Today marks the day of opening ceremony of the New Wave Festival 2016, held in Sochi, Russia.
The contest was founded by Igor Krutoy, a Russian composer and Latvian pianist Raimonds Pauls in 2002 as a contest to give exposure to new talent.
The event is usually built up as following: 3 contest days, 2 special event days and on the last day the results are announced and followed by an ending concert.
The finalists of this edition are:
– Sasha Zakharik (Belarus)
– Konstantin Rabotov (Bulgaria)
– Dino (Croatia)
– Kristjan Kasearu (Estonia)
– Alice Danelia (Georgia)
– Georgi Nabibaidze (Georgia)
– Walter Ricci (Italy)
– The ”SARYN” Duet (Kazakhstan)
– Kurmangazy uulu Nursultan (Kyrgyzstan)
– Samanta Tina (Latvia)
– ”Brio Sonores” group (Moldova)
– The ”N.E.V.A.” group (Russia)
– Denis Sokolov (Russia)
– Yaseniya (Russia)
– Galina Bezruk (Ukraine)
– Anastasia Prudius (Ukraine)
Quite some Eurovision ties among the contestants.
Dino is the same Dino Jelušić who won the Junior Eurovision Song Contest for Croatia in 2003.
Samanta Tina has tried to represent Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016.
Sasha Zakharik was in the Belarusian national final this year with her song Glory Day.
And Kristjan Kasearu tried to win the ticket to the Eurovision Song Contest by participating in Eesti Laul 2007 (with Hele Kõre) and in 2008.
Antonello Corozza is also involved again, as a producer for the Italian entrant Walter Ricci. Antonello was the composer of both O-o-O Sole Intorno a Me and Breaking My Heart, the San Marinese entries in, respectively, the Junior Eurovision Song Contests of 2013 and 2014. He also was the producer and vocal coach for both entries and art director for the 2014 entry. In 2015 he would be art director again, for the San Marinese song Chain of Lights, performed by Michele Perniola and Anita Simoncini and he also produced the videoclip for that song.
New Wave 2016 will take place from tonight, the 3rd, until the 9th of September.
