- Title: Eurovision's top contestants ready for grand final
- Date: 12th May 2017
- Summary: KIEV, UKRAINE (MAY 12, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF AUSTRIA ENTRANT, NATHAN TRENT, REHEARSING ON STAGE PHOTOGRAPHERS VARIOUS OF TRENT REHEARSING VARIOUS OF ARMENIA ENTRANT, ARTSVIK, PERFORMING ON STAGE AUDIENCE WATCHING VARIOUS OF BAND FROM THE NETHERLANDS, OG3NE, SINGING ON STAGE MEDIA VARIOUS OF HUNGARY ENTRANT, JOCI PAPAI, REHEARSING WITH HIS PARTNER PHOTOGRAPHERS VARIOUS OF ITALY ENTRANT, FRANCESCO GABBANI, REHEARSING WITH HIS TEAM SPECTATORS WATCHING GABBANI REHEARSING WITH HIS TEAM VARIOUS OF DENMARK ENTRANT, ANJA, REHEARSING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND CAMERAMEN VARIOUS OF PORTUGAL ENTRANT, SALVADOR SOBRAL, SINGING ELEMENT OF STAGE DECORATIONS VARIOUS OF AZERBAIJAN ENTRANT, DIHAJ, PERFORMING WITH HER TEAM MEDIA VARIOUS OF CROATIA ENTRANT, JACQUES HOUDEK, REHEARSING WITH HIS TEAM PHOTOGRAPHERS VARIOUS OF FRANCE ENTRANT, ALMA, REHEARSING
- Embargoed: 26th May 2017 19:40
- Keywords: the Netherlands Hungary Italy Croatia Azerbaijan Eurovision Song Contest Austria Denmark France Armenia Portugal grand final rehearsal
- Location: KIEV, UKRAINE
- City: KIEV, UKRAINE
- Country: Ukraine
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Music
- Reuters ID: LVA0016GJB4U1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:With one day to go until the final of the Eurovision Song Contest, the artists who have made it to the grand show rehearsed their songs on Friday (May 12) in Kiev.
Croatian pop-opera, Romanian yodelling and Hungarian gypsy fusion will all feature in the final of the 2017 Eurovision song contest.
Forty-two countries competed in this year's Eurovision, an annual pageant of the colourful, the camp and the cheesy, but only 26 will take part in Saturday's (May 13) grand final in front of a television audience of millions.
Among those rehearsing late on Friday was singer Jacques Houdek, known as 'Mr Voice' in Croatia, whose entry melds pop and operatic singing styles in the song "My Friend".
Houdek's costume will be half-tuxedo, half-leather jacket - a sartorial illustration of the musical crossover.
Other performers in the final will also present untypical fusions of different musical traditions.
Joci Papai, Hungary's first Roma entrant for Eurovision, will perform "Origo" - a mixture of electronic beats and gypsy vocal flourishes.
Romanian duo Ilinca and Alex Florea will combine rock, rap and yodelling in their song "Yodel it!".
Eurovision was started in 1956 with just seven participating countries with the aim of uniting Europe after World War II. Today, it has an audience of over 204 million and has served as a launching pad for the likes of ABBA, Julio Iglesias and Celine Dion.
To promote talent over politically and geographically motivated block voting, five music industry professionals now account for 50 percent of a performer's score. The other half comes from telephone, SMS and official app votes received for each contestant, with fans unable to vote for their own country's entry.
The winning artist will get the chance to perform the song once again, and take home a glass microphone trophy. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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