Who Should Represent Romania at Eurovision 2013?

Paula Seling & Ovi, Luminta Anghel & Sistem, and Mihai Traistariu have all shown that Romania has what it takes to crack the top five at Eurovision. As national selection season revs up, our Colorado correspondent David crosses his fingers and hopes that one of the following acts will fly the Romanian flag in Malmö.

Horia Brenciu

He is every bit as talented as Zeljko Joksimovic and Ott Lepland. But unlike most male vocalists, he also has a presence. He reaches out and grabs you and sucks you into the song. And that’s the difference between finishing on top and merely finishing in the top 10. This guy has it.

If they can, I’d like to see them present as in the above video. On the stage it’s just him, dancing with an invisible partner. But on the TV (which is where all the votes are), it has the computer animation added. Which brings up an interesting question – can the back-up singers be virtual? If allowed, that would definitely get attention. Top 3 for sure, with a good shot at 1st.

Ok, if Brenciu is not available, then the following all have a shot of placing in top 10 for Romania. In no particular order:

William Naraine

Really good song, really good artist, and he owns the screen when he’s on it. A lot of people talk about the act being important, and it is. But equally or more important is that the lead singer owns the screen. Loreen is an amazing artist and the staging was good for her song. But what made that so good was that your eyes are locked on her.

Stefan Banica

This guy exudes joie de vivre. Again, someone who pulls you in to enjoy life with him. People want to be happy. You can’t help smiling watching this guy. And that carries a lot of points. Probably not enough to win, but good enough to finish in the top 5.

Lili Sandu & Razan Fodor

Ok, this song is from a horrible TV series (really, 1.2 out of 10). But the song is quite good. (There’s a large number of excellent songs that were written for lousy movies.) It comes across as a good (not great) song that’s well (but not awesomely) done. Yet there’s something in there that elevates it. I don’t think this song is a top 10 entry. But I think the two of them are capable of a top 10 entry together.

Cristina Spatar

She is another Pastora Soler – an amazing talent that has a great (pair of) screen presence. I think that with a good stage act she could follow Pastora into the top 10 (but not the top 5). You can see her heavily pregnant at the top of this post.

Awesome but not for Eurovision

Paula Seling has an absolutely amazing voice. But that alone is not enough and that is the approach she takes – to stand there and have the song be everything. Now dress her up in leather and make her part of a duet and then she can be a contender (and even win Eurovision’s Next Top Model). But I think the only way she has a chance in ESC is in a duet.

Ok Romania, you have your shot. All you have to do is follow through. You’ve got the talent – you just need to make the most of it.