It’s now less than a month before the Norwegian capital Oslo comes alive to the sound of the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest. Two semi finals (on May 25 and May 27) will see a host of countries battling it out to make it all the way to the big event – the grand final – on May 29.
As the countdown continues, we look at the entries that are vying for the ultimate prize in European popular music.
Belarus will take part in the first semi final on May 25.
BELARUS : 3+2 – Butterflies
We’re tying to imagine how it all came about – a brainstorming session trying to work out what to call a band that’s got three main performers and two backing vocalists. Suddenly, a light comes on… “Huzzah! Let’s call them 3+2!” The rest is history. Originally slated to perform a track called ‘Far Away’, the five piece will now perform this instead. Singer Artyom Mihalenko sings some of the softest consonants in recorded music history and the band explodes into butterflies in the closing stages of the song. We’re not sure that they’ll be able to replicate that special effect on stage.
Australia's first stop for pop!