Looking back at 2006...

This year was marked by two important events: the return of the Festival RTP da Canção and the Finnish victory in Athens.

About the Festival there isn't much more to say, it was a bad show, with bad songs, bad hosts, bad stage, bad directing and one of the most hated winning songs in years. If the Festival was up until now a good way to launch a carrear in Portugal for Nonstop it was the kiss of dead, I doubt they will ever make a cd again.

As for the Finnish victory I can tell you I was jumping up and down in my living room during the voting... Hard rock hallelluja was not a great song but neither were My number one, Wild dances or I wanna but it was diferent and most of all fun, fun, fun. Finland had nothing to loose by sending Lordi so they did just that and after so many decades of dissapointing results they won without having to sell their soul to some swedish composer or something of the kind.

For me there is no doubt that Hard rock hallelluja is the song of the year, I bet it will remain has a milestone in the contest in years to come.

Still there were some other songs I liked in 2006, here are my other 9 favs in no particular order:

Russia: Never let you go by Dima Bilan;

FYR Macedonia: Ninanajna by Elena Risteka;

Ukraine: Show me your love by Tina Karol;

Croatia: Moja štikla by Severina;

Sweden: Invencible by Carola;

Turkey: Superstar by Sibel Tuzun;

Armenia: Without your love by André;

Andorra: Sensa tu by Jenny;

Slovenia: Mr. Nobody by Anžej Dežan.

The most obvious omission here is Lejla by Hari Mata Hari. I like it, it's classic but after Lane moja this song is not that "new" anymore and I dont think I've listened to it more them a couple of times since the ESC final. The same goes for Tornerò, all that screaming turns me off.