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Transcaucasian dream of Eurovision
Armenian viewers open the way
When the Istanbul 2004 and Kyiv 2005 contests were broadcast in Armenia, no one knew this would change the future of the Eurovision Song Contest. By email and telephone, an enormous quantity of Armenian viewers expressed their wish for their country to participate in the Contest. Yet it was not that easy for Armenia to participate. According to the rules of the European Broadcasting Union, television channels must not only have broadcast the contest the previous years, they must be active members of the broadcaster's union to enter the competition. Armenia could not participate in the Contest until they were accepted into active membership during the EBU General Assembly in Dubrovnik (Croatia). This opened the door for Armenia and other Transcaucasian countries to participate in one of the world’s biggest television events: The Eurovision Song Contest.
In 2005 together with Georgian Tele and Radio Broadcasting, the Public Television Company of Armenia became an active member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). A year later young Andre was sent to Athens to represent 3 million Armenians. According to many Armenians that was an important milestone in the country’s history. They saw Armenia’s participation in Eurovision as the opening of gates to Europe. This year the Eurovision Song Contest is welcoming Georgia with its debut. Georgia is realizing its Eurovision dream by sending the young singer Sopho Kalvashi to Helsinki, who will be performing the song Visionary dream.
Next year the Contest could welcome Azerbaijan. The Azeri Television became an active member of EBU in January 2007. The country’s membership was accomplished too late to be able to participate this year in Helsinki. Azeri’s should be able to realize their Eurovision dream next year, in…. Well, that location will be the surprise for Azeri’s and millions of Eurovision viewers.
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Great ballad! i hope his show will be as good as his songggggggggggggggggg, Go Haykoooooooooooooooo WE Are With UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUu 
!!!!!!!!!
[b]Allez Haykoooooooooooooooooo
Tu es le meilleur avec ta chanson [b]
Eurovision - Armenia 2008
I believe this song will be in top 5. As Hayko said theere will be a great show. The show that nobody has seen before. Go Go Hayko!! Btw, Armenian duduk is very touching . One of Armenian duduk players was naminated on Grammy this year. I think Europe will like it as Amerika love it already.
Without doubt, Georgia's entry is this year's runaway success - it wins hands down. Musically the most intricate and by far the most exciting. One of the best video clips too.
That makes for some shift in the balance.
I've never understood this geographically clear-cut idea of Europe to begin with, really. To me, Tbilisi is today more authentically European than - for example - Berlin. I feel far more... connected to Europe... in Edirne than I do in Monte Carlo.
All of the things I associate with Europe pretty much end at Austria and don't continue West. High heels and make-up, fur coats, chaotic streets, a mess of mosque/church sounds at the same time, smoking, freakishly tall people, narrow streets, relaxed culture, belly dancing, pounding nightclubs, useless police, corrupt politicians, feminine women, masculine men, and on, and on, and on...
That's Europe for me, and I see far more of it in places like Rabat and Tunis and Beirut and Ankara and Istanbul and Athens and Sofia and Bucuresti and Moscow... than I do in the West. I'm an Eastern girl really, I suppose, and I just can't be made to feel that Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan are not European - regardless of geography.
I would be satisfied if the expansion ended with Azerbaijan (as it belongs with the other 2 countries from the Caucasus). But I know that after Azerbaijan will follow even more countries... it never ends. If all this effort getting African and Asian countries involved was spent on getting Italy and Luxemburg back, I'd be happy
@ Burak
calm down. Bosnia, Albania and Turkey are Muslim but they are in Europe.I just don't want the Contest expanding to take on Asia and Africa too
Azerbaijan, Lebanon, Palestine... it's getting a joke. It's EUROvision..the clue is in the title. I don't care who outside Europe is in the EBU. The contest is too big now and needs restricting to European countries.
I don't think Kazakstan is legal to enter. They don't belong to the European broadcasting zone.
OMG - I really didn`t know the Azeri Television is already a active member of the EBU ! Guess they will take part in 2008 then.
The Armenian entry is nice, I am not sure if it stands out though.
Sophos entry is amazing, good luck to her - hope she`ll do well ( and maybe chance the performance a bit ).
if a country such as [i]Georgia, Armenia[/i] or [i]Azerbijan[/i] win Eurovision, I can promise you they will do [u]EVERYTHING[/u] neccesary to stage the show the following year. These countries really want to advertise themselves to 50 million people watching the show. I am not worried about them as potetial hosts.
And as for [i]Kazahastan[/i], (not active EBU members I believe) [i]Borat Or No Borat[/i], they also need the posotive attention :-)
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Welcome to Georgia. I guess Sopho (from Georgia) will get many Turkish votes this year as Andre (from Armenia) did last year (a 10 points).
Azerbaijan is very welcomed
They have great singers...
My favourite is Roya...Ruya in Turkish 
She is amazingly talented
url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38-q98Zbe9E]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38-q98Zbe9E/url]
Good Luck to Georgia and Armenia this year
i like this quiet, gentle song, but i wish it were in armenian. his english pronunciation is terribel.
Armenia only entered rubbish since they are in the competition. I hope they're sending a better song next year which could represent the great Armenian musical culture better.
Georgia is doing much better this year: Sopho Khalvashi and [i]Visionary Dream[/i] is a really convincing, innovative and beautiful song. It reminds me of [i]great[/i] Anjeza Shahini who made Albania's debut - it was fresh, it had no false respect, it was classic...
concerning Azerbaijan: If you want to join next year - welcome!
Kylie Mackintosh,
I don't blame you for your lack of information. Where is Armenia going to organise the contest?
How many concert halls in Armenia can you name? Not much, right?
Anyway, thank you for your concern. But it's really unnecessary.
Grigor: I like the song by Emmi best!
OK. I SAY MIRELA FOR SPAIN TO EUROVISION 2008 = WINNER EUROVISION
YOU GO TO YOUTUBE AND YOU WRITE MIRELA.
THERE ARE MUCH PERFORMANCES HER. SHE`S THE BETTER
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keep your reactions in english
MIRELA A EUROVISION 2008 POR ESPAÑA¡¡¡¡
MIRELA TO EUROVISION FOR S`PAIN 2008¡¡
MIRELA VA EUROVISION POUR L`ESPANGNE¡¡
Moderated by: Miguel Granja at Fri 30 Mar 2007 20:08:10
[i]I wonder if I Armenia wins eurovision,where will they organize the contest? e.g conferance salon of High school.lol but more important thing is culturel event so I hope Azerbaijan enter next year.[/i]
Greetings from UK
Stick to the topic please. Thank you!
It's fun that so many nations are showing interest to take part in the ESC.
But I think there are some problems the EBU need to solve before more countries enter the ESC.
The maximum limit of participants for example. Let just 40 countries take part!
Djamila,
I like the songs of Roya.
Here are some Armenian songs
Christine Pepelyan - Mayrik (ballad)
url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dqED7ugfIU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dqED7ugfIU/url]
Emmi - Parz aghjik
url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB3jl_5-kLY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB3jl_5-kLY/url]
yes to azerbaijan in esc (europe) - same region as armenia and georgia (caucasus)
no to palestine and lebanon in esc (pure asia) - middle east, nothing to do with europe, israel is there but it has a lot to do with europe
Darko: There are probably quite a few Turks who could potentially represent Azerbaijan also. The languages are similar (think Slovenian versus Cro/Bos/Serbian). Betul Demir, if I remember correctly, has family in North Cyprus and Azerbaijan. She'd be a great representative as well.
Betul Demir - Yaz Geliyor
url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWv7wvf_zz4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWv7wvf_zz4/url]
@ Djamila: Hmm, not bad! Altough I see this coming across as steel wool across the eardrum for most Western listeners. Tough. Us from the Balkans, being central, are far better equipped to judge and appreciate musical influences from whenever, really.
Er, why is she pulling that many faces in the first video? A slight overkill there for me. But very good nonetheless. Of course they should compete, evidently they've got a lot to offer.
WELCOM TO ESC AZERBADJAN IN 2008 !!! 
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