The Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre will once more be playing host to this years’ edition of the Malta Eurovision Song Contest and with the event taking place in less than a week, preparations within the venue have well been underway for the past couple of days. The competing artists will start their initial rehearsals on Tuesday and will continue perfecting their act until Friday morning when a full run through takes place prior to the evening show. The editorial board of escflashmalta.com will keep you posted with all of the latest details from the event as it has been doing for the past couple of weeks. As a matter of fact, the teams of the respective entries are being revealed simultaneously and some names have clearly gained our attention especially due to their vast experience in the industry.

As expected, Kevin Borg who will be presenting the track Needing You has went for a number of renowned performers including the likes of Josef Tabone, Dominic Cini, Janice Mangion and Nadine Axisa. The latter is certainly the most intriguing having joined Thea Garrett at the Eurovision Song Contest back in 2010 whilst also being a veteran in the local competition, with many past participations. Both Janice and Josef on the other hand managed to make it through to the Malta Eurovision Song Contest on one occasion each in 2006 and 2012 respectively. Another individual who has been rather well noted is Dario Bezzina who will be the backing vocal for Let Your Heart Talk performed by Franklin. The track features predominant male vocals and it is expected that more soloists will be on this respective team.

Klinsmann is the third individual to have had his on stage team revealed noting that he will be joined by two female vocalists in the form of Bay Awards Nominee; Lyndsay as well as Kylie Coleiro, who was a finalist in the 2009 edition of the Malta Eurosong competition. Nevertheless, as has been the case in recent years, Klinsmann will also have a guitarist for his rendition of The Remedy and joining him will be Ben who will also provide male backing vocals. That leaves the last two females to make revelations; the first being, Domenique and her entry Too Little Too Late requiring that extra additional aid to make it sound more atmospheric. The team will comprise of the aforementioned, Kylie Coleiro as well as Sarah Crystal and Christine Haber, who is the daughter of former commentator Eileen Montesin. 

The second artist to reveal the team that will be joining her on stage is none other than Dorothy Bezzina who will be singing Starting from the End in the semi-final. She will be joined by a team of upcoming artists such as Martina Farrugia, and Nathalie Pace who performed with her during Voices as well as former Sfida contestants; Talitha Dimech, Samaria Bezzina and Tezara Camilleri. Honestly speaking, the amount of remarkable vocals backing the artists is just sublime. Rumour has it that Pamela will also make a welcome return with Amber and her entry In Control but this has not been confirmed. Stay tuned to escflashmalta.com for all of the latest news from the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2013.

Source: escflashmalta.com

Mike Spiteri, Lawrence Gray, Amber, Annabelle Debono, Miriam Christine, Ira Losco, Tarcisio Barbara, Claudette Buttigieg and Kaya could all note to have at least one thing in common and that is being winners of the elite Konkors Kanzunetta Indipendenza which has been organized by Media.Link Communications for a numerous number of years, noting that this years' edition will be the twenty-first in total and fifteenth consecutive one as a matter of fact. The committee behind the competition led by Mark Azzopardi and including members of the escflashmalta.com editorial team have worked hard to include a number of innovations in the past two years noting the beginning of a seating area which would definitely keep the audience at bay as well as the official preview videos for each track to help aid in terms of promotion. There is stiff competition this evening, featuring twenty acts that will be leading the way in the Established Category and another four acts who will compete in the Teenage Category as revealed last week on Indifest as shown on NET Television.

The Konkors Kanzunetta Indipendenza will be hosted on The Granaries in Floriana by Christine Haber and Ronald Briffa and will be featuring guest performances by Mike Spiteri who returns as last years' winner as well as Kurt Calleja and his band who represented Malta in this years' Eurovision Song Contest albeit never managing to make it through to the final stage of the Konkors Kanzunetta Indipendenza. In the meantime, it has to be noted that there will be a number of awards that will be given out this evening including the online voting which has been ongoing through mychoice.pn, the tele-voting through the clips which have been put online and on NET Television throughout the summer and also the jury voting as chosen by Media.Link Communications. The latter two will be important for both categories with a separate award for the Established Category for each and a combined vote for the Teenage Category which will feature 60% Jury and 40% Tele-Voting. escflashmalta.com would like to wish everyone the best of luck and invite the people to attend or tune into NET Television at 20:30 CET to watch the proceedings unravel live.

Teenage Category

01. Bil-Bnadar F'Idejna - Sarah Bonnici (Miriam Christine / Joe Chircop)

02. Ħbieb ta' Veru - Maria u Justine (Kaya / Christopher Azzopardi)

03. Il-Libertà - Antoine u Kayleigh (Ray Agius / Michael Vella Haber / Evelyn Saliba La Rosa)

04. X'Qaltli L-Arzella - Antonella Rapa (Mark Spiteri Lucas / Joe Friggieri)

Established Category

01. Flimkien - Kristen Camilleri (Philip Vella / Cher Vella)

02. Tagħna L-Isbaħ Żmien - Esilana (Ray Agius / Alfred C Sant)

03. Rebbiħin - Francesca Sciberras (Miriam Christine / Celestina Sciberras)

04. Id F'Id - Simone Gauci (Renato Briffa / Keith Zammit) 

05. Abjad u Iswed - Stephanie Zammit (Philip Vella / Gerard James Borg)

06. Kburin Bik - Christian Azzopardi (Philip Vella / Joe Chircop)

07. Indipendenti - Danica Muscat (Philip Vella / Cher Vella)

08. Missjoni Impossibli? - Ishmael Grech (Philip Vella / Rita Pace)

09. Jekk Nużaw Moħħna - Deborah C (Mark Spiteri Lucas / Joe Chircop)

10. Kemm Xtaqt - Laura Bruno (Frederick Camilleri)

11. Se Nibda Jien - Dario u Grecia (Dario Bezzina / Rita Pace)

12. Mhux L-Ewwel Darba - Neville, Ivan u Claire (Augusto Cardinali / Giovann Attard)

13. Dan Mhux Tmiem - Corinne Caruana (Mark Scicluna / Rita Pace)

14. Mill-Bidu Nett - Francesca Scerri (Elton Zarb / Rita Pace)

15. Bl-Ikbar Serjetà - Marilena Gauci (Philip Vella / Joe Chircop)

16. Dell L-Istilel - Rachel Verzin (Dominic Cini / Stephen Baldacchino)

17. Għidli Int - Julie Pomorski (Augusto Cardinali)

18. Ħalluni - Kylie Coleiro (Philip Vella / Joe Chircop)

19. Tama u Kuraġġ - Domenique (Philip Vella / Cher Vella)

20. Id-Demm ta' Raymond - Roseann Cordina (Mark Spiteri Lucas / Paul Ellul)

Source: Konkors Kanzunetta Indipendenza, My Choice, escflashmalta.com

Recognition in the local music industry is quite a difficult thing to achieve especially due to the fact that the amount of performers which are putting themselves forward is somewhat too high at points in time but nevertheless with competitions such as the Malta Eurovision Song Contest, Konkors Kanzunetta Indipendenza and the Għanja tal-Poplu, there is variety and a different audience for each. Taking the latter into perspective, the renowned local festival returned earlier this year following a one year break and was covered into detail by escflashmalta.com due to the fact that a number of senior editorial board members were involved in a number of tracks including the runner-up entry, that being Tal-Komma Twila penned by Emil Calleja Bayliss, composed by Dario Bezzina and ultimately performed by Grecia Bezzina. Nevertheless, it has to be noted that the organizers of the Għanja tal-Poplu would like to extend their appreciation towards the local music scene by holding a free event on Wednesday 12th September as from 19:30 CET onwards in Valletta within the Upper Barrakka Gardens. 

Headlining the event will be none other than brother and sister duo Dario and Grecia Bezzina, who have already been mentioned above and are quickly garnering a name for themselves in the industry with the male having been the runner-up at the Junior Eurosong back in 2004 with the track Eviva L-Mużika and also making it through to the semi-finals of the Malta Eurovision Song Contest on two occasions whilst reaching the finals of the Għanja tal-Poplu twice in 2006 and 2010 and the Konkors Kanzunetta Indipendenza five times including from 2008 until this year making it five times in a row. He was also the backing vocalist for Amber in this years' Malta Eurovision Sogn Contest as she romped into third place with the track Answer With Your Eyes. Grecia Bezzina is quickly becoming a household name as well having been in the Għanja tal-Poplu twice, once through the Żagħżagħ category and once this year, having also been in the semi-finals of the Malta Eurovision Song Contest once, a two time finalist of the Konkors Kanzunetta Indipendenza in 2009 and 2012 respectively whilst also being one time finalist in the Malta Hit Song Contest back in 2010. She accompanied Francesca Borg and Annalise Ellul as a backing vocal in this years' Malta Eurovision Song Contest.

In the meantime, there will be another host of acts participating during the evening including none other than Justin Galea who has been studying in the Untied Kingdom in the past couple of months. He will be joined by Ruth Abela who has just returned from touring in Spain alongside her group Troffa Ħamra y Les Mechones. They will be further more accompnied by Mark on the drums and they will be giving the audience present a mixture of local and international music to add a little bit of flavour to the general show. Later on the evening, Justin will be joining Antonio Olivari and they will be performing a host of original tracks. Antonio himself will be accompanying Mario Debono who will be performing a number of tracks from the local folk scene. The real treat of the evening will surely be the group Kultural, winners of the 2012 edition of the Għanja tal-Poplu competition. They will soon be leaving to perform in Turkey as part of their somewhat intriguing victory package and will be giving the audience a small glimpse of the set that they have prepared for the country.

Source: Għanja Fest

The subject of music represents universality and what better way to celebrate such an important talent such as vocal prowess through a bond which could only be created by siblings. The local music industry has had a fair share of individuals who have joined forces together through the means of music noting substantially people such as Natasha and Charlene as well as the Micallef trio featuring Richard, Wayne and Michelle respectively. It has to be noted that both have been part of the Konkors Kanzunetta Indipendenza in the past, each leaving their mark on the evolvement of the competition so to speak. Media.Link Communications have greatly acknowledged all type of artists throughout the years with the appointed jury notably voting for the best entries and ultimately performers whether they are competing as soloists, duets or even groups. Following the trio that was presented last week, attention is turned to a duet between a brother and a sister, Dario and Grecia Bezzina who will be performing the track Se Nibda Jien composed by Dario Bezzina himself with lyrics written by none other than singer/songwriter Rita Pace. All of the artists and their respective entries are receiving a lot of exposure including on NET Television and through viral website, YouTube following an official video recorded for all respective entries. In the meantime, escflashmalta.com is also giving their readers an insight into the tracks of this years' competition.

Representing your country in any event is something that each and every person should cherish and do it proudly. It happens on a number of occasions in different events and different showcases. In the music business one has become accustomed to different people representing one’s country abroad in various festivals. During the next weekend upcoming artist Grecia Bezzina will be carrying the Maltese flag in Italy where she will be taking part in the festival Canzoni Dal Mondo.

It is not the first time that a local artist is taking part in this contest as in previous years Malta was represented by Rosman Pace, Kaya formely known as Priscilla Psaila, Geordie and Corazon Mizzi; in actual fact Rosman Pace and Kaya managed to emerge victorious. The Grand Final night this year will take place on the 13th of August in Piazza Raffaele D’Amato in Maiori. She will be participating in this festival with a song penned specifically for this festival by Philip Vella. Grecia will be competing against ten other singers.

On this venture Grecia Bezzina will be accompanied by her brother Dario Bezzina and Noel D’Amato who happens to be one of the members of WAFA and the committee behind ‘L-Għanja Tal-Poplu’. Her participation came about thanks to her runner up finish in the aforementioned festival where she sang the song ‘Tal-Komma Twila’ penned by Emil Calleja Bayliss, to the composition of her brother Dario Bezzina. The song was well received by the people in the hall and also by the judges who after Grecia’s heartfelt interpretation the song got awarded 2nd Place.

This was Grecia Bezzina’s major triumph although one can say that for a nineteen year old she has managed a number of achievements as she made it through ‘L-Għanja Tal-Poplu Żagħżagħ’ three times, once alongside her brother and twice as a solo artist, she also made it to the semi-finals of the Malta Eurovision back in 2009 and twice in the finals Festival Kanzunetta Indipendenza in 2009 and 2012; all alongside her brother Dario Bezzina. In 2010, she made the finals of the Malta Hit Contest and earlier this year she was a backing vocalist for Annalise Ellul and Francesca Borg in the finals of the Malta Eurovision.

Back to ‘ L-Għanja Tal-Poplu’ one must note that the top three winners of the festivals were all given the right to represent Malta abroad in a musical showcase. This prize came about thanks to Robbie Cefai and all the board members of WAFA who have a number of contacts abroad. The sole aim of WAFA is to connect different countries, so different artists can share their music in different festivals and showcases. Events like these make artists more comfortable as it helps them gain more confidence and exposure. The editorial team of escflashmalta.com would like to wish Grecia Bezzina the very best of luck in Maiori and for her future career.

Source: Press Release