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Dima in Ireland
Dima performs on The Late Late Show
The entire show, the last of this television season, had a light flavour of Eurovision related topics. Not only was the show hosted by lso featured the Irish selection for the second ever Eurovision Dance Contest, the programme also featured one of the original Riverdance stars. The dance ensamble became famous worldwide after featuring as interval act at the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest.
At the beginning of the show, Dima performed his winning song Believe, together with violin player Edvin Marton.
Above: Dima Bilan performs on The Late Late Show
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Just to correct you Mina, the population of the republic of Ireland is 4.2 million. I dont know the exact amount of registered Latvians, but there has been somewhere between 80,000 & 100,000 (registered) eastern europeans arriving every year since 2004 and the vast majority are Polish, Lithuanian and Latvian.
I also dont have the viewing figures but to suggest 6million people in Ireland were watching is pure fantasy. I'd reckon its a million or less and I'd imagine a lot of Irish couldn't be bothered voting. On the other hand, for immigrants its their one chance of the year to see their homeland represented in an international arena and show a bit of patriotic support. So lets say 50,000 latvian, 50,000 Lithuanians voting 4 or 5 times = 400,000 votes out of 1 million viewers (of which a sizeable percentage don't bother voting). Maths DO add up I'm afraid. and the same maths add up every year, year after bloody year!!
You seem very good with facts and figures. Can you make a list of each western country and its top 3 immigrant groups, then see if there is any relation to where their top points went. Try this for the last few years. You might be surprised.
Cheers 
'But anyway, even if the population of Latvians was only about 1% of the Irish population, Latvians are far more likely to vote for their home country several times, out numbering the Irish peoples votes'
How many times? 1000 times each? And the rest 6,000,000 wouldn't vote at all?
That just doesn't add up mathematically.
Mina Carnation:
There are way more than 40,000 Latvians in Ireland!!!!! Because alot of them won't be registered will they! And Ireland has the most immigrants (as a percentage) of western europe. But anyway, even if the population of Latvians was only about 1% of the Irish population, Latvians are far more likely to vote for their home country several times, out numbering the Irish peoples votes. So thats why immigrant votes are so apparent.
Ennis,
there are 25,956 Latvians who have registered with Irish authorities from May 2004 (the date when Latvia joined EU) and July 2007 (the most recent month for which they have data). Let's assume that the number is even higher...say 40,000.
The population of Ireland is approximately 6 million. So, the percentage of the estimated population that consists of Latvian diaspora is 0,6%!!!
Are you seriously suggesting that the 0,6% of the population can give 12 points to their country?
Only if noone else in Ireland votes or if over 60% of the population vote for a different country each!
@ mina
no offence but would you're missing the point completely. Are you seriously suggesting Germany / France/ Belg./Neth give tops marks to Turkey every year because that's what appeals to those countries?? Get real. Top marks every year since televoting began. Sure, thats definitely a mere coincidence!!!
"How come ireland gave 12 points to Latvia" - because Latvians are one of the biggest immigrant groups in Ireland, along with Lithuanians and Poles. Since Lithuania was knocked out, who do you think the Lithuanians voted for. And Poland getting 10 points - well it doesnt take a genius to work that one out. When multiple voting from the same phone is used its irrelevant what percentage of the population these groups make up.
As for Portugal giving Ukraine 12 points - don't know what largest immigrant group is in Portugal, but chances are they're Ukrainian. Perhaps not and thats what the Portuguese public voted for, it wasn't that bad a song after all.
Switzerland giving Serbia 12? aren't ex-yugoslavs their main immigrant groop?
As for Finland winning in 2006, that was a protest/mockery vote as was Ukraine in 2007, as was Dustins entry in the Irish Nationals. (there were a couple of ok songs in the Irish NF but the public voted for Dustin because they think its representative of what the "Song" (have a good laugh at that word!) Contest has become. And the Spanish entry - why do you think the Spanish public chose that over Casa Azul? Because it was complete and utter trash and because of that it got a higher place than any other song would have. So stop this nonsense about countries having to enter better songs if they want to do well.
You'd have to be completely blind and/or stupid (and I really don't think you are for a minute) to discount diaspora voting.
You can call it sour grapes if you want, but whats the point of any Western country entering if they know in advance they will not only not win, but are unlikely to get ranked. Do you really think its a fair contest if Turkey starts off with 60 "free" points from Western Europe before the song is even chosen?
Come on, wake up!
First and foremost, the West has to send good songs if they want to go well... and yes I'm referring to my country as well!!
Yeah, sure blame diaspora for everything. Must be a HUGE percentage of diaspora that made west countries voting for eastern countries.
Regarding Norway, ex soviet countries gave Norway 56 points. You go and calculate what points west Europe gave it (west..not south, not balcans, not Scandinavians) and you'll see who gave it more.
By the way, how come Ireland gave 12 points to Latvia and Portugal 12 to Ukraine? How many Latvians live in Ireland and Ukranians in Portugal?. And how many Serbs live in Switzerland, because that's where they gave 12 points.
I'm not saying anything about Greece because the 12 points we gave to Armenia were expected and noone's whining about Armenian diaspora.
Isn't it time that the west be more responsible about their choices and stop blaming everything on diaspora/neighbour voting?
Where was the diaspora and neighbour voting when Finland won?
ennis is spot on like - no agreement because we have different minority group demographics.
@ mina
if only the western votes were counted norway would be in the top 3, only 3 points off first place, so the average placing from eastern votes stopped the norwegians getting there not the west
@ mina
"I've gone over the scoreboard and I can't find ONE country that the west has agreed on!
But look at the eastern voting, they all liked Dima, and not just ex soviet countries where he is famous so it was expected. "
What a load of old sh*te!!! the reason the west doesnt agree is because the eastern diaspora in the west chose to live in large numbers in certain countries: biggest immigrant group in germany = turkey, turkey gets top marks from germany. biggest group in belgium are turkish and armenian (check where belgiums top points went), biggest group in Spain are Romanian (you'd never guess who got Spains 12??), biggest group in Ireland = Poles/Latvians/Lithuanians, again check the points. I could be here all night going through each western country and its predominant immigrant group but I'm sure you get the point!!
Well, not everyone had to like the Greek entry you know, they still gave Greece more points than last year.
The thing is that they did give high points to Norway and if the west had voted for Norway, we might have a different top 3.
and i count 26 points ,not 30
8 from Armenia and 6 from Azerbajan
the others was
4 -georgia, 2 belarus, 2 ukraine 3-russia
0 lithuania 0 latvia 1 estonia
and the same time they all gave their 10 and 12 to ukraine and russia
so its obvious they stop greece for wining the contest with this plus 60 points (although i dont think it was 30 )
''ukraine and russia got almost 90 points each from ex-soviets when Norway and Greece got only 20''
Ummmm I'm sorry but Norway got 56 points from ex-soviet countries. Greece got 30.
alison it was a scandal
ukraine and russia got almost 90 points each from ex-soviets when Norway and Greece got only 20
they cleared the game
I agree Mina! Whilst some of the novelty entries are funny, if a novelty song won it would ruin the competition 
@ Cristina Giuntini, I get your point, but the reason Lordi's victory is now seen as the fairest is not "because Finland is not an ex-soviet country", but because this victory was the one least influenced by any diaspora/neighbour voting. There is a difference
And I agree with those who say that we just have to accept Russia is the winner, according to the current rules, although we may not like it...
I fully agree Mina...
The worst thing for this Eurovision would be if a joke entry won...the turkey, or Rodolfo, or that Estonian farce...because then, next year, the Eurovision would be full of such 'songs'!
@Teodorius...
I have to agree, personally I didn't like Vodka, especially the Nastarovje calling, but I supported it because it was represented by Malta, my country. However, you differed away from my point. What I'm saying is like Mina is saying, that eventually Russia and Ukraine garnered points from almost everywhere.
P.S I don't think Dima's win was the worst thing for this Eurovision as you're saying.... let the guy enjoy his victory.. of course, everyone has different tastes.. I have my own and I have disagreed with some past ESC winners, but they're all winners and unique in their style, so they deserved their victory just like Dima did!!!
alicon
i checked also where malta is because after your vodka entry and the Morena girl screaming naztarovia or something like that ,
begging for east-votes
you became the second worst thing that happened in this years esc after dimas "win"
In the first pic Dima looks just like Tose Proeski...
Mina Carnation:
Yeah, exactly!! But the problem is that I don't think there is a way of solving that, because its impossible to change peoples tastes in music. Maybe thats also why we used to see exciting voting sequences where the voting would be very tight, because most of the countries participating were western and they couldn't decide on a winner!
I don't think there is a problem with the westerners having different tastes, however you are right in saying that it is a bit unfair to complain when the west doesn't help the situation
Exactly Jonny!
Apparently in the west there are much less similarities in taste than in the east, so it's logical that easten countries will win more often.
I've gone over the scoreboard and I can't find ONE country that the west has agreed on!
But look at the eastern voting, they all liked Dima, and not just ex soviet countries where he is famous so it was expected.
So if one west country gives 12 to Latvia, 0 to Portugal another 12 to Poland 0 to Norway (for example), another 12 to Greece 0 to Spain, and they all give 4-5 points to Russia, or Ukraine or Armenia, isn't it logical that Russia or Ukraine or Armenia ends up with more points?
Stop this whole "Russia is not the real winner" thing... He deserved to win because it was a really good song!.. Malta gave Russia 8 points and Ukraine 10 points and last time I checked Malta is neither close to Russia and not to Ukraine.. I am Maltese, and have no affiliations whatsoever with Russia or Ukraine and voted for both Russia and Ukraine because they were both very good songs!!! Congratulations Russia!!
Mina Carnation:
Yeah I see what you're saying. Maybe for the west to score better, we need to be a bit more united
@ Jonny
you're right, I just heard it myself.
It's true that Russia was helped by neighbour votes..so was Ukraine, Armenia, Greece (even though it's my country), Serbia and Norway.
Some of them are also greatly helped by diaspora too.
The west in general doesn't send good songs (in my opinion ofcourse) and then they complain.
I mean, can you blame diaspora and neighbours for the positions of the Uk, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Poland, Andorra, Belgium, France and so on?
I try to be fair and in all honesty, the top 5 songs were the songs I wanted to be top 5 (I'd like Serbia to be top 3 actually) and not counting my own country, Greece.
People say Portugal had a great song...yes, it did, but did the west vote for it? No, they didn't. Well then, is it the soviet block's fault that it didn't win?
Portugal was voted by just 12 countries out of 43, 3 of which were ex communist countries. How can a country win when 31 countries don't vote for it?
Norway had a great song too. And you see France, Germany, Czech giving it 0 points, Andorra 1 point, Belgium and Portugal 2 points each. The biggest points Norway got were from Scandinavian countries..and 8 points by Estonia and Poland.
This is my objection. Why are some people whining that this has become an eastern contest when they themselves don't vote for western countries and apparently they like eastern entries more???
Armenia got 6 12's from the west!
Or is the only problem Russia and Dima?
"UKRAINE was the real winne of esc 2008"...
So WHY hasn't it won then? It's an ex-sovietic country as well, isn't it? It has won before, hasn't it???
OH COME ON!!! Are you really SO convinced that from now on Russia will win every year???
Paddy D, you are right when you write that EACH and EVERY year people have exactly the same reaction about the winner. When Lordi won, "they were crap and their victory was unfair, it was just because of their masks etc etc". Now they're among the few fair winners, just because Finland is not an ex-soviet country! This is ridicoulos.
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