Vecernji
list,
2 March 2001: 'Vanna and Huljic at the top of the pyramid'
Alongside Vanna, the favourites are "Putokazi", Petar Grašo and
Toni Cetinski.
Vecernji list played the songs to a jury consisting of Miljanko Prohaska,
Miroslav Škoro, Zvonimir Bucevic Buc, Darko Juranovic (D'Knock), and
journalists from their own supplement Ekran.
- Petar Grašo: Ni mrvu srice
Bucevic: I like Santana's album because I like people flirting with that
sort of arrangement. The lyrics aren't bad, I can imagine Grašo as a
Latin lover on stage and he'd look really convincing. I like this song
as much as Vanna's.
Juranovic: A bit of a Latin sound, it feels like it's got Runjic's
and Nincevic's signature (like Lipa si,
lipa). A typical Mediterranean sound, which is instantly
associated wih Tell me baby girl by Mark Anthony. A commercial
song.
Prohaska: I like the song, and Grašo, but I think he's had better
songs. I don't see it in ESC.
Škoro: I think Grašo will do well in the Dora and ESC with this song.
Ekran: Grašo is Karan's
replacement. No matter how he does in the Dora, this is potentially a
big hit.
- Branimir Mihaljevic: Milenij
ljubavi
Bucevic: I'm playing the joker, because I haven't got anything in particular
to say about this.
Juranovic: Cro-dance. The production and arrangement sound
old-fashioned. For Croatia, the tune's quite commercial, but a bit
childish in parts too.
Prohaska: However tolerant you are, you still have to obey the rules of
Croatian language, diction and accent. This song doesn't and that's my
biggest problem.
Škoro: We can always sing about love and peace, but there are too many
words.
Ekran: A banal, insincere, and irritating play on 'big' millennium
messages.
- Tereza Kesovija: Zlatni kljuc
sudbine
Bucevic: This song's in her style, but respects everyone's expression; the
performance seems too pompous. I can hear some musical references to
Demis Roussos and that kind of place, but I've got nothing against that 70s
sound.
Juranovic: She sings it well, but the song and the arrangement are
old-fashioned.
Prohaska: It sounds like a hymn. Effectively sung, in fact
excellently; nearly a favourite, but not completely one.
Škoro: Tere always fills me with enthusiasm with her energy and will, and I
give her a straight A for effort.
Ekran: An average song which relies on Tereza being theatrical and
dragging out the words, but if it goes through, it goes through.
- Vesna Pisarovic: Za tebe
stvorena
Bucevic: No comment, positive or negative. It'll probably mostly
depend on how she performs on the night.
Juranovic: A nice little dance song. The producer seems influenced by
commercial, Britney-Spears-type production. Solid, but not impressive.
Prohaska: I don't like songs with big 'devices', when everyone who can fit
on to the stage comes on; the arrangements are too packed and too clumsy,
and too much gets lost.
Škoro: It's interesting that there's something a bit eastern in the chorus
- how will that sound live? If only I knew, perhaps this would be one
of my favourites.
Ekran: An album-filler. The song's much weaker than the
singer.
- Mirjana Pospiš: Pjesmo moja
Bucevic: If this went to Eurovision, after the introduction they'd start
to think they were listening to Dirty old town. Seems overused
today.
Juranovic: Not a bad performance, but you'd associate it with Céline Dion
or Maja Blagdan. Sounds good, but the general impression is - nothing
special.
Prohaska: It's atmospheric, and it would complement the festival line-up or
a CD very well. But it doesn't really seem like a Eurovision song.
Škoro: If only Céline Dion was singing this, it would sound really
convincing.
Ekran: The atmosphere was considered more than the strength of the
tune was.
- Bruno Krajcar: Balun
Bucevic: The rhythm, the story and the Istrian style of music going on
in the background give the song an identity and I think it could score well.
Prohaska: Perhaps the arrangement could be more polished, but it seems a
convenient mix of modern music and typical Istrian instruments.
Škoro: Sounds promising at the beginning. That often happens to me
too when I write a song! I start well, but...
Juranovic: Personally, I'm not impressed by the production, but what gives
the song its individuality is the Istrian melody, though for European
purposes it seems different. How? I don't know.
Ekran: To us it's too familiar, and it lacks any special hallmark
from the songwriter, but overseas they'll probably find it completely
fresh.
- "Perle": Pokraj bistra izvora
Bucevic: A classic local-festival song which, with this arrangement, would
be better with more tamburica in it. If nothing else, it would be more
genuine. That way they cover up the verses with the arrangement.
Juranovic: Certainly a different song, but I don't know how well it suits
the idea of the Dora.
Škoro: These people have got a problem with their arrangement. I'd
recommend to whoever did it that they listened to what they were
doing. Anyway, it's a suggestion.
Prohaska: I approve of interpolating something characteristically Croatian
into a pop song, but not forcing it like they've done here.
Ekran: By the clear spring there's something very muddy.
- "Putokazi": Vilino kolo
Bucevic: The best song! The music is superior
and this year, unlike last year, I think this kind of song could have a
fascinating effect in ESC. Perhaps it could popularise Croatian
culture.
Juranovic: I like it! An exceptionally original performance, even down
to the arrangement. I get an impression of maturity from the
considered production. An original tune, too.
Prohaska: They've got a very interesting position: vocals, arrangement,
chorus.... I'm supporting this song as one of my favourites.
Škoro: I'm terribly sorry they'd already used up their song Naranca,
because it would have been perfect for this festival. Personally, I'd
leave out the little flute, but compared to the rest it sounds very
different and it's my favourite.
Ekran: Original, and the best played and arranged, but the tune's
weaker than some other "Putokazi" songs.
- "Novi fosili": Takva
ljubav
Bucevic: A beautiful atmosphere, a characteristic Dujmic
song. It could be a semi-favourite for me.
Juranovic: Very solid, and commercial. Sounds like ABBA. The
style isn't the sort of thing I do, but I can hear the quality.
Prohaska: This could be one of those songs which sound good on a CD, but
don't live up to it.
Škoro: I think the chorus needs to be faster, because it collapses when
it's too slow. I do like the song.
Ekran: Pleasantly sung, played and arranged, but not strong enough to
win.
- Vanna: Strune ljubavi
Bucevic: I enjoy the song, I like the arrangement, it looks like
Huljic is writing for the violin quartet "Bond".
One of the favourites.
Juranovic: I might sound too subjective here, because I worked with her for
ten years (especially as a dance producer). But, the fact is that it's
a very commercial song which has got a good range. There are some good
parts in the arrangement. Perhaps it's a shame that the sound (the
production) doesn't sound so original (a factor of progress). It's
been very adapted to the situation.
Prohaska: The most complete and the most Eurovision-like song in anyone's
opinion: the music, the arrangement (the two speeds are nice), and her
singing and diction - this is where all the attention will come from.
Škoro: I like the introduction as it seems like it's stuck to a good
Eurovision song. Indeed, she sings very well, the song's decent and it
sounds good. My favourite.
Ekran: Just beginning with the Vanna-Huljic combination, a song that
could have begun by somebody tapping into a computer all the elements that
add up to victory in Eurovision (the speed, the catchy chorus), and this was
the result. Vanna's voice and the colourful playing of the violins in
the background give this a calculated soul.
- Josip Katalenic: Povedi me
Bucevic: Doomed from the start. Perhaps it would have sounded
better as a duet. Josip isn't too confident a performer. It
doesn't stink, but it's not fragrant.
Juranovic: A slow song, not bad, although I don't like some bits of his
performance.
Prohaska: Like a hymn, and effective. It could be in the top category
- nearly a favourite.
Škoro: Here comes the Dora, so here comes Katalenic. This year he
needs to look after his hair so it doesn't all fly around again. Josip
sings well, but he can't win with this song and that's the most important
thing.
Ekran: A strong melody, but one for a more suggestive - if more
limited - singer, like Alen Vitasovic.
It could be Bura again.
- Vladimir Kocis Zec: Nije kao prije
Bucevic: I like the song.
Juranovic: A pop-rock sound, similar to several Croatian bands. The
arrangement and production don't sound bad.
Prohaska: Definitely a good song, very sure to be a hit in Croatia, but I
don't think it's a Eurovision song.
Škoro: It's OK.
Ekran: 'Nije vino spasitelj' ('Wine isn't the saviour'), Zec
says, but it follows in Vuco's footsteps.
Probably a hit in the more rural parts of the country.
- Zdenka Kovacicek: Ja zivim svoj san
Bucevic: The team-up with Tomasovic is
excellent and could result in a Zdenka 'revival'. I like the song,
it's got quality, the brass section is strong and I think it deserves a high
score.
Juranovic: A very good performance. Although it sounds a bit
old-fashioned to me, it's definitely one of the best Dora songs this
year. It leaves a good impression!
Prohaska: A high grade. It's one of those effective, strong songs,
with a big, engaging orchestration. It carries something along, it
grows towards the end and it could be a favourite.
Škoro: Mrs Kovacicek is living out her new youth, and that's clear.
She's wanted to sound different from time immemorial, and that' what this
song is. It's a shame that her younger colleagues don't have so much
courage and persistence in trying to do something else.
Ekran: Although not as good as Vrati se u moje dane, the song
will start a Zdenka Kovacicek revival, but hopefully not in the Dora.
- "enJoy": Hello
Bucevic: Since the writers have written English words rhyming with
English: so-so. Or tako-tako in Croatian. Perhaps it
would be interesting to mix French and Croatian.
Juranovic: An atypical song, for the sort of work I do, and in my
opinion. Could sell well in the Croatian market.
Prohaska: The song's good at the beginning, but nothing happens till the
end.
Škoro: I don't like these English-Croatian combinations, but it could do
well in the televote. And my kids will love it.
Ekran: A bad copy of last year's Baby, but who knows, maybe
Abba and Waterloo too.
- Dado Topic: Što znaci zbogom
Bucevic: I was bouncing up and down in my seat. I like that American
style of composing, the song sounds good to me, and better than anything
else I've heard from Topic recently. Among my favourites.
Juranovic: An excellent slow song. Very good performance, and good
production. A very mature arrangement. Good lyrics, and an
excellent accompaniment on the recording. The style of the song is a
little bit urban and it's one of my biggest favourites.
Prohaska: I admit I liked this song more after I'd heard it a couple of
times. It could be a favourite.
Škoro: Dado sings 'darkly', but I doubt he'll see Copenhagen with this
song.
Ekran: Palatable, fresh, professionally accomplished, but not
exciting enough.
- Branka Delic: Moja je ljubav umorna
Bucevic: The middle category. I love her voice, and the chorus is
easy on the ears. A semi-favourite.
Juranovic: A song you can dance to, and the general impression isn't
bad. The words and music are very memorable. Now the arrangement
and production are solved, they aren't bad either.
Prohaska: An suitable song, the chorus moves along, but it's not one of my
favourites.
Škoro: Santana again, but that was a year ago. Otherwise,
everything's fine.
Ekran: The song isn't bad, but her voice would sound better with a bit
of training.
- "Plava trava zaborava": Svane li dan
Bucevic: You associate country or pop-country with PTV, so I'm sorry
we've only got 'pedal-steel' in the chorus, not at the beginning. The
song's not bad, though.
Juranovic: A new female vocal with a quality sound. An authentic
song. An interesting, different sound, I think it's in the steel
pedal. It's a good song.
Prohaska: I do like PTV's repertoire, but nothing happens in this
song. It's not bad, but it's not for Eurovision.
Škoro: I don't think this is a song for ESC 2001. It could have been
one for 20 years ago.
Ekran: The only thing you notice is the steel guitar.
- Ksenija: Igra
Bucevic: I can imagine a kind of Alice Cooper staging for this song:
the singer dressed like Barbarella, with a snake around the door; after some
dragons come out, so does the guitarist, who throws himself on the floor....
Then I'd say 'Oh, that!' Whether that would succeed in the Dora is the
question. On the contrary, I think the song won't get too many points.
Juranovic: Not stylish, it doesn't sound right... I don't know what to say.
Prohaska: An unnecessarily complicated song. I can already see the
Danish orchestra hesitating over the arranger's strange combinations,
grasping like mad and looking at the conductor in amazement.
Škoro: I don't understand it.
Ekran: A little bit of rock-opera. The song had a purpose, but the idea got
lost in the arrangement which didn't know which side to take.
- Toni Cetinski: Iz dana u dan protekla
bila
Bucevic: One of my favourites. I can hear enough live instruments, so
it's not all coming from programming, there's a bit of a rock 'drive' - it
seems Toni brought enough of himself into his performance.
Juranovic: A first-class performance and an excellent chorus. A very
strong urban-popsong. The arrangement's been done very well. For
me, one of the favourites.
Prohaska: A dense, overcrowded song, but it must be a potential candidate to
win.
Škoro: An excellent ballad; for my taste, the production's too aggressive,
but that's understandable given my background. A great song, and my
favourite.
Ekran: A modern, urban song, excellently sung, something's always
going on in it and you don't miss the permanently repeated chorus, as most
songs have, which would be easier on the ear.
- Emilija Kocic and Al
Turner: Ljepota
Bucevic: Nothing to add. The song flirts with country
music, but then it's better than what "Plava trava zaborava"
do. I'm neutral, really.
Juranovic: The production doesn't sound bad, it's got a good chorus.
You can hear some country influences, but it isn't as authentic as PTV's
example.
Prohaska: It sounds like Eurovision, but I put it on the B-list.
There's songs like this in all the festivals.
Škoro: They need to decide, English or Croatian. English sounds
better to me and I vote for it all being in English, no matter what the jury
say.
Ekran: What is this? It's a bad copy of Cliff Richard from the
time when only English and German pensioners listened to him. Does
that mean it sounds like Eurovision? Yes, but Eurovision 20 years old.