Alexia & Matei, Echoes and Eduard Santha are the first finalists of Eurovision Romania
Doina Gradea, TVR’s Director General, has announced in premiere, at the press conference in Focsani that the Big Final will be organised in Bucharest, at Polivalenta Hall. The press conference took place on January 21st, before the show.
On Sunday, January 21st, at the end of a special show organised on the stage of the Municipal Theatre in Focsani, the Eurovision Romania jury has announced live on TVR 1, TVR International and TVR Moldova, the first three competitors who are qualified for the Big Final. Alexia & Matei, Echoes and Eduard Santha will compete in the Final and will fight to obtain a ticket to the Lisbon stage at the Eurovision Song Contest.
The competitors and the artists invited on the stage of the Municipal Theatre in Focsani have offered an electrifying show.
Luminiţa Anghel has opened the show with a special moment, performing „The Moldavian Round Dance” together with the Folk Dance Ensemble Tara Vrancei”.
The show went on with the performance of the songs registered in the contest: Lina („A Love Worth Falling For”), Johnny Bădulescu („Devoted”), Hellen („From Underneath”), Eduard Santha („Mesom Romales”), Echoes („Mirror”), Alex Florea („Nobody Told Me It Would Hurt”), Waleska („Renacer”), Liviu Anghel („Rise Up”), CornEL („Take Me Away”), Elena Turcu („The Perfect Fall”) and Alexia & Matei („Walking On Water”)*.
The show has ended with a round dance which symbolises the connection between people: Mircea Baniciu, Ovidiu Lipan Ţăndărică, Josef Kappl, Sorin Voinea and Nicu Patoi, more precisely the Rock Bird had the recital of the evening, performing the ”The round dance without borders”.
The show has been hosted by Diana Dumitrescu and Cezar Ouatu who were supported from the Green Room by Anca Medeleanu, a TVR Iasi presenter.
Marian Ionescu, Ilinca Băcilă, Nicu Patoi, Liliana Ştefan and Viorel Gavrilă are the jury members who decide the finalists of the 2018 National Selection. During the five semi-finals they will choose the 15 songs which will enter the Eurovision Romania Final.
The ranking of the first Eurovision Romania semi-final is the following:
Alexia & Matei („Walking on Water”) 53 points
Echoes („Mirror”) 38 points
Eduard Santha („Mesom Romales”) 35 points
Johnny Bădulescu („Devoted”) 34 points
Alex Florea („Nobody Told Me It Would Hurt”) 28 points
Elena Turcu („The Perfect Fall”) 27 points
Lina („A Love Worth Falling For”) 24 points
Hellen („From Underneath”) 22 points
Liviu Anghel („Rise Up”) 20 points
Waleska („Renacer”) 7 points
CornEL („Take Me Away”) 2 points
Tom Hartis („Teardrop Rain”) withdrawn *
The photos from the first semi-final of the National Selection can be downloaded by accessing the link: http://bit.ly/2mYP1t9. All the songs qualified in the semi-finals can be listened on the dedicated site eurovision.tvr.ro.
On the background of the Centenary Year, the slogan of the National Selection is „Eurovision unifies Romania! “. The series of the five semi-finals – a premiere within the history of the contest – had its debut on Sunday, in Focsani, which is the city known for the union between Wallachia and Moldavia.
The Big Final will take place in Bucharest at the Polivalenta Hall, on February 25th. In the last act of the National Selection, the public is the only one who will decide Romania’s representative on the Lisbon stage, out of the 15 songs left in the contest.
During the following four semi-finals of Eurovision Romania, we will find out the names of the 12 finalists: Timişoara, on January 28th, Craiova, on February 4th, Turda, on February 11th and Sighişoara, on February 18th. The shows will be broadcast live on TVR 1, TVR International and TVR Moldova, as well as on TVR+, starting from 21.00 hrs.
* Tom Hartis („Teardrop Rain”) was about to compete in Focsani semi-final, but he has announced the organisers about his withdrawal. The artist was present at the rehearsals, but due to some medical reasons, he could not perform on stage and this is why he decided to withdraw from the competition.
About the finalists:
Alexia is the winner of the first prize at the interpretation category at the San Remo festival in 2011. Her record includes also two titles of world champion, voice with piano and voice with drums at the ARTS World Championship, organised in Hollywood where she represented Romania.
Matei loves country-rock music and four years ago he made his own rock band and has met Alexia a year ago within a contest.
The Echoes brings forward the rock music sounds at the National Selection, with the song „Mirror” (music and lyrics: Liviu Elekes, Claudiu Dănăilă). Liviu Elekes – he is a composer and plays several instruments; he is also a musical director and has a vast experience on the stage of the National Selection, being at his fourth participation at Eurovision Romania. The band includes: Alex Gomez – drums, Cătălin Fotin – bass, Dan Ionescu – guitar and the lead singer Claudiu Dante.
Eduard Santha is back at the Eurovision Romania. He participated at the Final of Eurovision Romania in 2017 with the song „Wild Child” (composers and lyric writers: Eduard Santha and Marius Alexandru Pop). His performance brought him the 8th place in the Big Final.
This year, Eduard competes in the National Selection with a unique song – „Mesom Romales” that he has composed in collaboration with Alexandru Luft.