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Malta

Malta - 2nd rehearsal

Eran on Sat, 05/11/2019 - 08:47

Michela's second rehearsal seems to be not as strong as the first one. She wears her hair down and it seems even some of the choreography has changed. She's not focused throughout the entire rehearsal. In the 2nd and 3rd attempt, it seems to get better and better, and Michela delivers the vocals as she knows. We see the on-screen graphics they're gonna use, like small fishes when the video art shows the underwater and virtual rain when Michela sings she can "change like the weather".

Malta - First rehearsal

Eran on Tue, 05/07/2019 - 08:50

It's Malta now! Michela and her "Chameleon", one of this year's bangers, took the stage. The video art is quite amazing. The Maltese got their own LED screens, that closes Michela in half a square. She starts off in her room, she opens the virtual door, and the house is flooded. The water is, of course, part of the video art. It changes to underwaters, to a jungle and eventually to an urban jungle. With Michela are 4 dancers in sweatsuits that dance around, looking very urban and chic. It reminded me a bit of Ace Wilder last performance at the Melodifestivalen with "Wild Child". This will definitely rise up in the betting odds.

Dress rehearsal 1 - Semi-final 2

Desiree on Wed, 05/09/2018 - 14:29

No time to keep thinking of what happened yesterday as the first dress rehearsal for tomorrow's semi-final is already in full swing! Later on we will fill you in on what happens on the postcards as well..

01 Norway
This is becoming a solid favourite for the win, the performance is slick and it's a cheerful opener. But the question remains how much juries will take this song seriously. Alexander seemed to be saving his voice.

02 Romania
Vocally this is very strong again, but the performance is too theatrical, too kitsch for this song. I will not be surprised if this will be the end of Romania's perfect streak.

03 Serbia
Good performance in this rehearsal, it keeps getting better and better. After Romania I think this has a chance.

04 San Marino
The robots and Jessika and Jenifer as well are back! Size doesn't matter was one of the messages on the cards held by the robot. It may distract from the sometimes weak vocals at the end.

05 Denmark
Another good and solid performance from Rasmussen, really not much to say about this, it looks and sounds very well, no issues at all here.

06 Russia
The vocal arrangements in the chorus seems to have been altered a bit, it sounds a lot more shouty now especially during the long notes. Really hard to predict what will happen here.

Time for a little break now in the greenroom, with a little game with Alexander Rybak among other things..

07 Moldova
Not sounding that great today in the hall, could be that they are saving themselves for tonight. It's still a fun performance though.

08 The Netherlands
Putting Waylon's stage together apparently takes a bit more than the time of the postcards, as just after the postcard we got switched to one of the hosts in the audience for a very awkward conversation that went completely wrong. Let's say "It's just a rehearsal" as San Marino reminded us a few days ago.

Now, to the actual performance. Vocally it sounds really good and it is not completely my genre but I feel we're back to real music after a few weaker songs. There are far less shots of the crumping dance right now, so it looks better. I think there's still a chance for the Netherlands.

09 Australia.
Back to the greenroom again! That's how they fill three extra minutes it seems being this the semi with one song less.
Very strong vocal performance from Jessica. It's one of the few straightforward pop songs and still think this could really have an instant appeal. I do think however that the shots during the bridge where Jessica is dancing are not that great.

10. Georgia
There seemed to be some issues with the sound at the beginning as it started a bit weak. Iriao soon got back on full strength though. With a few of the ethnical entries out from the first semi-final gone it could really stand out in the final if it qualifies, which I hope, as the last part was absolutely beautiful.

11. Poland
Vocally not the best performance. The many pyro fountains and the catchy song might distract from it.

12. Malta
Lots of flames at the beginning of this performance, very strange, likely to be a technical mistake. There seems to have been done a lot of work on the lighting of this song as there are now many laser effects. The light show could get the audience to go for this more than we expect now.

After these 6 songs it's time for another break in the greenroom.

13 Hungary
Those were three very intense minutes - very energetic performance as always and it does stand out.

14. Latvia
Still a very theatrical performance as well even though Laura seems to have toned the hair swinging down a bit and that's only for the better. In the bridge she struggles vocally.

15 Sweden.. or maybe not as we switch to the greenroom and then go to:

The Ministry Of Health In Portugal Teams Up With Research Institute And The Maltese Eurovision Singer With The Aim To Send A Global Message Of Hope

Lisbon: 8 May, 2018
There were emotional scenes in Lisbon today at an event involving Malta’s entrant in the Eurovision Song Contest, Christabelle.

The Ministry of Health in Portugal teamed up with a leading University research centre and the singer to send a message of hope about mental health.

When a member of the audience tried to put a question to Christabelle, she broke down in tears and Christabelle left the panel to give the young woman a hug.

Christabelle, Malta’s entrant in the contest, has had to deal with mental health issues herself and her song, “Taboo”, sends a message to everyone who is struggling about the need to seek professional help.

Christabelle, and Dr. Paula Domingos on behalf of Professor Miguel Xavier, Director of the National Programme for Mental Health from the Ministry of Health, appeared at today’s event organised by the Lisbon Institute of Global Mental Health. The institute forms part of the Nova Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Professor José Miguel Caldas de Almeida, Director of the Institute and Coordinator of the EU Joint Action on Mental Health and Wellbeing, also addressed the meeting.

The Maltese singer gave an acoustic rendition of her song and spoke of the need to break down the taboos surrounding the issue.

The meeting also heard, in video messages, from the Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister of Malta, Dr Chris Fearne, and the President of Malta, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca. They wished the singer well in the contest and praised her activism.

Professor Caldas de Almeida told the meeting that many people with mental health problems face abuse and discrimination and spoke of the stigma that made people hesitate to seek help. He said about 22% of the population of Portugal suffered a mental health condition. He thanked Christabelle for giving this issue a voice at Eurovision.

Dr Domingos told Christabelle she was very brave to tell her story, and demonstrated that she wasn’t afraid to be judged.

Christabelle will perform in the second semi-final of Eurovision at the Altice Arena in Lisbon on Thursday 10th May and, if she qualifies, in the final on Saturday 12th May.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Malta First rehearsal

ChrisB on Wed, 05/02/2018 - 11:54

I think there's some appeal with Malta. But in minority on that.
Bit problematic that the led screen installation covers her from camera too often. This needs work but it's more polished than nf.
Gimmicky of course but here it needs it.

Malta first rehearsal

Desiree on Wed, 05/02/2018 - 11:31

One of the most spectacular performances visually. Christabelle stands between four walls that have many projections on them, or they may even be led screens that they brought. Just to name a few things that we see in there, the captives in white from the video, a black panther..

Later on we see a dancer in the box, visualizing the echoes in her head.

What I like about this performance is that even though the song is quite upbeat Christabelle is not jumping around but rather has a slow choreography.

It sounds ok for a first rehearsal, she seems to be holding back a bit for now which of course is a perfectly logical thing to do with many more performances coming up.

Malta First Rehearsal

Malta next. The set is very effect-heavy - with body-length screens projecting images and Christabelle holding some sort of mystic ball at the beginning - and they largely work. The end of the song is marked with animals on the screens (as per the lyrics) and many a strobe light. Her vocals were solid enough but get a little hidden by the fact there's a lot going on on stage. Qualifier? The jury's still out...