Warm welcome for Morena

Sunday, 25th May 2008 - 14:08CET
Ariadne Massa

Around 200 people gathered at the airport this afternoon to welcome Morena,and boost her spirits after Malta failed to place in Saturday's Eurovision final.

Holding bouquets of flowers, and small placards saying Well Done Morena, the crowd waited anxiously for the 24-year-old Gozitan to emerge and even cheered loudly when her husband Marvin came out first.

"I enjoyed the experience tremendously. You learn so much and despite everything I still feel it was a wonderful ride," she said.

Morena is now looking forward to returning to her routine and job in Gozo, but plans to continue pursuing her career in music.

timesofmalta.com

Pic: Darrin Zammit Lupi

Zoo's version of Vodka

Morena - Xarabank - 24 May 2008

Click image to watch

Morena on stage, performance Eurovision 2008 Semi-Final(2)

What do you hear the audience shouting?????

Stop the Gravy Train

by Joe Grima - maltaman@maltanet.net
Opinion -- 23 May 2008 -- 00:05CEST

Is there going to be a feeling of sour grapes in my comments
about the Eurovision Song Contest this year? Yes, some of that too.

First, well done Morena, A faultless interpretation that did Malta proud. Presentation was good. The ensemble was good. The song was good, better than most of those I heard on the second night. So what went wrong for us?

Technically nothing did. It was just that some of the worst songs, some of the crudest gimmicks, and one song that conveniently happened to have its recording halted for a second, just enough to be noted, made it to the finals when , with a much better song and a much better interpretation than most, we did not.

The show itself was pleasant to watch but some of the songs that were performed before and after Morena were just for my rubbish bin. We have no one to blame : certainly not Morena , not the composer or the lyric writer, not the Malta Song Board . No one.

Malta's performance was not only creditable but definitely better than most of its competitors -much more pleasant on the ear, vibrant in its execution , well backed both vocally and visually, good choreography –altogether just a good , good show by Malta. But we still did not make it.

In the early seventies , when I was Chief Executive of the Broadcasting Authority, we entered Joe Grech and then Joe Cutajar and Helen Micallef and Renato for the Eurovision Song Contest.

It was the time when the record companies ruled the roost and , if you were not into the record group that negotiated the deals as to who would win one year and who would win the following year , you were simply out.

Our placings of the time, either last or close to last showed precisely that our connections with the record companies were zilch.

I was active within the European Broadcasting Union at the time. In our meetings in Geneva I protested until I was hoarse about the corrupt practices that were going on year after year.

We got a lot of sympathy but nothing else. The rules were not changed and we were quietly advised not to pursue the issue because the likelihood of change was next to nothing.

That was when I advised the Broadcasting Authority not to waste more time, money and effort with the Eurovision song contest and we pulled out.


Now it is said that it is neighboring countries that determine the Eurovision final list – voting for each other , making a farce of the competition , sidelining both music and lyrics as well as vocalists and deciding on results by sheer numbers. If that's it , then we don't stand a hope in hell of getting back in.


But, on the other hand, there were recent times when we almost won, even under the same conditions as today. So I , for one, don't know the reason why and probably the Malta Song Board has no more of a handle on the situation than I have. I am beginning to follow the trend of thought that maybe we should pull out again, as we did years ago and as the Italians did years later.

Maybe it's time to kick the Eurovision Song Contest in the butt and move on. We may have reached the point when this gravy train is stopped in its tracks.

di-ve.com

Finally the Winner (proud to say)...MY COUSIN Morena - Vodka (Official Video)

Comoposer: Philip Vella

Lyrics: Gerard James Borg

Jury: 49 points

Public televoting: 16,979

(Na zdarovye!)
(Hey hey hey hey hey hey)
(Na zdarovye!)
(Hey hey hey hey hey)

The hunt is still on
Here in Gorky Park
I’m in a danger zone
Everywhere is pitch dark

I’m running away
To a blanket of snow
Spy One to Spy Four
I’ve deciphered the code, yeah…

[CHORUS]
Vodka – that’s the secret word
Vodka – and they want it so bad
Vodka – I’ve deciphered the code
Got a rush in the head
Vodka – a transparent word

(Na zdarovye!)
(Hey hey hey hey hey hey)
(Na zdarovye!)
(Hey hey hey hey hey)

Cold blood drums within
They breathe down my neck
Spy One to Spy Four
We just have to connect

Their footsteps are near
Closing in for the kill
My pulse has gone dead
With a heart-racing chill, yeah…

[CHORUS]
Vodka – that’s the secret word
Vodka – and they want it so bad, so bad, so bad
Vodka – I’ve deciphered the code
Got a rush in the head, yeah…
Vodka – a transparent word…

(Vodka – that’s the secret word)
(Na zdarovye!) Yeah…
(Vodka – and they want it so bad) So bad, yeah
(Hey hey hey hey hey hey)

Vodka, yeah… (That’s the secret word)
(Na zdarovye!)
Vodka – a transparent word
(Hey hey hey hey hey hey)

*Na zdarovye! = Russian for cheers

GO COUSIN, YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LET'S VODKA THE SHOW

MaltaSong for Europe 2008

Malta kull sena tibqa tipprova...ma neqtgħu qalbna qatt!!!!! Din is-sena vera ħadt gost nara l-'MaltaSong' iktar minn qatt qabel.................rebħet l-izgħar kuġina t'ommi Morena, b'diska miktuba minn Philip Vella u l-kliem ta' Gerard James Borg. Dawk it-tnejn veru dejjem joħorġu b'xi ħaga ġdida, dejjem ħadmu flimkien u dejjem rajna suċċess!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Malta keeps trying to compete, even though haing the best songs doesn't help you win, you have to have neighbours. But one thing Malta knows....never give up!!!!!!! This year I realy loved watching the MaltaSong more than ever.......my mum's youngest cousin, Morena won with a song written by Gerard James Borg, and composed by Philip Vella. Those two have written more than one song together for the Eurovision, and we always saw success!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Morena - Vodka live fuq il-palk il-ġurnata tal-Finali 26/01/2008 / live on stage on the Finals day 26/01/2008

Morena's Moment of Zen