Akylas aims to ‘Bring It’ all the way to Eurovision glory

Akylas from Greece performs the τραγούδι ‘Ferto’ during the archetypal semifinal of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest successful Vienna, Austria, Tuesday. [AP]

Greece’s Akylas, with the party-rap track “Ferto” (“Bring It”), won a spot Tuesday successful the Eurovision Song Contest last alongside 9 different countries, while 5 nations were eliminated aft the archetypal time of contention successful the popular euphony extravaganza.

Acts from 15 countries performed their three-minute songs onstage astatine the Wiener Stadthalle arena successful Vienna – often featuring eye-catching choreography and pyrotechnics – successful a bid for votes from juries successful participating nations and viewers astir the world.

Finland, the favourite successful betting markets, besides precocious with “Liekinheitin” (“Flamethrower”), a mashup of popular vocalist Pete Parkkonen’s anguished vocals and violinist Linda Lampenius’ fiery fiddling.

Israeli vocalist Noam Bettan was met with shouts of protestation amid cheers successful the auditorium when helium performed the stone ballad “Michelle,” but helium was among the 10 acts voted into Saturday’s final.

Also joining the last are Serbian goth metallic set Lavina with “Kraj Mene,” Moldovan folk-rapper Satoshi with “Viva, Moldova!,” and Croatian pistillate ensemble Lelek with “Andromeda.”

Soulful Polish vocalist Alicja, Lithuanian performer Lion Ceccah, Swedish vocalist Felicia and Belgium’s Essyla besides qualified for the final. Estonia, Georgia, Montenegro, Portugal and San Marino were eliminated – contempt a impermanent quality by 1980s icon Boy George connected San Marino entrant Senhit’s τραγούδι “Superstar.”

Ten much finalists will beryllium chosen successful a 2nd semifinal connected Thursday. The UK, France, Germany and Italy automatically suffice for the last due to the fact that they are among the contest’s biggest fiscal contributors. Austria, past year’s winner, besides receives an automatic spot successful the last arsenic big country.

Divisions are clouding the contest’s 70th day edition, with 5 countries – Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland – boycotting the lawsuit successful protestation implicit Israel’s inclusion. [AP, Kathimerini]