Ukraine: Gaitana is the Ukrainian guest in Baku
In today’s show, 21 artists competed for the honour to represent their country in Baku. Among different types of music from ballad to rock, the TV viewers and the expert jury chose the most modern one. It’s Be My Guest sung by a woman with a strong and convincing voice: Gaitana!
In the beginning of the show the jurors of the national final have been announced. Among them were famous musicians and experts of show business: Valid Arfush, Olena Mozgova, Yehor Berkendorf and Semen Gorov.
The SMS voting has been open just after the introduction and could be followed on the site of NTU. Renata won the hearts of the majority of the Ukrainian TV viewers and has been leading from the very first second. But Gaitana got more points from the jury and thus won the Ukrainian national final.
Gaitana’s real name is Gaitana Essami. 32 years old artist is famous for her Afro-Ukrainian voice. She can be claimed a pioneer in the Ukrainian R&B.
Here is the list of entrants in order of their appearance on stage in today’s show (the winner in bold):
1. Shanis - Dream (16 points)
2. Vitalij Halaj - I Want To Love (7 points)
3. Max Barskih - Dance (38 points)
4. Olya Polyakova - Lepestok (23 points)
5. Eduard Romanyuta - I’ll Never Let Go (28 points)
6. Band Legkyj Flirt - MegaMix (5 points)
7. Igor Tatarenko - You’re My Life (14 points)
8. Myhajlo Hrytskan - Ya Tak Iskal Tebya (17 points)
9. Duet Masha Shazonova & Tyhon Levchenko - I Close To You (27 points)
10. Marta - My Heart Is Sorrowing (19 points)
11. Gaitana - Be My Guest (41 points)
12. Oksana Nesterenko - Mondo Blu (12 points)
13. RAPIRA - Get Over (19 points)
14. Andrij Bohomolets - Are You Waiting For Me (19 points)
15. BONDarchuk - I Don’t Know Why (18 points)
16. Renata - Love In Sunlight Rays (27 points)
17. Band Treeorange - New Day (18 points)
18. NEREALNYE (The Incredibles) - Just A Dream (34 points)
19. Ulyana Rudakova - Ty Ne Odyn (23 points)
20. Marietta - Rainbow (19 points)
21. Lena Voloshyna - Let It Out (14 points)
Matias who has been withdrawn from the national selection came to support the finalists. He sang his song I Will Fight To The End. Zlata Ognevich who participated in the Ukrainian final last year but didn’t win also came to support this year’s contestants.
She performed her new song One Day. Alyosha who participated in the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest sang her song To Be Free. This year’s entrant from France, Aggun, perfomed her song Echo (You And I) for the Ukrainian public, as did Sinplus from Switzerland.
Ukraine will compete in the Second Semi-Final of the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest, on May 24th in Baku.