Counting down to JESC: Minsk 2010

By Jaz, November 18, 2012

Amazingly, there are less than two weeks to go until we have to stop referring to Amsterdam’s Heineken Music Hall as the Heineken Music Hall because that would be slightly inappropriate. The reason for that is because the delegations of Junior Eurovision 2012 will be descending on the city, choreography perfected, costumes completed and with any luck, voices still intact and not on the verge of breaking. It will be the 10^th and potentially last JESC, which makes it both something to look forward to and something to sob dramatically about in the privacy of your boudoir. But before we get to that point, let’s take a look back at the 8^th edition, held in one of the two countries that have won twice (but have coincidentally never won adult Eurovision). Here’s a clue: it wasn’t Georgia…

 

The stats

Edition: 8^th

When: 20^th November, 2010

Where: Minsk Arena, Belarus

Hosts: Leila Ismailova & Denis Kourian

Broadcaster: BTRC

Entries: 14

Debutants: 1 – Moldova

Returnees: 2 – Latvia, Lithuania

Withdrawals: 2 – Cyprus, Romania

Interval acts: Alexander Rybak performing Europe’s Skies, all the participants and Dima Koldun with A Day Without War and the Junior winners of 2003-2009 with a medley of their winning songs

First place: Armenia

Last place: Ukraine

Most douze points: 4 – Armenia  

 

The entries

Lithuania/ Oki Doki by Bartas

Moldova/ Ali Baba by Stefan Roşcovan

Netherlands/ My Family by Anna & Senna

Serbia/ Čarobna Noć by Šonja Skorić

Ukraine/ Miy Litak by Yulia Gurska

Sweden/ Allt Jag Vill Ha by Josefine Ridell

Russia/ Boy and Girl by Sasha & Liza

Latvia/ Viva La Dance by Šarlote & Sea Stones

Belgium/ Get Up! by Jill & Lauren

Armenia/ Mama by Vladimir Arzumanyan

Malta/ Knock Knock!…Boom Boom! by Nicole Azzopardi

Belarus/ Muzyki Svet by Daniil Kozlov

Georgia/ Mari Dari by Mariam Khakelishvili

Macedonia/ Eooo Eooo by Anja Veterova

 

The scoreboard

1. Armenia – 120 

2. Russia – 119
3. Serbia – 113
4. Georgia – 109
5. Belarus – 85
6. Lithuania – 67
7. Belgium – 61
8. Moldova – 54
9. Netherlands – 52
10. Latvia – 51
11. Sweden – 48
12. Macedonia – 38
13. Malta – 35
14. Ukraine – 28

 

My top 5…

…songs

Armenia – songs like this, written and composed entirely by a kid (still young enough to need parental guidance to watch Finding Nemo) make me feel both strangely proud and extremely inadequate. This is one of JESC’s most sophisticated winners, and made what Armenia sent to the following Eurovision sound…well, just as terrible as it was.

Sweden – they’re one of my favourite Junior countries, but Sweden has a habit of sending songs that would be more suited to the ESC. That only stops them from winning – it doesn’t stop me from giving them douze points! High quality r & b-inspired pop.

Serbia – ballads have a way of coming in third in this contest. For a song that probably never had a chance of topping the scoreboard (thanks to its competition and context) a bronze medal is a triumph. Sonja’s ballad is polished and classy.

Belgium – I’ll admit I don’t love this as much now as I did at the time…but Belgium can do no JESC wrong as far as I’m concerned. Get Up does make me want to get up and dance like an idiot, it’s that infectious (and it’s a party, uh-huh).

Malta – on the flip side, here’s a song I really didn’t like initially that I really do now. The title still annoys me (surely Knock Knock would have been enough?) but that’s just me being picky. This belongs on a playlist of pick-me-ups.

…voices

Serbia – this girl is amazing. A song like hers needs a capable singer, and when she was writing it she must have been confident that she was up to the task. Fair enough, too.

Malta – I’m expecting to see Nicole in the Maltese selection for adult Eurovision soon, partly because everyone on the island seems to try out at some point, and partly because she’s a great singer.

Armenia – Vlad had the whole package: he was adorable, charismatic, the owner of the world’s largest storybook, and he could sing.

Georgia – some would say Mariam is more of a yeller than a singer, but at least she yells in tune.

Moldova – there’s something Justin Bieber-like about Stefan, but his voice is more ‘stage musical’ than ‘frolicking around at a water park with Nicki Minaj’. That’s a good thing, by the way.

…costumes

Georgia – the shoes looked like slippers from outer space, but the Gaga-inspired dress was super cute without being too wacky.

Serbia – pretty, floaty, and remarkably similar to what the Serbian representative wore in 2007. The epic sleeves are an improvement (I’d love to alter all of my clothes to have sleeves like that. Ones you can casually flick around 24/7).

Malta – there’s something 90s about these costumes – maybe the socks-and-sneakers combo? But the print and colours are eye-catching, and the poofy skirts impress.

Moldova – and the award for Most Predictable Costume of the Year goes to…Moldova! That’s right, these couldn’t be more obvious. But I love how elaborate they are.

Russia – the song makes me want to shoot myself, but the outfits were sweet. I love that retro style, including the Dress of a Thousand Petticoats.

 

My bottom 5… 

…songs

Netherlands – sandwiched between a winning song and a song that should have won was this entry for the Netherlands, which is just plain annoying.

Russia – as I mentioned before, I am not a fan of this one. I can almost see how it managed to come second…almost…but it’s not my thing.

…voices

Sweden – Allt Jag Vill Ha wasn’t the first great song to be ruined by a sub-par vocal performance, but as it was one of my favourites of the year I’ve found it harder to get over. Josefine is no Sandén sister, that’s for sure.

Netherlands – their voices aren’t terrible, but that’s as much of a compliment as I can give them.

…costumes

Belarus – by far one of the worst JESC costumes in history. I remember describing the look as ‘1970s male porn star’ in my 2010 wrap-up, and as inappropriate as that is when you’re talking about children, I have to stand by it.

Sweden – just because your song isn’t a super-happy, bouncing-off-the-walls kind of number doesn’t mean you have to recycle the dress you wore to your grandmother’s funeral. A hot glue gun and a packet of sequins would have livened things up enough.

Latvia – I like the colour combo, but all in all these kids look like they should be competing in a junior golf tournament.

 

What were your highlights (and as always, lowlights) from the Minsk show?

 

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