This year’s National Eurovision Selection was not marked by any extremes. Gaitana will represent Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest with her song “Be my Guest,” having gained the highest number of points according to the results of expert jury and audience’s voting.
“Today my heart was full of positive, and I wanted to reveal this positive to everyone. I think Europe should hear this song in order to love Ukraine more. I want Europe to perceive us as a truly full-fledged European country,” First National Channel quoted Gaitana as saying.
According to the director general of the National TV Company Yehor Benkendorf, there is no reason to doubt the fairness of this year’s selection. It will be reminded that last year’s finalist Mika Newton was accused of falsifications in her favor.
The winner was traditionally selected by jury members and audience by text messaging. But unlike last year, this year one could send only one message from one cell phone number. And the results of the competition were announced shortly after the performance of the last participant.
The finalist of Star Factory 3, Oleksii Matias was disqualified several days before the finals, because his producer Vlad Bahinsky is also music producer of the First National Channel.
Overall 22 performers have taken part in the finals. They included the band Nerealni, winner of Inter Channel’s Show No. 1 (as a special agreement with the National Television Company of Ukraine), rather contradictory Maks Barskykh, participant of the Ukrainian Star Factory 2, and the artists of the so-called second echelon, such as Olha Poliakova, Vasyl Bondarchuk, Marta, Vitalii Halai, and scarcely known Renata Shtifel.
The commentaries on Internet forums indicate that many people think Gaitana’s victory was quite convincing. Of course, there are remarks that the song’s content is poor, or why a dark-skinned performer will represent Ukraine. However, though expert musicologists recommend Gaitana to improve the number, they say she will look decently in Eurovision’s format.
“Gaitana stands all chances to decently represent Ukraine,” music critic Oleksandr Yevtushenko opines, “She is a talented singer with her own image, her style, and experience. Incidentally, her experience is vast. She has been in the show business for long and she has achieved much. On the other hand, a considerable merit in Gaitana’s victory belongs to her producer and husband Eduard Klim, who provided her with quality promotion in the media. After all, I think that was an objective choice, which can indeed bring a high place to Ukraine, if not a victory. Gaitana also stands chances to win, but they are not especially high, because I think in Eurovision there are many exotic participants like her. Personally I very much like when Gaitana combines Ukrainian melos, element of folk music with her color exotics. She manages to do this is a very convincing manner. If she stakes on combination of Ukrainian melos and European background in the contest song, this will have a positive effect. I think she understands this.”
