Junior Eurovision 2008: Dead boring Armenian entry. Brilliant Georgia wins – congrats!

Sorry for being harsh, but it has to be said. Everything was wrong with Armenian entry - singer’s voice which is more mature than you would enjoy for Junior Eurovision (and sounded worse than usual); song which is dead boring; dresses which were not necessarily ‘junior’; overall performance... It’s a kind of song which you would never be able to recall after you listened to it, as there is absolutely nothing remarkable or particularly likable about it. Just boring…

On the other hand, Georgian entry was fun and very enjoyable. They were my favourites to win. They were simply brilliant. Congrats to them for well deserved win!! Everything was right with their entry, like it was with Armenian one a year ago when for the first time we participated in Junior Eurovision. I also liked Macedonian entry. Ukraine was not bad too. Btw, I loved that Armenia gave the highest 12 points to Georgia. Again, it was well deserved. Nice to see Russia’s 12 points to Georgia too.

Last year’s Armenian entry - Arevik band with Erazanq song, was a perfect Junior Eurovision entry. Only luck made Belarus win that year ahead of Armenia with only 1 point! Arevik’s song became big hit afterwards, and deservedly so.

With Monika Manucharova, it was a mistake, to put it mildly. Sorry, Monika, you are lovely girl, and I wholeheartedly wish you have successful career in whatever you choose to do, but this was not (and should not have been) your day. It’s not really her fault. I blame organisers and whoever was responsible for Armenian entry this year (Nadezhda Sargsyan & co?).

*photo - via Junior Eurovision Song Contest

Monika Manucharova, 12, will represent Armenia in Junior Eurovision 2008, Cyprus

In 2007, for the first time, Armenia participated in Junior Eurovision Song Contest with Arevik band performing "Erazanq" ("Dream"). They were pretty successful and delivered an excellent and memorable performance, finishing 2nd after Belarus.

Monika Manucharova, 12, will represent Armenia in this year Junior Eurovision which will take place on 22 November, in Limassol, Cyprus, with her song "Im ergi hnchuny" ("Sounds of my song").

I got immensely touched by her fairy tale-like story as effectively homeless girl from a socially disadvantaged family in Gyumri (her family is homeless and they live with her uncle in his house) coming to the capital Yerevan and winning over the hearts of Armenian TV viewers who selected her out of 10 finalists.

“She came with her mother [from] Gyumri and spent the first couple of nights in the train station because of not having relatives in the capital Yerevan and not being able to afford a hotel room in Yerevan. Few days later, as Manucharova's talent made her to stand out from the other contestants she was noticed and one of the workers of the Armenian TV Radio took Monica and her mother to her house until she could complete the contest. Otherwise they were going to spend the rest of the nights in the train station, reports the Armenian Radio.”

It’s always difficult to be critical to children without hurting their feelings. But if someone decided to represent Armenia, she must be ready for some friendly criticism. She looks lovely, her voice has potential (in fact, quite mature for her age), but... The song itself is a bit boring. I could hardly force myself into listening to it till the end. This song needs to be worked on before the Junior Eurovision. They should come up with some kind of remixed version of it or so, to make it more appealing to the audience they are aiming at.

Good luck, Monika!



*source of photo - esckaz