Tbilisi 2017

Moments ago, the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2017 ended, with the winner reprising their song. That winner is Russia’s Polina Bogusevich with Wings! This was the first time that Georgia had hosted a Eurovision event. 16 countries participated in the contest, including Portugal who returned after last participating in 2007. After a magnificent 2 hour show, the winner was revealed to be Russia! Full Results Russia – Polina Bogusevich – Wings – 188 points Georgia – Grigol Kipshidze – Voice of The Heart – 185 points Australia – Isabella Clarke – Speak Up – 172 points Netherlands – Fource – Love Me – 156 points Belarus – Helena Meraai – I Am The One – 149 points Armenia – Misha – Boomerang – 148 points Ukraine – Anastasiya Baginska – Don’t Stop – 147 points Poland – Alicja Rega – Mój Dom – 138 points Malta – Gianluca Cilia – Dawra Tond – 107 points Serbia – Irina Brodić & Jana Paunović – Ceo svet je naš – 92 points Italy – Maria Iside Fiore – Scelgo (My Choice) – 86 points Macedonia – Mina Blažev – Dancing Through Life – 69 points Albania – Ana Kodra – Don’t Touch …

Mina Blazev, from FYR Macedonia, showed us around backstage at Junior Eurovision, only a few dozens of minutes before the contest’s beginning! Thanks Mina!

Here at ESCXTRA, we don’t just interview the competitors. From the live stream to the “favourite tree” question, we have our own little traditions, even with Junior Eurovision. One of them is the Tim Tam Slam, our Xtra Australian touch! Gianluca, from Malta, needed a couple of attempts before getting a Tim Tam Slam right. He’s not at fault though : Georgian milk is. You don’t know what a Tim Tam Slam is? Then watch our video!

It has been a long day at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest! First thing this morning we had the Dress Rehearsal. A final chance to make last minute adjustments and fix any lingering problems. All countries performed what they needed to make themselves feel completely comfortable! Then there was a 7-hour gap! Exploring Tbilisi Ryan and I took the chance to get to explore slightly more of Tbilisi than just our hotel rooms, the press centre and the fancy bar we have been frequenting. We saw the local architecture in the Old Town that went from seemingly ancient one minute to ultra-modern the next! Then it was time for the all-important jury final! What a ride it was! All the performers really were shining bright! The kids were eating up the stage and delivering performances of their lives! After what must have been a big day it is amazing that they can pull it together. A slight technical hitch saw a small pause in the show, just before Mariana from Portugal’s performance. This slight hitch saw Belarus and Armenia perform for the second time, and to be fair if we hadn’t have been here watching every rehearsal we wouldn’t have …

Voting is now open for the 2017 Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Yes, for the first time ever, fans from all over the world can cast their votes right now before the live show has begun. But who should you vote for? To decide, let us take you through a recap of this year’s sixteen contenders following their rehearsals. 🇮🇹 ITALY Performing 16th and last on the afternoon of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest final will be Maria Iside Fiore from Italy. Maria will be performing Scelgo (My Choice) which she co-wrote with Stefano Rigamonti and Fabrizio Palaferri. Stefano also composed the song alongside Marco lardella. Rehearsal recap   Maria closes the Junior Eurovision final with Scelgo, an empowering and inspiring anthem. The Italian delegation have chosen to project words onto their backdrop which re-enforces the empowering lyrics of the song. Scelgo also includes a key change into the English-language final part of the song. This is effective in creating a climactic finish to the performance and Maria delivers it really well. We also see images of Maria on the backdrop as she tells us her story. Vote for Italy! Online voting is open right now via junioreurovision.tv. Viewers from all over the world can vote for between three and …

Voting is now open for the 2017 Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Yes, for the first time ever, fans from all over the world can cast their votes right now before the live show has begun. But who should you vote for? To decide, let us take you through a recap of this year’s sixteen contenders following their rehearsals. 🇦🇺 AUSTRALIA Performing 15th on the afternoon of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest final will be Isabella Clarke from Australia. Speak Up! was written and composed by Joost Griffioen and Stas Swaczyna. Rehearsal recap Isabella is a powerhouse of a performer. She is accompanied by 3 dancers, whom she shares an incredible connection and chemistry with, this chemistry leading to everyone having the best time they can on stage. She is wearing a sparkly silver jumpsuit (forgive my inability to describe clothes!) and she is certainly embracing this years theme of ‘Shine Bright.’ The dancing is excellent and the vocals are honestly off the chart, and yes I had serious goosebumps in the arena. I wasn’t sure how the dancing would look as part of the live show. Obviously, it’s great for the TV but what I was impressed with the most was that it translated so well into …

Voting is now open for the 2017 Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Yes, for the first time ever, fans from all over the world can cast their votes right now before the live show has begun. But who should you vote for? To decide, let us take you through a recap of this year’s sixteen contenders following their rehearsals. 🇷🇸 SERBIA Performing 14th on the afternoon of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest final will be Irina Brodić and Jana Paunović from Serbia. Irina and Jana wrote and composed Ceo svet je naš with Lejla Hot and Ognjen Cvekić. Rehearsal recap Irina and Jana deliver their retro number with so much charm and personality, you’ll certainly find yourself smiling along. The duo have fantastic chemistry and you can tell they are great friends. There’s a mix of old and new here that feels authentic and natural. The girls are great vocally and the style of this song will certainly make it stand out amongst other tracks in the competition. A good running order draw will also benefit Serbia on Sunday. Vote for Serbia! Online voting is open right now via junioreurovision.tv. Viewers from all over the world can vote for between three and five countries. Voting closes at 3.59pm CET on …

Voting is now open for the 2017 Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Yes, for the first time ever, fans from all over the world can cast their votes right now before the live show has begun. But who should you vote for? To decide, let us take you through a recap of this year’s sixteen contenders following their rehearsals. 🇷🇺 RUSSIA Performing 13th on the afternoon of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest final will be Polina Bogusevich from Russia. Polina’s song Wings was written and composed by Taras Demchuk. Rehearsal recap Polina has taken the themes from her music video and translated them to the stage here at Tbilisi Olympic Palace. Despite the demanding nature of the track on a vocalist, her vocals are faultless on every single run through. The Russian delegation uses a number of dancers to help convey the story they are telling on stage. Overall this is a very artistic and powerful performance that will have a big impact towards the end of Sunday’s show. Vote for Russia! Online voting is open right now via junioreurovision.tv. Viewers from all over the world can vote for between three and five countries. Voting closes at 3.59pm CET on November 26th, just before the beginning of …

Voting is now open for the 2017 Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Yes, for the first time ever, fans from all over the world can cast their votes right now before the live show has begun. But who should you vote for? To decide, let us take you through a recap of this year’s sixteen contenders following their rehearsals. 🇲🇹 MALTA Performing 12th on the afternoon of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest final will be Gianluca Cilia from Malta. Gianluca will be performing Dawra Tond, written by Emil Calleja Bayliss and composed by Dominic Cini. Rehearsal recap Gianluca and his five female dancers bring fun, fun and more fun to the stage here at Tbilisi’s Olympic Palace. The staging has an orange theme, which continues into the outfits of the six young Maltese performers. Gianluca himself has fantastic stage presence and his personality makes the performance impossible to resist. Furthermore, Gianluca certainly holds his own vocally and the entire Maltese package is perfect for Junior Eurovision. Malta has become a Junior Eurovision superpower in recent years, and that looks set to continue with Gianluca. Vote for Malta! Online voting is open right now via junioreurovision.tv. Viewers from all over the world can vote for between three and …

Voting is now open for the 2017 Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Yes, for the first time ever, fans from all over the world can cast their votes right now before the live show has begun. But who should you vote for? To decide, let us take you through a recap of this year’s sixteen contenders following their rehearsals. 🇺🇦 UKRAINE Performing 11th on the afternoon of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest final will be Anastasiya Baginska from Ukraine. Anastasiya co-wrote her song Don’t Stop with Kateryna Komar. Kateryna also composed the track. Rehearsal recap Following a fairytale-esque introduction, Anastasiya begins her performance sitting on a tree prop with a male guitarist. When the first chorus arrives, Anastasiya is in the centre of the stage and commands it brilliantly. There is also a female violinist that accompanies Anastasiya and her guitarist on stage. On each run through, Anastasiya absolutely effortlessly hits the big high note towards the end of the song. The package feels very uplifting and positive and Anastasiya translates it perfectly. Vote for Ukraine! Online voting is open right now via junioreurovision.tv. Viewers from all over the world can vote for between three and five countries. Voting closes at 3.59pm CET on November 26th, just …