It used to be Switzerland, last year it was San Marino, and this year it looks like Belarus will be the national final that serves as an international catch-all. One of the international acts said to be eyeing up the Belarus national final is British artist Daz Sampson, who previously represented the UK at Eurovision 2006.
Following on from 2018, where the Ukraine pop star ALEKSEEV won the Belarus national final, broadcaster BTRC has again opened the national final to all, regardless of nationality. For many acts, this may be the last chance they get to be considered for Eurovision 2019.
And it looks like a former UK Eurovision star will try for a comeback. Producer and rapper Daz Sampson represented the UK in 2006, where his song “Teenage Life” placed 19th in the grand final.
Now successfully working as a professional football manager and scout, Daz is said to be entering a song in conjunction with the singer Nona. The pair are the current face of Daz’s 2000s dance act Uniting Nations.
Belarus fan account @EurofestBY reports that Daz and Nona will enter the Belarus national final with a “catchy song” titled “Kinky Boots”. We assume the song is no relation to the 1964 British novelty single of the same name.
The British duo DAZ SAMPSON & NONA will take part in the Belarusian selection for ESC2019 with the catchy song Kinky Boots.
The song will be made public later.
Daz represented the UK at Eurovision 2006, Nona is the lead singer of the Uniting Nations band. #eurovision #belarus pic.twitter.com/Il8uKQ2lkT— EUROFEST Belarus ? (@EurofestBY) January 29, 2019
@EurofestBY also reports that to date, 35 applications have been received for the Belarus national selection. As well as entries from Belarus, the broadcaster is said to have received applications from artists in the UK, Spain, Russia, Poland, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Portugal, Ukraine and even as far away as the United States.
Romanian Eurovision legend M I H A I is said to be entering his song “Baya”, after dramatically withdrawing from the Romanian national final earlier this year.
There’s no hint as to who the Ukraine artist or artists might be, but fans are looking in the direction of TAYANNA. The diva recently announced she was withdrawing from the Ukraine national final.
Yesterday she posted a photo to Instagram posing with Belarus’ 2018 representative — and fellow Ukraine singer — ALEKSEEV. Tayanna wrote that “We are preparing something interesting for you”. It might just be a collaboration, or could ALEKSEEV be working with TAYANNA on an entry for the Belarus national final?
We’ll soon find out who is auditioning for Belarus. The broadcaster is due to hold its iconic live auditions this Monday, February 4.
The acts will perform their song in front of an expert panel, who will decide a shortlist of around ten acts who will compete in the national final.
The date of the grand final is not yet been confirmed, but the broadcaster has revealed that the winner will be decided by jury vote alone, meaning the Belarus public will not have a say in selecting the act for Tel Aviv.
What do you think? Should Belarus send Daz Sampson to Eurovision? Or should the jury select a local artist? Tell us your thoughts below!
I’m waiting for Fabrizio Faniello and I’ll die. Thank you, Belarus xDDDD
The song “Kinky Boots”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=671molHtIEc
About that theory that speaks about Alekseev & Tayanna, I don’t think so. Alekseev has said that he’s not interested in return to ESC for the moment. He will release his new album in some point of Europe’s Spring, a.k.a. in the middle of ESC season.
Impossible.
His new song is great, btw.
I really don’t like it when national finals are open to all, regardless of nationality. I prefer artists actually have some sort of connection to the country they’re representing, it’s not like Belarus is a micro state… heck even Malta fields entrants from their country so no excuses 😛 It makes the contest faceless in a way
I’m proud when they can organize a good NF and found Naviband, but this year Belarus seems like a wildcard nation for me 🙁
MIHAI thought the Romanian NF was messy… so he’s now competing for the most coherent and stable NF of all BELARUS. Come on…
Come on Belarus. Give us a native act. Not these guys.
Mihai Traistariu from Romania is also in the belarussian selection with the song BAYA. He is from Romania and he was 4th in 2oo6 with the song Tornero…
Interesting, one of UKs best entries..
Please tell me that was sarcasm.
Maybe the first part, it is still one of their best entries though. Since then only Jade, Blue, Molly and Lucie have been better imo and their results agree with me.
To people from Belarus: How do you feel about this?
I’m not Belarusian 🙂 but I know that people of Belarus are really open and kind-hearted. Most of them don’t take Eurovision serious, thus it’s OK 🙂
Absolutely nothing. If they have strong songs, why not? So far, only Mihai song is now known from foreign singers, and in my opinion he at least deserves go to the final. And Belarusian singers will also have good marterials. Look at the audition that will be)
I read on Belarusian forum they are super angry about this and don’t even want to hear that foreign songs could be better than their entries. They would prefer something average but their own.
Last year, people spoke clearly: they voted Alekseev, he won with people vote and jury vote. So, I think that the average people doesn’t take this extremely seriously and just want to enjoy good songs. Eurovision sounds healthier in that way, in my opinion, specially in Eastern Europe.
Celine Dion won for Switzerland. Anything can happen after that.
Hm, i liked the music he released as the “Uniting Nations” act. IMO he should probs enter the contest under that moniker. At least those of us who we’re teens or older in the mid 2000s would recognize the act!
I bet now he looks even more like a pedophile
Disgusting comment.
But an accurate one
This is going to be embarrassing.
Was it such a pleasant experience for him to embarrass UK that he wants to do it again for another country? BTW, am I the only one who finds a mature men dressed like a pimp singing about And with underage girls a bit creepy?
This was the bottom of the barrel, even for the UK. And apparently, Belarus is now welcoming any bottom of any given country. I thought dictatorships had some pride.
Even though I dont like the creepy, sleazy feel of that song, I feel that I should defend him a little. The so called school girls were all in their twenties and werent trying to be particulary provocitive. I just thought the whole package of song and staging was well below par. It always reminded me of a second rate musical number from Annie.
Personally, I didn’t get a creepy vibe in *that* way (like certain *other* performer in Moldova 2019). He actually came off as a ”loser” who is over 35, but still acts like he’s a teenager and wants to be hip and cool. I saw it as if both him and the girls were adults mentally stuck as teens. Considering how terrible that whole year was, he wasn’t even among the worst ones. Let’s just start with Belarus. That said, it would be pretty embarrassing if he tries to replicate a similar thing in 2019.
ummm why?? for Belarus, I really don’t get it, if it was for san Marino I would be like oh okay, considering they sent an artist from Turkey 2016, somebody I believe from Malta and Germany 2018, but why would he go for Belarus. that makes no sense at all, and no way I would imagine Belarusians ever wanting him to represent them whatsoever. so yeah?? I guess good luck to him
And they’re sending that artist from Turkey again lol
yeah so they clearly like missing the finals every year then
This NF is shaping up to be a reservoir for international losers. Don’t take the bait, Belarus. Not with the Romanian, not with this dude.
Why is it 2006 that’s produced all the thirsty returnees? Are Texas Lightning and Silvia Night trying to compete for Belarus too? Couldn’t it at least be Anna Vissi or Hari Mata Hari?
Careful now, or you’re gonna summon Dima Bilan as well.
At least he’s closer to Belarus
I suppose it would interesting if Bilan and Lazarev competed against each other. They might split the votes, as they are catering to the same crowd.
Fine by me!
Silvia Night and Texas Lightning were good! Don’t lump them in with Daz!
I did not care for Silvia Night
I liked how she exposed the scene’s lack of humor but that’s about it. Iceland actually had a very good song in their NF that year that had to stay had at home.
Silvia Night was a comedic character, and people took her too seriously. That’s not her in real life by the way
My issue was that she kept up the act even in rehearsals and acted mean toward the crew. If you’re putting on an act for the cameras, fine, but you don’t need to maintain it 24/7. Now LT United? That’s a novelty act from that year I really enjoyed.
Really? I think it is so sad that THIS is Lithuania’s best ever result.
I mean, yeah (I much prefer the next year’s Love or Leave, a beautiful, underrated song), but it was a lot of fun and they seemed like decent guys.
Plus the ten seconds of the bald guy flailing around were more enjoyable than the entirety of Congratulations. And it was hilarious that because of diaspora, their one top mark came from serious, songwriter-friendly Ireland (delivered by Eimear Quinn, no less)
Oh really? I do like the irony of that. She must have been delighted.
I was gonna mention “Love or leave”. It is my favorite Lithuanian song by far and I LOVE it and will never leave it. But with that staging, it HAD to drown. It was like: “Don’t look, nothing to see here”.
I loved the staging but it was so understated that it was doomed against the likes of Verka Serduchka and Kenan Dogolu. The juries would’ve probably loved it and Germany.
The Irish diaspora voting in the mid-00s was ridiculous (Latvia-Lithuania-Lithuania-Latvia between 05 and 08. I will give them props for giving Love or Leave twelve points).