- Title: NORWAY: Eurovision favourite Safura celebrate Azerbaijani Republic Day with gig
- Date: 29th May 2010
- Summary: SAFURA ON STAGE CROWD WATCHING SAFURA
- Embargoed: 13th June 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Norway
- Country: Norway
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
- Reuters ID: LVA468AA80GLY7J6WR6GB0AJGBCE
- Story Text: On the eve of the Eurovision Song Contest favourite Safura celebrates Azerbaijan's Republic Day on Friday (May 28) with outdoor concert.
Azerbaijan's Safura has emerged as the bookies favourite in the Eurovision final on Saturday (May 29). Bookies have given her a 2/1 odds for winning after qualifying with the Swedish-written song "Drip Drop" in Thursday's (May 27) semi-final.
"I am expecting to win and I will try to do my best to win," Safura, who will be the first to enter the stage in Saturday's final said.
"I am happy that I am opening this big big holiday, the Eurovision is a great holiday for us and I am very glad that I am first," she added.
Safura has said that being one of the favourites had only spurred her on to be even better.
On Friday Safura was joined by several Azerbaijani artists including the country's national dancers and last year's Eurovision contestant AySel at an official event to celebrate the Azerbaijani national holiday in central Oslo.
The official Azerbaijani concert in celebration of the Republic Day took place on a makeshift stage set up in the Eurovision Village in central Oslo. The event is the initiative of Azerbaijan's embassy in Sweden.
"I am very happy that they made this concert today and I am very happy to perform here today with our dancers," Safura said.
"I am very happy to celebrate it in Norway," Safura, who started singing at the age of three and has won the Azerbaijani equivalent to Pop Idol said.
Azerbaijan declared independence from the Transcaucasian Federation alongside Armenia on May 28, 1918.
Many Azerbaijani's living in Norway had found their way to the Eurovision Village on Friday.
"I think we are so lucky having the Eurovision at the same time as Azerbaijan's national day," Tebrizli Memmed Rza said. He was sure Safura would win the final.
"Azerbaijan is in an area surrounded by war and conflict because of war and oil, and a lot of other things. Safura is showing how women in Azerbaijan think and how the world can develop in a positive way," another man, Yasar Merdyan said.
Last year Azerbaijan ended third in the Eurovision Song Contest with 207 points.
The Eurovision Song Contest has grown over the years since the first ever festival was held on May 24, 1956.
According to Eurovision, an estimated 125 million people across the world watch the Eurovision Song Contest every year and n 2009, a record amount of people all over Europe called in to vote for their favourite. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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