Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 explained

Year:2006
Country:Latvia
Preselection:Eirodziesma 2006
Preselection Date:Semi-finals:
4 February 2006
11 February 2006
Final:
11 March 2006
Entrant:Cosmos
Song:I Hear Your Heart
Final Result:16th, 30 points

Latvia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with the song "I Hear Your Heart" written by Andris Sējāns, Reinis Sējāns, Guntars Račs and Molly-Ann Leikin. The song was performed by the group Cosmos. The Latvian broadcaster Latvijas Televīzija (LTV) organised the national final Eirodziesma 2006 in order to select the Latvian entry for the 2006 contest in Athens, Greece. Twenty songs were selected to compete in the national final, which consisted of three shows: two semi-finals and a final. In the semi-finals on 4 and 11 February 2006, five entries were selected to advance from each show: three entries selected based on a public televote and two entries selected by a five-member jury panel. Ten songs ultimately qualified to compete in the final on 11 March 2006 where two rounds of public voting selected "I Hear Your Heart" performed by Cosmos as the winner.

As one of the ten highest placed finishers in 2005, Latvia automatically qualified to compete in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. Performing during the show in position 4, Latvia placed sixteenth out of the 24 participating countries with 30 points.

Background

See main article: Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest. Prior to the 2007 contest, Latvia had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest seven times since its first entry in 2000.[1] Latvia won the contest once in 2002 with the song "I Wanna" performed by Marie N. Following the introduction of semi-finals for the 2004, Latvia was able to qualify to compete in the final in 2005 with the entry "The War Is Not Over" performed by Walters and Kazha. The Latvian national broadcaster, Latvijas Televīzija (LTV), broadcasts the event within Latvia and organises the selection process for the nation's entry. Latvia has selected their entries for the Eurovision Song Contest through a national final. Since their debut in 2000, LTV had organised the selection show Eirodziesma. The broadcaster organised Eirodziesma 2006 in order to select the Latvian entry for the 2006 contest.[2]

Before Eurovision

Eirodziesma 2006

Eirodziesma 2006 was the seventh edition of Eirodziesma, the music competition that selects Latvia's entries for the Eurovision Song Contest. The competition commenced on 4 February 2006 and concluded with a final on 11 March 2006. All shows in the competition were hosted by Uģis Joksts and Kristīne Pekule and broadcast on LTV1.[3] [4]

Format

The format of the competition consisted of three shows: two semi-finals and a final. The two semi-finals, held on 4 and 11 February 2006, each featured ten competing entries from which five advanced to the final from each show. The final, held on 11 March 2006, selected the Latvian entry for Athens from the remaining ten entries over two rounds of voting: the first round selected the top three songs and the second round (superfinal) selected the winner.[5] Results during the semi-final shows were determined by a jury panel and votes from the public. The songs first faced a public vote where the top three entries qualified. The jury then selected an additional two qualifiers from the remaining entries to proceed in the competition.[6] In the final, a public vote exclusively determined which entry would be the winner. Viewers were able to vote via telephone or SMS.[7]

Competing entries

Artists and songwriters were able to submit their entries to the broadcaster between 20 September 2005 and 22 November 2005.[8] A record 93 entries were submitted at the conclusion of the submission period. A jury panel appointed by LTV evaluated the submitted songs and selected twenty entries for the competition. The jury panel consisted of Ruslana (Ukrainian Eurovision Song Contest 2004 winner), Arsen Shagiev (Russian manager of 2001 Russian Eurovision entrant Mumiy Troll), Igor Volk (Russian producer), Manolo Dias (President of EMI Spain), Ramūnas Zilnys (Lithuanian music journalist), Walters and Kazha (2005 Latvian Eurovision entrant), Toms Grēviņš (radio DJ), Uldis Rudaks (music critic) and Daiga Mazvērsīte (musicologist).[9] The twenty competing artists and songs were announced during a press conference on 6 December 2005.[10] On 20 January 2006, LTV announced that the song "Day or Night" would be performed together with Amberlife by Anna Polanski instead of Jenny May after she was selected with more than one song.[11]

ArtistSongSongwriter(s)
2 Pieces of Cake"Bring the Sun"Ēriks Bubko
Amberlife and Anna Polanski"Day or Night"Edgaras Lubys
Beitiku Ģimene"We Are the Best"Tomass Kleins, Guntars Račs
Cosmos"I Hear Your Heart"Andris Sējāns, Reinis Sējāns, Guntars Račs, Molly-Ann Leikin
Device feat. Davis Kolbergs"Love Is Everywhere"Ruslans Kuksenovičs
Ella"Heaven in Your Eyes", Stig Nygard, Tade Borgmästars, Gustav Käld
Fidji"Frozen Flower"Claes Andreasson, Torbjörn Wassenius, Jonas Liberg
Gain Fast"Last Goodbye"Danne Attlerud, Thomas Thörnholm, Clas Wrigsel
H2O"You Say That Kissin' Is Good"Ilze Melne, Jānis Strapcāns
Jenny May"I'm Alone"Andreas Bartels, Mark Klammek, Nick Marriot
Kerija and Santa"Find You"Kerija Kalēja, Santa Ozoliņa
Marts Kristiāns Kalniņš and Melomania"Say It Is"Ojārs Kalniņš, Imants Kalniņš
May G"Roll Down"Inga Gaile, Maija Gaile
Nasty Smile"Don't"Ilze Melne, Jānis Strapcāns
Nicol"Player"Viktorija Zeļinska
Prego"Feelin"Ivo Grīsniņš-Grīslis
Re:public"Feel the Engine"Jānis Rībens
Sonja Bishop and Amber"Later"Tomass Kleins, Vidar Bostard
VIA Meitenes"Get Out of My Way"Lauris Reiniks
Z-Scars"Every Mother and Every Child"Andris Kivičs

Semi-finals

The two semi-finals took place on 4 and 11 February 2006. The live portion of the show was held at the LTV studios in Riga where the artists awaited the results while their performances, which were filmed earlier on 26 and 28 January 2006, were screened.[12] In each semi-final ten acts competed and five entries qualified to the final. The competing entries first faced a public vote where the top three songs advanced; an additional two qualifiers were then selected from the remaining seven entries by the jury. The jury panel that voted in the semi-finals consisted of Marija Naumova (Latvian Eurovision Song Contest 2002 winner), Egons Reiters (DJ at Radio SWH and director of LTV), Aigars Dinsbergs (producer), Edgars Kots (Deputy General Director of LTV) and Raimonds Pauls (composer).[13]

Semi-final 1 – 4 February 2006
DrawArtistSongJuryTelevoteResult
VotesRank
1Beitiku Ģimene"We Are the Best"72,4114Eliminated
2Fidji"Frozen Flower"1051810Eliminated
3Cosmos"I Hear Your Heart"38,4591Advanced
4Marts Kristiāns Kalniņš and Melomania"Say It Is"25,6252Advanced
5Kerija and Santa"Find You"91,1225Eliminated
6Z-Scars"Every Mother and Every Child"46659Advanced
72 Pieces of Cake"Bring the Sun"81,0297Eliminated
8Nicol"Player"61,0536Eliminated
9Sonja Bishop and Amber"Later"13,7583Advanced
10Prego"Feelin"58758Advanced
Semi-final 2 – 11 February 2006
DrawArtistSongJuryTelevoteResult
VotesRank
1Re:public"Feel the Engine"36219Advanced
2Amberlife and Anna Polanski"Day or Night"754810Eliminated
3Gain Fast"Last Goodbye"18078Advanced
4Nasty Smile"Don’t"88406Eliminated
5VIA Meitenes"Get Out of My Way"41,5194Eliminated
6May G"Roll Down"58287Eliminated
7H2O"You Say That Kissin' Is Good"21,6642Advanced
8Jenny May"I'm Alone"101,9881Advanced
9Device feat. Davis Kolbergs"Love Is Everywhere"91,4485Eliminated
10Ella"Heaven in Your Eyes"61,6113Advanced

Final

The final took place at the Olympic Center in Ventspils on 11 March 2006. The ten entries that qualified from the preceding two semi-finals competed and the winner was selected over two rounds of public televoting. In the first round, the top three songs advanced to the second round, the superfinal. In the superfinal, "I Hear Your Heart" performed by Cosmos was declared the winner. In addition to the performances of the competing entries, guest performers included the group Putnu balle, 2004 Latvian Eurovision entrant Ivo Fomins with the group Borowa MC, 2005 Latvian Eurovision entrant Walters and Kazha, 2006 Estonian Eurovision entrant Sandra Oxenryd, 2006 Irish Eurovision entrant Brian Kennedy and 2006 Maltese Eurovision entrant Fabrizio Faniello.[14]

Final – 11 March 2006
DrawArtistSongTelevotePlace
1Cosmos"I Hear Your Heart"15,7591
2Ella"Heaven in Your Eyes"1,6518
3Gain Fast"Last Goodbye"1,7467
4Z-Scars"Every Mother and Every Child"60510
5Marts Kristiāns Kalniņš and Melomania"Say It Is"14,4782
6Sonja Bishop and Amber"Later"7,1904
7Re:public"Feel the Engine"1,9396
8H2O"You Say That Kissin' Is Good"5,9625
9Prego"Feelin"1,2859
10Jenny May"I'm Alone"7,7963
Superfinal – 11 March 2006
DrawArtistSongTelevotePlace
1Cosmos"I Hear Your Heart"27,7401
2Marts Kristiāns Kalniņš and Melomania"Say It Is"23,9482
3Jenny May"I'm Alone"10,9253

Ratings

Show! rowspan="2" scope="col"
Air dateViewing figures
NominalShare
Final11 March 2006275,00012.4%[15]

At Eurovision

According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country, the "Big Four" (France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom) and the ten highest placed finishers in the 2005 contest are required to qualify from the semi-final in order to compete for the final; the top ten countries from the semi-final progress to the final. As one of the ten highest placed finishers in the 2006 contest, Latvia automatically qualified to compete in the final on 20 May 2006. In addition to their participation in the final, Latvia is also required to broadcast and vote in the semi-final on 18 May 2006. On 21 March 2006, a special allocation draw was held which determined the running order and Latvia was set to perform in position 4 during the final, following the entry from Israel and before the entry from Norway. Latvia placed sixteenth in the final, scoring 30 points.[16]

The semi-final and the final were broadcast in Latvia on LTV1 with all shows featuring commentary by Kārlis Streips. The Latvian spokesperson, who announced the Latvian votes during the final, was Mārtiņš Freimanis.

Voting

Below is a breakdown of points awarded to Latvia and awarded by Latvia in the semi-final and grand final of the contest. The nation awarded its 12 points to Russia in the semi-final and the final of the contest.

Points awarded by Latvia

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Latvia Country Profile . 6 November 2014 . EBU.
  2. Web site: 15 September 2006 . Eirovīzija 2007 . 21 May 2022 . eirovizija.lv . lv . https://web.archive.org/web/20070113231330/http://www.eirovizija.lv/lat/aktualitates/1384/ . 13 January 2007 . dead.
  3. Web site: LATVIAN NATIONAL FINAL 2006 .
  4. Web site: 24 January 2006 . "Eirovīzijai" jauna mājas lapa . 23 May 2022 . apollo.lv . lv.
  5. Web site: 19 December 2005 . Participants Latvian selection devided into semifinals . 23 May 2022 . Esctoday.
  6. Web site: LATVIAN SEMI-FINALS 2006 .
  7. Web site: Paziņoti 2006. gada «Eirovīzijas» dziesmu konkursa pusfinālisti . 23 May 2022 . Apollo.lv.
  8. Web site: Medinika . Aija . 24 September 2005 . Latvian submission deadline 22nd November . Esctoday.
  9. Web site: Latvia 2006 .
  10. Web site: Bakker . Sietse . December 6, 2005 . 20 songs Latvian 2006 selection announced .
  11. Web site: Bakker . Sietse . 20 January 2006 . Latvia: Amberlife sings with Anna Polanski . 23 May 2022 . Esctoday.
  12. Web site: 24 January 2006 . Filmēs "Eirovīzijas" pusfināla dalībnieku videoklipus . 22 May 2022 . apollo.lv . lv.
  13. Web site: 11 February 2006 . Noskaidrojies Eirovīzijas nacionālās atlases fināla otrais piecnieks! . 23 May 2022 . eirovizija.lv . lv . https://web.archive.org/web/20060216152303/http://www.eirovizija.lv/lat/aktualitates/592/ . 16 February 2006 . dead.
  14. Web site: 11 March 2006 . Kurš no desmit? . 23 May 2022 . apollo.lv . lv.
  15. Web site: Eirodziesmas-2007 rekordi . 21 May 2022 . eirovizija.lv . lv . https://web.archive.org/web/20070312143233/http://eirovizija.lv/lat/aktualitates/3489/ . 12 March 2007 . dead.
  16. Web site: Grand Final of Athens 2006 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210421055517/https://eurovision.tv/event/athens-2006/grand-final . 21 April 2021 . 21 April 2021 . European Broadcasting Union.
  17. Web site: Results of the Grand Final of Athens 2006 . European Broadcasting Union . 21 April 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210421075229/https://eurovision.tv/event/athens-2006/grand-final/results/latvia . 21 April 2021 . live.
  18. Web site: Results of the Semi-Final of Athens 2006 . European Broadcasting Union . 21 April 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210421075222/https://eurovision.tv/event/athens-2006/semi-final/results/latvia . 21 April 2021 . live.