Largely predicted as winner of Eurovision Song Contest 2009 by most booking companies, Norway’s entry Alexander Rybak with his song "Fairy Tale" was in the lead from the start. So many countries gave him 12 points (top score), that half-way through the voting there was no intrigue at all as for who’s going to win it all in Moscow on May 16.
Rybak won Eurovision 2009 with 387 points setting up a new recordfor the contest.Second and third places at the song contestwere taken by Icelandrepresented byromantic blond beauty Yohanna and Azerbaijan – a duo of singer Aysel and pop star Arash respectively.
Ukraine’s Svetlana Loboda with her song “Be My Valentine! (Anti-Crisis Girl)” put up an energetic and powerful show, yet she didn’t make it further than place No. 12. The performance of Russian entry,another Ukrainian Anastasia Prikhodko, appeared a bit spooky (it was accompanied by a video showing the singer age into an old babushka) and she didn’t sing too well, yet she did a little better than Ukraine taking 11th spot. Interestingly, Russia only gave 2 points toLoboda, while Ukraine supported Prikhodko with8 points.
In fact, Eurovision 2009 had a lot of strong contestants. French primadonna Patricia Kaas, who performed number third, was great as always, but next to all the colorful dances, pyrotechnics and half-naked girls featured in the contest, she simply looked too modest and decent. Armenian sisters Inga & Anush offered a fetching combination of folk and modern rhythms and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s band Regina played a hearty march pulsing with drum beats. British entry Jade Ewen performed a song "It’s My Time" composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber – maestro himself accompanied her on the piano, creating a proper classy rock-opera atmosphere.
Moldovan Nelly Ciobanu accompanied by a jolly group of dancing boys was an energizing cocktail, and Germans Alex Swings Oscar Sings! mixed disco pop, jazz and Dita Von Teese – famous American burlesque performer, style icon and former wife of rocker Marylin Manson. Turkish Hadise shook her hips well to her sexy song and even almost made it into the top three.
The victory of Rybak fitted well both with Eurovision Song Contest in general and the fact that it was taking place in Eastern Europe. After all, Rybak is a native Belarusian, and even though he hadimmigrated to Norway as a child, his simple melodious song sounded very Slavic. Add to that English lyrics, earnest boyish appeal of a 23-year old and skilled violin solos and you get a perfect winning combination for the Europe’s main pop music contest.
