Moldova – TRM, Moldovan official broadcaster, published today on their website the 31 songs that had been sent as candidates to represent the country in Baku. The highlight goes to Nelly Ciobanu, who represented Moldova in Eurovision 2009 with the song “Hora Din Moldova”. Back then, she only got the 14th place in the Final, but she wants to try again. Her song for 2012 is called “Turn On The Light”, and is sung entirely in English.
Another former Eurovision representative has also returned: Olia Tira & Sunstroke Project will return to the Moldovan preselection with the song “Superman” and the “Epic Sax Guy” we all know from Oslo.
31 songs were submitted for the preselection. Now, the jury will choose 20 out of those 31, and 3 of them will be chosenthrough internet voting. The finalists will be announced on February 11th, and you can listen to all the songs here.
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Nice selection, I think Moldova could get a good ranking again this year. I like Leria – A Ray Of Sun, Ruslan Taranu – Blanche and Svetlana Dumbravă – Phoenix mostly.
I love Nelly Ciobanu’s song! But ESC is really loosing local sound completely! Her ethnic stuff was good and quality!
Laila will be disappointed with her Nelly! She loves Nelly and local Moldovan sound a lot!
Really think Olia Tira & Sunstroke project suck now and they sucked last time as well! result showed everything!
I hate their entries and their clothes in ESC was trashy and ugly!
I’d like to see Nelly Ciobanu again in ESC… “Turn the lights on” is nice!
I love Nicoleta Dara – “Open your eyes” the most, but it still didn’t appear in their site!
I was a huge fan of Sunstroke Project in 2010 (my 2nd that year). However, I’m not sure how I feel about the new song. It’s extremely catchy, but as Toggie says, “catchy” can be another word for bad. I’ll withhold judgement until I see it performed live (I can only assume that they’ll make the next round).
As for Nelly Ciobanu, “Turn On the Lights” is extremely irrelevant pop music that I’ve heard multitudes of times before. Nothing makes is special or a standout. I haven’t listened to all the Moldovan hopefuls, and I think I’ll save that for when the top 23 are chosen. I can’t rightly compare it with all the other entries because of that, but surely Moldova has something more interesting. They’ve never sent something as boring.
But they are loosing local sound completely from NF! Earlier they always had quality ethnic songs in NF!
As I haven’t listened to most of the entries, I cannot agree nor disagree with you, but I can say that Nelly Ciobanu’s song supports your claim of the loss of local flavors and sounds. Her ethnic-influenced music is always (well, mostly) great and makes me want to support her. However, hearing “Turn On the Lights” come from her is extremely disappointing because I know she produces great ethnic songs.
Oh my, Nelly … from 10/12 (2009) to 2/12 (2011).
Shevek and Laila will be disappointed as well, 100%!
Yes, of course they will. And the song is so bad that her horrible English doesn’t really bug me either. It perfectly fits the whole package which has ‘cheap’, ‘wrong’ and ‘fake’ written all over it. If I remember correctly, she could not give interviews in English in 2009.
But she sings good live, we will see…I have feeling it’s written by somebody from abroad, it smells like that!
Of course she is a fantastic live performer, one of only few performers in the history of ESC who could jump around onstage and provide great vocals at the same time. Btw, my winner in this category is still Ireland 1969:
http://www.youtube.com/user/EuroHouseHistory#p/search/0/8bWnbyGv4ck
I am also very disappointed with Nelly.. Hora din Moldava was the best ever from Moldova
I am listening to some more songs atm and really, really like “Ajută-mă doamne”. It would be a disastrous choice for ESC though, I guess.
Yeah I also noticed that song, and it’s like some old fashioned french ballad, but in Romanian language!
It’s different than others for sure! But this version is too long! :S
Please tell me somebody, I forgot, before which October songs can’t be published?
“The songs (lyrics and music) must not have been commercially released and/or publicly performed, in full or in part, before 1 September 2011.”
That’s from the official rules.
Yes, yes I forgot they moved from October to September!
But i don’t understand why they don’t accept Nicoleta Dara’s entry which was released and published on October 18th and she submitted it for Moldovan NF!
“Superman” is 3 minutes of silly fun. I immensely enjoyed listening to it but would never support it as a song contest entry.
@ Toggie
I think you will be disappointed with Rikke’s entry this year too, maybe i’m wrong, but i think!
I am a bit disappointed!
I will check the Norwegian hopefuls in the next days but I do not have very high hopes that I will like many MGP songs this year.
it’s the biggest norwegian disappointment for sure
Plumbo’s song from Norway has 17000 views just for 9 hours and 484 likes, 41 dislikes..hmm…other entries have few hundreds views…. It seems Norwegian don’t care very much for racist scandal..even contrary! And it will be one to beat in 2012 Norsk MGP IMO, they sound traditional and schlagerish at the same time..they sound Norwegian!
overall there were so many songs to listen to that the diversity is there, and we had a few good ones lost in many crappy ones… I don’t know why I did not wait for the 23 songs to be chosen ut here is what I thought, I will only develop on my favorite ones:
1. Sunstroke Project & Olia Tira – Superman 12/12 (the fact they played and surfed on the Sax Guy internet success proves how smart and self conscious they are of their being second degree fun. I always said in 2010 that their over the top clothes and performance was done in purpose and therefore I supported them. This song is even better than “Run Away”, loved it, loved it)
2. Bingagroove – Take a break 11/12 (the most accomplished song and with a good performance it could be a 12; funny how often there’s good jazz in moldovan NF)
3. Rain Catchers – Click 10/12 (very odd rap and rock combined in a very entertaining audio entry, but I fear for the worst live)
4. Lidia Isac – My fortune hunter 10/12 (surprising, quirky, simple pop, enjoyable and of quality)
5. Akord – Leave the show 9/12 (this was rather good, except for the grammar mistake in the title)
6. Svetlana Dumbrava – Phoenix 8/12 (sounds a lot like Evanescence which I do not like, but this was still coming off very professional)
7. Valentin Uzun – Urare de Bine 7/12
8. Ciprian Racila – Ajuta-ma doamne 7/12
9. Ksenya Nikora – You better rush 6/12
10. Adriano – Love is a fire 6/12
-
Ruslan Taranu – Blanche 5/12
Transbalkanica – Balkan Riders 5/12
Leria – A ray of sun 5/12
Ecaterina Cojocaru – I’m not crazy 5/12
El Pepino Feliz – Do it for me 5/12
Adrian Ursu – Be yourself 5/12
Che-MD – Bate toba 5/12
Ana Smirnova – În umbra ta 5/12
Sasha Bognibov – Nu Stiu De Ce 4/12
Victoria Tutunaru – Nu 4/12
Nelly Ciobanu – Turn on the light 3/12
Angelina Korjan – Fly 3/12
Osigan – Love, born from love 3/12
Denzz – Thread of dream 3/12
Irina Tarasiuc & MC Gootsa – Save a little sunshine 3/12
De Lissa – Oh, mammy 3/12
Cristina Croitoru – Fight for love 2/12
Dorin Panuta – De dorul tau 2/12
Anna Gulko – Ballad of Love 2/12
Voice – Burning 1/12
Vasile Munteanu – No more 1/12
Thody – Just be mine 1/12
Tudor Vlad – Te caut 1/12
Corina Cuniuc – With you 1/12
Romanita – Te ador 0/12
I checked out your top ones except Bingagroove, it’s gone
Luis it isn’t gone! You should search for Formatia Bingagroove, formatia means band in Romanian language..they have two entries!
I just went to B, thanks. Aside from songs 1-10 I’ve just been skipping around randomly.
I dont like that much Nellys song (certainly not as 2009), but Sunstroke have another GREAT song… and what is most important that is not similar to Run Away (which i also loved)… Moldova please select Sunstroke and Olia again!!!
OMG I didn’t check Nicoleta Dara at all because I thought the song is same, and today when i checked it I was terribly disappointed because they changed it completely, now it’s more acoustic
I loved music from the original version! 
Thus i’m afraid I need to change favorite!
Now it’s INAYA – “Lights”!
There is also one song in Russian – Tatevik – “Sweet poizon”, it is old fashioned, but I like it, it sounds good in studio version!
I like this one as well.
She reminds me of Azeri person in picture, and there is some oriental music in it, it’s not Moldovan sound, I suppose it’s Crimea Tatar singer though, it’s one region in Ukraine where Muslims live.. and song is in Russian language, but they put title in English, she mentions these words in Russian, so I suppose they just translated the title!
btw Voice is good in studio version…
I’ve just started my Moldovan 12 venture and I am taking it slow. I’ve listened the songs the first 26 songs and Moldova has different styles on offer as usual; I liked Ana Smirnova, Aurel Chirtocaca, and Cristy Rouge at once. Cristina Croituru and Crystianna have excellent voices, but the songs are as less interesting than the voices that perform them.
Shevek, check Tatevik’s entry, the only song in Russian language! I love it! But it sounds more like Crimea Tatar than Moldovan sound!
I’ve just listened to it, Marko. It isn’t bad at all; it’s actually quite interesting.
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