| Eurovision Song Contest News - 2009 Moscow, Russia 

Angelique Martini

My first Eurovision ever was in 1997, when I cheered for Jalisse and Fiumi di Parole. I was quite young and I only remember asking my dad "Hey, wasn't that in Sanremo too this year?" As I knew very little about the participation rules, I naturally assumed that the song I had loved three months earlier was "cheating" as it had also competed in another festival. Next year, I started supporting the Greek delegations (even though I didn't even knew who they were!) out of sheer national pride as Italy withdrew from the contest. I still like la musica italiana, though as it is tightly related with my cultural origins. Dana won the 1998 contest and I remember my dad (again) covering my eyes when it turned out she was a transvestite. I still thought the song was awesome, though.

In recent years, I started appreciating ballads and eurovision classics more (see Celine Dion, Vicky Leandros, Johnny Logan, ABBA etc). After the success of Antique in 2001 (I voted for them from Belgium) I became a conscious Eurovision fan. Helena seemed to me so beautiful and elegant on stage and she was singing so beautifully, I wanted to be like her! I even cheered for the Greek participations in 2002 and 2003, even though they were nothing special. And then, there was 2004 with the handsome Sakis Rouvas, for whom every Greek girl has the hots (his, "successor," Kostas Martakis didn't make it in 2008) and for whom I cheered wholeheartedly. But it would be my idol, Helena Paparizou (2006) who'd bring Eurovision in Greece next year! My heart was beating so fast during the televoting that I almost couldn't breathe. That night, after she won I couldn't sleep!

Then my interesty in Greek delegations was lost, as next year we were the hosts. Of course, I attended the big event (thanks again to my music loving dad who found us tickets) but this time, having experienced the "national frenzy of winning" I became more interested in becoming an objective observer, rooting for the best singer, which in my case meant three things: young male, sexy appearance, deep voice. This is why Russia's Dima Bilan became my pick. And then, in 2007, I supported the great song of Dima Koldun and Belarus for similar reasons.

This year though even Dima Bilan is returning, I will cheer for Paolo Meneguzzi and Switzerland. The reason: we