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€25,000 for Belgian representatives!
Belgium: State support for Ishtar
Ishtar applied for the donation themselves. They presented a list of expected extra costs to be made in preparation for Belgrade and during their stay in Belgrade to Bert Anciaux. The Flemish minister approved to give the Belgian band €25,000, considerably less than the €60,000 he allocated to Kate Ryan for her promo tour in 2006.
The main difference is that Ishtar didn’t plan any promo activities abroad, except for the one in The Netherlands planned on May 4th. Ishtar will perform O Julissi in Dutch tv show ‘Life and Cooking’ and will meet the Dutch and Swedish representatives, Hind and Charlotte Perelli.
Ishtar will release their second album next week, which carries the name of their Eurovision entry 'O Julissi'. This week, the Belgian band rehearsed their new choreography for Belgrade for the first time, created by choreographer Ricardo Overman.
Related polls
- YourOne 2008: Vote for your favourite song
- YourOne 2008 - Semi Final 2: Vote for your favourite song
- YourOne 2008 - Semi Final 1: Vote for your favourite song
- Belgium decided: do you like O julissi na jalini?
- Belgian selection concluded: did you like Eurosong 2008?
- Which country has the best song so far?
Go directly to the reactions
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@ Finn P
Well, I'm happy that I'm not the only one with this taste - I'm often wondering why I'm so completely wrong ... 
I'm rarely going with the masses, but not even intentionally...
(just looked at your profile - you're right - our tastes are matching quite well - except Ireland... )
btw.: Sopho Khalvashi was SO great last year - I can't understand why she didn't manage to make the Top3 and ended up in 12th place (!) - BEHIND entries like the Turkish, the Belarussian, the Greek and the Armenian...
Oh this great, great song, I think that people either loving it or hating it is a good thing. If you 'kinda' like a song you're not very likely to vote for it if there are 42 other to choose from. But if you love, you could well vote, so I think this one is gonna get a lot more points than entries like Andorra, Malta etc... songs that are quite OK, but not really at the top of anyones list.
@Max Raspail:
Its scary how similar our tastes are! I feel exactly the same way. Plus the way the Swedish and Russian entries are hyped so badly makes me s;ightly frustrated because they sound like they were thought up in 30 minutes in someones lunch break - while theres so much more originality to be found in entries like Portugal, Belgium, Turkey, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Albania, Finland .. (you see, there's quite a lot of them!)... Oh well. Its all down to the public I guess.
I can see Belgium doing well. Succes jongens, zet m op!
I love this song! I wonder how her new choreography for Belgrade looks
did anyone REALLY say poor Fabio!!?
Why? Isn´t it time he tasted his own medisine? The funny part is that his hate campain against Charlotte Perrelli is turning against him. "Hero" is destined to get a high position. you can´by that kind of p.r. Sweden are getting right now.
So keep up the good work Fabio, and we`ll be meeting in Stocholm 2009.
P.S.
Why aren`t the Belgic entry sung in their native tongue? No-one outside Belgum understand it anyway, so i really don`t see the point....
I dont know about them needing state help, I think mental help would be better.
LOL, poor Fabio. And he's not even the one to take it on to. 
@ Sandra Ahlander
It's sad that you are in a row with the other Swedes in this forum because you don't really give a good reputation to them with your hysterical comportment...
Okay, I'm off now. Have a fine day and don't panic too much - that's not good for the heart...
- Sandra Åhlander
Well the Swedes are the friendliest people in this forum, i've found I get along with the Swedish people in this forum better than any other nationality (and the Irish people are great to!!)
Its probably also cos I love schlager music, and have loved every song that Sweden has sent since . . . . ever!!! 
Charlotte for the win!!
hahahahah LOL
Anyway I like Belgium entry, aldo I must admit I wasn't truly fan when I heard this song first time, but now I like it more and more and I believe they have chance to qualify...
@Jonny K: YOU ARE MY HERO! But we Swedes are the best members in this forum??? Well I think many people will disagree with you!
@Max: and you don´t think that Fabio Deluca should grow up when he bashing Sweden in all threads??????? At least I don´t bashing any country, I only say when I don´t like a entry in a thread about that entry! And I say when I like a entry in a thread about thay entry, for example now with Belgium! I like Belgium and I say it in this thread about Belgium. But If persons don´t like or like the Swedish entry then these comments should be in a thread about SWEDEN not Belgium! Swedes like other persons must be allowed to give their opinions about the songs without bashing of their own entries!
- Sandra Åhlander
Cheers!!
Good luck to Sweden, You have one of the best songs this year, the best national final and the best esctoday members!!
@ Sandra
nice answer, but it doesn't explain why you insisted so heavily on Fabio's comment and why it was necessary to insult him in such a harsh way like you did... perhaps it's time for you to grow up...
@Jonny K: I totally agree with you!!!! Empty Room is a great song but in this year...NO!
- Franck Piccoli
Sanna Nielsen wasn't a better choice for Sweden. "Empty Room is a really good song but there are already too many ballads in ESC 2008 and it wouldn't stand out enough.
I've watched the swedish final and sweden want wrong again and again. the poor juries gave charlotte so much points that even PUBLIC favorite Sanna nielsen couldn't reach the first place.
Sanna nielsen was a much better choice for sweden . wut after all good luck to sweden won't be easy to qualify . because singing second just after strong iceland....
We will see.
@ Max: I don´t mean you personally, I mean a person generally. I don´t say that you have said someting about Sweden, I mean IF and WHEN you and other people talk about negative things about for example Sweden in a thread about a another country then it´s bashing!
I mean if I was from Belgium and when a another person like Fabio Deluca make comments about Sweden( no matter if it´s positive or negative) I would be annoyed because it has nothing to do with the Belgian entry!!
@ Sandra Ahlander
[i]I[/i] have talked about Sweden? You must be totally drunk...
Oh yes, now I see that I have mentioned Sweden AMONG TWELVE OTHER COUNTRIES - one of them even Germany and it was not the most positive comment I've ever made about a German entry...
The only country which gets away quite good in my comment was - tadah - Belgium. So if I was from Belgium, I would be very happy with my comment. And you, Swedish lady, should read closely before you write something which is so totally wrong...
btw.: you haven't really reacted to the fact that you have reacted TWICE to Fabio Deluca's comment. At least one time more than it would be necessary... Because this comment was about Sweden, one [i]could[/i] think that YOU are the person who is reintroducing the Swedish matter all the time...
someone said on this site that one shouldn´t mix politics and music.. whatever happened to those arguments? i guess that the "no-no" mixing only counts for the ex-Yougoslavian countries...
whitch is quit unfair actually... I wouldn´t be surprised if there was an election in Belgium, this year.. Anyway nothing can save this mediocre entry.
@Max Raspail: Bashing-teathre??? I think it´s bashing when you says negative things about the Swedish entry in a thread about a another countrys entry! If I was from Belgium I should think it was very annoying when people talk about Sweden in a thread about Belgium. I think we should talk about the country which the thread is about!
@ Sandra Ahlander
But there is no reason to react TWICE to Fabio Deluca's comment...
One reaction of you (in which you start your BASHING-theatre again) is MORE than enough, believe me...
@Lazy Lover: What have Swedish entry to do with the Beligian entry!
And again I like the Belgian entry! It´s in my top 10! It´s growing on me! Good luck Belgium!
@Sandra Åhlander: Actually Sweden has got poor entry this year 
) This is not a song to remember and it wil gol beyond the history of Eurovision. Unlike the Belgian entry. It is catchy, funny and tuneful
@Fabio Deluca! You are a damn little child! What have the swedish entry do do with Belgium´s entry! You are the most childish person when you go and bashing Sweden in every thread! GROW UP!
hello there ...
Belgium is causing the same controversy internationally than in Belgium itself... : you eather find it ridiculous, you cannot stand it at all or you just love it and it makes you smile and sing. That is a very good thing. This means at least some people will put it in its top position and others will definitely not and spread it over many other contestants.
What has Ishtar got as a big advantage? The first half minute : you wonder : what is this? And after one minute you start to: o julissi na jalini with them (even if you don't know the words). And believe me, by the time all songs have passed, you will still be having "o julissi na jalini" in your head.
We first want to qualify for the final (at least we will have overcome the frustration from KATE RYAN, XANDEE & SERGIO) and once in the final: of course we go for victory.
Bye bye from sunny Brussels,
Kristof
maaaaaaaaaaaax i find you here again!
it's boring but good luck belgium
they will qualify for sure.
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