Published: 13 May, 2009, 05:31
Edited: 13 May, 2009, 05:31
The semi-final of the Eurovision song contest has been held in Moscow. Ten songs have been named to take part in Saturday's final.
The entries from the following countries will fight for first place at the weekend: Turkey, Sweden, Israel, Portugal, Malta, Finland, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Romania, Armenia and Iceland.
It’s been a year since Russia’s Dima Bilan won the competition in Belgrade.
Even though it’s called Eurovision, the name is a little misleading. Contestants in the first semi-final came from Israel and Turkey, outside Europe, who presented their entries along with those from Montenegro, Czech Republic, Belgium, Belarus, Sweden, Armenia, Andorra, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Iceland, F.Y.R. Macedonia, Romania, Finland, Portugal, Malta, Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Among the favorites for the first semi-final was Hadise from Turkey, one of the youngest participants, Johanna from Iceland, and a veteran of Eurovision, Chiara from Malta – she is taking part in the competition for the third time.
Viewers in the countries represented in this semi could vote by making a phone call and/or sending a text. Each person is allowed to vote up to 20 times for anyone, but not the competitor from their native country.
But it’s not only TV viewers who can vote this year. A professional jury has been set up specifically to judge the musical side of the contest. In Russia, pop-star Filipp Kirkorov is heading the jury.