Eurovision 2013: Romania

Romania is a country that has had a very successful track record at Eurovision in the past few years, so the results of their national final--Selecția Națională--usually produces a song that could potentially contend in the Eurovision final.

I have to say that the Romanian public chose the most interesting song to be sent to Eurovision this year.

 

Cezar   "It's My Life"

 

Interesting, right?   Cezar is a classically trained countertenor and this song an audition piece, featuring his vocal range.  It brings to mind a song from a couple of years ago:

 

 

Malena Ernman   "La Voix"   Sweden   2009 

 

I have to admit that "It's My Life" is definitely stands out this year--as many other commentators have noted, this is a serious ballad laden contest.  Cezar's performance is the antithesis to that, and it's one of the few songs that have a whiff of camp to it--something that has been missing from the contest in the past few years.

 

As for Cezar's chances to make it to the final, I have to say it's questionable at best.   Although Ernman did rather well--coming in fourth in her semi-final--a man singing at the level of a mezzo-soprano is much less acceptable than a comely blonde.

 

But Romania is the last song in the semifinal it's placed in and Romania has qualified every year that a semi-final has been in place--so it's likely to qualify and sink to the bottom on Saturday night, much like "La Voix" did.

 

I can respect the choice of the Romanian public.  I don't understand the choice.   I would have gone with the song that won the jury vote:

 



 

Electric Fence   "Emilia"

 

It its own way, "Emilia" is as odd as "It's My Life", but it's weirdness is very much of many of the Moldovan entries of previous years.  Those Moldovan entries have become personal favorites, and I would have loved seeing Electric Fence bouncing around the stage in Malmö.

 

Would it have been a better choice?  I honestly don't know.  But it would have been fun to watch.