So now we've got Vodka as our candidate in the Eurovision Song Contest. To be blunt, I don't like the song - at all. I don't like the idea of having all that noise and someone trying to sing to it. I couldn't make heads or tails of what the singer was screaming! Would anyone know what the song is about if one heard it the first time?
The right song for the Eurovision type of contest requires a show, some humour and something that would stamp itself on the audience's mind, helping it to distinguish itself from other songs. After I saw Xarabank on January 25 and saw Josette (Ray Calleja) singing Catwalk, I thought it was the perfect package with all the right qualities. It was evident from the noise in the hall that the people enjoyed it because in reality, it is a good song. Not only did Josette interpret it well and got the audience off their chairs, dancing and clapping, but she also stole the whole show that night.
Everybody cheered and clapped in agreement when Peppi Azzoppardi said that if this song had actually made it to the finals, it would have been the winning song. It was as if the audience were showing their disapproval of the judges' decision to eliminate it. But it wasn't to be, as the selecting judges cut off her chances of being selected by the public in the last stage.
One must ask why! For years we've been waiting for something new, something fresh and above all, attention-grabbing. Not only did this song have a catchy tune but it would have erased the idea of a "Gala night" whenever the Maltese think about the Eurovision. It would have brought down the expectations and disappointments to something more sportive among the Maltese, if we actually didn't achieve a good result.
We're still hooked on the times when the Eurovision was all about having good voices, the best dress (or jeans ... sorry Fabrizio) and jewelry. We need to be a bit more adventurous when it comes to our choices. Frankly, in my humble opinion, on the final night we didn't have much of a choice. The best song or "package", as most members of the board like to call it, was eliminated. In the meantime, I'm sure that we'll hear Josette's song being aired and widely requested on our airwaves.
Being Maltese I have the duty to support whoever represents Malta even if I disagree with the choice. While wishing Morena all the luck, I hope that next year during the Song for Europe Festival, we'll have some "real" songs and above all a good selection to choose from.