Melodifestivalen 2012 - Sweden's selection to the Eurovision Song Contest 2012:  Melodifestivalen 2012 is Sweden's biggest music event of the year where the Swedish nation select their most popular song which subsequently is used as the countries entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku in May. More than 3000 songs were submitted which were narrowed down to a Top 32 competing in a number of qualification Heats, four Semi Finals and a Second Chance Round. Last Saturday night in the big Melodiffestivalen Final for 2012 Sweden's public and an international juries voted for Loreen to represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku with the song "Euphoria" which received a record number of televotes ever in the history of the contest (670551 televotes making it 32.7% of the voting public). The legendary Globen Arena in Stockholm which was the home of the Eurovision Song Contest 2000 where Denmark's Olson Brothers won with "Fly in the wings of Love" was the venue where the ten finalist competed for the ticket to Baku. The Team of Radio International and escflashmalta.com were on location and did many interviews you can hear in this week's edition of Radio International. See JP's Photo Collection from the Melodifestivalen 2012 - here and enjoy!

 

Melodifestivalen 2012 Interviews with:  Loreen (Euphoria), Danny Saucedo (Amazing), Ulrik Munther (Soldiers), David Lindgren (Shout It Out), Sean Banan (Sean den foerste Banan), The Presenters (Sarah Dawn Finer, Helena Bergstroem & Gina Dirawi), Last year's Winner and Sweden's Choice for Eurovision Song Contest 2011 - Eric Saade, Thomas G:son - the Composer of the winning song and Sean Banan (Sean den förste Banan). You can watch these interviews as well on our YouTube Channel - just click. 

 

Interview with Helena Paparizou (Eurovision Winner Greece 2005): The Swedish-born Greek singer won the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 in Kiev, Ukraine for Greece with the song "My Number One". Helena Paparizou was the Interval Act of this year's Melodifestivalen while all the votes were counted in Stockholm. The singer performed a fantastic jazzy version of last year's entry from Sweden to the Eurovision Song Contest by Eric Saade called  "Popular". Eric and JP met the singer at the Aftershow Party for an interview. 

 

Eurovision Song Contest Spotlight - "The National Finals so far" with Dermot Manning:  Until the end of the National Final Season for the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 the  series continuous this week on Radio International  where our Eurovision specialists are taking a weekly look at the songs that have been selected for Baku so far or some of the highlights in the various heats of the National Finals.  The Irish voice on Radio International takes a look at the songs that have been selected to represent their country at the Eurovsion Song Contest 2012 in Baku: Greece, Moldova, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Sweden.

 

Maltese Artist Spotlight: Malta is a country with so much great music talents however, the country lacks of a record company which promotes the Maltese Music outside Malta. With Radio International we try to bring into the spotlight some of the big talents there is in Malta. Continuing a new series this week Radio International will broadcast each week an interview with a Maltese artists. - Due to the large number of interviews from Melodifestivalen 2012 this week there will not be a Maltese Artist Spotlight. However, next week on Radio International there will be more focus on the Maltese Music Scene with interviews and music from Fabrizo Faniello, Claudia Faniello, Gianni Zammit, Corazon and more. Watch out for those on next week's edition of the show. 

 

Euro Friends Song Contest 2012 with Andy Simon: The next season of the Euro Friends Song Contest is under way in search for the ultimate Eurovision song as voted for by the many fans around the world.  Andy  Simon joins us every week to reveal the qualifiers for the next round.  The website of the Euro Friends Song Contest you will find here where you can easily vote for your favourite Eurovision song per country and also see The Euro-Friends TV Show as hosted by Andy Simon. You can also join the Facebook Group here. This week Andy looks at the next qualifiers from Heats 41 (Finland).