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Today the Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of music unprofessionals — travelled to Tbilisi and enjoyed some beautiful Georgian wines along the Kura River. The sunshine brightened our day so we decided to review “Mzeo” by Mariam Mamadashvili — Georgia‘s Junior Eurovision 2016 singer. Did Mariam’s Disney ballad lift us up…or was it just a tad too sickly sweet? Read on to find out…

Georgia’s Junior Eurovision 2016 song

“Mzeo” reviews – Mariam Mamadashvili

Jason: Someone give this girl her own musical! Mariam shows just how it’s done on her epic entry “Mzeo”. Her vocals are impeccable and she has no problem hitting those massive notes with ease. She is proof that gimmicks and elaborate staging are not always necessary. On top of that, she is absolutely charming and I can see her being a big jury hit. Who says that Disney and Junior Eurovision shouldn’t mix? Not me!

Score: 9.5/10

Robyn: I adore this song! It seems like it shouldn’t work — it sounds like something out of a musical from the 1960s — but thanks to the substantial talent of Mariam, it works so well. Her voice is strong and clear and she can deliver those big, long notes and the emotion of the song like a pro. If Mariam can slay with just her voice (and a yellow frock) in the video, just think what she’ll do on the JESC stage.

Score: 9/10

William: In a contest now judged exclusively by a jury, Georgia is wise to step away from eccentricity. Instead they’ve chosen young Mariam, a singer trained in the Broadway method and ready to drop a show tune Annie style. And remember: Annie has made millions. This song stands out — even from the plethora of ballads it’s up against — with its musicality. It’s deliberately vintage, relying solely on strings and piano, as a way to say, “We don’t need no stinking electro beats.” With the right staging — think sweeping vistas and rising suns — this could surprise. And let there be no doubt: She’s got the pipes to win.

Score: 8.5/10

Rezo: The first time I listened to this in the studio, I was so proud and satisfied. I applauded the composer, Giga Kukhianidze, who was seated next to me. The song is a masterpiece sung by a 10-year-old girl. She says, “the sun belongs to everyone and it will bring happiness and love.” In my opinion, Mariam could make it to the top of the contest if she can sing well live and give a majestic performance.

Score: 10/10

Bernardo: Vintage other wordly realness. Georgia brings us musical theatre power via Mariam Mamadashvili, whose voice is quite incredible. Her vocal range is bananas and the orchestral arrangement is beyond amazing. It’s a bold move from Georgia in an experimental year for JESC — only having juries. It may be a top finisher or a big flop. It’s in the judges’ hands. Regardless of the outcome, Mariam should be proud.

Score: 7.5/10 

Deban: Mariam conveys sunny emotion in “Mzeo”. The song doesn’t have an “immediacy”, but the orchestral production adds body and depth, which is more than enough to draw me in. This is a song you’ll grow to appreciate, especially on repeat listen. Mariam’s musical theatre training shines through.

Score: 7.5/10

Chris: I’m slightly worried that despite Mariam’s obvious talent, there’s a lot working against her in this entry. The opening takes far too long to get going. It will be up to Mariam to earn that attention back live during the show. Whilst she’s very strong vocally, I also feel that against some of the other ballads, the song itself doesn’t particularly stand out. Mariam might need a good draw if she’s to stand out to the juries.

Score: 6/10

mariam-mamadashvili-georgia-junior-eurovision-2016-2

Dayana: Everything — from Mariam’s dress to the ballad itself — reminds me of Disney, and, thereafter, childhood. I think that’s perfect for Junior Eurovision. She deserves special recognition for her strong and very confident vocals. The song may not sound unique, but it still has its own charms which will definitely fascinate the jury.

Score: 6.5/10

Josh: “Mzeo” sounds like it’s ripped right off the soundtrack of an old-Hollywood Disney film, and I live. Mariam’s vocal is so powerful and mature and treads the fine line of appealing to children and adults alike. If I had it my way, I would remove the awkward intro at the start of the song and just focus on Mariam the entire time. Otherwise, this is yet another solid entry from Georgia. Congratulations!

Score: 8/10

Zakaria: “Mzeo” is halfway between a Broadway composition and a Disney princess song, all delivered by a tiny Mariam, who slays with her killer vocals. I’m really mesmerised by what this young singer is capable of vocally but towards the end the song things become a tad boring and repetitive. This could either do extremely well with the juries or totally tank. I don’t know. I’m really confused about this one…

Score: 7/10

Our jury for 2016 consists of twenty-one jurors, but we only have room for ten reviews. The remaining eleven scores are listed below.

Andy: 5/10

Antony: 5/10

Antranig: 6/10

Edd: 7.5/10

Jordi: 7/10

Luis: 7/10

Marek: 9/10

Mario: 5.5/10

Matt: 10/10

Renske: 7.5/10

Stanislav: 5/10

The highest and lowest scores are removed prior to calculating the average score. This is to remove outliers and potential bias. We have removed a low of 5 and a high of 10.

Wiwi jury score: 7.32/10

REVIEW ALL WIWI JURY RANKINGS AND REVIEWS

FOLLOW OUR JUNIOR EUROVISION COVERAGE

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(The obvious exception could be if she’s foreign or possibly highly educated which is turned by bad grammar and slang.

Eva M.
Eva M.
7 years ago

A lot will depend on how much she owns the stage and if she will be able to make this song magical as it is supposed to be, being a mixture of Broadway and Disney. The song is a risk for Georgia and I like that. It also fits her as a glove, based on what I have seen in the studio version. It also allows her to show vocals without sounding forced and showing off, in the way Malta’s song does with the intro. I also like the theme/lyrics-very positive and appropriate for JESC. Good luck, Mariam.

Polegend Godgarina
Polegend Godgarina
7 years ago

Y’all are so generous when it comes to kids, yet so merciless with adult entries lmao. Mzeo is a solid 7.5/10 for me. The build-up is eargasmic.

DenizNL
DenizNL
7 years ago

7/10
Lovely Disney-song

MirkoJoshua
MirkoJoshua
7 years ago

The quality of the song is truly majestic, but I don’t think it’s suitable for a CHILDREN show… I’d be happy to see Mariam at the ESC one day

Roelof Meesters
Roelof Meesters
7 years ago

This song is the only song this year (so far) i really don’t like. This song sounds very unfinished, and trowing some random instruments in there doesn’t make it slay. It’s a boring song, and i’m sorry for Mariam, as her voice is very good 🙂

5/10
Rank: 15/15

Paul D
Paul D
7 years ago

I didn’t expect to enjoy this song so much, is very broadway and reminds me of the old disney movies. The orchestration is very good indeed

Héctor
Héctor
7 years ago

She has a good voice, but i really dislike the song. It’s in my top bottom. 4/10

beccaboo1212
7 years ago

There should be no need for “Mzeo” to receive that many negative reviews from other readers. 🙁

Score: 6.5/10
Rank: 7/15

Like, seriously. The first time I listed to it, I actually kinda liked it! 🙂

Erin
Erin
7 years ago

“Maria(m), I’ve just met a girl named Maria(m)…the most beautiful sound I ever heard, Maria(m)”… Now I know why the majestic orchestration and that musical-romantic flair appeals so much. It’s because it sounds like one of the most emblematic songs from ‘West Side Story’ with the dramatic and effective octave changes triggering our emotional buttons. Adults will find Mariam irresistible and endearing on a professional level and I bet she’ll win young voters to a degree. I like how the song takes its time to build up. I’m only concerned with the final chorus where Mariam goes one and even… Read more »

Anatauysia Obrnanvitch
Anatauysia Obrnanvitch
7 years ago

This is my last sorry, its just that its not a very jesc song- nice voice tho 🙂

Blake
Blake
7 years ago

Like the wiwibloggers, I ADORE the georgian entry =) I won’t describe feelings and emotions I feel listening ”Mzeo” and what I think of this wonderful and talented girl that is Mariam, because wiwi juries did it well. All I can say is that Georgia is sure to stay in the top 10 this year (once again !).

I’ll give to the country a 8/10 =) Good work Geaorgia ! And good luck !

escphilippines
7 years ago

with such a good array of song this year, it will go at the bottom half of the scoreboard. it too dull and pedestrian and such a departure from thier entries so far the i think it will go as thier biggest. yes, she can sing but alot of kid so far can sing (will see in the rehearsal if its true) so it back of the with poland, italy, cyprus, dull ballad ireland chooses and australia

Jp
Jp
7 years ago

A question: how many 9-14 year-olds listen to this sort of music that is like from the 1940s? Pretty much no-one (and that applies to adults too). I don’t understand why such an odd genre should be in JESC which should be mostly about pop music. 4/10, last place.

(J)ESC Fanatic
(J)ESC Fanatic
7 years ago

I don’t dislike this. It just doesn’t do much for me. She has a very powerful voice and the first two minutes of the song attract me but towards the end it gets really repetitive and dull.
As two wiwibloggers have already mentioned, this could go either way. Georgia always sends unpredictable entries and this is no exception.

Score: 4.5/10
Rank: 15th/15

I’m truly sorry. 🙁
This year we have too many good entries.