It may sound like a fairly reductive comparison, but Junior Eurovision really is a lot like the adult event, just… smaller. Case in point the official Press Centre; In Vienna a hectic, packed-out hall of around 800 journalists during peak events, here in Sofia it more closely resembles a campus library during revision season – albeit with tighter security.
As a fairly niche spin-off of an already somewhat niche pop culture event, this shouldn’t be much of a surprise. And yet, Junior’s stature is growing, and most of the major fan sites have representatives here, greeting familiar faces, exchanging gossip and pouring over rehearsal footage.
As this is my first day, I’m already a little bit late to the party, and today the artists begin their second rehearsals, combined with the first (and only) round of press conferences.
A dramatic presentation bodes well for Ireland.
Photo: junioreurovision.tv
It’s a ballad-heavy year and a lot of the young singers are given vocally showy, slighty po-faced material to work with. Ireland’s Aimee Banks channels Eimear Quinn with a dramatic Gaelic number that makes strong use of her crystalline soprano voice and a backdrop of a storm-riven sea, while Belarus’ Ruslan Aslanov summons a CGI butterfly while decked out in a glittering cape that’s half Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars and half Meryl Streep in the French Lieutenant’s Woman.
The uptempo numbers make a stronger impression on me, mainly due to the fact that they generally feel more organic to the young performers. Armenia and Georgia are bringing fizzy, high-energy fun with frenetic backing dancers and garish cartoon backing graphics. It’s very much Junior Eurovision as you’d probably imagine it if you haven’t watched it for a few years, rather than the more mature direction the contest seems to be trending in these days, but while the songs probably won’t be making my iPod, the vivacious showmanship wins me over.
My personal favourite rehearsal of the day is Malta, who are fielding a classic sun-drenched pop-soul anthem performed with bags of charm and energy by Destiny Chukunyere, who has some of the most impressive pipes of the contest. The stage performance isn’t quite there yet, but with a little tweaking and the opportunity for Destiny to feed off the audience on the night, it could be a contender.
Destiny from Malta delivers a fun, energetic performance.
Photo: junioreurovision.tv
At the other end of the scale are the Bulgarian duo. Gabriela Yordanova won the Bulgarian national final, but was thrust together with runner-up Ivan to avoid drawing comparison with last year’s Krisia Todorova – who appears to have been elevated to the level of deity since achieving second place for Bulgaria last year. Alas, the required chemistry for a convincing love duet does not appear to have materialised. I haven’t witnessed so much barely suppressed animosity in a Eurovision duo since Chanée & N’evergreen were apparently forced to represent Denmark together as per the terms of their divorce settlement back in 2010.
As you’d probably expect, the press conferences are not exactly hard-hitting, although many of the children impress with their humour, composure and comfort with the English language. A perma-grinning Bulgarian redhead who speaks largely in #hashtags takes hostess duties, sticking largely to questions about the performers’ musical tastes and experiences on the stage.
Christina Aguilera and Ariana Grande are the common threads among the female singers’ inspirations – which probably accounts for all the melismatic balladry on display this year – while Ruslan from Belarus cites Bruno Mars and his cheesecake-loving countryman Teo. Mika from Armenia proves to have surprisingly retro tastes, claiming Elvis Presley is his musical idol. He says his own entry is an attempt to introduce ‘retro rock ‘n’ roll’ to the Junior Eurovision. Mika is 12 years old.
The final and most interesting press conference of the evening is the Bulgarian broadcaster (BNT) and the EBU. BNT’s Director General Vyara Ankova talks about the significance of Bulgaria having the opportunity to host as a relative newcomer to the Eurovision family, and as a country “still searching for our place on the European music scene”.
The BNT/EBU press conference. (l-r: BNT Director General Viara Ankova, Junior Eurovision Executive Supervisor Vladislav Yakovlev & BNT Executive Producer Joana Levieva-Sawyer)
Photo: junioreurovision.tv
It’s clear that a tremendous amount of effort and dedication has gone into bringing the Junior here, in fact it’s the biggest international TV event the country has ever produced. The team talk about their ambition to showcase all of Bulgaria in their presentation, and the hope that all of the press and delegates will leave with a positive impression. As easy as it is to be dismissive of Junior Eurovision sometimes, it’s hard not to be a little humbled by what this contest represents to a country that hasn’t had many opportunities to showcase their people and culture on the international stage in this way.
As the formal events of the day wind down, it’s time to decamp to the official hotel for contestants and delegates. This necessitates yet another petrifying Bulgarian taxi ride, this time inexplicably soundtracked by a thumping dance mix of The Phantom of the Opera. As our driver wordlessly races through Sofia’s rush hour traffic, it occurs to me that should he miss one of the frequent hair-pin turns, the last sound I ever hear could be the heavily processed warbling of Sarah Brightman ringing in my ears. Needless to say I’m even more relieved than usual when we arrive in one piece.
The upper level official hotel also doubles as the Euroclub for this event, which is usually where press, delegates and performers can relax and unwind while cutting a rug to Eurovision hits past and present. At Junior the club it’s a kids-only affair, so the adults retire to the bar to analyse the events of the day over a selection of attractively priced Bulgarian beers. It’s the perfect way to wrap up another eventful day.