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So I’m sitting at The Infamous Scottish Eurovision Preview Party (Australia won by the way, in a landslide), and Serbia comes on. And I try to remember what it picked up in Juke Box Jury… There was a good reason for that.
A quick recount on the master spreadsheet revealed we were one short. It was time to call in the emergency podcast team…
Eurovision Insight Podcast: Juke Box Jury #7B
hosted by Lisa-Jayne Lewis, with Liam Clark (@theliamsclark) and Slavko (slavko.me).Serbia: Nova Deca, by Sanja Ilić & Balkanika.
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It took me a long time to even remember the Serbian entry – so I can’t blame anyone for forgetting to include it. 😉 The song has kind of grown on me, but that’s not really a good thing in a contest. It’s not a complete miss fo rme because I’ve found myself actually humming the tune when I was standing in the queue at the supermarket, but as I said, it took a lot of listens. I struggle to see this coming out of its semi, but I don’t think it’s that bad. Weak MAYBE
I think I understand what they wanted to achieve with this song.
They wanted to give the Balkan sound a different angle. It’s not a Balkan ballad perse but more an ethno -Balkan sound with a bit more tempo that usual.
The problem-the experiment has failed, and in the process they alienated some of their constituency.It takes to log to get going and the first minute is where you think. I had enough of this-MISS
MAYBE. I’ve grown to like this song a lot but it took me a few listens to get my head around it. The singing that opens the song grabs your attention but then there isn’t much variation in the first minute. When all three voices come together it has some power to it and is a mysterious, new-world take on the Balkan ballad. I think it deserves to qualify, especially to give a bit more variety to the final. However, it will be an uphill climb with a lack of easy support and a song that on paper isn’t hugely competitive.
MAYBE from me. It sounds a touch like B&H’s “Ljubav Je” but I really do like the mixture of traditional wind instruments and synth/drums, together with the strong vocals of Nevena, Danica and Mladen. That stereotypical Balkan sound reverberates long after the song has finished but the fact that it takes a minute to get going may lead to this being a DNQ.
I’m looking through the JBJ listings, and I can’t see Netherlands anywhere. Am I blind?
Episode 8, coming shortly
Serbia
-“Nova Deca” is a nice spin on the old Balkan sound, a perfect combination for traditional and contemporary, giving off a more global sound, which unfortunately doesn’t seem to be appreciated as much as it should.
And lest we forget, there were also long Balkan intros in Zelkjo Joksimovic’s past songs and were successful in the contest. One should allow themselves to immerse in the music as not every song has to start with someone singing right away.
So for me, this one’s a HIT.
Aw glad you’ve all enjoyed it – emergency podcasting when hungry and having just partaken of a lovely glass of Australian bubbles was… interesting! If any of you are coming to Lisbon and see the Insight team around do come and say hi!
Nova Deca sounds like a song written for the the 100% televote era. I can’t see juries outside the Balkans liking this at all. However, the final few qualifying slots in Semi 2 are likely to go to the diaspora big hitters, so Serbia stands a chance of qualifying. MAYBE.