BELGRADE 22 & 24 May 2008 Serbia hosts Eurovision Song Contest. Two time contestants?

When Serbia hosts the 53rd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, which is second only to the soccer World Cup in the size and ardor of its television audience in Europe, its winning diva of 2007 could be singing for another country. Marija Serifovic, is being lined up to represent Switzerland a year after winning the contest for her native Serbia with the song, "Molitva." Helena Paparizou is being tipped as a potential representative of Sweden, and would also be bidding for the records of first two-time female winner and first singer to win for two countries after her 2005 victory for Greece.

If Serifovic won in Belgrade, she would be the first singer to win back-to-back contests. A win for either Serifovic or Paparizou in 2008 would also represent two other records for the first woman to win the competition twice and the first singer to win the competition for two countries. Only Irish singer Johnny Logan has won the contest twice.

Another familiar face in 2008 will be the 2007 runner-up, Ukrainian drag queen Verka Serduchka, with the song, 'Dancing Lasha Tumbai.'

There could be two semifinals on May 22, a move that would shrink the final on May 24 and make it more manageable. A final now last three hours.

Most of the competing countries, all publicly-owned broadcasters that are members of European Broadcasting Union, stage talent shows and other events to select the most winnable song.

The competition is restricted to some 40 national broadcasters in the TV distribution network run by the European Broadcasting Union. The top 10 scoring countries from 2006 have already won places in the 2007 final. Germany, France, Spain and the United Kingdom are also automatically given places in the final as their broadcasters contribute the largest amount of money towards staging this show and other EBU activities. Aug/08

RELATED READING:

Eurovision Song Contest web
http://www.eurovision.tv/

ESC Today
http://www.esctoday.com/