Since 2013, Armenia has used internal selection to choose its artist for Eurovision, but they’re now changing back to a national final for 2017 and have big plans. The talent show Depi Evratesil (To Eurovision) will be a three-month-long competition, open to Armenians and people of Armenian heritage.
As well as confirming their participation in Eurovision 2017, Armenia also revealed their basic plans for the substantial national selection process.
Armenia’s public broadcaster AMPTV have not yet released specifics of the competition, but the information released today suggests that Depi Evratesil will be a singing competition akin to The X Factor or Israel’s The Next Star for Eurovision. It also suggests that the national final will only be used to select the artist, presumedly with the song selected later by the broadcaster.
AMPTV has also revealed that the competition will be open both to Armenian citizens and people of Armenian decent. This takes advantage of the strong Armenian diaspora, as previously seen in the international supergroup Genealogy in 2015. It also means the Kardashians could audition!
The press release reveals that the show will involve Armenia’s previous Eurovision representatives, suggesting they may haveroles similar to the coaches on The Voice. We’d really like to see Aram and Iveta back, among others!
For interested performers, the first step will be to register for an audition. The online registration period opens on Wednesday 6 July, and closes on 25 August. Entrants will be able to register at eurovision.am.
Since Armenia’s debut in 2006, they have qualified for the grand final in all but one year. Armenia is considered a strong performer and regularly place on the left-hand side of the scoreboard.
Armenia’s best score recently was Aram MP3, who was a favourite to win in Copenhagen, eventually placing fourth with his dubstep ballad “Not Alone”. Iveta Mukuchyan managed seventh place in Stockholm with her avant-garde R&B performance of “LoveWave”.
Armenia have also won and hosted Junior Eurovision, but they still have their eyes on winning Eurovision and their new national final seems a step towards finding the act that can bring them that much desired victory.
What do you think? Can Depi Evratesil find Armenia a winning performer? Or should they stick to internal selection? Share your thoughts below!
@Mark Beckenfruer
Then you can’t stand yourself 😉
@Steve
“people send me messages, so I am polite enough to answer them.”
Polite? I don’t think so…
@ Steve You are idiot..go and get some life please!!
@Guðrún
Lmao!!!! I wonder what is your interest to revisit this article and track the opinions of only few people still swapping their views between them.
I am here for some reason; people send me messages, so I am polite enough to answer them. I am surprised at your motivation of being here.
And remember visiting a country for a few days when the country wants to impress visitors at any cost.
You seem to be quite unaware of Oriental culture, mindset and many other things. Call me, I can be your teacher.
This is crazy))
/cantstandstupidpeople
@Steve
You and @Mark are the only ones who are brain-washed here. I hope you understand that.
@Steve LOL! You are still here. Really wondering if you have nothing else to do but guard this article and call everyone “azeri”. You might not see that but your behavior is really ridiculous. Don’t be so childish, please. Well, probably I will never understand this “big love” for a country, I can’t even imagine myself sitting at a website and waiting anyone to say something negative about my country so I can call him/her an “enemy”. lol. You really take this all too serious, that’s why you write so much bad things for your “enemy” country to give it… Read more »
@OR
Listening to you is the same as reading haqqin.az or day.az.
You’re brain-washed.
Steve Who mock Armenians??? You didint. Understand what i wrote?? I dont need you to have a good impression about israel..becouse israel is great country regardless of your impression… There are Armenians living happily in israel…as for Azerbaijan its also a country that is a friend with israel, and one of the only country that always give point’s to israel in the eurovision , Azerbaijan loves israel though they are muslaims and have a borderline with Iran so i respect azerbegian for that also.again stop with your hate please.
@OR
I agree with you. @Steve thinks that whoever disagrees with him/her is from Azerbaijan. Great logic…
@Mark Beckenfruer
“I’m not even talking to you.”
Yeah, I see that…
Are you lying to yourself now? You are so ridiculous.
@OR Guys, if you wanna have a good image of your country, then it is not the best way to mock Armenians, try to stress your petrol-oriented rich economy or try to behead Armenians attempting to terrify them. Try to be creative, open-minded and tolerant. @OR Thank you for sharing your knowledge of Geography. I know where Tel Aviv is. I visited Israel and I can share my experience if you are interested. As for the user who you stand for, you must note that once a person tries to judge a thing from the point of a view of… Read more »
@Tel Aviv Probably you are unaware of how people with Armenian first names and family names are not allowed to enter your country. There were some exceptions when they were allowed, e.g. European Games. But even for the last tournament of Boxing in Bakou some diasporan Armenians had to change their names in order to be able to come there. Remember how the deputy head of Autovaz from Russia was not allowed to the board of airplane with his Russian passport just because of he had Armenian family name. The family name was Armenian with the famous ending of “Yan”.… Read more »
Sorry but how can u armenians (yes, Steve and Mark, I mean U GUYS!) come here and tell that Azerbaijan is a racist country??? SERIOUSLY??? Everyone saw what has done ur singer at last year’s contest. During the whole show she didn’t have that flag (of course she was hiding it) and she showed it at most important time of the entire evening. Do u chicos know what does it called?? Lemme help ya’… PROPAGANDA!! Ur racistic channel (or just puppet of da government) uses Eurovision for their politic sickness and makes propagandas. I loved Iveta and her song until… Read more »
AzeriBoy96, Look who’s talking about victims of government AHAHA funny. Genocides!!! Really? hahaha another funny joke)) You don’t even know what the ‘genicide’ term means. Our little, funny idiot 😉 Seriously, I thought you was different, but now I see how terribly wrong I was. You are just another empty head, a hypocrite. Jesus, they are hopeless! Yes, please don’t answer me. Bye. Esc Greece, dude, what’s wrong with you? I’m not even talking to you. I know that the politics shouldn’t be discussed here but sometimes avoiding it seems impossible. Be like others, much smarter ones and don’t interfere..… Read more »
@Steve
Keep talking nonsense…
Nice to see you both (I guess in one person) surrendered, as you have been caught on spreading lies. I’m open-minded and ready to compromise if people get together around Eurovision. It’s a contest which aims to bring Europe and beyond together. If you champion this message of Eurosong contest, then stop gossiping elsewhere until you have to do so as a result of a counterattack. I would never start this talk if I did not see your hate speech in this blog. Unfortunately, again you prove that Azeris can be polite and kind if Armenians and other nations are… Read more »
@Steve, @Mark Beckenfruer
Stop talking about politics! This website is about Eurovision, NOT politics. @AzeriBoy96 is right. I am here to talk about Eurovision so from now on, I will ignore you.
Dear Mark, Actually person in a manners like you don’t even deserve to get answer from me, even the words you wrote there describes what a agressive person you are! I would also like to talk about the genocides which your nation have done to us in years, but no sense, this is Eurovision place and people comes here to read the news about it, not the history of Azerbaijan or your disgusting lies. But I don’t blame you anyway, you are just another victim of your government which is sad. Here I stop, because I see no reason to… Read more »
This Azeri guy on here has a problem to pick up the point of the message because one word was auto-corrected. Haha That means you have to put your ideas into words in a very primitive way in order to help the guy understand what you mean. I see this problem among Azeri users quite a lot. And his logic kills me. He thinks that if a story is old, it does not exist. Probably this is the reason Azeris keep up slaughtering Armenians alongside their Turkush big brothers once in 30 every years. They hope that if the stories… Read more »
AzeriBoy96, ‘I will always hope that one day they will stop with this hatred and they will try more to befriend their neighbour nations instead of attacking them and trying to give them bad image.’ What hatred are you taking about? The hatred towards Armenians is the official policy of Azerbaijan – not Armenia. That hatred resulted in beheadings in Budapest (Ramil Safarov case) and in Artsakh on April 2016. Those 3 old helpless Armenians (1 grandad with his wife and his even older sister) that were killed by azeri special forces(!) is a vivid example, a testament of WHAT… Read more »
@ESC Greece
Now I see you got confused about your identity when using different names on here.???? What is more, you speak under Icelandic, Greek names which is too bad.
Try to be on your own. Be creative and no longer plagarism. And bring Azeri songs.
Probably we gonna like your Turkish Mugham.
@AzeriBoy96
I agree and thank you very much. Greece lost its 100% qualification record this year, I hope this won’t happen to Azerbaijan too 🙂
@Steve
What the…
Sorry, I cannot understand what you are trying to say, your comment makes no sense, it’s completely incoherent.
Maybe you should try to improve on your English skills.
@ESC Greece
Yes, I have some friends from there who are really nice. I would never choose friends for their nations. We are all human beings after all and we can’t let some cheap politics to make us forget about our humanity. But unfortunately some people already forgot it as u see in this comment section.
PS: My best foreign friend is actually Greek. I love your music, culture. Good luck in ESC 2017. I hope that one day you will send my favourite greek singer Nikos Vertis to Eurovision. 🙂
@ESC Greece
Now I see you got confused about your identity when using different names on here.???? What is more, you speak under Icelandic, Greek names which is too bad.
Try to be on your own. Be creative and no longer pragmatism. And bring Azeri songs.
Probably we gonna like your Turkish Mugham.
-wiwibloggs Can’t we just put people like @Steve under moderation? Just read the comments and I am ready to throw up. This is website for Eurovision and definetily not for some American horror stories.
@AzeriBoy96
Do you have Armenian friends? That’s great, I thought that Azerbaijan and Armenia were the biggest enemies in the world. Nice to hear that there are some people who are not racists 🙂
@Steve
“Try to give lessons once your country becomes civilised.”
“Iceland is very educated and civilised country.”
Can you please decide?
Also, I have to say that I’m against ISIS but please, stop bringing politics to this contest. I am here in order to talk about Eurovision, NOT politics.
As always hateful comments by our good old neighbours armenians. I will always hope that one day they will stop with this hatred and they will try more to befriend their neighbour nations instead of attacking them and trying to give them bad image. But I know that not all armenians are like Steve or Mark, I have some nice friends from there who are peaceful and not haters. It’s just obvious that those 2 guys just came here to spread lies and poke their poison to anyone who comments positive for Azerbaijan. That’s just racist but at the same… Read more »
@ESC Greece
No matter the nationality. Defending a state which equals to ISIS makes no big difference.
I have been to Iceland and saw many of its 300K people. I saw no one with such mindset.
Iceland is very educated and civilised country. Probably they need to educate Azerbaijan.
And Greeks need to read their history, too.
Nigar or Nikki was brandishing the Turkish flag while celebrating her victory.
Any idea, my Greek friend, how and why that happened? Just think.
@Gadrun Yes, you speaking tone would be different if you were under threat to be killed in such a barbaric way at any moment. Azerbaijan kills Armenians by hiring ISIS soldiers and it is a terror state. You terrified the human rights watchdogs living there. They fled the country in the aftermath. Your president awards barbaric killers who were taking around the chopped heads of Armenian soldiers through villages. And you’re from a country where Baku State University tweets by posting pictures of murders with chopped heads of Armenian 18-years old soldiers. Murders are more than 30 (they are special… Read more »
Stop saying that @Guðrún Karlsdóttir is Azeri! Her name is clearly Icelandic. Can’t you understand it? Are you so dump? By the way, @Guðrún, I love your country <3<3<3
Lots of kisses to beautiful Iceland from beautiful Greece 🙂
Robyn Gallaghe, you forgot to mention about Turkey and Armenia missing the final in that year. Even with one of them in the final, Azerbaijan wouldn’t have had a chance.
Oh, and the chorus of Swedish backvocal girls have played a big role. They actually sang along with Nigar and better than Nigar.
Guðrún Karlsdóttir, ‘All those “people were given phones to vote for Azerbaijan” stories are so old and we all heard it like billion times around here. Why would anyone talk about it NOW..’ According to your ‘brilliant’ logic, those stories aren’t true because they are old and were repeated billion times.’ Seems like it wasn’t enough for someone like you. Do you really think that some (no names)) cruel enemies of Azerbaijan made it all up? Pff. ‘I am really sorry but year by year when I read such hateful comments by people like you I am getting negative feelings… Read more »
@Steve or Sham “you would see what a corrupted and racist country you’re standing with.” First of all I am not standing with any country, that’s not typical of me to support any country. I love and respect them all as one. I was talking behavior of YOUR nation towards them which’s really horrible and everyone sees that. Also about “racist country”… do we really talk about the same country which I visited back in 2012? Again you confirm that you’re not being objective in this case, dear friend. Sure you should think or claim that I am azeri, because… Read more »
You seem to be Azeri.
It is very typical of them to commit mass-killings, slaughter Armenians and then count on the slaps of time that everybody will forget your cruelty.
This is not a political blog, so I don’t go in details to annoy everyone and leave you with blushes.
If you’re intelligent, find a way to bring a change to your country and uproot radical against the Armenians as an ancient nation.
They have suffered of your policy a lot. This nation is suffering in your hands, you stop your barbaric actions.
@Gudrun
I guess you read only this blog. If you read some other news, you would see what a corrupted and racist country you’re standing with.
If your head is also chopped off and the criminal has become a national hero receiving a worm welcome from the president, you would think otherwise.
Read other news as well. Though I’m sure you’re Azeri.
@Steve or Sham I am sure you wouldn’t even comment on this topic if the case was not Azerbaijan and the reason is obvious that you are Armenian (both of your comments as Steve or Sham pretty confirms that). First of all we can’t expect you to be objective in this case. All those “people were given phones to vote for Azerbaijan” stories are so old and we all heard it like billion times around here. Why would anyone talk about it NOW and expect someone to believe in his/her objectivity?? I am really sorry but year by year when… Read more »
@Robyn, Then why the EBU former CEO resigned? You’re an expert of Eurovision, please, explain. And how come will you explain the ongoing voting by San Marino, Malta in favour of Azerbaijan for years and years with no single Azerbaijani diaspora member in these countries? I’m not talking about the stories when people were taken to the borders between Belarus and Ukraine and were given phones to vote for Azerbaijan. Believe me, I am happy for everyone and every country which wins. Azerbaijan is not an exception, too, as its victory made many people discover Caucasus. People started recognise Armenia… Read more »
I seriously want to see Malta do something like this. It is about time we get a weekly tv show every week about Eurovision which we love very much 🙂 Apart from that it would give so much opportunity to local singers.
I expect another good song from them. Maybe it’s time Eurovision to come back to Caucasus? Why not!? 🙂 Just wish they won’t make something propagandist next year, without it they are better. 🙂
One of the few countries of ESC that I would like to see being out of competition for good. They always send good songs but seriously so sick of those political conversations, provocations, nationalist attitudes every year. What’s the point I just can’t get it. That’s just MEAN. The attitudes of countries like this gives bad image to Eurovision.
“It also means the Kardashians could audition!”
Don’t ever say that again.
See the difference between Azeris and Armenians. What a language the Azeris use? It is the same language their president talks about Armenians. This contest aims to get us together. How come do you call a whole nation “suckers”? Shame on you. You never will be civilised. This nomadic Tirkish tribe has become a disgrace for that region.
I just hope that they won’t make another provocation which can cause another politic scandal again. Stop destroying our favourite contest please! 🙁 Good luck.
@mawnck – Armenia probably told EBU to stick their sanctions they know where. They would never wanna lose a country like Armenia – one of the few countries that takes the contest seriously and sends quality entries and also takes part in other EBU projects like the Junior Eurovision and the Dance contest. Oh, and “these suckers” have placed in top 10 6/10 times and have qualified 9/10 times and have the highest average finish score in junior eurovision. Not bad for a country size of Wales….
latter*
And about Armenia, they were in the top 10 of the televote because they had an funny song and people like that. Also, diaspora helps a lot. However, the juries usually don’t like this kind of entries…
@Darren I don’t think that Azerbaijan was the decided winner in 2011. If just eurofans had voted that year, then everyone knows that Azerbaijan wouldn’t have won. But as you may already know, this is not the case. 2011 was an Eurovision year full of weak songs, there was no clear winner. Azerbaijan’s song was simple but it had this something, so it attracted non-eurofans who listened to the songs for the very first time and it convinced them to vote for it. Italy was the decided winner of the juries but thank God, the televote placed them 11th. Sweden… Read more »
Spelt “descent” wrong btw. 😛
Good move towards a more democratic method of selection, however I would be strong to believe that Armenia will be in the final of ESC 2017 regardless, if they had previously managed to qualify in 2009, 2013 and 2015. Their only non-qualification in 2011 was a fluke, probably because Azerbaijan was the decided winner that year and needed the most points it could get…:/ but anyways, enough pessimism they are known to enter strong entries from time to time and I am hopeful that they will continue to send strong entries. Also, it was never mentioned, but was Armenia sanctioned… Read more »
Say, weren’t there supposed to be some sanctions against these suckers because of that flag incident at SF1?
Just asking …
Robyn Gallagher thanks 🙂