Here
is some info about our Eurobeat performers to whet your appetite……
ITALY - VESUVIA VERSACE
Vesuvia Versace has come a long way from the little Ligurian town of
Bocco to be representing Italy - approximately 461 km in fact which
involved a skateboard, two trains, three buses and a donkey drawn cart.
Back home her lively interpretations of liturgical classics have been a
wonder for church choirs throughout much of her native province. Happily
for the world of contemporary pop music her efforts to become a nun have
been discouraged by every convent she has approached - the wise Mother
Superiors understand perhaps better than Vesuvia that talent like hers
is a gift from rather than for Our Good Lord. This is evidenced by the
number of people who have been known to mutter “Oh God!” as soon as she
starts singing. We are sure you will understand and share their
reaction.
ESTONIA – TOOMAS JERKER & THE STONE HARD BOYS
Estonia is represented by former pop star Toomas Jerker, famous
throughout Eastern Europe for his rise to the top after a troubled early
life where he was jailed in the 1990s for running an illegal Liza
Minnelli fan club. He takes song writing to new eye watering levels. For
Eurovision he teams up with backing group The Stone Hard Boys to create
an entertainment ensemble that will make you laugh so hard your cheeks
will bounce sideways and whack your neighbour.
ICELAND – GERT GROLLMERSDETTER
Iceland declined to offer any biographical information about this year’s
entrant Gert Grollmersdetter but she was insistent that there be no
reference made to her past career as a children's clown.
UNITED KINGDOM - RAINE & SHINER
If ever an act was poised to rekindle the excitement of the British
invasion of the 1960s it is the new pop sensation Raine & Shiner who are
comprised of the delectable Hattie Windsor-Raine and the remarkable
Stevie Shiner. This fabulously exciting duo were well loved in their
local Blackpool, entertaining summer holidaymakers on the pier until
they were discovered (and none too soon for a British public so
desperate to erase the humiliation of recent Eurovision debacles) by
entrepreneur Harvey Titshall, the man who is responsible for the recent
hugely successful comeback of Sha and Ron Stone (of ‘We Do It’ fame).
Raine & Shiner are going to use this year’s Eurovision Song Contest to
blast themselves into orbit. We wait with anticipation!
RUSSIA – KG BOIZ
The KG Boiz are part of the exciting new wave of contemporary artists
that are thrilling music lovers from Siberia to the Carpathian mountains
in modern Russia. Their tight harmonies and innovative dance moves have
earned them a reputation as an exciting live act. Their recent
appearance in the Vishnevka music festival alongside Western superstars
The Village People broke attendance records for any cultural event in
that city. These cutting edge dudes are totally in the house and plan to
shake up Eurovision with their funkalicious performance. Anyone who
accuses them of being derivative of American pop culture are, to quote
band member Boris ‘Puff Blini’ Novgarov, “totally vack”.
HUNGARY – THE MOLNAR SISTERS
The Molnar Sisters, Magda, Mona and Monchka, had their first public
performance in 1973 when they were 16, as part of the annual Blessing of
the Svansky Festival in their home town of Litka. After being discovered
by one of Hungary’s major music managers, The Molnar Sisters toured
regional Hungary before making their national debut at the Vigszinház in
Budapest. Shortly after this Magda Molnar chose to leave the group to
pursue a highly unsuccessful solo career, to be replaced by Sili Mihály.
The new look trio played to sell out crowds in Malta, Switzerland and
Bulgaria. After many years on the club circuit, Sili Mihály left in 2001
to become a pro-am pantomime performer and was replaced by original
member Magda Molnar (then aged 44). Unfortunately in the weeks leading
up to Eurovision the rigorous touring schedule took its toll and she
sadly had to withdraw, being replaced by sprightly Etzigame Toous.
IRELAND – RONAN CORR
Ronan Corr was the last child born to that well known Irish musical
family. While his brother and sisters went on to achieve moderate
success in their own band, Ronan took a more low key path, performing at
weddings, funerals, twenty-firsts, Christmas parties and church fetes –
anything really that provided some much needed Irish pounds. He was
discovered by a potato gnashing, beer swilling talent scout and after an
appearance on Ireland’s “You’ve Got Talent Hidden Somewhere” he became
the obvious choice to continue Ireland’s proud Eurovision tradition.
GREECE - PERSEPHONE
Like her namesake from Greek mythology, the artist known only as
Persephone [Per-se-fo-nee] is a creature of both light and dark. Did she
rise like Venus from a scallop shell with the ocean foaming around her
knees? Was she a princess abandoned on a Greek island to be raised by
humble goatherds? Could she be a spy in the international house of love?
The truth of the matter is that she was born to a family of fishmongers
and studied to be a secretary in Athens. It was an unexpected win at a
karaoke competition on Mykonos that propelled her into the glamorous
role of representing Greece in this year's event. First prize was in
fact to become the Greek representative, an honour that intimidated many
of the country's better known performing artists. Persephone's naďveté
and humility are qualities she might convince the more gullible of her
audience members to believe in but few could ignore the passionate
temptress that lays simmering underneath the surface of her innocent
exterior. Prepare to be astounded!
LIECHTENSTEIN - NEPOTISM
Formed in Plonken, Liechtenstein during 1998, Nepotism are a post
industrial, post post modernist group influenced by Devo, Kraftwerk, and
Karlheinz Stockhausen. At the beginning of their career they played many
impromptu shows outside the Liechtenstein National Museum in Vaduz,
where they came to the attention of visiting Jamaican conceptual artist
Suizele Narcotic, earning themselves a slot on her 2001 world tour.
Since then they have captured the hearts and imaginations of the
inhabitants of their vibrant little principality through such musical
excursions as their exciting cover version of the alternative
underground classic ‘I’ve Lost My Home’ which was a local number one
record earlier this year.
SWEDEN – AVLA
The AVLA story began in 2002, when yodeling duo Sven and Alcie Olaf met
ice-skaters Lars and Ana Dunsell on a Swedish reality show. The pairs
decided to experiment and by the end of the second episode AVLA was
born. AVLA would like to dedicate their Eurovision performance to their
mentor Cate Haedönslav, who taught them that dreams could come true (and
never underestimate the importance of sequins).
GERMANY — HERBERT GONEMEYER JNR
Herbert Gonemeyer Jnr first came to prominence not as an artist in the
field of popular music but as a fiery competitor and national
representative in the sporting arena. However, after a ‘shining white
light in the distance’ moment, his path changed direction as quickly as
a bee shot from a gun. A true believer in multi-tasking, although
perhaps not all that successfully, Herbert lists his musical influences
as Justin Timberlake, Doris Day and Ironmaiden; one can see a little of
all that in his performance.
FRANCE – ESTELLE LACROIX
Estelle Lacroix is a household name in 22 Rue de St Jaques, Niems, which
is where she lives with her parents and her cat, Bordeaux. The glamorous
Estelle LaCroix lists her hobbies as eating, grocery shopping and
cutting out those Save-A-Euro coupons in the local paper. Estelle became
famous in her street for carol singing at Christmas in ceremonial chant
like style while the turkey was being carved, a ritual that she believes
pays homage to the great gobbler who sacrificed its life to feed the
masses around the world. Her passion for music is matched only by her
passion for French cuisine so it is no surprise that she wrote the
lyrics for France‘s entry. Estelle vehemently denies that it is actually
a shopping list.
.JPG)
