• Balkan
• Eurosong 2021
• Eurovision song contest
• music
• voting

Published on 18/05/2021 12:00 am

With the 2021 Eurosong contest kicking it off tonight in Rotterdam, Netherlands, it is only fair and just that Balkan Express takes a look at the tunes that will be representing the region.

Not all Balkan countries are represented this year. Kosovo, for instance, is missing because politics. Montenegro, on the other hand, will not participate because money. Ditto Bosnia-Herzegovina, though they’re out because they still haven’t paid their dues.

On the hole, the nine Balkan entries in this year’s competition do contain a couple of dark horse favourites, with Tick Tock by Albina (Croatia) and Last Dance by Stefania (Greece) being the most obvious ones. However, it is Here I Stand, a North Macedonian entry by Vasil that could take everyone by surprise.

Then again, there are a couple of Eurosong entries that would have done better if they sat this one out. Case in point being Slovenian (I know, right!?) entry Amen by Ana Soklič. And not just because the tune has a title identical to that of Austria’s entry, if you catch my drift.

At any rate, the competition begins tonight and tomorrow with the semifinals and the final on Saturday night. I wonder how many Balkan entries will make the cut, but you can help by voting for your favourite.

To help you decide, klick below and give a spin to this week’s episode of Balkan Express. And because I know you want to know, we’ll have more on the history of Balkan (or at least former Yugoslavia) Eurosong entries in next week’s episode of Balkan Express.

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Balkan Express takes weekly trips into contemporary musical production of, you guessed it, the Balkans. Forget the gusle and tamburice, this show is about rock, pop and a sense of humour. Well, at least there’s guitars. On air most Tuesdays in a new-and-improved time-slot at 1100 hrs. Usually. Your train conductor is Aljaž (aka @pengovsky) who once did the world a solid and decided never to sign again in public. Which is why he ended up doing radio.