World Song Contest

With the Eurovision Song Contest fever growing, this edition of the World Song Contest brought us some entries which didn't succeed to represent their country in the event. For the first time, and this was an exception, an ESC song even took part. Romania's entry was submitted before the national final and was then allowed. If the song finally won the ticket to Athens, it didn't help Romania to win here.

For the first time, top 3 of the previous edition was automatically qualified for the final. Turkey also qualified as the winner of "The Winner Knows It All". This could have been a disadvantage. Only Iceland didn't reach the top 20, while Turkey and Belgium were good for a top 10 position. For the 31 remaining entries the fight began in the qualifying round. Once again, and despite some good critics, Germany and Lithuania failed to reach the final, as well as Austria and Portugal. But the disappointment came from the Netherlands which missed the final for the first time.

Big stars were once again part of the show. Italy only managed to avoid the last position in the final, despite being represented by Eros Ramazzotti. Nelly Furtado for Canada reached the 13th position and Massive Attack came 12th for the United Kingdom. Only Pink, for the USA, reached the top 10. The contest wasn't repeating itself after Madonna and Céline Dion's victories.

After a closed race with Slovenia, France and Monaco, Russia took the crown for the third time after WSC .05 and WSC .08. This time, it was with Vitas, who represented Russia for the second time, and the song Krikon Zhuravlinim.

Results of the qualifying round

* When there's a tie, the difference is made by the number of votes received by each country, or if it's not possible to decide a winner, by the number of 12 pts received (and so on untill we can make the difference)...

* DNQ: Did Not Qualify - DSQ: Disqualified

Vitas is a very unusual performer, different from others, his shows break stereotypes of Russian pop music. As a person of incredible wholeness, unbelievable voice culture and improbable artistic nobleness he is extremely unusual in the sense of completely extravagant strange personality. The voice of Vitas is really unique, its wide range enables him to take practically any sound. His voice attracts, shocks, takes one's breath away, but it never leaves anybody indifferent. Vitas first appeared in Russia in December 2000 with his hit "Opera N# 2". During the time, he released five albums Filosofia huda (Philosophy of Miracle), Ulybnis! (Smile!), Mama (Mother), Pesny Moey Mamy (The Songs of My Mother), Poceluy Dlinoyu V Vechnost (Kiss As Long As Eternity) which were entered into the Top Three most popular albums in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 (according to the official sales). As a winner of many music awards in last five years, in 2004-2005 Vitas also became the most popular touring actor in Russia. His premiere "The Songs of My Mother" was voted "the best music event of the year". The album Kiss As Long As Eternity produced on October 2004 became the most selling in Russia and post Soviet countries. Vitas is recognized to be an actor among Russian actors in 2004, 2005, who has given the greatest number of concerts on the territory of Russian Federation, the Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, the Baltics, Israel. More than 10 million copies of his albums were sold within all the period of Vitas's work. Vitas became the youngest artist to have performed a solo concert at the Kremlin Palace in Moscow ever. 2006 will be a premiere year for the actor. The Premiere Vozvrasheniye Domoy (Return home), which has been produced for three years, will take place on the main stage of the country in Kremlin Palace in October, 2006. More than 20 new Vitas's compositions will be included in the premiere. Many songs have already become favourite for the audience. Krikom Zhuravlinim (Crane's Crying), Berega Rossiyi (Shores of Russia), Maliy Princ (The Little Prince), are a small part of new songs which will be presented to the audience at the premiere. There are rehearsals with a symphonic orchestra under the control of N. Ustjuzhanin, O. Lundstrem's jazz orchestra and the chorus of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The book about Vitas will be issued on the occasion of the premiere. There will be stories about Vitas' life, his childhood, memoirs about his mother (she died when he was a little child) and his today's life, which will be published for the first time. The exhibition of the works devoted to Vitas will be organized at the premiere. These works are sent practically from all over the world. A new page in the life of the actor will have been opened since this moment. Vitas will arrive in Russia and China, the Ukraine and Belarus, the Baltics and Kazakhstan, Germany and the USA, Israel and Australia with the new program "Return home", with new feelings and emotions, with new songs. It will be a real return home because there is a Spectator who is waiting for and loves the Actor in all these countries.Formed after a two-year search, the quartet is comprised of American tenor David Miller, popular French singer Sébastien Izambard, Swiss tenor Urs Buhler, and Spanish baritone Carlos Marin. Their eponymous debut album was released in April of 2005 and featured a diverse play list that included a cover of the Toni Braxton hit "Unbreak My Heart" and the Frank Sinatra standard "My Way," as well as "Nella Fantasia," a newly arranged -- with vocals -- version of "Gabriel's Oboe" from Ennio Morricone's score for The Mission. The quartet returned in 2006 with Ancora, a ten-track collection of new music which featured the hit "I Believe In You" with Celine Dion.

Official website: www.vitas.com.ru

Lyrics