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EMA 2009
Slovenia: Same format with slight changes
The annual EMA will be held in February 2009. RTVSLO will invite ten artists to take part, and a committee will choose the other ten. In total 20 songs will take part in two semifinals - ten songs in each. From each semifinal, the top five will qualify for the final. In the final, the top two out of the ten will take part in a superfinal on the same evening, and the winner will go to Moscow for Slovenia.
Last year, the superfinal was very exciting as Rebeka Dremelj got only 400 votes more than the runner-up, Langa & Civili. Rebeka, along with her song Vrag naj vzame, finished 11th in the first semifinal and did not qualify to the final. Therefore the winner of EMA 2009 will have to take part in the semifinals of the Eurovision Song Contest 2009.
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The best Slovenian entry ever was "Samo ljubezen" in 2002. The promotional video is one of the best productions I've seen, and one of the most hillarious too! They deserved a lot more!!! 
Hope to see Sasa Lendero and Birgita Suler in EMA 2009 !
why did you say
"Rebeka, finished 11th in the semifinal and did not qualify to the final. Therefore the winner of EMA 2009 will have to take part in the semifinals"
?
it doesn't matter if it would have qualify for the final of 2008 - since all the songs has to take the semi final... you might want to review that part of the article.
I'm a big fan of Slo-pop. I like their entries, but my favourite rarely wins. In 2003 my fav was Nusa Derenda, in 2004 Natalija Verboten, in 2005 and 2006 Sasa Lendero, in 2008 Manca Spik. The only time when my favourite won was last year - "Cvet z juga" by Alenka Gotar. Although they were not my EMA favourites, I think Omar Naber in 2005, Anzej Dezan in 2006 and Rebeka Dremelj had really good songs and did their best on stage.
I know many fans are bittered about Anzej Dezan, because Sasa Lendero wasn't given a single point by the jury and therefore missed the victory, I think he did his best and I really liked "Mr. Nobody" and his performance.
Vrag naj vzame was good enough for the Final. While rebeka gave a solid peformance, as many have said, the choreography and costumes destroyed her chances of making it to the final. What was the point of those dancers with those chains?
I am still angry, about this Jury boykotting Sašas Entry.
Mandoline is still 1 of my very favourite Songs...
@ Katy:
The juries might return? Where did you read that?
If those retarded jury- morons will return, we can already forget a decent act to represent Slovenia next year. 
And Sasa won't enter for sure if juries come back, why should she...
I really thought this jury- crap would be over once and for all after the scandal in 2006 and the V E R Y D E S E R V E D failure of Anzej!
Well I don't care who does it for us, just for ONCE give him/her/them DECENT clothes, this year Rebeka looked like some freaking elf from Snow-White or like melanzani or smth. Just the fact that she came 2nd in Barbara Dex award tells it everything. If they don't find any decent designer here in this country, then let'em go out, try Valentino, Armani, Cavalli, Gucci...OK, it costs a whole lot of money, but at least there would be less budget for some utter CRAP that is still on TV (like some utterly BORRING talk-shows that make every reasonable person asleep after 5 minutes). I mean Rebeka 2008, Karmen 2003, Nuša 2001...all them had good songs (Well Nuša's one was AWESOME!!!) and their chances got ruined with some tasteless frocks that make everyone get a headache.
And what we need is a big and effective PR campaign. Our winner need to go all over Europe, perform on their NF's, do interviews, flirt with the countries' audience,...well, ANYTHING! Just to make us recognized so that European viewers can say "Hey, I saw this one before on our NF. I know this. This is good, I'm gonna vote for this". And heel we can't do this!
I read somewhere that the jury might return. Now I say only "NNNNNNNOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!" RTVSLO, doesn't the cases from 1999, 2002, 2004 and 2006 tell you ANYTHING?!?! But fine, allright then, go and get the juries, come on get them corrupted so that they'll FOR SURE vote for your beloved Anžej or Eva Černe no matter how borring and predictable songs they'll have. Go ahead, you don't need us. Send them to Moscow next year, but when we screw up once again DON'T BLAME US!!! YOU picked them, not us!! I mean for heaven's sake...I guess they'll never learn!
The return of the juries on ESC however can mean a change of style on EMA. I hope that there would be less Swedish-schlager-wannabe songs (Schlager suits Sweden only and that's not always the case...this year, anyone?) and more ballads or ethnic songs or perhaps even a hardrock (There is a band called Siddharta and they are huge here!)...why not? Just don't send any typical ESC songs 'cuz it won't do any good.
I also hope for some really strong voice to go and reperesent us, like Nuša Derenda, Alenka Godec, Nina Pušlar with a power ballad, make them go and travel all around Europe to make PR for our song, get them decent scene costume, and voila!
@ Neverstop...it is true that this years EMA wasn't really that strong BUT there was one realy good and promising entry, which might have done very well at the ESC and was robbed big time : Samara ! Of course it sounded like a Babic reject but it still had that little Babic touch which does well at the ESC and the performance with that black dressed violin player was really good IMO !
I hope for songs completely unlike Cvet Z Juga or the overrated Mandoline rubbish.
I was very dissapointed that Slovenia miss the Final. The song from Rebeka was and is very fresh and good. The choregrafie destroy the whole chances. 36 equal with Moldawa with a very bad song ist for me understandable. She has very strong voice i wonder if she got the second place in the jury voting. I dont understand why the scores from the jury voting are not made public. Next year televoting and jury will be a good.
Good luck Slovenia. You have almost good songs but less success.
Aww I am soooo looking forward to EMA, my favourite national final!
And I am so glad that they system will stay, televoting with superfinal, that's always very exciting!
Of course, I my biggest wish would be to see my one and only Alenka back or for Sasa to return!
I hope Sasa can be convinced to enter again, she is a big star and would certainly win with a great song. If it's televoting only, she doesn't have to fear another voting scandal like in 2006 (Mandoline being boycotted was UNFORGIVABLE!!!).
About 2002: The drag act did terribly in televoting. They got like 8.000 votes while Karmen Stavec got over 30.000 votes with her song "Se in se". That was another voting scandal!
And about Rebeka- She is wonderful! People who have seen her in person will never forget her great energy and stunning appearance. I like many of her songs, she has some really good ones and I also think that her performance on EMA was very charming. The silly performance on Eurovision was not her fault! She didn't have any say in clothing, the dreadful dancing routine or the ridiculous cage! Too bad this amazing woman was presented like this in Eurovision, she doesn't deserve this at all.
I would love to see Rebeka back any time (if certain people in charge won't sabotage her another time).
Anyway, I am very curious who will represent Slovenia next year. If it will be a known artist or a no- name.
In any case, these are the artists that I would love for Slovenia at any time: Alenka Gotar, Sasa Lendero, Rebeka Dremelj, Omar Naber, Darja Svajger, Nusa Derenda, Tanja Ribic.
Furthermore, Maja Slatinsek and Eva Cerne would be good choices too, in my opinion. And Karmen Stavec, if she gets a good song.
But please, NOT Anzej Dezan again! But as long as it's televoting only, there's nothing to fear. People will never vote Anzej in first place!
I loved "Vrag Naj Vzame" but the performance was really bad !! I can undrerstand why it didnt qualify. I think it's finally time for Sasa Lendero! She is amazing! 
I hope for songs like Cvet Z Juga too.
Well "Vrag naj vzame" was one of my favorite before contest, but what did they done to that song in semi final... They change it a lot and I didn't like new version. I was not surprised that Slovenia didn't got through.
I hope as well for something more like Alenka Gotar. Good luck to you Slovenia.
Vrag naj vzame was rubbish. In fact the whole of EMA this year was rubbish. I don't understand how the public votes either - both this year and last, the worst and most superficial songs came top, and anything rock, indie, innovative (of which there was a fair bit in 2007) did badly. Diona Dim were outstanding in 2007, literally out of this world, and Steffy & Donald Trumpet were also excellent, with a really clever, well-performed song. Neither of them got through their semifinal.
Bringeth back the jury!
Hmmmm...I think Slovenia does the same mistake every year. I liked them a lot in 93 (my favourite that year) and 05. But usually....cheesy, banal old-fashioned discoschlagers. They need something new and fresh. it's not that EMAs are bad...they are often good finals. Something more modern and credible...rock, indie, dance, rnb or whatever!
The 06 EMA is one of the most bad tasted and more embarrassing NFs I've ever watched! All those cheesy "gay" songs. To top it all...the presenters were in drag! ush...As not 02 was bad enough with another silly drag act...not good for ESC's reputation!
Alenka to return with a Babic song, or finally Sasa with a song like Mandoline or Metulj : but it has to be Babic lol !
In hope for a good song!
I hope for something more dynamic from Slovenia again like Cvet Z Juga.
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