AZERBAIJAN: Romania's “Mandinga” band rehearses ahead of Eurovision-2012 semi-final

Record ID: 218220

  • Title: AZERBAIJAN: Romania's “Mandinga” band rehearses ahead of Eurovision-2012 semi-final
  • Date: 22nd May 2012
  • Summary: BAKU, AZERBAIJAN (MAY 21, 2012) (REUTERS) JOURNALISTS AND GUESTS WALKING INTO CRYSTAL HALL, VENUE OFF EUROVISION SONG CONTEST JOURNALISTS IN PRESS CENTER VARIOUS OF ROMANIA'S ENTRY "MANDINGA" DURING REHEARSAL AUDIENCE APPLAUDING BAND LEAVING STAGE REHEARSAL CONTINUES
  • Embargoed: 6th June 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Azerbaijan
  • Country: Azerbaijan
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVAACMR1IULW9HEX3MHQE1D0C05D
  • Story Text: Romania's Mandinga, known back home as the best Latino band of the country, took to the stage of Crystal Hall Baku on Monday (May 21) for the first semi-final rehearsal ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest on May 26, 2012.
    The seven-member band including two musicians from Cuba, sang and danced "Zaleilah," a catchy Romanian-Latino fusion, on a stage decorated with hundreds of 'beating hearts', hoping to win love of the viewers across Europe.
    The song "Zaleilah" was first presented to the audience in 2011 by the band which started performing together in 2002 and has released four albums since then.
    The song was composed by Costi Ionita, with lyrics by Elena Ionescu, Dihigo Omar Secada and Costi Ionita.
    "Zaleilah" is already a hit in Romania holding the third place in Top 100, but the band wants turn it into the "hit" of this year's contest.
    "Our objective is to be 'top five' and the Mandinga objective, the delegation objective, is to be the hit of the Eurovision," Sergiu Stoiadin, the band manager told journalist at the news conference held after the first rehearsal in Baku.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Audio restrictions: please see Business Notes for more information.
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