GERMANY: Albania and Armenia want to give it all for the Eurovision Song Contest, the singers tell journalists in Duesseldorf after their second rehearsals

Record ID: 560304

  • Title: GERMANY: Albania and Armenia want to give it all for the Eurovision Song Contest, the singers tell journalists in Duesseldorf after their second rehearsals
  • Date: 6th May 2011
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALBANIAN SINGER AURELA GACE, SAYING: "Tina Turner first of all is my idol. I really love her. Her energy and what she gives on stage, it's amazing. Like nobody else. I'm grateful if people can see that kind of energy in me but I'm happy in my own skin. I really know what I give and what I give it's just from my heart. And my heart has a body and a face, it's called Aurela."
  • Embargoed: 21st May 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany, Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
  • Reuters ID: LVA2T2GER9XUL4S9L43CBR9A1AU6
  • Story Text: The flaming-haired Albanian diva Aurela Gace will represent her country in Eurovision 2011.
    Gace has won many Albanian song contests but this will be the first time she will represent her country at the international song contest that is in Duesseldorf in May this year.
    Her song "Feel the Passion" was the winner of "Festivali I Kenges 49". Originally performed as '"Kënga ime' ('My Song'), this tune was Aurela Gace's third winner of the music festival.
    Revamped and translated into English for Eurovision 2011, it has a very Mediterranean feel, and features frenetic strings.
    Compared to an Albanian Tina Turner clearly delighted her:
    "Tina Turner first of all is my idol. I really love her," Gace told journalists on Thursday (May 5) in Duesseldorf. "I'm grateful if people can see that kind of energy in me but I'm happy in my own skin. I really know what I give and what I give it's just from my heart. And my heart has a body and a face, it's called Aurela."
    Thirty-seven year-old Aurela Gace, started singing when she was just 4 years-old but her real success came in the 90's.
    Gace has already toured Turkey, Greece and Kosovo to promote her song. However, her chances of winning the European Song context are rather limited. She will have to oust 42 challengers, amongst them a Greek rapper, a peacenik from Austria, the much-talked about twins Jedward from Ireland and last year's winner Lena from Germany.
    Armenian pop diva Emmy is having a slightly different approach to the Eurovision Song Contest with her song 'Boom-Boom'. The story tells of a girl who's fallen in love with a guy doing nothing except boxing - the video released last month features popular Germany-based Armenian professional boxer Arthur Abraham.
    "Our song is about boxing, about Arthur Abraham (Armenian-German professional boxer), about the best and strongest fighter for me in the world right now," Emmy told reporters. "And he is going to fight on the 14th, in the same day as our final. I hope I'm going to be in the final so I can paste my energy to Arthur Abraham."
    The first of the two Eurovision 2011 semi-finals featuring Emmy is scheduled for May 10, with the grand finale due on May 14.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register