Liselotte, she has been singing at school concerts and has also performed at the Royal Opera in Stockholm. She has played the piano for the last five years too.

But although music is one of her main hobbies, she has set her sights on a different career: as a riding instructor. Anna loves to travel and listen to music – such as Nelly Furtado – but most of all she loves horses.

After Eurovision:
During her final year at Adolf Fredrik Music Classes Anna took singing lessons with Emily McEwan and starting singing jazz. Vocal studies then continued at Sцdra Latins gymnasium with Susanne Nyqvist and Christina Gustafsson. There Anna had the opportunity to write, arrange, and perform many pieces of different character, such electro-acoustic, jazz quartet, string quartet, harp and vocals, pop orchestra and big band.
Something that was very important for Anna from the beginning was to get away from the expectation of the singer's traditional role, and she has sought to be an instrumentalist as well as a singer. In Sodra Latin she started playing harp (something that seemed quite natural, since her mother Margaret is also a harpist).
She graduated in spring 2011 and began that autumn to study at the Royal College of Music. In October 2011 she was awarded the STIM's composition scholarship, based on the submitted work samples. Currently she performs with harp, with jazz quartet and with acapella group Winter Vocaland. Youtube, myspace

Liselotte also graduated from Adolf Fredrik's Music Classes and Sodra Latins gymnasium music classes (jazz vocal speciality). Till now she has solid track record that includes everything from television appearances (in 2010 she was quartet soloist in SVT Luciamorgon) to gigs at Stockholm greatest jazz clubs. In 2011 Liselotte went on charity mission to Ethiopia and you can follow her tour through the videos here. She had also released three photobooks about her travels to Australia and New Zealand on blurb. In 2011 she als was lead singer in "A Tribute to Al Jarreau" at Jazz Club Fasching and you can find videos of this performance on Youtube. blog, myspace, soundcloud

Name: Liselotte Östblom
Age: 12
Hometown:
Spånga, Stockholm
Family: Lars-Johan (father), Nicolina (mother), Anton and Fridolf (brothers).
What is the song about? An lonely person that has no friends.
How long did it take to write the song? Approx. three hours.
I love: To sing and do anything that has to do with music.
I hate: War
Favourite Artist: Stevie Wonder
Favourite Song: ”This love” with Maroon 5.
Favourite Film: Pirates of the Caribbean
Wish I could: Give food to all children all over the world.
Hobbies: Dancing, playing badminton, playing the flute, singing in the band ”The neighbours” and playing ”The Sims” on the computer.
Bad habit: Spending too much time with the computer
I’m happy when: It's Friday!!!!!
I get angry when: my mother complains about how I play my flute.....
Favourite candy: "Pinksourbanana" (marshmallow candy)
I wish: I had my own computer.
Boyfriend/girlfriend: no
Favourite food: Tacos and fillet of pork with mushroom sauce and potatoes
Favourite colour: Lime green
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I am looking forward to: singing my song on stage to everyone in Europe
By the way… My music teacher Helen Larsson at school is the best!


Name:
Anna Jalkéus
Age: 12 years
Hometown: Stockholm
Family: My mother Margareta, my father Anders and my little brother Erik
What is the song about? It’s about a girl who has no friends.
How long did it take to write the song? 2 1/2 hours
I love: Horses, my friends, my family, music
I hate: War
Favourite Artist: Nelly Furtado
Favourite Song: Uhm… I don’t know.
Favourite Film: Miss Secret Agent
Wish I could: Fly, use magic
Hobbies: To be in the stable with my favourite horse O’Boy. To be together with friends.
Bad habit: I don’t like to clean up my room. It doesn’t look so good.
I’m happy when: I can be in the stable with the horses. At christmas.
I get angry when: Someone hurts a horse, it’s too many days until christmas, people are fighting, my parents tell me I can’t go to the stable.
Favourite candy: WHAT A QUESTION!!!!!! CHOCOLATE OF COURSE!!
I wish: I could have my own horse and use magic.
Boyfriend/girlfriend: Nope.
Favourite food: I think, it’s tacos.
Favourite colour: Right now, it’s pink, green and yellow.
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I am looking forward to: Singing in front of all those people and telling them our story about the girl without friends and what it feels like. I hope people can learn something about it.
By the way… See ya in Lillehammer!! Amigos!

Archive: http://svt.se/svt/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=2020&a=222063
http://hamsterspells.blogg.se/
http://simsnorden.blogg.se/
http://unlimitedbyl.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/annajalkeus
http://hundredthousandspiders.blogspot.com/

http://missannish.blogg.se/

09/10/2004, hosted by Mela Tesfazion and Magnus Carlsson
01. Yazmina Simic – Jag vill veta nu (I want to know now) 34 (34+0)
02. Erik Nielsen – Oh la la (Oh la la) 72 (22+50)
03. JAP – Min vän (My friend) 10 (10+0)
04. Jessica & Karin – Att ha en vän (To have a friend) 16 (16+0)
05. ReLi – När jag åker moped (When I ride my moped) 60 (40+20)
06. Sisters – Sjörövarvisan (Pirate melody) 32 (32+0)
07. Girlzz – Förstå (Understand) 18 (18+0)
08. Ville Blomgren - Min Grona Ö (My green island) 64 (34+30)
09. Limelights – Varför jag (Why me) 82 (22+60)
10. Reggae Boyz – Shabalabala polarn (Shabalabala mate) 62 (22+40)
Total (jury + tele)
1500 entries submitted. Guest: Lena Philipson
Sebastian – Sommarens lekande barn (The playing kids of summer) withdrawn, replaced by Ville Blomgren
När dom andra går i skolan då sitter jag kvar
Bakom väggar av is och snö och ingenstans att gå
För det mesta så är jag i min egen lilla värld
Där kan jag glömma alla andra som inte vill mig väl

Varför jag, varför jag
Varför inte nån av alla andra?
Är jag inte lika mycket värd?

Varför jag, varför jag
Har jag gjort nånting mot alla andra?
En fråga som jag har här inom mig

När de andra går på fester då sitter jag kvar
För jag har inte blivit bjuden som alla andra har
Jag brukar leka med min nalle i min sköna mjuka säng
När de andra går på utflykt på vår stora gröna äng

Varför jag, varför jag
Varför inte nån av alla andra?
Är jag inte lika mycket värd?

Varför jag, varför jag
Har jag gjort nånting mot alla andra?
En fråga som jag har här inom mig

En mörk gång så svår att ta sig ut ifrån
En stor ocean så bottenlös
En hög mur så hög att ingen nånsin kommit över
I mörkaste mörker lever jag

Varför jag, varför jag
Varför inte nån av alla andra?
Är jag inte lika mycket värd?

Varför jag, varför jag
Har jag gjort nånting mot alla andra?
En fråga som jag har här inom mig

Varför jag, varför jag
Kommer något någonsin att hända?
Kommer det att nånsin få ett slut?

I see others go to school but...I sit here alone
inside thick walls of ice and snow, I have nowhere to go
For the most part I live inside a world that’s all my own,
forgetting all the others who want to do me wrong.

Tell me why, tell me why, why just me and not one of the others?
Is there something wrong with who I am?
Tell me why, tell me why, have I done some crime against the others?
I ask myself again and again.

When the others go to parties, I sit here alone,
because nobody sent me an invitation of my own.
I sit and cuddle with my teddy all alone behind locked doors
while the others have adventures in the big and wide outdoors.

Tell me why, tell me why, why just me and not one of the others?
Is there something wrong with who I am?
Tell me why, tell me why, have I done some crime against the others?
I ask myself again and again.

A dark hole I cannot seem to climb out of,
a bottomless ocean everywhere.
A mountain so high that no one yet has ever crossed it,
I live in the darkness of despair.

Tell me why, tell me why, why just me and not one of the others?
Is there something wrong with who I am?
Tell me why, tell me why, have I done some crime against the others?
I ask myself again and again.

Tell me why, tell me why, why just me and not one of the others?
Is there something wrong with who I am?
Tell me why, tell me why, have I done some crime against the others?
I ask myself again and again.

Tell me why, tell me why, will I ever feel the sun upon me?
Will this awful nightmare ever end?
Belgium - Free Spirits (Fabrice Morelle, Olivier Losciuto and Samuel Evrard (15)) - Accroche-toi (Hold on)

Free Spirits are three 15-year-olds – Fabrice Morelle, Olivier Losciuto (02/10/89) and Samuel Evrard (30/11/89) – from Liege in the south of Belgium who love music, sports and scouts.
The trio met at school but it was only a year ago that they set up the band and started rehearsing their own songs. Olivier plays the drums, Fabrice the keyboards and guitarist Samuel is also the lead singer.

Following in the footsteps of their musical idols Offspring, Sum 41, Muse, Nirvana and Blink 182, the three hope to write more songs and hone their musical style. The dream of playing in front of a huge audience has already come true, after the Belgians decided that Free Spirits should represent the country on the Junior Eurovision Song Contest stage with the rock song 'Accroche-toi' ('Hold on Tight') about teenage life.

Their producer and director, Didier Dessers, is pretty sure that Free Spirits will make it in the music business and says that Fabrice, Olivier and Samuel have the conviction to fight for their ideas. "We understood each other straight away," says Didier Dessers of their relationship. "They are honest, very open-minded and have a good sense of humour. And we found we have similar tastes in music, in artists like Muse, Nirvana or in more melodic pop rock."

This is a big compliment for Free Spirits, coming from a man who knows a lot about music. As a musician, arranger and art director, Didier Dessers worked with big names in Belgium such as the group Loop the Loop, solo artists like Alain Chamfort, Adamo, Perry Rose, Jeff Bodart and the late Pierre Rapsat.

After Eurovision:
losciuto_olivier.jpg (32873 bytes)
Free Spirits have disbanded soon after the contest. Olivier has studied Finance at Universiteit Maastricht, National University of Singapore and Rotterdam School of Management and after that concentrated on his professional career in banking. Samuel studied as sound engineer at Institute of Broadcast Arts.

Name: Samuel Evrard
Age: 15 years
Hometown: Liege (Belgium)
Family: 1 brother and 1 sister
The song is about: Some difficult moments that teenagers have
How long dit it take to write the song? Approximatively 2 weeks
I love: Music, rock, guitar, tennis, eating delicious food and enjoying life
I hate: Being Bored, no laughing and being treated like a child
Favourite artist: Many - rock bands like Muse, Green Day, Sum41, Blink182, Papa Roach,…
Favourite song: « Time of your life » (Green Day)
Favourite film: « Lord of the Rings »
I wish I could: fly like a bird
Hobbies: Guitar, tennis, scouts
Bad habit: Annoying my brother and my sister and listening to loud music
I am happy when: I am having fun and playing rock music
I get angry when: my mother is on my back
Favourite sweets: Sour Sweets
I wish: TO HAVE A BURSTED LIFE
Girlfriend: yes
Favourite food: Chinese
Favourite colour: red
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I am looking forward to: Playing music in a big hall and meet other finalists
Finally… I’m so happy to go to Norway!!!!!

Name: Fabrice Morelle
Age: 14 years
Hometown: Liege
Family: 1 brother (Clement) and 1 sister (Flora)
The song is about... Hope and optimism
How long did it take you to write the song? Since February 2004
I like: Holidays, lots of things
I hate: School
Favourite artist: Bad religion
Favourite song: « It's a long way to the promise land »
Favourite film: « The sixth sense »
Hobbies: music
Bad habit: Too many
I like it when: I’m expected to be happy
I get angry when: My brother and sister are boring me
Favourite sweets: Everything sour
I wish: to go on making music
Girlfriend: no comment
Favourite food: Shrimp tomatoes
Favourite colour: blue
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I expect: Having a single and to get famous
Finally ... ---

Archive: www.eurokids.be
http://eurokids-2004.skyrock.com/

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26/09 Final
1. Free Spirits - Accroche-toi 56 1st
2. Hotvibes - Ma vraie identite 47 2nd
3. Kevin - J'ai envie 30 7th
4. Mary-Lo - Laissez-moi rever 50 3rd
5. Methiola - S’amuser 52 2nd
6. Manon - Mais la vie 45 5th
7. Alex - Ecoute-moi 35 6th

Guests: Lorie, Maruane

10/09 1st semi:
1. B-Cocktail (Charlotte Campion, 13, Ysatis Dussenwart, 13) - L'âge d'aimerr (The age of loving) – 33 5th
2. Kevin Remacle (12) - J'ai envie
(I feel like...) – 37 4th
3. Hotvibes (Noemi Renuart, 14, Margaux Lemba, 15) - Ma vraie identité
(My real identity) – 41 3rd
4. Bess (Julie Vercauteren, 12) - Laissez-les vivre
(Let them live) – 45 1st - disqualified
5. Free Spirits (14) - Accroche-toi (Hold on) – 44 2nd

17/09 2nd semi:
1. Mary-Lo (Marine Collard, 13, Laure Collard, 11) - Laissez-moi rever (Let me dream) 47
2. Methiola (Shera Kayembe, 15, Aurelie Goedgezelschamp, 15) - S’amuser (To have fun) 43
3. Manon Delauvaux (10) - Mais la vie (But life) 40
4. Alex (Alexander Schonfelder) - Ecoute-moi (Listen to me) 38
5. Julie (13) - Ma chance (My chance) 32
260 entries received.
Group song "Notre Terre" (De Cock, Maurane, Patrick Deltenre)
Couplet 1 :
C’est encore une nuit sans rêve
Faut que j’arrête, je voudrais faire une trêve
Là j’en ai marre, je deviens fou
Cette fois, je crois bien que je suis au fond du trou

Comment on fait pour sortir d’ici
Y’a pas de panneau qui indique la sortie
Je voudrais que tout ça soit fini
Je prends même plus goût à la vie

Refrain :
Accroche-toi, tu le peux encore
Accroche-toi, vas-y fais un effort
Accroche-toi, tu ne le regretteras pas
Tu verras, ça ira.

Couplet 2 :
J’ai pensé à me suicider
Mais l’idée m’a effrayé
J’ai cherché un bon remède
Quelqu’un à qui demander de l’aide

Pour finir, je m’en suis sorti
Le cours de ma vie a repris
A vous qui êtes désespérés
Vous verrez, tout peut s’arranger

Refrain

Again a night without dreams
I should stop, make a truce
I'm sick of this, I'm going crazy
This time I think this can't get any worse
How do you get out of here?
There's no sign indicating the exit
I wish all this was over
I'm even starting to enjoy life


Hold on tight
you can still do it
hold on tight
come on! make an effort
Hold on tight
you won't regret it
You will see, everything will be allright

I thought about commiting suicide
but the idea scared me
I searched for a cure
someone I could ask for help
Finally, it's all over
my life is back as it used to be
if you feel desperate
you will see, everything get will better
Romania - Noni Răzvan Ene (17/04/1992) - Îţi mulţumesc (Thank you)

NONI RAZVAN ENE was born in Bucharest, on April 17,1992.
He studies the classical guitar at the Dinu Lipatti Music School in his hometown and also loves to sing, play computer games and travel.
His favourite singers are Whitney Houston and Celine Dion.
Noni’s first TV appearance was in 1996. Since then, he’s taken part in lots of concerts and competitions for children, giving wonderful performances and winning various awards:

1997 – First place in a TV contest called ‘Tip Top Mini Pop’.
2001 – Third place in a TV contest called ‘Cherries Festival’.
2002 – Won the Grand Prix at ‘Mamaia’, the National Singing Contest for Children.
2002 – Won the Grand Prix at ‘The Golden Star’ International Song Contest for Children and also won the Media Award, Bucharest.
2003 – Was a finalist of the International Nile Festival for children in Cairo, Egypt.
2003 – Awarded a Special Diploma of the ‘Ti Amo’ International Children’s Festival in Onesti, Romania.
2003 – Won the Grand Prix at ‘The Golden Magnolia’ International Song Contest for Children in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.
2003 – Won the Grand Prix at the International Song Contest for Children, ‘Slaviansky Bazaar in Vitebsk’ in Belarus.
2004 – Won the Grand Prix at ‘The Golden Star’ International Song Contest for Children and Teenagers in Romania.

Noni has been invited to perform as guest star in many festivals, shows, radio and TV programmes in Romania and abroad. He has also starred in several TV commercials.

Archive: http://tvr.ro/jesc

After Eurovision:
Noni Razvan Ene has appeared as ESCKAZ' guest reviewer for Junior Eurovison 2009
"After Eurovision Noni continued active festivals and contest performances, including 3rd place at "Nile Festival" in Egypt in 2005, 1st place at "Orpheus" in Italy in 2008, he also hosted various shows, including "Mamaia Copiilor", "Cerbul Copiilor" and JESC national preselections, was invited as jury member to various national TV programs. In 2007 has released first solo CD "Iti Multumesc". In 2009 attempted to enter Eurovision Song Contest for Romania and plans to continue trying at the national preselections for this show. Here you can watch two of his latest performances: Concert Callatis 2009 and on a TV show on OTV channel, other Noni videos available here." Youtube: NoniOfficialChannel

Name: Noni Razvan Ene
Age: 12
Hometown: Bucharest
Family: Unfortunately I’m an only child, but I’m worth ten children!
What is the song about? It’s about thanking my mummy for the life she has given me, for the way she protects me and cares for me, for always being close to me and for giving me the confidence to make my way in the world.
How lond did you spend making the song?

It all started a year ago, when my friend Dino from Croatia won the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. I made up my mind to follow in his footsteps. So I wrote the song and re-wrote it several times. And I hope you’ll all like it.
I love: Music and performing on stage.
I hate:Physics (Please don’t tell my physics teacher!)
Favourite artist: Whitney Houston.
Favourite song:I like too many to list here.
Favourite film: Terminator 3 - I’m a boy, aren’t I?
Wish I could: Swim like a fish
Hobbie: Computers and football.
Bad habit: I don’t look people in the eye when they talk to me. I guess I’m too shy.
I'm happy when: I win competitions.
I get angry when: I get low marks at school.
Favourite candy: Any type. That’s probably why I’m a little on the plump side.
I wish: I could win the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2004.
Girlfriend: There’s a girl I like called Giulia, but I’m not sure she feels the same about me.
Favourite food: Spaghetti, pizza, cauliflower with chicken… and lots more.
Favourite colour: Turquoise
In the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I'm looking forward to: Making new friends.
By the way: I’m inviting you all to Romania, the most beautiful country in the world.

447728.jpg (66691 bytes)
25/09/04
Ana-Maria Deliu – 10, Turda - “Tarina de la Turda”
(The fields of Turda)
Razvan Dumitru - 10, Calarasi - “Corabia de vise” (Ship of dreams)
Noni Razvan Ene -12, Bucuresti - “Iti multumesc” (Thank you)
Dana Gabriela Mares - 12, Ploiesti - “Vreau sa fiu artista” (I want to be a star)
Patricia Maria Matei - 8, Bucuresti - “Copiii viitorului” (Children of the future)
Lara Popescu & Alexandru Matios - 14, Bucuresti - “Asta e vacanta” (The way holidays are)
Raluca Paraschiv - 14, Bucuresti - “Cantecul meu” (My song)
Alexandru Petcu - 10, Buzau - “Tot ce-mi doresc” (All I want)
Giulia Silvestru - 10, Giurgiu - “Liniste” (Peace)
Matei Tibacu-Blendea - 14, Bucuresti - “Reactie in lant” (Chain reaction)

Not qualified
Iulia Brici – 10, Turda - “Da, sunt fata, nu baiat!”
Irina Gorga – 14, Macin, jud. Tulcea - “Vis ”
Livia Theodorescu - 14, Bucuresti - “As putea alege”
Alexandru Andrei Tiba - 11, Timisoara - “Suflet de copil”

Disqualified:
Maria Lavinia Calina - 15, Caransebes - Mi-e dor de tine
Larisa Popeti - 15, Lugoj - As vrea
Elena Patricia Dogaru - 8, Nehoiu - Pentru copii
Daniel Sâna - 13, Dej - Timp trecator
Raluca Adriana Fagadar - 11, Turda - Zâmbete de vara
Bianca Sescu - 14, Sabaoani, jud, Neamt - Vis neîmplinit
Ana Maria Gergely - 8, Constanta - Ma distrez

Tu esti prima mea iubire
Tu ai fost si primul glas
Tu zambind m-ai invătat
Si-ncredere mi-ai dat
Sã fac întaiul pas

Tu esti prima amintire (măicuta mea, doar tu)
Tu esti zana din povesti (măicuta mea, doar tu)
Tu, măicută, mi-ai vegheat
Si somnul zbuciumat
De vise colindat

Îti multumesc, (Îti multumesc)
Măicuta mea (măicuta mea)
Îti multumesc (Îti multumesc)
Cu viata mea (Îti dăruiesc)
Îti dăruiesc, (măicuta mea)
Măicuta mea (Kurdi jajati dăruiesc)
Prin cantec toată dragostea

Tu esti prima mea lumină,
(Esti steaua mea doar tu)
Tu esti universul meu,
(Ai fost mereu doar tu)
Tu ai fost aici mereu
Si-atunci cand mi-a fost greu
M-ai ocrotit de tot ce-i rãu
Doar tu esti angerul meu bun
Si-as vrea acum să-ti spun

Măicută, multumesc (măicută, multumesc)
Măicută, te iubesc...

You are my first love
And you were the first voice
You have taught me, smiling,
And given me the confidence
To take my first step.

You are my first memory
You are the fairy from a fairy tale.
[Backing vocals: My mummy, only you.]
You, mummy, have watched
Over my anxious sleep
Haunted by dreams.

I’m thanking you, mummy
[Backing vocals: I’m thanking you, mummy]
I’m thanking you with my life
[Backing vocals: I’m thanking you with my life]
And I’m giving you, mummy
[Backing vocals: I’m giving you… my love.]
Through this song, all my love.

You are my first light
You are my universe
You have always been there
Even in the bad times
You have protected me against evil
You are my angel
And now I’d like to tell you:
Mummy, thank you!
Mummy, I love you!
Coverage by JUNIOREUROVISION.TV
Friendship Classes

‘Friendship and Fun’ is the motto of this year’s Junior Eurovision Song Contest in Lillehammer.
And with that in mind, the junior stars from all 18 participating countries will be given the chance to make friends with the pupils of Lillehammer in so-called ‘Friendship Classes’.

The junior stars will visit schools in Lillehammer where they can make friends, establish new contacts, learn about life in Norway and much more. Of course, the children of Lillehammer will have a lot of questions of their own on how to become a star, on how it feels to sing on such a stage as big as the one used on November 20, and on how to write your own song.

junioreurovision.tv will be accompanying some of the junior stars on their visits. So please come back to find out what happened and check out the photo gallery in the ‘Multimedia Lounge’.

Here’s a list of the schools and classes the junior stars will visit:

Hammartun barneskole, class 6 I / II / III: Klaartje, Nicky (Netherlands), Demis (Switzerland) and Martina (FYR Macedonia)
Kringsjе skole, class 7ab / 7cd: Noni (Romania) and Egor (Belarus)
Ekrom skole, class 5/6a / 5/6b / 5/6c: Maria Isabel (Spain), Cool Kids (Denmark), Nika (Croatia)
Hammartun ungdomsskole, class 8c / 9a / 9b / 10a / 10b / 10c: Cory (UK), Free Spirits (Belgium), Young Talent Team (Malta), @lek (Norway), Martins (Latvia), Marios (Cyprus)
Еretta ungdomsskole, class 9a / 9d / 10a / 10b: KWADro (Poland), Thomas (France), Limelights (Sweden), Secret Band (Greece)
Facts & Figures
about the Contest 2004

Here are some impressive facts and figures about the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2004.
200 people will take to the stage during the live show on November 20.
14 cameras will provide the TV footage.
The show will require 3,000 m of video cable.
1,200 m of camera cable will be used.
50 microphones will be needed.
There will be 450 spot lights illuminating the stage.
The show will use 3,000 m of sound cable.
250 dimmers will control the light in Haakons Hall
250 people will be working in the production team
150 of these will be from the host broadcaster NRK
There will be 10 members of the EBU working on the show.

Westlife live on stage
during the big show in Lillehammer

Westlife
Westlife - the Irish guys will perform their hit "Ain't That A Kick In The Head" live on stage during the Junior Eurovision Song Contest show on November 20th.
More information soon here on junioreurovision.tv and under http://www.westlife.com! So check it out ...

Dino - special guest -
will attend the J-ESC 2004

Dino from Croatia
25 October 2004
"We are proud to present the first Junior Eurovision Song Contest winner ever, and we are really looking forward to having Dino as our guest of honour", comments Stina Greaker, Producer/programme executive or NRK the confirmation of Dino's appearance in this year's show.

Dino will be special guest of the show and award the trophy to his follower 2004.

The venue: Haakons Hall

Haakons Hall
Norwegian Television
On November, 20th the J-ESC will be held at Haakons Hall, Lillehammer. The hall is a popular venue for a wide range of events such as sports, conferences, kick-offs, trade fairs, exhibitions and concerts.
Haakons Hall opened its doors on 1 February 1993 and was the main venue for ice-hockey during the Olympics in 1994, as well as hosting the opening and closing ceremonies of the Paralympics.
Haakons Hall is host of sporting, cultural and commercial events both in summer and winter. As one of the world’s most versatile multi-purpose halls, Haakons Hall offers almost unlimited possibilities. The floor space, capacity and layout of the hall are perfect for large and small events alike. Pleasant offices adjacent to the entrance and reception desk make it easy to install an efficient secretarial service. The location of the offices and conference rooms is intended to provide maximum convenience during events.

The spectator capacity during the J-ESC event is 6,000-7,000, depending of the stage design.

Here are some additional facts & figures:

Up to 3,500 m2 on one level
Activity area 44 Ч 76 m
Pillar-free hall
Max. ceiling height 40 m
Fine internal and external architecture
Parking lots for 700 cars
Close to town, hotels and other attractions
Spectator capacity 10,000
Easy access for disabled people
Excellent acoustics
Cafe
(source: Norwegian Television)
Nadia Hasnaoui and Stian Barsnes Simonsen
the hosts 2004

Nadia and Stian
Copyright: Anne Liv Ekroll, NRK
Nadia Hasnaoui
Nadia is one of Norway’s most famous TV stars. Everyone knows her and her presentation of big TV shows on NRK and TV2 (two Norwegian broadcasters).

Nadia? Isn’t she the hostess of “Frokost-tv”, NRK’s morning show? Yes! Sure! And also the hostess of the children's TV show “Myggen”, a co-production with Sweden, Denmark and Finland that she hosted in 1992.
The Junior Eurovision Song Contest is also nothing unknown to Nadia. She hosted this year’s Norwegian final and already knows at least one of the participants of the big show in November - @lek, the Norwegian winner.

Nadia also knows the Norwegian King and Queen with whom she did an interview for a TV portrait. Of course, junioreurovision.tv will try to get some intimate details from Nadia for you. Does she know the King’s favourite song? What is the favourite meal of the Queen? Check it out here soon!

Stian Barsnes Simonsen
Stian? Every child and teenager knows Stian in Norway! He was the host of NRK’s most popular TV show for young people, ”Reser”, for several years. The show has won several Norwegian awards, e.g. in 2001 the Prix Danube as best magazine for 10- to 15-year-olds.

And Stian knows show biz. He started his career at the age of 13 as an actor in a TV show, starred in the Norwegian soap opera ”Hotel Cжsar” before he became host for ”Reser”.

As regards the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, Stian is also no newcomer. He hosted last and this year’s Norwegian final of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest – and therefore of course knows Nadia very well.
The Running Order of the Songs for 2004

The draw to determine the running order
Lillehammer, 12 / 13 October

“Give a very warm welcome to Tori,” announced Preben Vridstoft, founder of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, and a young Norwegian girl in traditional clothes entered the stage.
The event was the Head of Delegation Meeting, held in Lillehammer on 12-13 October, and Tori’s job was to perform the competition’s initial draw.

Tori was the mascot and good luck charm for the Junior Eurovision stars and her draw of the 18 balls decided who would be the first and last countries to perform in the competition.

The rest of the draw simply put the other countries into one of three groups. The running order of the countries within those groups was decided by a separate draw performed by NRK.

And so here are the results of Tori’s draw:

1st country: Greece
Members of the 1st group (in alphabetical order, not running order*): France, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland
Members of the 2nd group (in alphabetical order, not running order*): Belarus, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, (FYR) Macedonia, Poland
Members of the 3rd group (in alphabetical order, not running order*): Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, UK
18th country: Romania
Tori was thanked and left the stage to tremendous applause from all Heads of Delegations and Norwegian Television, NRK.

Here it is: the final running order of the 18 participating countries.

1. Greece
2. Malta
3. Netherlands
4. Switzerland
5. Norway
6. France
7. FYR Macedonia
8. Poland
9. Cyprus
10. Belarus
11. Croatia
12. Latvia
13. UK
14. Denmark
15. Spain
16. Sweden
17. Belgium
18. Romania
More information can be found in the participants' section of the website. You will find pictures of the draw in the Multimedia photo galleries.
Sparkling stars on a dark, clear night
The stage design

Stage model
NRK
Picture a dark, clear night, with the light reflected in the water, the sky full of sparkling stars, in a winter wonderland, somewhere in a small town... such as Lillehammer!
That’s the concept of the stage design dreamt up by Norwegian Television NRK for the main event on November 20.

The junior stars on stage will be watched over by thousands of sparkling stars on the stage’s walls and floor. And projections on the stage will make each performance a unique visual experience.

Want to know more about the event? Or get a sneak preview of what’s in store? junioreurovision.tv asked the Norwegian broadcaster what we can expect and this is what we found out:

The show will start with a girl snowboarding into Lillehammer from space. Then wham! Down she comes to the big stage where Nadia and Stian will be ready to welcome you!

During the show the theme of stars, snow and space will be everywhere: The Snow Parade will invite 50 dancers on stage together with acrobats and entertainers.

But if you want more information, you’re going to have to watch the show!
It’s going to be great, we promise!

Interview with Janne,
make-up artist


In the make-up room
Interview with Janne, J-ESC make-up artist, about the latest fashions and styles
During the rehearsals, junioreurovision.tv was allowed to take a look at the “chaos” (as Janne calls it) of the make-up room. This is where all Junior stars, and the hosts Nadia and Stian, will be ‘prepared’ for the big show.

Eight make-up artists and hair stylists will be working in here for the final on Saturday. Janne admits that it’s much easier to do the boys than the girls. “You know, the boys don’t need make-up,” she says. “The girls take a little longer. We expect to take half an hour on each participant.”

Asked about the latest fashion and style, Janne admits that glamour and glitter are ‘in’ at the moment. But she also points out the she and her team will be talking to every contestant to find out what he or she wants. The Junior star will have the final word on how they look.

Prior to the J-ESC show, Janne has worked on several other big Norwegian shows and films and has also been the make-up artist for the Nobel peace prize ceremony.

Before we left, junioreurovision.tv asked Janne to let us into a secret and give us a sneak preview of what Nadia and Stian will look like. “My lips are sealed,” says Janne, although after several minutes of us pleading and begging, she revealed that, “We will do something very special with Nadia’s curls.”

junioreurovision.tv will, of course, follow this up.

Fan-tastic welcome
The stars meet their newest supporters


Lillehammer, November 16, 2004 (Tuesday)

The Junior Eurovision stars were given their first taste of super-stardom last night when they met their newest fans – Lillehammer’s schoolchildren.
After a ceremony in which they were welcomed by the mayor of Lillehammer, the contestants continued the party at local youth club Euroclub and were surprised by the enthusiasm of their young supporters.

Each contestant was met at the door by a group of children collecting autographs and inside they were surrounded by fans eager to say hello.

Norway’s contestant @lek was very popular among the girls – some of them even queued up to give him a hug – but all of the Junior stars were given a friendly welcome.

Soon the dance floor was full of schoolchildren and contestants, dancing to the latest pop tracks including Madonna and the Bomfunk MCs. Other kids were competing against each other on the dance machine before the children showed off their singing talents on the karaoke machine.

The Junior stars will be hoping that won’t be the last time they are surrounded by adoring fans!

 

A warm welcome
The people of Lillehammer say hello

The mayor of Lillehammer
Lillehammer, November 17, 2004 (Wednesday)

The stars of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest were given a warm welcome by the people of Lillehammer last night.
At a party in the Lillehammer Hotel, the performers and delegations of the 18 participating countries were greeted by the mayor of Lillehammer, Ms Brenden Klemetrud. Each performer was then invited onto the stage to say hello. Most of them introduced themselves and thanked their fellow contestants and the local people for making them feel so welcome.

Others greeted the audience in a slightly different way.

French contestant Thomas sang a song which received huge applause. Switzerland’s contestant Demis simply said, ‘Welcome’ – his first ever word in English. The Latvia contestants Martinљ and his friends from C-Stones Juniors sent a greeting ‘from one small city to another’ but it was Yahors from Belarus who really charmed the ladies.

‘There are so many pretty girls in the room, I think I might forget the words of my song,’ he said. ‘But when you see my dancers, I think you might forget the words of your songs too.’

United Kingdom contestant Cory spoke for everyone when she said she was ‘really looking forward to an excellent week.’

Then the town showed that it knows how to put on a performance too. Crescendo, a dance group, from Lillehammer impressed the audience with a display of high-energy disco dancing. They were joined by a young break-dancer and finally a female hip-hop dancer and MC who invited the Junior Eurovision stars to join her. Soon, the stage was filled with contestants dancing and clapping.

The stars then decided to show what they can do. Many of them took to the stage to sing or dance for the audience.

Young Talent Team from Malta showed off their choreography by dancing along to "Scandalous" by Mis-teeq; Giorgos from Greece provided a beat box so that his songwriter and lyricist Andreas could perform a rap while his dancer Antonis Skrivanos showed that he knows how to break-dance too. Marios and his dancers from Cyprus put on a display of traditional Cyrpiot dancing.

Most of the other contestants took the opportunity to sing for the crowd too – stars including Norway’s @lek and Martina from FYR Macedonia performed famous pop songs and Marнa Isabel from Spain sang several tracks including her song for the contest, ‘Antes Muerta Que Sencilla’ (‘I’d Rather Be Dead Than Plain’).

The evening showed the various talents of the Junior stars and gave the people of Lilleammer a taste of what’s in store on the big night.
Read all about the rehearsals
from Greece to Cyprus

The Secret Band
It’s not easy to go first – but Greek Giorgos and his Secret Band do a great job. Even at 10 o’clock in the morning, the three boys really manage to get the venue pumping! With their ‘rock n roll’ style (At one point, Giorgos plays the guitar lying on the floor! See the pics in the photo gallery!) and acrobatic break-dancing, the guys have everyone clapping their hands and humming the song.

Irene, their Head of Delegation, tells us how pleased she is: “It all went very well,” she says. “I thought their performance was fine.”

And she’s right to be proud of what Secret Band do on stage. They give a really flamboyant performance. And after five run-throughs, we caught up with the boys back stage and they tell us they’re exhausted but “very happy”.
Young Talent Team from Malta are second with a colourful and energetic performance. At the start of the song, four strong boys (look at those muscles, girls!!!) lift one of the singers – the daughter of manager Colette Debattista – high above their head. Then boom! The beat kicks in and the volume really goes up! The entire stage crew can be seen dancing too!

We speak to Colette (who’s British, but has been married to a Maltese man for 21 years) and asked her how it feels to be a mother of one of the artists: “They know what they are doing,” she says. “I don’t have to be nervous.”

According to Grace from the Malta Delegation, the Young Talent Team are really enjoying themselves here in Lillehammer. It seems that ‘Fun and Friendship’ isn’t just the motto of the competition – it’s the motto of Young Talent Team too.

Klaartje and Nicky from the Netherlands project ‘Fun and Friendship’ in everything they do. In their performance, Klaartje stands in front of a stage covered with big red hearts and really flirts with the camera – she even does some beat box to entertain us all during the interval. Nicky, asked about the sound, gives a perfectly professional answer – “It’s very good.” End of conversation.

As for the song, it is reminiscent of a song by another famous girl band: ‘Walk Like An Egyptian’ by The Bangles – ask your parents.

junioreurovision.tv also spots the show’s co-host Nadia dancing in the background.

“Molto bene,” says Swiss contestant Demis after his first run-through. He feels comfortable on stage but, after deciding to hold his microphone – rather than use the microphone stand – he feels even better on stage and it really shows in his performance. The following run-throughs of his song “Birichino” is terrific. Dutch performer Klaartje can be seen standing in the audience, clapping her hands and supporting her fellow contestant. We also see Thomas from France, standing there cool as ever.

While Demis is on stage, Norwegian contestant @lek and his dancers are warming up in the backstage area. Changes to their blue costumes have to be made. “They are too big,” says Tana, the Head of the Norwegian Delegation. This gives us a few minutes to interview @lek and ask him about his questionnaire on junioreurovision.tv. In it, he mentions that he’s looking for a girlfriend (take a look for yourself!) so we ask him what kind of girl he likes.
“Oh,…er,” he says, stumbling. “I don’t really have a preference.”

So, girls … feel free to come to the show on Saturday and see @lek and his 7 dancers perform! The dancers have been choreographed by Benedictine who owns a studio in Los Angeles. She’s used to working with stars. Janet Jackson is one of a dozen.

junioreurovision.tv can also reveal that @lek’s ‘postcard’ before his performance on the show is based a really clever idea – he’ll be inviting you to ‘Lilleputthammer’. But you’ll have to wait until Saturday to see it.

Next, it’s time for Thomas to take us into the world of Montmartre, Moulin Rouge and Jazz. His song, ‘Si On Voulait Bien’, is completely different from those we’ll hear from the 17 other participants and after his first rehearsal, Thomas is happy. His mother seems to be more nervous than Thomas is. “Yes, that was good,” she says as she jumps up in the audience, before giving him some motherly advice: “Don’t forget to walk on stage!” But after the third round of the rehearsal, his performance is “trиs bon” – or so says Nadia as she talks to Thomas’ parents in the audience. junioreurovision.tv is more than willing to agree.

After Thomas, the next person to take the stage is a small blond girl who will soon be a big star all over Europe: Martina from FYR Macedonia!
Together with her two dancers (who are both a full head taller than Martina!) she really brightens up the venue. Standing against a set onto which bright colours are projected, Martina performs her song in Croatian. We see Marios from Cyprus standing near the stage watching her rehearse. He’s the last person to rehearse today and it’s already getting late. How must he be feeling?

Before the stage is ready for Marios, the girl quartet representing Poland, KWADro, are rehearsing. And the girls (all dressed in black and pink) show us that they can really sing! After some adjustments to the sound levels, KWADro try to make us join in with the Polish lyrics – sadly, no-one at junioreurovision.tv speaks Polish. Still, with a very precise and well-performed dance routine, the four girls will try to convince fans all over Europe to vote for them.

Last, but by no means least, Marios from Cyprus and his dancers arrive on stage, after having done a very special rehearsal of their own… on the dance machine in front of their wardrobe.

Marios is following a long Eurovision tradition: with his white suit, he looks like Johnny Logan (two times winner as singer of the senior ESC) which could be a good omen. Or is it just that the that theory fits with his dark black hair?
His dancers, with their colourful blouses, provide a beautiful contrast. We’ll remember Cyprus’ performance as a spectacle of colour and sound!

Good luck to all of today’s contestants!
The second day of rehearsals
Lillehammer turns into a winter wonderland

Yahor from Belarus
The Junior stars couldn’t believe their eyes when they woke up this morning: it had been snowing! Lillehammer is completely white.
As Yahor starts his rehearsal at 10 am, a few more snowflakes begin to fall.
And it provides a perfect setting for the Belarusian performance: a kind of modern ‘Swan Lake’ (in jeans!) with Yahor surrounded by four ballerinas and supported by a girl on the keyboard.

Watching the ballerinas dance, there are several moments when junioreurovision.tv thinks, “That has to hurt!” as the girls perform painful-looking balancing acts and splits. But, through the whole thing, the girls keep smiling into the cameras. Pure perfection!

Between the Belarusian Delegation – who have also brought their own director to do a satellite link-up with Belarus tonight – discussions start as to how they can make Yahor’s performance even better. junioreurovision.tv finds the choreographer to be quite nervous… certainly more nervous than the stars on stage! :-)

Nika from Croatia is watching Yahor’s performance in the venue. She tells us that she arrived in Norway with her parents, her little sister and her grandma. And it seems that her grandma is having at least as much fun here as Nika is! Yesterday on the trip to the Olympic park Nika’s grandmother was driving around on a 4-wheel motorbike!

As this brief interview ends, Nika has to go up on stage alone. Well, alone apart from her trusty pink hat!
And although Nika is suffering from a sore throat she is all smiles and sounds very confident. “She’s the boss,” explains Silva from the Croatian Delegation. And from what we hear of the Croatian discussions after the rehearsal, the words “super” and “bravo” crop up a lot. junioreurovision.tv can’t argue with that.

Now it’s time for five Latvian boys – Martinљ and the C-Stones Juniors – to rap, dance and show their breakdancing skills. Lucija, the Latvian vocal teacher from Ventspils, tells us that the boys are all doing a brilliant job. And she should know – she has been teaching Martinљ since he was four.

But a teacher wouldn’t be a teacher if she didn’t want her pupils to do a little bit better. And she was clearly passing that instruction onto the boys. Zita from the Latvian delegation translated for us: “She’s telling them to go from ‘gold’ to ‘diamond’.”

The boys are certainly at diamond standard on the dance machine in the wardrobe area. No-one has been better and faster than Martinљ so far! But the boys are doing well on stage too and – although they’re a bit tired – they only have to do two more rehearsals. So, boys … go for ‘diamond’ on Saturday.

Next up is the United Kingdom’s Cory. The massive grand piano she sits behind might make her look quite small but she soon shows that she has a huge voice, giving several heart-felt performances.

“The sound in here is excellent,” she says. And Lee, the Head of the UK Delegation, tells us how pleased he is with the way things are going. He looks pleased too – he and several other members of the audience were humming the tune to themselves in between Cory’s performances.

The Latvian performers, who have finished rehearsing for the day, are in the audience. They’ve stayed to watch their fellow performers on the video screens, and offer their support.

In stark contrast to Cory’s rousing ballad, the Cool Kids of Denmark get the crowd jumping with some pumped-up hip-hop, as rappers Niki and Ibo ‘battle’ over the affections of Caroline. After a few adjustments to the microphone levels, the group give several good performances. Ibo appears to hurt his back during the break-dancing interlude of one run-through but he recovers quickly and dances well from then onwards. The song isn’t all rap: it features a catchy chorus which has the Spanish girls – who are on stage next – dancing along and singing.

When Maria Isabel and her dancers do come on, they raise the temperature in Haakons Hall so much you’d think the snow outside would melt. With a high-tempo song and energetic flamenco dancing, they soon have everyone clapping along. Not everyone’s happy though. Spain’s choreographer climbs onto the stage between every run-through to make final adjustments to the girls’ dance routine – he even dances along with every move in the middle of the arena. His perfectionism certainly pays off though – by the end the girls’ routine is superb.

Sweden’s Junior stars are next on stage. Liselotte and Anna come from the country that produced the most famous Eurovision act of them all – Abba. And there’s certainly something Abba-esque about the two girls. Both have fantastic voices which sound even better in harmony. Anna has long white-blond hair while Liselotte’s is a little darker. And they even stand facing the camera which simple dance moves that mirror each other – just like Abba! At one stage, Liselotte appears to feel unwell – but a sit down and a glass of water seems to help and she is back on her feet, singing beautifully, minutes later.

Then there’s a sight we haven’t seen in the competition so far: a drum kit being wheeled onto the stage. It’s for the three boys from Belgium, Free Spirits, who are definitely more of a rock band than a pop group. After a brief guitar intro, the drums and bass kick in and the boys jump around to their (very loud) rock music. Their song, 'Accroche-toi', gets the audience clapping in no time, and after a few sound adjustments, it seems to get even louder! The only small hitch is when guitarist Samuel jumps around so wildly, his guitar strap falls of his shoulder – but like a true professional, he carries on with a smile.

It was towards the end of a very long day but the song certainly livened up the venue. In fact, Nadia and Stian, the shows hosts were dancing, clapping and singing along and having a great time!

Finally, it was the turn of Noni from Romania. The stage design was very simple: just a few spot lights, a black background and the tiny figure of Noni in the centre of the stage. When he opened his mouth to sing, though, he suddenly didn’t seem quite so small! His voice was almost operatic – pitch perfect and very powerful. After his first run-through, the stunned crowd could only applaud. Noni was asked to take his cap off for the next run-through and his voice seemed to get even stronger! With his delegation standing or sitting at the edge of the stage, Noni had plenty of support and advice to rely on. And after six equally good performances, he had every right to be pleased with himself.

And so the first round of rehearsals is over. Every Junior star has had the chance to sing, in front of a camera crew, under hot theatrical lights and in the huge space of Haakons Hall. Now it gets serious, though. Tomorrow the dress rehearsals begin. Keep up the good work, everyone!
A trip to Hunderfossen
The stars visit a theme park and bobsleigh track


Big Day Out
The stars enjoy some local attractions
Lillehammer, November 17, 2004 (Wednesday)

While half of the contestants spent Wednesday rehearsing in Haakons Hall, the others had to wait a day before getting the chance to practice on the stage.

But, instead of sitting in their hotels and getting bored, they made the most of Lillehammer and set off to enjoy the local attractions.

The contestants from Belarus, Croatia, Latvia, United Kingdom, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, Belgium and Romania (and their families) paid a visit to local theme park Hunderfossen – a land full of weird and wonderful figures from Norwegian fairytales.

In the 37-metre tall Fairytale Palace, the visitors got to meet the princesses, king, trolls and other odd characters from old Norwegian stories. The highlight was a ride that took the visitors through scenes from Norwegian folklore and told the stories of Askeladden, a young adventurer blessed with great courage and fierce determination – a little like the Junior stars themselves!

The theme park is also home to the largest troll in the world which, at a height of 14 metres tall sitting down, sits and guards the park. And the Junior stars also got a tour of Norway thanks to the Super Videograph, a 25-metre wide cinema screen that showed a video of Norway’s beautiful landscape.

After learning about the history, legends and beauty of Norway, the contestants got to see the country in a different way – by zooming past it at 80 km/h in a speeding bobsleigh! That’s because the kids’ next stop was the Olympic park where high-speed action was the name of the game.

And there was more than just bobsleighing to enjoy. The group also took part in many other outdoor activities, including archery, a large go-kart track and a 4-wheel quad bike journey through the forest. They could try some target practice with a rifle, giving a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘shooting stars’.

And now they’ve enjoyed an afternoon of action and adrenaline the rest of the week should be a lot more relaxing. After all, once you’ve sledged down a track at 80 km/h, performing in front of 7,000 people and a TV audience of millions must seem easy. Mustn’t it?!

Nadia and Stian stop and chat
Read the interview here|


Lillehammer, November 18, 2004 (Thursday)
Nadia and Stian, the hosts of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2004, have been buzzing around Haakons Hall all week like two bundles of energy. junioreurovision.tv managed to interrupt their rehearsals to find out what exactly they’re doing in the days before the big show.

“We’ve been on the stage most of the day, practising our texts and costume changes,” says Stian, as he drinks what he says is his tenth coffee of the day. “We also have to be able to get from one side of the stage to the other between songs so we’ve been making sure we’re ready for that."

“Things are going smoothly,” he adds. “Maybe a little too smoothly! So far nothing’s gone wrong. We had our final meeting last night to discuss the show so it’s past the time where things are open for discussion. That means we can just concentrate on rehearsing.”

“And of course there are lots of interviews to do,” adds Nadia with a smile. “We also spend quite a lot of time being around the kids and showing our support.”

And they have certainly been doing that. For the last two days, Nadia and Stain have been singing, dancing, clapping and congratulating the acts like two professional cheerleaders, and the children are clearly grateful.

Both Stian and Nadia admit that they have been working very long days but are really looking forward to the show. Presenting a show to 30 million people on live television doesn’t seem to scare them, although they admit it can be difficult.

“Maybe it’s a bigger challenge for Nadia than for me because she has to speak two other languages: English and French,” says Stian. “She is half-Moroccan, though, so she spoke French a lot as a kid. I don’t speak a single word of French so it’s hard to know where my cue to speak is! I just have to learn Nadia’s last word and wait to hear that. Hopefully, she’ll stick to the exact script!"

“And then there are the results. Some of the countries will be giving their results to us in French and Nadia will repeat them in French before I say them in English. But to me Romania and the United Kingdom sound the same in French – Romanie and Royaume-Uni! And with a loud audience in the hall, I’m really going to have to listen well. I’m sure it’ll be fine though.”

Nadia and Stian have spent two days listening to the Junior stars rehearsing. So, junioreurovision.tv asked, what do they think of the standard of the competition this year?

“I think the standard has been really good,” says Nadia. “Some of the junior contestants are better than the seniors. But you’d expect them to be very good, wouldn’t you? They have all won national competitions and are the best in their country.”

“And when you think that they’ve all written the songs themselves, it’s amazing,” adds Stian.

And it isn’t just the performances that have impressed the show’s hosts. Both Nadia and Stain have noticed the bond that exists between the contestants.

“What’s great is that they seem to get on so well,” says Nadia. “I know the motto is ‘Fun and Friendship’ but that really is what it’s about.”

“It’s like the biggest School Camp in the world!” adds Stian.

But back to the show itself. We asked Nadia and Stian to let us in on one the most closely guarded secrets in this years show… What will they be wearing?

“I’m going to be wearing three dresses,” says Nadia, but won’t say anymore. (junioreurovision.tv has seen two of them – and they’re both very funky.) “Oh, and they’re getting rid of my curls! I’ll be having my hair straightened.”

“I won’t be wearing a dress,” laughs Stian. “But I will be wearing a suit that’s very sparkly and bright. It’s very Eurovision.”

Voting Numbers
and how to do it here


FIND ALL THE TELEVOTE NUMBERS HERE!!!
To vote for your favourite act, here are the televoting and SMS numbers. To vote, simply use the number listed for the country where you live. Please remember that you cannot vote for the country from which you are calling.
When to start voting
The voting window will be open for ten minutes right after the last song. You will be informed when the voting starts and ends during the show.

How to phone in
Dial the telephone number listed for the country where you live, plus the running order number of the act which you like most. For example: If your are living in the UK and you like Malta, dial 0901 121 00 + 02 (for Malta).

And/ Or

How to SMS
Text the listed key word (representing the act you like most) and send it to the short code (SMS number) listed for the country where you live. For example: if your are living in Norway and you like France, text 06 (for France) and send to 2201.

Notice
Please be aware that costs are involved with televoting. If you are under 18 and you want to take part in this televote, you can only do so with the permission of the telephone subscriber and/or the authorisation of your parents and/or legal guardian.

Calling and SMS rates will be shown on your TV screen.

Country, where you live: Belarus (BTRC)
Voting number Telephone landline: 8810 101 03 + 01 - 18
SMS Short Code: No SMS possible
SMS Keyword: No SMS possible

Country, where you live: Belgium (RTBF)
Voting number Telephone landline: 0905 53 101 - 118
SMS Short Code: 3444
SMS Keyword: 01 - 18

Country, where you live: Belgium (VRT)
Voting number Telephone landline: 0905 53 201 - 218
SMS Short Code: 3111
SMS Keyword: 01 - 18

Country, where you live: Croatia (HRT)
Voting number Telephone landline: 061 50 + 01- 18
SMS Short Code: 0615555
SMS Keyword: 01 - 18

Country, where you live: Cyprus (CYCBC)
Voting number Telephone landline: 900 39 0 + 01 - 18
SMS Short Code: No SMS possible
SMS Keyword: No SMS possible

Country, where you live: Denmark (DR)
Voting number Telephone landline: 70 19 29 + 01 - 18
SMS Short Code: 1212
SMS Keyword: SANG 01 - 18

Country, where you live: France (France3)
Voting number Telephone landline: 32 43 + 01 - 18
SMS Short Code: 73003
SMS Keyword: 01 - 18

Country, where you live: FYR Macedonia (MKRTV)
Voting number Telephone landline: 0590 221 + 01 - 18
SMS Short Code: 070142314
SMS Keyword: 01 - 18

Country, where you live: Greece (ERT)
Voting number Telephone landline: 901 11 1004 + 01 - 18
SMS Short Code: 4422
SMS Keyword: E_01 - 18

Country, where you live: Latvia (LTV)
Voting number Telephone landline: 90 514 + 01 -18
SMS Short Code: Tele2 6000201
SMS Keyword: Song_01 - 18

Country, where you live: Latvia (LTV)
Voting number Telephone landline:
SMS Short Code: LMT 9301035
SMS Keyword: Song_01 - 18

Country, where you live: Malta (MT/PBS)
Voting number Telephone landline: 500 43 90 + 01 - 18
SMS Short Code: Gomobile 50705401 - 50705418
SMS Keyword: No key word is necessary

Country, where you live: Netherlands (Avro)
Voting number Telephone landline: 0909-31000 + 01-18
SMS Short Code: 3111
SMS Keyword: 01 - 18

Country, where you live: Norway (NRK)
Voting number Telephone landline: 829 49 + 001 - 018
SMS Short Code: 2201
SMS Keyword: 01 - 18

Country, where you live: Poland (PRT/TVP)
Voting number Telephone landline: 0 - 707 - 353 + 001 - 018
SMS Short Code: 72400
SMS Keyword: 01 - 18

Country, where you live: Romania (RO/TVR)
Voting number Telephone landline: 0900 0900 + 01 - 18
SMS Short Code: 09000900.01 - 09000900.18
SMS Keyword: No key word necessary

Country, where you live: Spain (RTVE)
Voting number Telephone landline: 905 44 52 + 01 - 18
SMS Short Code: 5005
SMS Keyword: 01 - 18

Country, where you live: Sweden (STR/SVT)
Voting number Telephone landline: 099 567 +01 - 18
SMS Short Code: No SMS possible
SMS Keyword: No SMS possible

Country, where you live: Switzerland (TSI/TSR)
Voting number Telephone landline: 0901 - 54 43 + 01 - 18
SMS Short Code: No SMS possible
SMS Keyword: No SMS possible

Country, where you live: United Kingdom (ITV)
Voting number Telephone landline: 0901 121 00 + 01 - 18
SMS Short Code: 61177
SMS Keyword: 01 - 18
EBU Press Conference
Highlights

Svante Stockselius, EBU Supervisor
Svante Stockselius, EBU Supervisor of both the J-ESC and the ESC, has formally welcomed the press to this year’s Junior Eurovision Song Contest.
At a press conference in Lillehammer today (November 19), he also thanked Norwegian broadcaster NRK for the excellent job they have done so far and for taking such good care of the Junior stars here in Lillehammer.

“The children are having a great time!” he said.

The EBU Supervisor also welcomed the contest’s two new members, France and Switzerland, and invited other European countries to be part of the third Junior Eurovision Song Contest next year.

“Perhaps there will be even more than the 18 participating countries that we have now,” he said.

The rules of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest have been changed so that they differ slightly to those of the senior ESC. Whereas the winning country in the senior ESC hosts the contest the following year, the honour of hosting next year’s Junior Eurovision Song Contest has already been handed to Belgium. This puts less pressure on the Junior stars – they are not responsible for winning the right to host the contest for their home country.

Like the senior ESC, a centralized televoting system has now been installed for the J-ESC. The point system, the scoreboard and the rules, when deciding the winner in the event of a tie, have also been adopted from the senior contest.

All spokespersons announcing the televoting results will be aged under 16.

Svante Stockselius then handed over to Caroline Navarro from ‘Feel Free To Say No’, the EU anti-smoking campaign that is the official partner of the J-ESC 2004. Caroline declared the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in Lillehammer “a smoke-free event”.

More information about ‘Feel Free’ can be found in the ‘Feel Free’ section here on junioreurovision.tv.
Meet the dancers
An interview with the interval performers

Norwegian dancers
Lillehammer, November 19, 2004 (Friday)
In most shows, the interval is the time to go to bathroom or find some refreshments. But in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, it’s a time for entertainment that is so impressive, you’d be a fool to leave your seat.

At a special rehearsal in Haakons Hall, junioreurovision.tv saw a sneak preview of the interval entertainment and we can report that it is definitely not to be missed.

Without spoiling any surprises, the routine features tango, ballet, traditional Norwegian dance, breakdance and hip-hop dancing in a 10-minute assault on the senses that will literally take your breath away.

And it wasn’t just our breath that was taken away. junioreurovision.tv spoke to two of the 68 dancers and, after three full rehearsals, found them to be a little out of breath.

Jenny Ueland and Gustav Kvale are two dancers who have worked on previous Junior Eurovision and Norwegian Song Contests (this is Jenny’s third and Gustav’s second show). They had to audition for their first show but have been specially invited to perform in this one.

As well as giving the dancers the chance to perform in front of a huge audience, the Junior Eurovision Song Contest has meant they have worked with one of the world’s leading choreographers, Lisa Kellog, an American hip-hop choreographer who has worked with Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson.

Once they had got their breath back, we asked Jenny and Gustav how the rehearsal had gone.

“It was okay,” says Gustav. “There are a few things we could have done better but for a rehearsal it was good.”

They’ve been working on the choreography for three weeks now and, in Jenny’s words, it’s been “very intense”.

“We started the rehearsals in Oslo and we were rehearsing 3 times a week, for 8 hours at a time,” she says. “Then we came to Lillehammer and rehearsed all day on Monday and Tuesday.”

Today was the first time they performed the piece on the Haakons Hall stage and they say they enjoyed the experience.

“It feels very professional with the cameras and the lights,” says Jenny. “It makes you feel very important, when really you’re just another brick in the wall!”

“Today was the first time the fireworks were used,” adds Gustav. “It was a bit of a shock at first!

Jenny tells us that the theme of the show is based on the concept of snow but the interval piece reflects Norway as a whole. See the results for yourself on Saturday!
We talk to last year’s winner

Dino, last year's winner
Lillehammer, November 19 2004 (Friday)
No-one knows who will be leaving the stage with the Junior Eurovision trophy tonight. But we do know who will bring it on!

The honour of presenting the trophy goes to the winner of last year’s Junior Eurovision Song Contest. And so we welcome back Dino from Zagreb in Croatia. He’s come to Lillehammer to pass on his title to someone else.

Many of you will remember Dino as the little 11-year old boy with the big voice who sang ‘Ti Si Moja Prva Ljubav’ (’You Are My One And Only’).

junioreurovision.tv spoke to Dino (now a 12-year old with excellent English) after yesterday’s dress rehearsal and asked him about his memories of last year’s competition.

“I remember thinking that I wasn’t going to win,” he says. “I thought that I would come fourth and Belgium would win. When I did win I was so happy.”

Dino’s fame didn’t end after the Junior Eurovision Song Contest – quite the opposite! We asked him how his life has changed in the last year.

“Since I won the contest, I’ve been very busy,” he says. “I’ve released my album worldwide, I’ve done a big stadium tour in Croatia. And I’m an actor and singer in musicals.”

It’s also given him the chance to travel. As well as coming to Norway, Dino is about to travel to Australia where he’ll perform a number of concerts. This year, he also performed in front of 50,000 people in a concert to honour Croatia’s Olympic medal winners.

He even has his own fan club!

During last year’s competition, the contestants seemed to become great friends. We asked Dino if he is still in contact with the people he met last year in Copenhagen.

“Yes, I am,” he says. “I got along with them very well and we are still in touch. I talk to Tom from the United Kingdom quite a lot.”

Tom finished third in last year’s competition.

Dino understands what this year’s Junior stars are feeling so we asked him to give them some advice.

“I would tell them they’re all great,” he said. “And I’d tell them to enjoy their singing and listen to their parents.”

Thanks, Dino. And good luck in Australia!
The J-ESC 2004 trophy is here!

The trophy 2004
Lillehammer, November 20, 2004 (Saturday)
It may only be 30cm tall but it is the most valuable possession in Lillehammer at the moment. It’s the trophy for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2004!

After months of hard work and preparation, the waiting is almost over and one of the Junior stars will finally get their hands on the big prize.

And it looks great!

Last year’s trophy was a 3-D version of the logo in silver and was created by industrial designer Tobias Wandrup, one of Denmark’s hottest new designers.

This year, the trophy has been designed by one of Norway’s most famous artists, Paal Ritter Schjerven.

Paal is a well-known Norwegian artist and designer who has made several trophies for different music awards (such as the Norwegian alternative music award Alarmprisen and by:Larm). He has also held several exhibitions of his photography and video installations.

The trophy is made of green acrylic and aluminium and, like last year, it’s in the shape of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest logo. Its green material is transparent, making it look a bit like Kryptonite! Well, the Junior stars have performed like Supermen (and women) this week!

It’s a very stylish award but, really, the Junior stars won’t care what it looks like. They just want to win it!
The dress rehearsal
The final chance to practice!


Lillehammer, November 19, 2004 (Friday)
It’s dress rehearsal day and the pressure is mounting. Today, the Junior stars perform on stage once again, but this time there are no breaks, no re-takes and no stoppages. The show is performed as if it’s live which means that any mistakes have to be dealt with or ignored. As they say in showbiz, the show must go on.

As with the big show on Saturday, the performance starts with a parade of the acts and some do look a little nervous in front of a crowd consisting of family, friends and press. But that’s the benefit of a dress rehearsal – the stars learn exactly what they can expect on the big night.

After Nadia and Stian’s dramatic introduction (you’ll have to see it for yourself on Saturday!), it’s time for the first contestant. Secret Band from Greece give another rocking performance. It is a great way to start the show and it really gets the venue in the mood for a party. Even though it is just a rehearsal, Giorgos sings with more passion than ever and the Greek supporters in the crowd waves flags and cheer as if it’s the real thing!

All the other contestants are gathered in the Green Room and the girls from Poland seem to really enjoy Secret Band’s performance.

After this upbeat start, the tempo is raised even higher with the high-energy dance track from Malta. Young Talent Team always seem to dance their hearts out but this time they seem to be going one step further – the dancers are all perfectly in time and you can tell by their smiles that they’re really enjoying themselves. A brilliant performance.

The Junior Eurovision Song Contest features many instruments from guitars to violins, from pianos to flutes, but there’s only one song that features a whistle. And it’s the song of the Netherlands’ contestants Klaartje and Nicky! If it wasn’t for the cold weather outside, you could close your eyes and think you were at the Mardi Gras Carnival in Rio. With singing dancing, whistle-blowing and shouting, it’s impossible to watch their performance without smiling. And the audience’s applause at the end is loud and long.

Demis from Switzerland is next on stage and gives his best performance yet. His song, with its catchy chorus and arm-waving finale, works much better with a big audience and he sang with even more gusto than usual. Expect to see 7,000 people joining in on Saturday and an even better performance from Demis. (And there’s nothing wrong with singing along at home, by the way! ?)

Next, it’s the local favourite, Norway contestant @lek. He’s the oldest person in the competition – if the contest was just 8 days later, he wouldn’t be allowed to enter because that’s the day of his 16th birthday! He gets a loudest cheer of the day so far thanks to the Norwegian supporters in the audience. Just wait until Saturday! Haakons Hall will be full of supporters cheering him on. He clearly enjoys the experience and gives a very confident performance. His dancers seem to enjoy themselves too and the adrenaline of the dress rehearsals seems to increase their energy levels. When he returns the Green Room, he’s immediately interviewed by Nadia and Stian and tells them how good it felt to be on stage.

Then there’s a change of tone as Thomas from France sings his song. He doesn’t jump around or use a team of dancers. He simply stands there and sings his song beautifully. His voice always sounds effortless but that doesn’t mean he’s not giving his all. With his cool, relaxed style Thomas is a nice contrast to the other acts and even though he doesn’t smile much, you can tell he’s having a great time! Let’s see if he can stop himself from smiling when everyone in Haakons Hall is cheering for him on Saturday!

Next, it’s Martina from FYR Macedonia. She looks great in her flared suit and has clearly been working on her performance, always keeping an eye on the camera and delivering her “la-la-la’s” and “shoo-be-do-wap’s” with a cheeky smile. Her two backing dancers give great performances too, singing along as they dance. Martina is given a loud cheer from the audience and several members of the crew!

KWADro, the four girls from Poland, are on next. They’ve been dancing and singing along to all the other acts in the Green Room as if they’re just here to party. But, when they get on stage, it’s showtime! Yet again, they deliver perfect harmonies with huge smiles and they look great in their shimmering pink vests. The other contestants seem to appreciate the support that the girls have been giving them because many of them are singing along and dancing in their seats.

Then another four girls take the stage, this time as backing dancers to Cyprus’ Junior star Marios. It may be –4 degrees outside but when Marios sings, it’s always summertime. His song is upbeat flamenco pop and he and his dancers move so energetically it’s a surprise he still has the breath to sing. But he does! And he really raises the temperature in the hall. As soon as he finishes, shouts of “Bravo!” can be heard from the Green Room. It’s those other performers of flamenco pop, Marнa Isabel and her dancers from Spain. They’re definitely big fans of Marios!

Up next is Yahor from Belarus. Like Marios, he has four backing dancers but their styles couldn’t be more different. Yahor’s dancers perform ballet with huge smiles on their faces and incredible flexibility. It’s a safe bet that, even with a hall full of 7,000 people, there will only be four people who can hold their legs vertically above their heads and wiggle their toes and they are on stage with Yahor! The song is really fun and up-beat and Yahor sings while dancing around the stage happily. As with the Netherlands’ song, this will definitely put a smile on your face.

Nika from Croatia is next on stage. Her heart-felt song is perfect for a big venue like Haakons Hall and her voice seems to fill the room. It’s a popular song among the other contestants too. United Kingdom singer Cory and the girls from Spain all sway from side to side from start to finish. Nika’s song ends with her pointing to just about everyone in the audience. She won’t be able to point at everyone on Saturday but it’s still a nice gesture that makes the song seem more personal.

On Thursday, Latvia’s vocal coach Lucija told Martinљ and the C-Stones Juniors to improve their performance from ‘gold’ to ‘diamond’. And there is a definite improvement in today’s performance. Martinљ’ voice sounds strong and the choreographed dance routine of his friends is precise but energetic. Every one of the boys has a big smile on their face as they take a bow. Martinљ shouts “Thank you, Europe” as if it was the night of the show itself and by the standard of his performance you’d be forgiven for thinking it was!

While Martinљ sings, Cory from the United Kingdom makes her way from the Green Room to the stage. Klaartje and Nicky from the Netherlands give her a high-five as she walks past, and their encouragement seems to have an effect on Cory. When it’s her turn to perform, she sings beautifully, with lots of eye contact with the camera. Again, she looks beautiful in an elegant green dress and in this performance dry ice gives the stage a smoky atmosphere that suits the song well.

The Danish rap group Cool Kids told junioreurovision.tv that they were calm and cool about the contest, and they certainly look cool as they come out on stage. But when the song begins, they come alive, putting even more effort into their dance routine and rapping well. On Thursday, Ibo appeared to hurt his back as he tried to flip onto his feet but during the breakdance today he looks great and lands perfectly. A superb performance from the whole group and the crowd really enjoy it. In fact one of the tiny ballerinas from the interval routine performs ballet to the chorus!

Marнa Isabel and her dancers are on stage next and their performance today is even better than it was yesterday. This time, the girls are in costume and they look amazing. Everyone in the audience claps along and the girls look very pleased as they leave the stage. Their choreographer is pleased too. He waves at them in the Green Room and gives them a big kiss!

Liselotte and Anna from Sweden are next on stage with their brilliant, catchy song, Varfцr jag’ (‘Why me’). Both girls have very different but equally strong voices. This time they sing with big smiles and they have backing singers with them this time who dance along in the background to give their performance a little more energy.

And there’s more energy to come as Belgium’s Free Spirits bring some rock ‘n’ roll to the evening. They are always very active on stage but today they seem even more pumped up! This performance is their best yet. Samuel’s voice sounds more powerful and aggressive than ever and the crowd respond by singing along during the chorus. His family and friends are particularly loud. A fantastic performance.

And finally, it’s the turn of Noni from Romania. Before the music starts, the other contestants shout his name from the Green Room and he waves back – how cool is that?! His performance is just as good. Noni’s voice is so mature he sounds older than he is but on stage, under the spotlight and in an over-sized purple suit, he looks like the talented 12-year old that he is. It’s a great way to end the dress rehearsal.

The next time these Junior stars will be on stage will be in front of 7,000 screaming fans and a television audience of 30 million! But take junioreurovision.tv’s word for it: if their performance on the big night is as good as it was during the dress rehearsal, you’re in for a treat!

Well done to all the stars on a great rehearsal and good luck for tomorrow. Now go and get some sleep!
The final! What happened on the big night
CONGRATULATIONS TO SPAIN!!!

Lillehammer, November 20 2004 (Saturday)

It’s showtime! After months of hard work and preparation, the waiting is finally over! This is the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2004.

Lillehammer’s Haakons Hall is absolutely full of screaming supporters. From the stage, the crowd is a sea of signs, banners and flags held by parents, family, friends and fans. And the atmosphere is amazing. There’s so much tension. And so much noise!

All we need now are the contestants!

Suddenly there’s a burst of music and 7,000 pairs of eyes focus on the stage to see the Eurovision dancers, dancing to the Junior Eurovision Song Contest tune. And here come the Junior stars, led by the Giorgos and Secret Band from Greece!

The other countries are introduced one by one and they make their way through the cheering crowd to the Green Room. Of course, the loudest cheer is saved for @lek, the local favourite!

As soon as the stars are sat down there’s a whoosh! Two comets shoot through the hall and from where they land Stian comes sliding into the hall wearing skis and ski helmet! But where’s Nadia?

Crash! Here she is! She staggers onto the stage wearing one broken ski after a crash-landing! She’s fine though. And we’re ready for the first act! Good luck everyone!

Greece: Secret Band get the show off to a perfect start – they’re loud, punky and full of attitude! Their song really gets the crowd dancing and clapping and Giorgos sings it more passionately than ever before! There are a lot of Greek flags in the audience and the band get a really loud cheer as they finish.

Malta: The eight members of Young Talent Team raise the tempo even more, with their catchy dance number. They sing it perfectly which isn’t easy when you’re dancing as energetically as they are! By now, the sofas in the Green Room aren’t being used at all. All of the contestants are dancing along to the song and the fans from Malta are singing their hearts out! It looks like a disco over there!

The Netherlands: Klaartje and Nicky are two girls who know how to party! They always seem to be enjoying themselves and they walk onto the stage waving at the audience and telling everyone to raise their hands. They sing and dance like they’re at a party too – with Nicky blowing her whistle louder than ever – and everyone in the audience claps along with them. Fantastic performance!

Switzerland: There’s no dancing from Demis. He just stands still and sings one of the catchiest songs of the night and he performs the song with a huge smile. You just have to smile back! And soon everyone in the room is humming and singing along with him. Well done, Demis!

Norway: There’s a deafening cheer when @lek’s name is announced and he sings his song even louder than usual to make himself heard. He has backing singers this time: but they’re not on stage with him. They’re his fans in the audience – they all know the words already! He leaves the stage and is interviewed by Stian. He makes sure he thanks the crowd for their support. And they cheer again!

France: Thomas’ song is quite different from every other song in the contest. You won’t hear it played in discos or rock concerts. But it has a French charm that the crowd really appreciates. Thomas always likes to be cool, but he can’t hide the smile on his face when the crowd applauds him at the end of the song. There are lots of French supporters in the crowd, who wave their flags wildly. And so they should! Thomas sang beautifully.

FYR Macedonia: The next person on stage is little Martina. Her song is pure Eurovision – sweet, catchy and fun. She really enjoys singing it and the crowd love it too! Her performance is great and her dancers do a terrific job too! And you can hear her new friends in the Green Room singing the chorus with her.

Poland: The four girls from KWADro have come a long way in the last four months. The group didn’t even exist until August but look at them now! They’re performing in front of millions of people and loving every second of it! They sing as perfectly as always and their dance moves look slick and well-rehearsed. The crowd give them the huge applause that they deserve!

Cyprus: Guess what happens when Marios starts to sing? You guessed it! There are hundreds of admiring whistles from the girls in the audience! So this time he sings and dances with an even bigger smile than usual. His dancers are all perfectly in synch too. A really good performance.

Belarus: The giggles that are part of Yahor’s backing music make everyone in the hall feel like smiling. And when he starts to sing and dance, the audience has to clap along with him too. He really enjoys the performance and as he leaves the stage he’s wearing one of the biggest smiles of the night!

Croatia: Nika, looking fabulous in pink, is another contestant that gets the audience clapping. Her song is just so catchy! And her performance is note perfect. She really knows how to use the camera and makes plenty of eye contact with the viewers at home. The crowd in Haakons Hall love her too!

Latvia: Martinљ and the C-Stones Juniors enter the stage full of confidence and give the ‘diamond’ performance that their vocal coach had asked for! Martinљ really sings well and the dance routine looks brilliant. They’ve put in a lot of work and it’s really paid off. Well done, guys!

United Kingdom: According to Cory’s song, ‘The Best Is Yet To Come’ – but, with this performance, it sounds like the best comes tonight! Cory’s voice fills the hall and she sings beautifully. She looks stunning in green, and sings her song from the heart, looking deep into the camera. Just beautiful!

Denmark: Then it’s time for a change of tone as we go from a moving ballad to some funky hip-hop. It’s Cool Kids from Denmark and they rap and dance like true professionals! The crowd love it too. There are plenty of Danish supporters in the Hall but they’re not the only ones who are dancing along during the chorus. Everyone seems to be doing it!

Spain: Then we go from ‘Cool’ to hot as Marнa Isabel from Spain brings some Latin spice to the evening. Along with her backing dancers, she raises the temperature in the hall by a few degrees. Sometimes it’s hard to believe she’s just 9 years old! She sings and dances with so much passion! The crowd give her a huge round of applause at the end of the song. Bravo!

Sweden: Liselotte and Anna are next on stage and their performance just oozes confidence. As always, their voices sound terrific. And they look so relaxed on stage! Their song has a really catchy chorus and by the end there are hundreds of supporters singing along. Well done, girls!

Belgium: Then Free Spirits come on and turn the volume up to 11! Their song is pure rock ‘n’ roll and they perform with great energy. The fans at the front of the stage are jumping up and down like they’re at a rock festival, not the Junior Eurovision Song Contest! And the contestants in the Green Room are singing almost as loud as the ones on stage. It’s a great atmosphere!

Romania: The final song is almost the opposite of rock ‘n’ roll! Noni’s song is a heartfelt ballad that shows everyone what an incredible voice he has. Every gesture and note is full of emotion and the crowd watch and listen is silence before giving him the applause that he deserves.

And so we come to the end of an amazing night. What a show! All of the Junior stars have performed magnificently and done their countries proud.

But now it’s up to the voters to decide. Who’s going to win???

- - - - - - - -

Well, the votes have been counted… and the winner is….

SPAIN!!! Maria Isabel has won!

She scored a massive 171 points. Cory from the United Kingdom finished second with 140 points and Nika from Croatia was third with 126.

junioreurovision.tv has to run to the after-party now! (Tough life isn’t it?) But’ll be bringing you the stories, news and gossip from the party soon!

And once again, a big well done to MARiA ISABEL FROM SPAIN!!!
The after-party
The Junior stars celebrate after a fantastic show

The Spanish winners
Lillehammer, November 21 2004 (Sunday)
What a party!

The stars of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2004 let their hair down in style last night, at a party in the Lillehammer Hotel.

They were joined by family, friends, EBU delegates and many other people whose hard worked helped to make this year’s competition such a huge success.

The spirit of ‘Fun and Friendship’ that has been such a feature of the contest continued, with the stars congratulating the winner, Maria Isabel of Spain. Many of them posed for photos, swapped autographs and exchanged telephone numbers with each other.

And of course, there was partying to be done!

The dance floor was soon full of the Junior stars who danced with each other and sang along to their favourite pop songs. The four Polish girls from KWADro were in good spirits and encouraged France’s Thomas – normally a little shy when it comes to dancing – to join them on the dancefloor.

Heads of Delegations of the competing countries also had good reason to celebrate. The second Junior Eurovision Song Contest had been a great success. The standard of the songs and performances were superb. And the event was watched by millions of people.

As for the winner, Maria Isabel looked delighted. She and her dancers seemed to have plenty of energy left after their victory in the contest – all five of them were on the dance floor having a great time! Then again, they would have plenty of time on the flight back to Andalusia to sleep!

And so, the event comes to an end for another year. The third J-ESC will be held in Belgium so join us then to enjoy performances from some of the best young singers and songwriters in Europe.

You never know – it could be you!

* All "After Eurovision" data is correct on July 2012
Used biographies, photos, articles and interviews of Junior Eurovision.tv
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