BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

24/11/2006

Belarus: disqualification for Agurbash and Koldun since song broke the rules

As ESCKaz managed to find out song "Get Up" submitted on 16th of November to "Eurofest" competition by Belarus/Russian performer Dmitry Koldun and his producer Victor Drobysh is already released comercially by Finnish band The Ratzz. Song, called in Finnish version "Aave", written by Jorgen Elofsson, Maki Kolehmainen and Tracy Lipp was included into the debut album of the band "Hard Ratzz Hallelujah". As ESCKaz was told by representative of label Helsinki Music Center: "We were not aware that Dmitry Koldun had been performing the song. The rights for both Aave and Get Up, Get Down, Get Crazy are posessed by HMC & BMG Music Publishing Scandinavia, song was already published by us on The Ratzz album".

Besides that, ESCKaz managed to learn that Dmitry Koldun was regulary performing song "Get Up" in a tour of "Stars Factory 6", including the series of commercial concerts on a territory of Belarus in the beginning of September. Song was also available since mid-September in the internet - at the official site of Dmitry Koldun one can find concert live audio and video recording, studio instrumental and lyrics of the composition. Both facts are prohibitied this time by "Eurovision Song Contest 2007" regulations, that do not allow competing songs to be publicly performed before October 1st 2006. Same rule is repeated in the "Eurofest" rules in following variant, paragraph 2.1: "The songs for contest ("entries") (lyrics and music) must not have been commercially released and/or publicly performed before 1 October 2006. The entry as a copyright object must not have been released through the Internet or any other media".

Another song taking part in Belarus preselection for Eurovision song contest and already considered as one of the favourites of competition is not complying to the rules of Eurovision song contest and Eurofest project and should be disqualified. Song Miracle, submitted by Angelica Agurbash, was performed by the singer at the concert that took place during opening of World Athletics Championship, in August 2006. The concert was broadcasted by many international broadcasters as well. It's recording is available at internet site of Norwegian broadcaster NRK, performance of Angelica Agurbash is starting approximately on 23rd minute of the broadcast.

As we already explained in case of Dmitry Koldun, rules of "Eurovision 2007" do not allow competing songs to be publicly performed before October 1st 2006. Same rule is repeated in the "Eurofest" rules in following variant, paragraph 2.1: "The songs for contest ("entries") (lyrics and music) must not have been commercially released and/or publicly performed before 1 October 2006. The entry as a copyright object must not have been released through the Internet or any other media, and not have been aired by radio or television stations". However, as we learnt, both Angelica Agurbash and Dmitry Koldun have submitted more songs to the Eurofest project.

Source:

http://www.oikotimes.com/site/index.php?id=7001