How can you call BOSNIA middle of the road and predictable? I haven't enjoyed all of their entries but they're certainly not a country where I know what is coming. Is it just because they rarely send wispy-voiced females with an average pop track?

 

This is quite the mess. I'm not sure what I think of it at the moment but I appreciate its existence to spice up the contest.

 

 

Well nearly all of them in recent years just have that typical Balkan ballad sound, this one, MayaSar, Dino, Regina, Maria, Hari in recent years all sound pretty similar to me and fair enough as they all have that Balkan sound, it's just quite predictable but fair enough as that is their music type! And Serbia tend to pull out stronger Balkan influenced entries than Bosnia do for me.

You can download the song for free from BHRT's website here: http://www.bhrt.ba/kultura/muzika/bh-euros...ortalu-bhrt-ba/

 

I have to say in MP3 HQ it is already sounding better!

Regina sounds nothing LIKE Dino Merlin and neither sound a thing LIKE MayaSar!

On reflection what I'm trying to get across is that when we got the description that it was going to be "Balkan" you can tell exactly what the song is going to sound like, just like when all Greek and Turkish entries seemed to sound pretty similar year on year because they are of course putting in their ethnic instruments which is fair enough. You're right, this song certainly has more in common with the entries by Željko, Knez, Sergej, Jelena etc than a couple of those I mention above so I'm wrong as Serbia and Montenegro have used this style just as much as Bosnia. But still I feel I've heard this song many times before and it's not a bad thing, but I've never been a massive fan of Balkan ballads - most of them are just "nice" for me and this is another one.

 

Basically Serbia do Balkan ballads better than Bosnia for me :kink:

i really don't see the problem in bosnia or any other balkan countries constantly sending more traditionally balkan songs. in fact i believe it's the thing that makes eurovision so unique. is the contest going to be better with every single country sending average pop with the only thought in mind - to win? i doubt that. eurovision is about ethnic and diverse songs. you don't even necessarily need a loreen to win. if done right you can captivate massive audiences with a perfectly traditional song.

 

and i don't quite like you generalising all turkish/greek/balkan songs. yes, they might sound alike (because they use more or less same instruments (guess what, so so so many songs use guitar and drums and stuff, don't see you having a problem with that)) but they are not the same song and are all pretty different. moreover, i really don't see how greek entries are similar year after year. they couldn't have been more different in this last decade.

It's not a problem, and you are right it is what makes Eurovision unique as we get to hear sounds we don't typically hear on our radios. For me it is just the way Balkan sounds are used in songs aren't as appealing to me as the way Greek sounds are used just as an example, as the latter are often in high energy pop songs whereas the former are in beautiful foreign-language ballads and I think with ballads I need to connect to lyrics more than with dance-pop songs. I think that is why I prefer "Balkan ballads" when live on stage than in recorded form as you can see the emotion and the story without having to understand lyrics - 'Adio' was a big example of this for me last year.

 

It's the instrumentation that I'm referring to, obviously me hearing drums and guitars all day every day on radio in mainstream pop songs means that when some new instruments come along it is easy to group them together because they are something different to what I'm used to. But of course OPA is different to Secret Combination and Watch My Dance is different to Rise Up. In my head when I think of Greece I think of Helena/Kalomira/Eleftheria as while they are my favourite Greek entries they are all similar and that's why I draw the generalisation.

 

There's no issue here at all, but Eurovision songs with Balkan traditional instruments tend not to be my cup of tea. They are always nice but rarely have the wow factor for me.

Interview to Dalal Midhat, one of the singer of "Ljubav je" in esctrevistas.blogspot.com.es

 

Today's drama is that there was a big fight at Deen's birthday party last night which Dalal, Ana, Jala and their songwriter Almir Ajanović were all present at. Ajanović apparently caused injuries to Jala and he also attacked Deen and Dalal, the latter of which was reported to have ended up in hospital but thankfully they have been denied. The news is all over the media in former Yugoslavia, with reports in Bosnia suggested a decision on participation will come in the next 24 hours and all parties are in a meeting as we speak.

 

Such an odd story, but I guess if the songwriter prevents the use of his song and he has full ownership over it then it's the same situation as 'Diell' last year - but while Elhaida had time to get a new song in Albania, Dalal & Deen certainly don't.

 

Really hope they stay, I don't love the song but the four of them were fantastic in interviews in Amsterdam at the weekend and I hope their songwriter hasn't destroyed it for them.

Can someone go and punch Frans' songwriters pls x

Good grief. I hope they stay, would be a great shame to lose the song, although maybe it'd get Bosnia to keep their 100% record for another year.

An ESC Nation poster has summarised an official announcement from the Bosnian Head of Delegation:

 

http://static.klix.ba/media/images/vijesti/b_160413095.jpg

 

Deen, Ana and Dalal met with Lejla Babovic (see picture above; side tidbit: she was the inspiration for the lyrics of 2006, true story). All accounts point to Almir Ajanovic (songwriter) having assulted Jala, Dalal as well as another singer (who was there as part of a larger group organized by Hayat TV).

 

The HoD says that right now, the police is involved in investigating the incident, and it seems that there may be criminal charges filed against the songwriter. She says that there is no room for anyone in that position on the Bosnian delegation. Thus, she said, they are in contact with EBU regarding their course of action (to do with participation).

 

Not sure why EBU is involved and why there is still a question about it, but it probably has to do wit hthe fact that the songwriter presumably financed much of the 2016 effort himself.

 

Meanwhile, people are finally talking about Eurovision in BiH, as it seems everyone and their mother has an opinion on this scandal...

Their participation is "no longer in jeopardy" but the songwriter will no longer be travelling to Stockholm. In more positive news, the official music video will be released this evening!

Official music video with a slightly revamped version of the song too:

 

And here was me thinking we weren't going to get the obligatory "video commissioned by the national tourist board" from an ex-Yugo country this year since Montenegro dropped the ball on that one.