The Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of music unprofessionals — continues to rate and review the 41 songs that had been selected for Eurovision 2020. Next up, we take a look at the Czech Republic‘s ESCZ winner Benny Cristo and his song “Kemama”. Did we feel the love? Read on to find out!
Benny Cristo – “Kemama”
“Kemama” reviews
Deban: Benny Cristo’s swag is LIT! Cleverly fusing African highlife sounds with Eurodance synths, “Kemama” is a product of a musically diverse 2020. Original, acoustic or revamp, the base product here is high. Even with minimal staging, as we’ve witnessed at Vidbir, Benny’s live touches gets your toes tapping. The authenticity here is him. His self-written composition is a testament to him living his best life despite all odds. Not many Eurovision 2020 tracks would go on to have a long shelf life, but watch out because this one will.
Score: 8.5
Jonathan: Europe is a diverse place. With that comes a diverse array of music that should be celebrated, particularly at Eurovision. “Kemama” brings African-inspired instrumentation to the forefront, with the guitars, horns and percussion blending well in the final revamp. The track has a wonderful carefree vibe to it. It’s not here to make a big statement, rather put a smile on people’s faces and get them dancing along. As Benny sings in the bridge, “I don’t care if you’re not like me, I just came to dance, we should dance”. I, for one, am ready to dance along every time “Kemama” comes on.
Score: 7.5
Antranig: As someone who puts the effort to listen to every entry last in every national selection, it takes a special kind of song to make me press stop before the three minutes are up. “Kemama” is that kind of song. I really like the genre diversity that “Kemama” offers and Benny has some great music but this song is a weak representation of the genre. I have to give Benny Cristo credit for trying to improve this with revamps but sweetie, the ship has sailed on this one.
Score: 2
Oliver: While I can appreciate that some enjoy the chilled-out atmosphere that “Kemama” creates, in my eyes, it really just three minutes of empty noise. It felt as though there was no development throughout the number, which was ultimately made worse by the cacophonous and messy revamp.
Score: 2.5
Robyn: It took a while to get there, but Benny Cristo did get there. The re-revamped final version of “Kemama” gets the mix right, combining the electronic sounds of the original version with the more organic sound of the African guitar. Benny Cristo delivers an anthem of being true to yourself, not giving into haters and just dancing the night away.
Score: 7
Benny Cristo – “Kemama” rankings
In the Wiwi Jury we have 22 jurors but only have room for five reviews. The remaining scores are below:
| Angus: 2.5
Åri: 5 Barnabas: 3 Bernardo: 4.5 Calvin: 6.5 Esma: 7 Florian: 3.5 Lucy: 7 Luis: 6 |
Natalie: 5.5
Pablo: 6 Renske: 6.5 Ron: 6.5 Sebastian: 5 Tobias: 4.5 Tom: 6 William: 6.5 |
We have removed the highest and lowest scores prior to calculating the average. This is to remove outliers and potential bias. We have removed a low of 2 and a high of 8.5.
Wiwi Jury verdict: 5.43/10
What do you think of this song? Share your own score and review below!
I will give a 7/10 for this
Czech Republic – 4/10 (36th/41)
Shocked by how low that is!
República Checa 4/10
After you’ve disliked so many of my favourites, I was expecting you to have something absolutely horrible as your #1 this year. I am actually really surprised that you have such a good song at your top. Great taste, sir!
https://wiwibloggs.com/2020/04/06/wiwi-jury-albanias-arilena-ara-with-fall-from-the-sky/251318/
Haha, You didn’t. 😉
I was positive towards it, tho. It’s not in my top 10, but it is in my top 20. I believe that our only major disagreements come in the form of Serbia / Austria vs Poland / Finland.
I was the first one dissapointed when it won the Czech NF but it has been growing on me and it is not nearly as bad as people say it is. For God’s shake, Antranig even said he had to pause it before it finished. But you know… it takes a special kind for him to pause a song before the three minutes. Talking about annoying songs… I’m sure he will give Armenia’s “Chains On You” a score higher than 8. 2. Australia – Montaigne – Don’t break me (8) 4. Romania – Roxen – Alcohol You (8) 5. Spain… Read more »
Underrated! I still listen to it on Spotify
This is underrated. It’s a grower. I love it more every time i hear it. So catchy!
It’s a really beautiful review, Tibor. I like the song as well and it would’ve been a qualifier if I was asked.
I believe he would’ve qualified in the actual contest. If you recall, when he won, despite not being my personal NF winner, I said that it’s a good song with a wide appeal and that I believe he’ll qualify.
As for Conan, he was my personal ”Crisalide Award” winner of 2019. My overall 7th of the contest. The fact that San Marino and Belarus qualified over him and Tulia is something I’ll never understand. Okay, Zena at least performed her song well…
We will
I am from the Czech Republic and I really don’t like the song…I really hope he will do something better in 2021.
Horrible. That’s it
Overall: 0.2/10 (40th)
Another one that is in my top ten (a great day of jury choices). It sounds as if it could be on mainstream radio. It love the instrumental sounds (even the added guitar!) and Benny’s live performances have all been of an exceptional standard. The guy can really sing. This is definitely underrated here and was being underrated hard in the odds.
This is just great entry, catchy, summer tune, excellent performer, good lyrics, it’s in my playlist and in top 15.
8,5/10
this is one of the few 2020 entries that sound like they belong in the year 2020. the vocal style, the afrobeats… i get it that some ppl don’t like urban music and wish we could all live in the electropop era but instead of calling it “empty noise” just say u detest r&b and call it a day
It ain’t that sis, I love r&b but Kemama is sparse and emotionless, and really doesn’t go anywhere. And trust me, I love afrobeats (check out a Senegalese song called Kumu Neexul by Viviane, it’s one of my all-time faves), but Kemama ain’t it. People can have different taste to you and still like the genre. I just don’t like the song.
“Kemama” is a celebration of easy-going and laid-back lifestyle, full of positivity, energy and cool vibe. It’s a mesmerizing blend of cultures, styles and sounds, complimented by Benny’s relaxed vocal. “There it is, love and hate” – Benny shows us that there’s a way of both sharing love like Bob Marley and fighting for yourself like Muhammad Ali. Excellent, timely track (and easily one of the best music videos this year). 7.5/10
Disappointed, but not surprised by the scores.
I feel sorry for you 😛
We are lucky that he can’t use this again
One of the songs I really like listening to.
This is a fun song with a surprisingly important message behind it. I also like how Benny is a perfectionist in the studio, taking three attempts to get the final sound just right. And it worked! He knows what he is doing, so it is rather sad that all of his efforts have amounted to no ESC contest this year. I have friends who adore this track, and would have voted for Czech Republic this year. Perhaps rightly so. Well done Benny.
What I really like is how this message seems natural and effortless, in contrast with several other songs this year.
I tend not to question other people’s tastes, but Czech Republic having the same score as San Marino really feels odd.
I feel like I’m the only one that properly likes this one (quite clearly not, though). It sounds like something we would have here in the charts, and I honestly feel that this would’ve qualified. Great meaning behind the song, too.
Yeah, it’s a great and rare combination of radio friendly and genuine song (in that sense, I see similarities with “Soldi”).
We won’t see the staging unfortunately, but I’m sure with right elements to create cheerful and cool vibe and Benny as a performer this would’ve qualified.
CZECH REPUBLIC – Their national final was so strong that this is my 6th and I still consider it to be a good song. I really like the afro-beat, the chill atmosphere and a positive message it manages to send across. I think it plods a bit and it can get repetitive. It needs a bit of variation in the instrumental part as well. It contains a lot of elements, but they are mostly presented simultaneously. Still, unlike many male-sung uptempos this year, it manages to feel true to the artist and not manufactured to get a good result. I… Read more »
Yep, same here, pretty much.
As a studio track, it was my 5th in the final but after the live, acoustic performances, I moved it up to 2nd. Benny, himself, is a talent.
19. Czechia – 7/10 – an infectious hook which instantly grabs my attention and holds it throughout. There is an element of over-repetition, and the revamp makes it sound more chaotic in a bad way, but when it comes on it always makes me want to move and I like the uplifting and defiant message.
For a start I really love ‘all the blood’ and it was my winner however I LOVE this entry and it is incredibly underrated with the wiwi jury. People scoring this entry a ‘2’ is really harsh, a lot of people who don’t like this would have been shocked when this finished top 13 in the final. Bravo Czech Republic!