It was a great show, I was there
I'm sick now, my throat is sore and my nose is stuffed
90% of my friends who promised to come screwed me up too! But I don't regret going and staying to the end, it was an awesome show
Still they could've done it much better!!! First of all - the nominees. Each country nomineed a song from the last quarter of the year - hardly what I call 2009's best. Guess why? Because the producers were using the awards to promote their latest songs. Pretty senseless now that each of the songs is old and doesn't need promoting any more. Especially our song shouldn't've been there! IT'S STOLEN FROM ALBANIA! How shameful to present ourselves with a stolen song!!
Second: They should've all sung live. After all the BMA is supposed to copy ESC, so copy to the end! I don't care if none of the nominated artists can sing, I don't care if the rain and the wind would have prevented them from singing their best - the show would have been better and more involving with live singing. But again - they didn't make the show for the show, they made it for the singers and so they can use the tapes for the videos.
Third: They really should make some new voting system, because otherwise Serbia is going to win each year - just like in ESC.
Forth: Don't use the show to place products (Kamen's: "It's time... for Merylin!" which was totally out of place and so annoying). Don't use the show to promote the hosting city (Kamen's: "Please come to Sofia, you won't regret it, it's a great city, a wonderful place to be, a blablablabla", which caused the audience to laugh)
Fifth: Make sure all the announced artists are there! Sakis and Ceca ignoring the awards just speaks of how cheap the show is (except for points 1, 2 and 4). I know it's only the first year, but still... And since Sakis failed to appear, they should have cancelled his entry right away! This is an awards show! Imagine if Sakis had won! He's not a king to be waited for, he's just one singer out of 11 nominated and more.
For that matter - I think they only gave awards to people, who honoured them by appearing. I can't believe Hadise deserves this award more than Lepa Brena or Inna. Inna smashed Europe with hit songs in 2009 and Hadise just appeared and made a questionable performance at ESC. But she was there, so I'm guessing that's why she got it. Same goes for Zeljko - I don't think he deserves his award. Nor the victory for that matter. I find it hard to believe that Toni wouldn't go to pick an award, given his rank, but maybe they just wanted to save money from not paying him for an appearance.
And while we're at that point - compliments to Anna Vissi for making an appearance to receive her award, honouring the show and the audience and singing so much.
Sixth: More chalga! These are balkan awards, made specially for us and our kind of music. Most probably Europe isn't watching so we don't have to turn it into a mini-ESC trying to please the western countries. We have chalga, turbo-folk, manele, whatever it's called - we have specific ethno-elements and rhythms - since we're the only ones watching - use them!
Seventh: Use each country's real alphabet and learn how to pronounce the names of the singers correctly! Bulgaria and Greece had to be written in latinic so that everyone understands, but it would have seemed much better to write them with their own alphabets. And Kamen should learn that there's a difference between Zheljko and Zelko (cabbage in bulgarian).
Still, on the good side - keep working with the national broadcasters! Involving BNT in the project, such a chalga-enemy television was a huuuuuuuge achievement and a step towards integrating chalga in the society!
Also I loved how they picked a serbian female hosts, speaking in bulgarian, and integrating so well with everyone on the stage. She's very cute despite not being in her early youth and having a strange accent in bulgarian
And it was so cute to see her stand proudly when the camera showed her and then hide in some policeman's huge jacket and tremble from coldness when the camera wasn't showing her
Really it sucks about the coldness and the rain! My chinese friend, who I took there to educate said that he was on the same square at New Year's concert and it was warmer then!!! But how could they know they'd see such an awful weather in mid-May. They were aiming for a beautiful sunset and a warm evening, and you can't know the weather so early in advance, usually mid-may is good, so I hope they keep making it in the open in the future and that the weather next year (whether in Sofia again, or in Beograd should they decide to follow ESC pattern). Besides the rain looked great on the ballads
And Zeljko was also cute playing with the umbrella Daniela gave him
Now, on the totally subjective side - my favourite Colonia got last!!!! At least Albania was second, exactly where I'd put it
But if we have to be objective - it should have been Akcent - the song got a headstart by being on all TV's, a smash hit in Europe and the most famous of all. Also, the best received by the audience, well, the one on the square at least.
Hopefully the SMS voting system isn't corrupted, but I wouldn't be surprised if they discovered that everything was set up in advance.