Time-Warp Tuesday | From FYROM, with love
Where: Belgrade, Serbia
When: 2008
Who: Tamara, Vrčak & Adrijan
What: Let Me Love You
Macedonia’s semi final history is far from being up-and-down. Since 2004, their results have read as follows: 10th, 9th, 10th, 9th, 10th, 10th, 15th, 16th and 9th. It’s safe to say they have a talent for being on the cusp of qualification, or just squeezing through. Thanks to the voting system in place in 2008 and 2009 (in which the nine most-televoted for songs progressed alongside one song chosen by a jury – a crappy system I was glad to see the back of) Macedonia missed out on Saturday night on Belgrade and Moscow. I was only really miffed about this in 08, when Tamara etc were screwed over.
The trio had performed Let Me Love You at the Macedonian final in Macedonian, as Vo Imeto Na Ljubovta (In The Name of Love) and that performance had been woeful in every respect, from the dodgy dance moves to Tamara’s vocals, akin to those of a wailing cat. Somehow, it still managed to win. Fast-forward to May, and the song had been reworked rather well into English, but let’s face it – the performance wasn’t much better. There was something in particular about her shimmy, and the fact that Rapper Guy #1 spent most of his stage time standing dead still in the background (awkward!) that was the opposite of appealing.
And yet…I really do like this song. The crowd clearly did, and so did all the viewers who voted enough to push it into the top 10 of the night. But ultimately it was 12th-ranked Sweden and former winner Charlotte Perrelli who fist-pumped in Macedonia’s place. Sure, she put in one hell of a performance, but I can’t help feeling sorry for Tamara and the rapper guys (#1 and #2) who were the first to feel the sting of the jury wildcard.
What did you think of Macedonia 08? Did they deserve a place in the final? Who would you have picked as the wildcard if you were on the jury?
eurovisionbyjaz.com 
6 Responses to “Time-Warp Tuesday | From FYROM, with love”
Sweden should NOT have qualified over that! Aside from making obsessed schlager-fan heads explode (which I would’ve immensely enjoyed), this was just a more interesting, better song than “Hero,” even if the performance was somewhat dodgy.
On a completely unrelated note, stay safe! I live in a desert, do I kind of know how dangerous it is.
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/australia-weather-heats-colors-added-weather-map-195717230.html
LikeLike
I think I would have assumed Charlotte came 10th in the semi if the jury wildcard had never been released – just because of who she is (that was of course prior to Dana International’s fail) and because there were/are still a lot of people mad for schlager. I do like ‘Hero’ as schlager goes, and I think the performance was good (special props for fancy lighting). Ignoring her scary face, naturally. But it would have been great for Macedonia to qualify. At least they managed it this year.
Why do we always end up talking about the weather?? XD That is crazy. Luckily I’m in the West and we’ve just emerged from a 40 degree heat wave, which was horrible but not quite up there with a 50 degree one!! Fires are a real concern at this time of year.
LikeLike
That’s a good guess to make. I’m honestly a little shocked at the number of people who are still obsessed with schalger. It’s sort of confusing. Ah, well. You’re right, at least Macedonia (we won’t get in trouble for calling it this, right?) qualified this year and hopefully will in Malmö as well.
Well, I can change the topic without changing the topic! Ellen just announced that she was taking a whole audience to Australia! Hopefully it won’t be as hot when they all go. It’s good that you live where it’s not too hot.
On a completely unrelated (and very serious/scary) note, this was my day today (11 January).
http://www.ktsm.com/news/breaking-lockdown-east-side-schools-lifted-police-call-search-person-interest
LikeLike
I do like me the odd bit of schlager, but I will die of shock if it ever wins MF again. If that happened this year I would also die of major irritation, because I’m going back to uni to write a thesis on how schlager no longer typifies Sweden in Eurovision, despite the perception of non-fans that it does…or something like that.
Apparently we were allowed to drop the FYR from Macedonia a few years ago, but it still appears all over the place so…beats me. It is fun to say in French though ^^
Ellen’s coming in March I think, so it will probably still be blerrrgh (my technical term for super hot).
I keep getting an error message when I try to get to that article!! Grr. What happened?? The URL isn’t helping much.
LikeLike
That sounds like a great topic for a uni paper! I wrote an application essay about how Eurovision has expanded my world view and allowed me to actually meet with people around the planet.
Oh, okay. I do like saying it in French. “Douze points pour l’Ex-République Yougoslave de Macédoine!” Love it! Hopefully I’ll love the song just as much. 🙂
Ick. It’s normally very errrrrrrh here (my term for super hot) around March too.
Try this link. http://www.ktsm.com/news/school-custodian-reports-seeing-gunman-campus-schools-locked-down
LikeLike
Well, according to the draw we STILL have to say the FYR. So I guess we can keep on enjoying the French pronunciation. I’m glad you wrote it down, it gave me a much-needed excuse to pretend I was hosting and say it out loud X]
Wow. That must have been scary, especially in the wake of what’s gone on recently. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be forced to take that seriously just in case.
LikeLike