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City Event

Rehearsals are about to start....

So while we are all waiting for Saturday morning to get here, why not check out some of the Promo Party clips from the last month

Is your favourite there? Did you get a shock at some of the singing? Who went up, who went down?

Madrid Pre-PartyES 2019 interview photos

Riga
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUj9YGQtlfgF4e24X8HzJLHzsPaNEGwpU

London
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUj9YGQtlfgHlpQ9B3Ry-I4E7T2sx8M0U

Madrid
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUj9YGQtlfgGpsM44cLbFxuvzTq2ieGhn

and Moscow
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUj9YGQtlfgGYCADDM8H2O3WWqeZ3GqzG

Tour around Lisbon

Andy on Thu, 05/10/2018 - 20:22

Lisbon tour

Using the benefits of the Lisboa card given to all press-members (valid for 24 h from the first use, when date will be marked on it) me and Maxim have planned today a trip through Lisbon points of interest.

We've started with the Pantheon, we already were there in front of the building a week ago, but now we actually got inside. It was quite an interesting visit to the history of Portugal and a majestic building.

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"The National Pantheon, housing the tombs of Portugal’s major historic celebrities, is located on the original site of the church of Santa Engrácia. Founded in the second half of the 16th century, the building was totally rebuilt at the end of the 17th century by the architect João Antunes. Even though it was never used as a place of worship, it still preserves, under its modern dome, a majestic nave with a polychrome marble decoration typical of the Portuguese Baroque architecture. Being an icon of Lisbon’s cityscape and having a privileged location, as it overlooks the city’s historic centre and the river Tagus, it is listed as a National Monument"

"The personalities entombed here include the Presidents of the Republic Manuel de Arriaga, Teófilo Braga, Sidónio Pais and Óscar Carmona, Presidential candidate Humberto Delgado, writers João de Deus, Almeida Garrett, Guerra Junqueiro, Aquilino Ribeiro and Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen, fado singer Amália Rodrigues, and footballer Eusébio"

Official page: http://www.patrimoniocultural.gov.pt/en/recursos/cedencia-e-aluguer-de-…

Next, and we made a huge mistake there, was Teatro Romano. Not because it was uninteresting, it actually was fine, but to get from Pantheon there you have to climb a lot. We calculated that we had to do 30 floor climb on that day. The museum is made of two parts: excavation site and ruins itself and the museum demonstrating antiques discovered on the site.

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"The Roman Theater was built in the 1st century, at the time of the Roman emperor Augustus . It was rebuilt in the time of Emperor Nero, and during the reign of Constantine was partially dismantled. Abandoned in the fourth century, it remained buried until 1798, the year in which the ruins were discovered after the earthquake of 1755. The object of several archaeological campaigns since 1967 there have been recovered part of the benches, the stage and a large number of decorative elements. The museum itself is housed in a seventeenth-century building in the probable area of ​​one of the old theater entrances"

Official page: http://www.museudelisboa.pt/en/equipamentos/teatro-romano.html

Bullet (with support) in RCA Club

Andy on Fri, 05/11/2018 - 10:15

Finishing the year with the concert events I've attended a heavy metal conert (finally pure hard'n'heavy). It was a concert of Swedish band Bullet with support of Screamer and Rexoria. The concert amazingly started in time, but I arrived late since I was pretty tired after the tour and just wanted to see the headline band (sorry).

Bullet having six album releases since establishment in 2001 are playing traditional hard'n'heavy which nowadays is considered old school. They didn't disappoint, despite the crowd actually was the smallest of all concerts this week with around 40 people attending. What is with so many great metal concerts in Lisbon and hardly 100 people attendance to any of them? Prospects of metal music in the country are disappointing if we compare it with Stockholm or Vienna where such concerts were packed with youngsters and even girls.

Bullet in RCA Club

The Ministry Of Health In Portugal Teams Up With Research Institute And The Maltese Eurovision Singer With The Aim To Send A Global Message Of Hope

Lisbon: 8 May, 2018
There were emotional scenes in Lisbon today at an event involving Malta’s entrant in the Eurovision Song Contest, Christabelle.

The Ministry of Health in Portugal teamed up with a leading University research centre and the singer to send a message of hope about mental health.

When a member of the audience tried to put a question to Christabelle, she broke down in tears and Christabelle left the panel to give the young woman a hug.

Christabelle, Malta’s entrant in the contest, has had to deal with mental health issues herself and her song, “Taboo”, sends a message to everyone who is struggling about the need to seek professional help.

Christabelle, and Dr. Paula Domingos on behalf of Professor Miguel Xavier, Director of the National Programme for Mental Health from the Ministry of Health, appeared at today’s event organised by the Lisbon Institute of Global Mental Health. The institute forms part of the Nova Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Professor José Miguel Caldas de Almeida, Director of the Institute and Coordinator of the EU Joint Action on Mental Health and Wellbeing, also addressed the meeting.

The Maltese singer gave an acoustic rendition of her song and spoke of the need to break down the taboos surrounding the issue.

The meeting also heard, in video messages, from the Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister of Malta, Dr Chris Fearne, and the President of Malta, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca. They wished the singer well in the contest and praised her activism.

Professor Caldas de Almeida told the meeting that many people with mental health problems face abuse and discrimination and spoke of the stigma that made people hesitate to seek help. He said about 22% of the population of Portugal suffered a mental health condition. He thanked Christabelle for giving this issue a voice at Eurovision.

Dr Domingos told Christabelle she was very brave to tell her story, and demonstrated that she wasn’t afraid to be judged.

Christabelle will perform in the second semi-final of Eurovision at the Altice Arena in Lisbon on Thursday 10th May and, if she qualifies, in the final on Saturday 12th May.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Saturnia in Musicbox

Andy on Sun, 05/06/2018 - 09:31

Another day - another event to learn more about Portugal and it's brilliant music stage. We went psychedelic again, even space-rock rather with the band Saturnia who were doing a presentation of their new album The Seance Tapes in Musicbox venue in Lisbon. A trip through the 6 previous albums, revisited by its creator, the renowned musician and producer Luís Simões. According to the press-release, with rare live appearances, and a creative process always enveloped in secrecy, this Saturnia concert was one of the must-sees of 2018 - and it definitely didn't disappoint.

The concert surprisingly got going practically on time (22.30) allowing to get back on the night bust at 00.30.

Trance music of Saturnia is dominated by the layers of organ, synthesizer, guitar and sitar that bring sometimes calm, sometimes eruptive environments, hypnotic effects with the soft voice of Luís Simões adding to the athmosphere. After experimenting with electronic influences, band is now back to the late 60's / early 70's space-rock-psychedelic, proto-progressive; with some similarities to Pulsar, Can, King Crimson, Tangerine Dream and sometimes even touches of Ravi Shankar.

Band had complete discography on sale, and I've got the new album for 13 Euros. For others I again went digital.

Saturnia at Musicbox

Georgian embassy reception

As it already became a tradition, our team was invited to attend reception in the embassy of Georgia. Guests were offered drinks (Georgian wine or juices). Georgian diaspora of Portugal was very interested to chat with the members of the band IRIAO, which is representing Georgia at this year's Eurovision Song Contest. Ethno Jazz band members gave exclusive interview to our website in Russian language, in which took part for the first time songwriters David Malazonia:

Also we offer you to watch several performances of IRIAO with participants of the national Georgian Junior Eurovision preselection:



Bent Knee concert in Titanic Sur Mer

Andy on Fri, 05/04/2018 - 10:38

Taking time away from Eurovision - it was a chance to attend performance of the amazing band from US Bent Knee, who play progressive art rock. This is quite a unique sound to expect from America and in general the progressive and arti rock is something so difficult to find nowadays. The sound of the band was completely amazing, so if their albums on sale in the venue were not priced 20 Euros each I would have bought their whole catalog - instead I had to go digital when I got back home.

The violin player Chris Baum is the highlight of the band and he will make Alexander Rybak jealous with his impressive electro violin music. They also have lovely bass guitar player Jessica Kion who was celebrating her birthday yesterday.

Band existing now for 7 years gave a rare concert in Europe which also was their first appearance in Portugal. On 6 May they can be caught at Gouveia Art Rock Festival. At the concert at Tajo river venue there were around 80 listeners attending who were quite active supporting the band. I'm again a bit surprised with the late start of the concert, supposed to be at 23, it started at midnight, and as a result I had to run away amid last song to catch night bus at 1.30 (the next one would have been at 2.30).

You can listen to the music of the band at https://bentknee.bandcamp.com and http://www.bentkneemusic.com

Bent Knee in Titanic Sur Mer

Lisbon Press trip

In addition to rehearsals, press-conferences and interviews it’s time to say something about the host city of 2018th edition of the Eurovision. We were very priveleged to be invited at the special press-trip around Lisbon yesterday organized by AMP Associates. In brief we consider this as the biggest highlight moment of our stay in Lisbon so far.

The tour started at Joana Vasconcelos Studio - famous Portuguese artist and designer known all around the world. Her exhibitions are held in different countries with huge success. In 2009 there was an exhibition even in Moscow. Joana’s studio is located at Lisbon promenade and occupies 3 floors, where a lot of people work - starting from designers to seamstress.

After that we moved to the MAAT museum - a future location of the Blue Carpet event and the opening ceremony. This is a museum of art, architecture and technology. At that time there was an exhibition about future of humanity.

Then we went to the first lunch at the Watt restaurant, which is located in the center of the city. The restaurant chef been not just only an owner, but also he is a father to 4 kids and he is also a famous person in Portugal and beyond. He uses only ecologically clean products for his cookings.

After lunch we had a trip on the famous 28th tram. We went to the one of the biggest cathedrals in Lisbon, and after that we walked by foot to the restaurant called Associação do Fado Casto. In that place we have witnessed a little fado concert by Teresinha Landeiro.

Last place we visited was famous restaurant in Lisbon.

It was a great opportunity to learn more about the city and if you'd like to join us in this experience, watch the video below:

Meditation event with Ieva Zasimauskaite

Last night ESCKAZ was lucky enough to have witnessed a unique event that pretty sure very few people in the Eurovision bubble have ever been to. The Lithuanian participant Ieva Zasimauskaite participated in a Mantra Chanting workshop in the Mantra Yoga lounge in the centre of Lisbon, not far from the Praça do Comercio.
The workshop was organised by the local Hare Krishna community, whose faith plays a central part in her life. Everyone was free to join and indeed the atmosphere was absolutely welcoming, with the scent of incense approaching from a few meters distance. Everyone sat on the ground and chanted along to the sometimes just relaxing but at other times very uplifting and I would almost say catchy music!
Apart from mantra singing by the community members there were speeches from special guests and from Ieva herself, who followed her speech by mantra singing herself. In the video below you can get an impression on how the evening went on. Just to add, the light in the room was very dim which is notable in the video quality.

Afterwards we had a quick chat with Ieva who explained us a bit more which you can see in the video below.

Lithuania meditation event