Romania, Ovidiu Anton, 2

Last year the EBU expelled Romania from Eurovision 2016 over unpaid debts — and just weeks before the contest.

Now, with Romania’s TVR set to return to the 2017 edition in Kyiv, Ovidiu Anton — the Eurovision singer who didn’t get to sing at Eurovision — is finally getting his moment in the sun.

Yes, Ovidiu — who was axed from the contest while on the promotional tour — is back! And this time he’s not flying solo. He and his new band, which he’s so modestly named ANTON, will perform “A Moment of Silence” — Ovidiu’s entry from last year — and the band’s latest single during the semi-final of Romania’s national selection on February 26.

“I’m so pleased to be performing at Selectia Nationala with my new band,” Ovidiu said in a press release issued today.

“We’re doing this for Eurovision fans worldwide, and for all my fellow Romanians who supported me and were with me. We’ll be playing my entry from last year and also some new songs I’ve been working on”.

This is quite the turnaround for Ovidiu, since his dismissal from Eurovision last year left him understandably furious.

As he said at the time:

I am not interested to associate my name with the EBU or Eurovision. The injustice that they did to me makes it impossible to associate my name with the Eurovision brand ever again. They proved that they do not treasure music, but only money…My Eurovision adventure ended with that ugly gesture…Someone has to pay, but not by selling my presence there. I earned my place [in the competition] this year and the damage that they did to me cannot be repaired with selling my participation.

Luckily for us, it seems that Ovidiu has thawed over the past year and has made peace with the contest. The Eurovision world was truly robbed of a great performer last year, and Stockholm would’ve been a lot different if Ovidiu had been there.

In other news, TVR has decided to try a new approach this year. After they are validated, all the candidates will perform their songs in front of the five-member jury and the public between 25-27 January. The auditions will be recorded and afterwards aired on TVR as a standalone show called Euroshow. Fifteen songs will be selected by the jury for the live semi-final, scheduled for 26 February. Ten songs will advance to the National Final based on 100% jury votes. The winner will be decided based on 100% televote at the National Final on 5 March.

Read more Romania Eurovision news

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MoreMusicLessGlamourPlease
MoreMusicLessGlamourPlease
7 years ago

@ JESCfan I love both georgia and Montenegro last year 😀 Both top 5 for me! And also Cyprus, France and Sweden in my top 5 of 2016. Maybe I should also say….my choice of nick has nothing to do with music choices 🙂 Even if I often like the more alternative / rock / unusual (less “glamourous”?) songs in ESC. But it’s a comment, but not intetended to be rude. Just how I want to look at ESC. A MUSIC ontest, not about visuals…Sometimes I think both fans and media pay too much attention to the visual / glamour… Read more »

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

@MoreMusicLessGlamourPlease

I don’t know, they sound too dirty to me. The song itself was actually not that bad in my opinion (but not as good as Georgia’s).

MoreMusicLessGlamourPlease
MoreMusicLessGlamourPlease
7 years ago

I think we have seen WAY more “repulsive” acts in ESC “as a family show” than hearing the lyrics of Montenegro 2016…I can’t see why they are so bad. Lyrics like that are made all the time. It’s not about rape or something 🙂 I think they fit the song

MoreMusicLessGlamourPlease
MoreMusicLessGlamourPlease
7 years ago

@JESC – Why do you think I dismiss pop songs? Wrong! 🙂 For instance, Sweden 15, Denmark 13 and Azerbaijan 11….were pure moderne mainstream pop….and very good songs! I also love losts f pop songs in general of the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s….And also many mainstream pop songs in ESC What I don’t like are songs that sound to me boring , unoriginal and generic, just made for ESC…otherwise, any style can be ok. But I don’t like recent schlagers or euroballads, only the older ones.

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

@MoreMusicLessGlamourPlease No offense, but I’ll say “practice what you preach”. You complain about other fans not being open to all kinds of music, while you basically do the same. You are stretching it too far. You automatically love a song when it is everything but pop. ALWAYS. Sometimes I question myself: do you even bother to listen to them? Or your criteria of liking a song is if it’s rock, punk, indie, etc.? Your username says it all. You are implying pop is “glamour” and everything else is “quality music”. Not very credible… @an esc fan You cannot compare Sebalter’s… Read more »

MoreMusicLessGlamourPlease
MoreMusicLessGlamourPlease
7 years ago

I also love Monetenegro 2016 – great song 🙂 And the juries wante it to progress (rather than Austria, a song far too sugary for my taste). I never heard complains about the lyrics of that song….but maybe. I don’t pay so much attention to the lyrics. But Songs like Georgia and Monetenegro 2016 are just what ESC need

an esc fan
an esc fan
7 years ago

@ MoreMusicLessGlamourPlease
Georgia 2016 had a good song, and also I’m sorry for Montenegro (Highway), they were torn apart because, apparently, the lyrics were predatory. I saw no proof that they were about to attack somebody, but Sebalter with ”Hunter of stars” (Switzerland 2014) had lyrics like ”I am the hunter, you are the prey, tonight I’m gonna eat you up” and still, everybody loves Sebalter.

MoreMusicLessGlamourPlease
MoreMusicLessGlamourPlease
7 years ago

@an esc fan – you said well why I mostly avoid “fan rankings” on youtube…mostly crap music taste, rock songs placed, and only music withim the cliched “ESC-bubble”! I just get angry, so I avoid them…..! Sometimes I get embarassed by other fan’s taste and lack of width when it comes to the musical horizon! Thnkfully….many fans are more open for other (good) music too. Also rock. It’s just that the schager fans tend to shout very load…. And it is no doubt rock had has had a big breaktrhough in ESC, esp. since 2006. Thanks to Lordi of course.… Read more »

Magpie
Magpie
7 years ago

@mocosuburbian Technically he isn’t otherwise he would have been one of the semifinalists competing for the chance to represent again.

an esc fan
an esc fan
7 years ago

ESC needs more rock songs, and those songs have the chance to do well, even if in many ”Top 43” created by fans on youtube, rock songs don’t have high places.
Romania missed the chance last year, but this year seems that Hungary might choose a rock song.

YoungsterJoey
YoungsterJoey
7 years ago

Who knows the impact Romania would’ve had if they stayed in the semi-final, where would their points go? Would it have made the difference for whoever was 11th & 10th place.

eurana
eurana
7 years ago

Romanian broadcaster would should choose him internally with a new song for 2017

MoreMusicLessGlamourPlease
MoreMusicLessGlamourPlease
7 years ago

Such a shame his song last year was not hear around Europe! One of the best entries last year, and one of the bet ever from Romania! And EBU were really silly with how they treated him.

I fear his songs might overshadow the atual participants, that they are better

I hope Romania comes back strongly this year with another rock song – as powerful and great as 2016!

mocosuburbian
mocosuburbian
7 years ago

what a trooper
i wouldn’t want to have anything to do with the contest in his position

Tomas Patrick Davitt
Tomas Patrick Davitt
7 years ago

It would have been nice if the Romanian broadcaster has chosen him internally with a new song for 2017. but then again, maybe he did not want that…