Will it be alright on the night?

I want to start this letter by first apologising to my long-time friend Robert Abela as I really wanted to convey to him in person the following observations, immediately after Olivia Lewis's victory at this year's Malta Song for Europe Festival. I sincerely hope I am not too late.

I do not consider myself some image expert when it comes to the Eurovision festival, but during my broadcasting years at PBS I did follow the festival in more ways than one. I did the Maltese commentary for Radio Malta for some eight consecutive years and was a member on the judging panel, in the pre-televoting editions.

Having seen the second rehearsal of the Maltese song on One TV and read The Times correspondent's report from Helsinki about the same performance (besides wanting to kick myself) I would like to put mouse to screen and air my opinion about what our song should look like on the night.

The "package" we saw during the rehearsal looks amateurish and quite crowded. The only professional touch is Olivia's personal image, Jess's postures and Joseph's playing of the violin.

Let Olivia run the show and please, as dishy as they might look in their topless costumes, dress Jess Schembri up in some complimentary white top and forget the hand-held fans, abandon the movements and ask him to concentrate only on the gong. Joseph Chetcuti will look just as hunky in some tight jeans and white lycra top. Body painting is no replacement.

As for the backing vocals, pseudo dancers, I am of the opinion that they should do away with the dance routine/movement and be put somewhere at the back doing what probably they know best, that is backing Olivia with their voices.

The song as penned by Philip Vella and Gerard James Borg is already very busy, offering a very nicely done fusion of a gypsy-style jazzy sound with an oriental blend and it hardly needs any carnival-like costumes or dance routines when performed on stage.

I have full confidence in Olivia Lewis' professionalism. Her voice and her own performance, I am sure, will make us proud on the night be it just on the eliminatory Thursday night or the final night on Saturday. A big prosit to the dress designer Joseph Bonello (the yellow dress) and the sponsors who provided the very chic looking material.

Malta might be one of the smallest countries participating the Eurovision Song Contest but it does not mean that we cannot be professional in whatever we do by keeping things simple.