Latvia – Dziesma 2013 kicks off tonight as 12 songs battle it out for a place in Latvia’s national final. Six songs will go through to this final. This will be decided by 50/50 jury (9 music experts) and televote. The show starts at 20:15 (CET) and can be watched here. Listen to all the songs here. The second semi-final will take place tomorrow where six more songs will also qualify for the final on Saturday the 16th of February.
Tonight’s 12 songs in order are:
Pieneņu Vīns – Better than you
Ivo Grīsniņš Grīslis – Give me a try
Dominic Okolue – Good woman
Liene Candy – Higher and higher
Samanta Tīna – I need a hero
Headline – Love
Liene Matveja un Baiba Reine – Love responder
Olafs Bergmanis & The random people – Never let me go
Per – Sad trumpet
Fox Lima – Tirpini
Sabīne Berezina – Upside down
Antra Stafecka – When you are with me
Update!
The 6 qualifying acts are:
Liene Candy – Higher And Higher
Antra Stafecka – When You Are With Me
Headline – Love
Samanta Tīna – I Need A Hero
Sabīne Berezina – Upside Down
PeR – Sad Trumpet
Related articles
- Latvia: Listen to the Songs! (eurovisiontimes.wordpress.com)
- Latvia: Songs Online! (eurovisiontimes.wordpress.com)
The Eurovision Times 
I’m looking forward to this year Eesti Laul because BIG favorites are Pohja Tallinn and I luv them!! :-****
I’m not watching but these are the ones I like in this semi
1.Samanta Tīna – I need a hero
2.Olafs Bergmanis & The random people – Never let me go
3.Antra Stafecka – When you are with me
WOW! Both “Sad Trumpet” and “When You Are With Me” are very beautiful songs.
Hi, everyone.
Hi. :)
here is Fox Lima from the semi
I have just found a great quote by Betty Dittrich. “Geschmack ist eben wie ein Arsch – geteilt, das muss man respektieren” (At the end of the day taste is like a bum … devided, and you have to respect that).
LOL
I wish she could have a chance of winning the German final!Cascada will rule the internet voting anyway.You wouldn’t believe which song is the OGAE Greece’s favorite along Glorious of course.It’s Ave Maris Stella.I was quite surprised. :)
I posted in our OGAE site link how to vote for entries and here is Cascada favorite as well, but here Cascada will be favorite for others I’m 99% sure..
Betty Dittrich seems to be the favourite at the moment. She has really gained momentum. On Prinz Blog she is the most populat act and the site has just published an article on her being the most popular act among the blog’s readers. Plus, NDR’s official blogger Jan Feddersen has recently published an article supporting her too.
After long and deep thinking my internet vote went to Ben Ivory but I will probably cast another vote from a different e-mail address for Betty soon.
* popular
That’s nice to hear.I hope,she will keep the official video’s dance routine in the final too.
So do I. It looks so simple and polished.
Then I have to do that from another e-mail too.. :P :D
You think she will win whole NF??? OMG OMG!! I’m gonna die seriously!!!!!
I don’t know. The only thing I know is that she is immensely popular with people who are into ESC / our NF. On the 14th, many people who do not know the songs yet will watch the show and vote, and thus everything is still possible. I am pretty sure though that she will get top scores from the jury.
I have no problem with you casting another vote as long as it is not 2 votes for the same song. We do not want our scores to be corrupted.
Of course that i will vote for the same song, if that option is available..and Shevek did that..
I don’t approve! :(
Hmm it’s very hard to believe you’ve cast only one vote from one e mail either or if you did that you won’t cast again till 1the 4th, but all right…
Good night! :-***
Of course I only cast 1 vote so far. Even in ESC I never vote more than once for a song. Perhaps you will understand some day …
Betty is the favourite! Yes! Lalala!
On the vote: I vote 9 times; once per radio station and I always used the same mail. My beloved amintirele one.
Vote for Lalala! Do it now! And do not forget about Ben while you’re at it!
*I voted
I am not that surpised. After all, Greece gave 12 points to France in 2011 …
i love her more every day
I love that quote. “Smaken är som baken – delad” as we say in Sweden.
Good evening/ night everyone. I’m back from the MF rehearsal in Scandinavium, Gothenburg. How did it end in the Latvian semi-final?
HI!! :)
Nooo I have just planned to leave and you appeared with these news! :D
can you tell us a bit of your impressions from rehearsal? :)
Hi Marko! :)
I have decided to make my song review based on my impressions tonight, and not the actual show tomorrow, but I’ll wait with it until tomorrow at least.
Sean Banan was the huge favourite among the audience, but since they were made up by 50% children, it was perhaps not surprising. And Banan’s fate will rely 100% upon how much the parents will allow their children to vote tomorrow. And the new Eric Saade, Anton Ewald, will probably score well, even if I’m in doubt that he sang anything at all tonight. Everything sounded pre-recorded. He is not doing gimmicks as Saade and his song is not as catchy as Saade’s so we’ll see how that will work. My impression is also that the Housewives might flop. It’s just a feeling I have. And that Felicia Olsson might score well.
Thanks A LOT! :)
I really dislke banana this yaer! :(
Have you seen Louie Hoffsten? :) Did she play a mouth organ?
Oh yes, she did. And that is probably the only live instrument that will be played this year. Many people seemed to like Louise so I think she’ll have a chance qualifying. After all, her song is written by Stefan Örn and Sandra Bjurman who have managed to bring Azerbaijan into top 5 three years in a row.
My personal favourite is of course Rikard Wolff. I’m even planning to give him a (12/12), but I’m sure he’ll not stand a chance.
OMG she plays it live!! :-*** yes I have also noticed Stefan Örn among songwriters.. :)
I am leaning towards Rikard Wolff as well, Eulenspiegel. I have to go now. I wish everyone an enjoybale ESC saturday. :)
Both PER and Antra (world-class live vocals) are in the final. :) Unfortunately, Sabine and her silly act are too.
And then we have Headline (I think that he is sexy but Pat feels molested … LOL) and two irrelevant ones: Samanta and Liene.
Pienenu Vins are out. :(
How great to hear that the sad trumpet made it. I do almost only care for that song and “Cold heart”
I recommend to check Antra’s live performance. She delivered world-class live vocals. :)
Good night!
Ms. Dittrich is clever and funny. :)
All of the performances http://www.youtube.com/user/maqqaq?feature=watch
Thanks, Dimitri. :)
I agree with the ones who have praised Antra Stafecka. World class performance. Her song and ‘Sad Trumpet’ are my clear favourites in Latvia.
But I told you LATVIA IS FOR MEE! :P Samanta Tina GO TO MALMO!!!
She probably will, don’t worry. :)
OMG 2382 likes forCcascada and 135 845 views!! :O
She can reach 450 points in ESC, I’m sure!
Not ‘she’ but ‘they’ … Cascada is a project consisting on several people.
LOL I know!
I think that Germnay has HUGE chances in ESC with Saint Lu as well, if singing is good live and perfromance is nice..but she will probably come last in German NF..
For me it’s clear 10/10!
I like ‘Craving’ very much as well.
She is my number 3, after Cascada and Söhne Mannheims, I have some hopes now because Cascada can win internet voting, there are big chances for that..
I’m almost sure that Germany can’t bid for TOP 10 in Malmo with that “Lalala”, maybe even not for TOP 15..
Good night!
And Shevek today PR of RTS told that it will be able to vote 5 votes per candidate maximum in Beosong..that is big improvement, earlier was allowed as many as you want..that opens chances for less known..and she also said that it will be smth for everybody – pop (uptempo and ballads), dance, rock, jazz..
Wise decison, Marko. It’ll be my first Beosong and I’m looking forward to listening to the songs.
Good night, everyone! :)
What? Tirpini didn’t qualify? Noooooooooo :(
Check the video and you’ll see why, George. Very bad live vocals.
Υes i’ve checked it, really bad vocals. It’s pity how such a bad performance can destroy such a good song.
I didn’t find the vocals THAT bad…( except from the big shout ).
Overall , it was a good song presented very nicely and I think it deserved a place in the Final over Sabina…
Yes it’s very bad thing, they were GREAT! :(
I’ve checked the songs that qualified from this semifinal. Only “i need a hero” is somehow good, but too ordinary for me, and “when you are with me” that is just mediocre. All the others are craps. I’m sorry to tell that.
Finally got around to watching the first-semifinal performances on You Tube, and I have to say I am quite impressed! With one notable exception the performances and songs were of quite a high quality – only four scored below average from me.
…
Liene Candy (5/12) – Decent voice but a very generic schlager effort and the presentation was boring – she needs some dancers or something on stage.
Fox Lima (7/12) – I don’t think that the vocals were as bad as everyone here is saying – apart from the shout towards the end they sounded alright to me. Visually it was a beautifully mesmerising performance.
Dominic Okolue (1/12) – Oh dear, oh dear.
Antra Strafecka (8/12) – I really like the song, although I still find the lyrics a bit naff. The big disappointment for me here is the performance – whilst the vocals were note-perfect, I didn’t like the presentation. She looked like a wannabe Marie N. with the sensual choreography and the dress (if it can be called that) was horrible. I would have much preferred to see her simply standing in front of a microphone with a band behind her.
Olafs Bergmanis & The Random People (9/12) – What a fun 3 minutes! A simple, catchy and memorable song with a happy and uplifting performance. The lead singer was engaging and reminded me a little of Robin Jukhental with his endearingly odd stage movements :D.
Samanta Tina (6/12) – A very typical big-ballad that is nevertheless performed well. Nice enough but not in any way remarkable.
Headline (7/12) – A decent funk-inflected rock song, although I found the lead singer a bit creepy and nauseating.
Pieneņu Vīns (8/12) – A cool, if borderline frantic funk-pop song with a catchy melody. I can’t shake the feeling however that it sounds like the intro music to a TV show…
Ivo Grīsniņš Grīslis (7/12) – A decent, if generic pop-rock effort. I like certain touches like the synths in the chorus and beat during the bridge, mixed with the MOR rock style. Vocals were decent.
Liene Matveja & Baiba Reine (4/12) – An awkward stage presence from these two girls and their “dates”. Vocals were pretty good and the song is tolerable, although I feel like I’ve heard it many times before…
PER (11/12) – The clear highlight for me. Great vocals and beat-boxing, and the song is mysterious, intriguing and different (inspired by Tarantino, according to the band). They are charismatic performers, although I would recommend the introduction of a trumpet player on stage during the instrumental.
Sabine Berezina (4/12) – First of all, who on earth is her stylist?!? She looks she’s been dragged backwards through a pool of glitter, feathers and coloured beads!! In addition to the awful outfit, her vocals are only average and the song sounds like a rejected Katy Perry song. Entertaining at least…