159 Submissions Made to Pre-Eurovision Competition
The submissions deadline for Euro-superstar hopefuls ended today as 159 contestants submitted entries for the national song contest “Eesti Laul,” which determines who will go on to represent Estonia in the Eurovision challenge.
Last year, there were 140 contestants. "If we keep going at this pace, then it could become difficult to choose just 20 semifinalists," said ETV's Mart Normet, one of the event's organizers.
A jury will announce 20 semifinalists this Thursday to go head-to-head in the televised song competition. The semifinals will take place in February and the finals in March.
TV viewer numbers have been growing since the competition was introduced three years ago, said producer Heidy Purga. According to her, the song contest consists of diverse pop music, catering to the tastes of a wide range of people.
Finland has introduced a similar TV show, said Purga.
Leen Kadakas, representative of Universal Music Group in Estonia, said competitions play an important role in shaping pop culture. For example, the Estonian electro-pop boy band Malcolm Lincoln, was spotted by Universal's talent scouts during the 2010 Eurovision competition, Kadakas said.
Last year's Eurovision entry, "Rockefeller Street," led by vocalist Getter Jaani, placed a disappointing second to last in Düsseldorf.
Ott Tammik