Tonight’s Semi-Final 4 of Romania‘s Selectia Nationala took place 90 meters underground. Three acts soared to victory, though, and made it to the next stage of the contest. Claudia Andas, TIRI and your favourite Feli took it to the next level and the jury took notice. Let’s break it down!
In a Eurovision national selection first, TVR staged the fourth semi-final of the Romanian national selection in a salt mine in Turda, in the heart of Transylvania.
The broadcaster lowered over 20 tons of equipment and 13 kilometers of cables in to Rudolf salt mine. The setting, just like the acoustics, was unique, and provided a once in a lifetime opportunity to the 12 semi-finalists to showcase their voices and shine. It was certainly the best looking Romanian heat of 2018 — although the temperature in the salt mine was actually just 10 degrees Celsius.
Ultimately, jury members Marian Ionescu, Ilinca Bacila, Nicu Patoi, Liliana Stefan, and Viorel Gavrila chose these three acts to advance to the grand final on 25 February. TIRI and Feli both shared second place, while the winner of the heat was a surprise: Claudia Andas, who was the last to perform. Another interesting fact is that all three singers found fame on The Voice of Romania, although in different years.
Selectia Nationala: Semi-Final 4 Qualifiers
1. Claudia Andas – “The One” (56 points)
2. TIRI – “Desert de sentimente” ( 43 points)
3. Feli – “Buna de iubit” (43 points)
Full results of Semi-final 4
1. Claudia Andas – 56 points
2. TIRI – 43 points
2. Feli – 43 points
4. Nicoleta Ticala – 40 points
5. Lion’s Roar – 29 points
6. Ioana Ciornea – 24 points
7. Paula Crisan – 17 points
8. ZØLTAN – 12 points
9. Alice Jeckel – 12 points
10. Bernice Chitiul – 11 points
11. Dan Manciulea – 3 points
12. Cristian Simionescu – 0 points
Tonight’s show also included performances by vocal group Ad Libitum Voices and the 2009 representative Elena, who showed that “The Balkan Girls” can party like no other — even underground. Our first Eurovision Next Top Model looked just as good now and she did in 2009. Changing several outfits and sporting her trademark fiery red hair, Elena heated up the atmosphere in the salt mine with bops like her Eurovision song “The Balkan Girls” and domestic hits “Amar Tu Vida”, “Ecou”, “Soarele meu”, “Vocea ta”, and “Midnight Sun”.
The other nine finalists so far, chosen by the jury in the other semi-finals, are:
- Alexia & Matei – “Walking On Water”
- Echoes – “Mirror”
- Eduard Santha – “Me Som Romales”
- Jukebox feat Bella Santiago – “Auzi cum bate”
- M I H A I – “Heaven”
- Rafael & Friends – “We Are One”
- Erminio Sinni & Tiziana Camelin – “All The Love Away”
- Xandra – “Try”
- VYROS – “La La La”
The last Romanian semi-final of Selectia Nationala 2018 will take place in Sighisoara next Sunday. In 2018, which marks 100 years of Romania’s existence as a unified state, TVR is staging five semi-finals in five different cities under the slogan “Eurovision Unites Romania”.
On 25 February, at the grand final in the capital Bucharest, the winner will be crowned solely by the public, via televote.
What did you think of tonight’s show? Did the right acts make it through? Let us know all your thoughts in the comments section below!
Feli was amazing….
She has just won her first ‘battle’.
I really hope to see her shining in Lisbon.
Is here anyone than a youtuber/radio mixer or something like that, that is really able to talk about music? The results, from all semi-finals, are absolutely correct, the best mixes of staging/voice/chances in the contest were chosen to qualify. Songs like ‘Buna de Iubit’ or ‘Safari’ would put Romania on top just in the Youtube’s already classic tops and maybe on some Polls like the one from the Wiwibloggs, but will not get anything for Romania from Eurovision. We’ve already practiced the ‘Miracle’ experience, where everyone was enthusiastic about Romania’s high reviews, it still didn’t get anything more than Cezar,… Read more »
Claudia has a good voice but the song is not the right for her. Also, it’s boring.
Feli was good, but if she wins, the staging should be better. Good job though.
Ilinca is the only one who knows what she is doing.
Feli has problem. Her song needs color, not that black business suit that she had. But the audience knows her father died a few days ago. I hope the staging will not make her lose. Maybe she should try a light blue dress.
“Feli has a problem ” OF COURSE SHE HAS ITS CALLED MOURNING THE LOSS OF HER DAD ,geez some people
Everybody knows her father has died, but she will not win if she goes on stage wearing the church dress.
I’m 90% sure that Feli will represent Romania! It’s a funny, catchy song that fits the style the contry bring every year to ESC!
Mess at Feli being a borderline qualifier… glad those tasteless juries will be gone in the final and the public will decide alone.
Congrats to Feli, she did good! Two others have very ‘meh’ entries, TBH, but still, I guess congrats to everyone.
I don’t understand what’s that fuss about Claudia and how she win this semfinal? It’s just a Bonnie Tyler-like fail performance, sorry. Maybe wasnt her best day but … whatever. I still don’t get it. That hoarseness can’t be the best song of the night. Sorry. I hope Feli will represent Romania @ Portugal.
Feli just scraping through ughhhh who the flying froot loop allowed this jury to have their say, ilinca is the only one providing some actually reasonable input, luckily in the final the televoters will be able to show their support for feliiii
Natural staging aside (wonderful!), just what is it with the CHEESE in this NF? Not that we have not had cheesy song from everywhere in the past, but hey, Romania?! They seem to have good singers, but when the song is not a snore it is opera-esque or a lullaby or, whatever. I’ve loved a few, though, like De la capat, which was serious material… but tonight’s three qualifiers? The lady can SANG actually, but the song just was not there, not at all, not for a pub performance. The guy was OK, too, and his song sounds almost decent,… Read more »
There isn’t a lot of interest in Eurovision in Romania.
wtf with this jurors !! ZOLTAN was the most interesting of the evening …… since the begining of theses semifinals they are completely deaf …….or corrupt……
My qualifiers, after hearing them live, were Feli, Zoltan and Alice.
FELI is the best!!! We hope to see her in Lisbon! She is so ”Good for loving”!
I’m glad that Feli found strenght to perform today. I hope she can still win the ticket to Lisbon, because it’s the only qualified song I’ve liked so far on the romanian selection.
The salt mine sounds like a wonderful place to visit, by the way.
what a semifinal
I’m surprised at Claudia Andas winning, though she did give a killer vocal and emotionally imbued performance. I thought Feli would be 1st for sure, though I can definitely see a difference in her energy since her father unfortunately passed away. The phase before this, she was much more effervescent and the performance was very bright and fun, and she moved around more. Not stating this in an insensitive way, she’s in mourning, I could only image deciding to continue to compete, especially with such a joyous and fun song in contrast to where her heart is right now. I’ll… Read more »
Auzi cum bate is shouty and annoying. I hope Feli still has a chance to win. By far the best song for me. And for those who say she was standing still and not moving, apparently in Romania it is customary to not dance when a relative has passed away recently (for 40 days). She was dancing in her audition tape, so I assume this is why, out of respect for her father. The Gypsy song is cool too, and Tiri was alright even though the instrumental to his song has been sampled from Ciprian Porumbescu – Balada so it… Read more »
Was I missing something with Claudia annas? That song did not even register with me.
Super dodgy production, the guy doing the scoreboard was caught sleeping a few times.
i’d bet on auzi cum bate or walking on water to represent romania this year.
nothing interesting in this semi, though, maybe the last semi final next week will be better, and will have a gem.
i know that they can qualify with auzi cum bate ! and also with walking on water (it’s more risky tho)
FELI will definitely win and she’ll go to Lisbon!