OGAE Poland: Sweden, douze points!

Posted on 9 May 2012 by Kamil Górecki

Disappointed as we are in OGAE Poland, when our country doesn’t participate in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, we are still very euphoric about the coming concerts. And as every year, we have voted forth our favourite songs. 67 members have voted and here are the results:

12 p. – Sweden (467 points)
10 p. – Italy (294)
8 p. – Iceland (292)
7 p. – Germany (204)
6 p. – Spain 198)
5 p. – Serbia (177)
4 p. – United Kingdom (139)
3 p. – Norway (135)
2 p. – Azerbaijan (127)
1 p. – Denmark (113)

VERY close to top 10 were Albania (112 points), Finland (111 points), Cyprus (109) and Macedonia (108). Further down we see Estonia, Bosnia and Russia. Full results can be seen here (the flags will guide you through the Polish names of the countries )

Last year’s votes were somehow far from the results at Eurovision. OGAE Poland granted its 12 points to Hungary’s Kati Wolf, followed closely by Estonia’s Geter Jaani and UK’s Blue, awarding winning Azerbaijan with only 3 points. In 2010, however, we gave our 12 to Safura, and only 10 to Lena’s winner Satellite, followed by Eric Saade. Even in now-so-obvious 2009 the winner, Alexander Rybak, received only 10 Polish points, when it was Iceland’s Yohanna who got the full spot, followed by Estonia’s Urban Symphony. Sweden was successful in our voting in 2008, when Charlotte Perrelli’s Hero was an absolute fan favourite and bottomed the result list in Belgrade. Only in 2007 we awarded the winner with our 12 points (Serbia).

Will it happen again? We’ll find out in some three weeks.

‘Below standards’ – TVP explains its withdrawal decision

Posted on 2 March 2012 by Kamil Górecki

As we all remember, TVP decided to withdraw from Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku. The reasoning for that was mostly the fact that TVP is the co-host broadcaster of EURO 2012, organised together with Ukraine, what requires a major financial contribution, leaving no possibility to pay the participant fee for Eurovision Song Contest. However, in its letter to the Polish National Broadcasting Council (Krajowa Rada Radiofonii i Telewizji, KRRiT), the reasoning is quite different:

Poor results of the Polish singers, as well as the fact that the Polish music market opened for world-famous stars, led to a decrease of interest in Eurovision Song Contest among the Polish public. As a result, the profitability and importance of the event dropped below the standards accepted at the Polish Television. Hence the decision of withdrawing from the Eurovision Song Contest.

Surprisingly enough, nowhere in the letter one can read about financial reasons, maybe because TVP does not want to reveal for its governing body that it has problems with handling an extra job, EURO 2012. We find however that:

…the public is less and less interested in song contests. So are the Polish artists. It can mean that this kind of events is in a crisis. Finding new and attractive forms of entertainment is a challenge for national broadcasters, including TVP.

The letter was a response to an inquiry from National Broadcasting Council about the withdrawal from Eurovision in Baku. It seems that TVP is using one argument at the national level and completely different at the European level. Does EBU know that Eurovision Song Contest is below TVP standards?

TVP withdraws from Eurovision 2012

Posted on 18 December 2011 by Kamil Górecki

First unofficially, then confirmed. TVP, the Polish national broadcaster, has decided not to take part in the coming Eurovision Song Contest in Baku. The reason is as simple as it can be: money. Due to Olympic Games in London and, even more important, Poland being a co-host of European Championship in Football EURO 2012, TVP will spend most of its budget on these two sport events.

Fans all over the country are upset by the decision, however, there is no hope for TVP to change its mind. Therefore, together with Czech Republic, there will be a huge hole in the European voting map in Baku.

Mietek Szcześniak comes back

Posted on 9 November 2011 by Kamil Górecki

One of Poland’s most talented artists, Mietek Szcześniak, is coming back with his first English album, entitled Signs. It is his 7th solo album in his career.

It has been four years of work in different studios in Poland, Los Angeles, Nashville and London in cooperation with American musicians. It will be something new, according to Mietek: guitars, acoustic songs that give him possibility to show off his voice.

The album features two guest artists, Wendy Waldman (in Never Be The Same) and Basia Trzetrzelewska in a new version of the 90s’ Save the Best For Last, made well-known by Vanessa Williams.

Mietek represented Poland at Eurovision Song Contest 1999 in Jerusalem and came 17th with Przytul mnie mocno.

Pola and her ‘You Disappear’ for Poland at OGAE Video Contest 2011

Posted on 2 October 2011 by Kamil Górecki

We have made our decision! Poland, or strictly speaking our OGAE club, will be represented this year by “You Disappear” by POLA. We’re talking of course about OGAE Video Contest 2011.

Last year’s winner, Justyna Steczkowska’s Kim tu jestem, was directed by Maciej Michalski. He happens to be responsible for POLA’s video too. His work was chosen by members of our fanclub, and also by eurowizja.org readers (however, the latter preferred a video of the group Afromental).

The full results:

POLA “You Disappear” 165 p.
EDYTA GÓRNIAK “On the run” 160 p.
AFROMENTAL “Rock & Rollin, Love” 156 p.
BRODKA “Krzyżówka dnia” 152 p.
BRODKA “W 5 smakach” 123 p.
KORA “Zabawa w chowanego” 101 p.
TOLA “Muse” 98 p
SYLWIA GRZESZCZAK “Małe rzeczy” 97 p.
KASIA WILK “Być może” 94 p.
KAYAH “Za późno” 86 p.

And here is the winner! We hope you will like it at least as much as our last year’s representative.

First song in Poland appears online

Posted on 23 September 2011 by Kamil Górecki

We still have not had heard from the Polish Television (TVP) if they decide to participate in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, not to mention the rules, the dates and the way to choose our representative. However, there is already a song available online that is confirmed to be ready to take part in Polish national final 2012. Pretty early.

The group call themselves Door Selection, and their song is Don´t go away. Following Kati Wolf’s example, the first version is four minutes long, and will probably get shortened to match the Eurovision three-minutes limit.

We still have some time till TVP publish the rules (assuming there will be an open national final). We decided, however, that the Eurovision version will be kept hypnotic, with much more monumental and contest-like feeling, says the band.

So here it is:

Hania Stach comes back

Posted on 20 September 2011 by Kamil Górecki

It was very close for her to represent Poland in Helsinki in 2007. In the Polish national final her Regroup came at a close 2nd place right after Jet Set’s Time to Party.

She participated in Polish Pop Idol final, Opole and Toptrendy Festivals, then she was engaged in production of High School Musical, where she voiced the main character, Gabriela, and recorded three songs to the musical’s Polish version. Being occupied with that work, she found however time to work on her second album and eventually it’s going to see the world soon. Modern pop with a lot of powerful guitars should be expected. Both ballads and up-tempo songs. One of them, Bez Ciebie (Without You), is composed by Jud Friedman, known from writing for Celine Dion and Whitney Houston.

Hania’s song from 2007:

Hello, Eurovision world!

Posted on 15 September 2011 by Kamil Górecki

Here we are! After years of struggle, OGAE Poland has finally launched its English website. We are really proud to present you this small piece of work, where we will inform you about everything worth knowing that goes on in Poland.