Been too long… But here’s why!

There are times when I really miss the daily blogs followed by instant reactions that usually developed into full-on electronic dialogues. But for better or worse, I can only count on a few minutes here and there to post my regular (or nowadays “irregular”… My bad!) updates. Not surprisingly, though, it takes me so long to actually get to the computer for these overdue “news blogs” that I tend to forget half of them by the time I’m typing away yet again!

So, first things first… Earlier this afternoon, we heard from our European counterpart that the authors of “Is It True” (Christopher Neil, Oskar Pall and yours truly) performed most gloriously by Yohanna, have been awarded for the #1 Eurovision Song of the Decade as voted by the ESC viewers and ESC Today readers worldwide. Did we really beat some of the greats, such as Andrew Lloyd Webber, Diane Warren, Ronan Keating, Patricia Kaas, etc. to name but a few? I’m still reeling from this, to be honest!

And from Sweden – this very song was performed at the Swedish Idol semi-finals (and won the semi’s!) by Erik Gronwall last week… which, by the way, you can hear (and see) right here.

Now, on a political note… As I’m getting ready to return to the UN Radio HQ next week to resume my weekly UN Uncovered show on Progressive Radio Network (it’s been over a month, I can’t believe it!) I am still trying to keep up with international political affairs… Believe it or not, I do read the Financial Times – still, even a year after the August War back home… So…. The other day, as I was surfing the web and reading the online Friday edition of the FT, I came across this article:

“Iceland after a year of financial crisis

Financial Times – London, England, UK

‘Is it true? Is it over? Did I throw it away?’ Seldom can the words

from an entry in the Eurovision Song Contest be more appropriate…”

To read more, please go to: FT.com

If you read on, you’ll be equally surprised by the sudden twist – a pop song lyric in a heavily political piece? I couldn’t be more excited, though, I admit!

And pop songs aside, I can proudly confirm that I am about to start working with the great Timothy Graphenreed, who wrote my very first song for me back when I was 16 years old, on our Broadway-themed concert to take place in NYC (theater, date, etc. TBC) in the new year – a variety of songs, ranging from American standards and some of my own tunes… Quite a challenge, but I’m extremely excited and really, really psyched!

While brand new material is on its way, I can already give you a quick hint – there’s about 4-5 new tunes that I’m dying to post on here asap, but it will have to wait until it’s been sent to my publishers at Kobalt Music and straight onto my homepage.

Please do stay tuned for more news and I promise to keep this blog up to date as much as possible… But for now, happy holiday to everyone (Columbus Day, if you haven’t noticed – some of the stores are closed today…. Brrrr…..!)

What’s Up, Doc?

Well, the summer is now officially over and who would have thought – the workload is still full on regardless of the season!

With so much writing (both fiction and songs), rehearsing for the upcoming show and meticulous planning, I don’t think I’ve ever juggled so many projects all at once.

But that’s what makes it all worthwhile, doesn’t it?

Over the past couple of months, I’ve been blessed to discover some fabulous new songwriters – and I don’t just mean producer/writers but solid composers. Some people say the craft of songwriting is slowly disappearing, but let’s face it, there’s got to be some cracking talent on their way to writing a classic or two in the coming years! I suppose this is something I’m most excited about – finding new talent and seeing it blossom in front of my eyes. Creativity – it pushes all my buttons, that’s for sure!

We’re anticipating some very exciting covers this fall, including Yanni’s upcoming new album and a PBS Special.

And of course, our very own “Thinking of Someone Else” remixed by Mystery & Matt Early – this brand new Jazz Funk mix is about to hit the radio stations thanks to the amazing work by Media 2 Radio worldwide and TopHit.ru in Russia!

Keep your eyes and ears open for more updates…

P.S. More songs coming your way within the next few weeks, including a brand new single “Treat Me Like a Woman” which I’ve just written with Fabulous Fab & Christopher Neil… It will be recorded in NYC’s Lower Eastside Flux Studios next month. I’m so psyched, cannot wait to share it with all of you!

News, news, news…

“News, news, news”

Such an incredibly productive summer – and it’s still mid-August! Someone’s not destined to have a holiday this summer, but hey, dare I complain?

I am so excited about the airplay and chart success back home in Russia – all three mixes of “Thinking of Someone Else” (Riffs & Rays, Dr. Octavo and the Dean St. Radio Mix) are on the radio constantly, including Europe + Euro-Mix, Radio 7, NRJ’s Top 30 chart show, and the song has even taken over the phone ring tone market… Too bad I can’t purchase the ring tone for my US cell phone! *joking*

Also on the “home” front, I have just started collaborating with Lev Koppelkin @ Centre LK and Grigoriy Melamedov – we are now preparing the follow-up single in Russia, so stay tuned!

And the most exciting news of the summer so far… We’ve just signed the worldwide deal with Kobalt Music Publishing, which is absolutely fantastic! To think that I have officially joined the list of Kobalt artist/songwriters, such as Lionel Richie, Moby, Gwen Stefani, Kelly Clarkson, William Orbit, etc., is completely out of this world. 

And on the book front – a MAJOR twist but daren’t say “what” until it’s all confirmed… I’m cruel, I know!!

While the London and LA dates are yet to be confirmed, there’s more exciting stuff on the way, but till then – hope you’re all well and enjoying your summer holidays… while I’m working!

P.S. A couple of soundtracks on the way, including “Yanni Voices” already in stores on DVD and on PBS, featuring one of my tunes written with Marc Russell and Dave Scheuer!

Williamsburg to Siberia…

On my way to Williamsburg to finish a new tune with Christian from GoodandEvil (one of my most exciting recent discoveries!) that we started the very day we heard about a great loss in our barely intact world of music and entertainment… MJ.

So much has been written, spoken and especially fabricated about this one-of-a-kind artist with a capital letter “A”, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to be able to tell the difference between what’s true and what’s utterly untrue and false. As I’m typing this blog, Larry King and his colleagues are speculating about the possible reasons as to “why, how and when…” May he R.I.P. – or are we incapable of granting one’s final wish, I wonder?

I never really intended to blog about this, particularly because of the
overwhelming number of articles, blogs and statements issued over the past
couple of weeks, but on the other hand, how can one blame people for not
being able to ignore the life and death of someone as significant in the
world of music, entertainment and our pop culture?

On a lighter note, daily news feeds and airplay updates are coming through
from back home. Yes, “Thinking of Someone Else” has finally been released in
Russia and what is now known as the CIS – the original Dean St. Radio Mix of
“ToSE” hit 179 cities across the former USSR last Friday and is climbing up
the charts. It made me smile when I heard from my Russian representative
yesterday that this very track is one of the highlight new releases
according to the main FM station in… Siberia. I mean, seriously, NY to
Siberia and beyond – is the world shrinking or…?

The Riffs & Rays Remix is going to hit the radio stations back home within
the next few days, although one of my personal favorite stations in Russia,
Europe + already aired the premiere of the tune on one of its leading
weekend shows, “Euro-Mix” last Saturday night. Hearing the same song on
various European and US stations over the past few months was probably not
as bizarre as listening to it on one of my childhood favorite programs – it
took me way back to my teenage years when I listened to the radio, wrapped
up in bed on a winter night with my earphones and a radio Walkman hidden
away under the blanket WAY past midnight!!!

Wait, wait… “ToSE” is still in the Top 5 on iDance FM… How come?
Requests… Really!!! The good “old school” way.

There’s so much more I’d like to share with you all, but since I’m already
running late for my session with Chris (plus, I daren’t spill the beans just
yet about the rest of my upcoming stuff…) I’ve got to cut right here. And
I promise to keep you posted in the following weeks as the latest projects
and news “in the making” unfold on daily basis. I’m so psyched!

My Crazy Month…

A crazy month so far… And the summer has only just kicked off!

Negotiating contracts, meeting with lawyers, publishers, agents and new
songwriting partners can be fascinating, exhausting and at times really
exciting, but what about some free time for a bit of fun and entertainment?

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to take the entire day off, let alone a
proper weekend off work, without feeling somewhat guilty deep down (“I
should be working, not hanging out!”) Although having said that, recharging
my batteries is definitely one of my priorities for the next couple of
months or so. That, along with a couple of trips that have been on the cards
for way too long, including London and possibly LA, but not excluding an
imminent return to Moscow for a potential project that is currently in the
works… Something massive but not yet finalized negotiation-wise, so I
daren’t say more!

All in all, a very exciting time but it’s also quite disappointing that I’ve
barely managed to catch up with any of my friends in-between the mad weeks
here and there. I don’t regret it for a second, of course, but sometimes I
genuinely worry that my friends will soon start accusing me of ignorance -
and that would make me feel awful!!! I wish I could place everything on
hold – or maybe a pause button? – for a day or two and just concentrate on
catching up with each and every one of them!

Oh, and guess what else is happening next weekend? A gig in Central Park!
But more on that later… with pictures and possibly even a youtube video!

In the meantime, of course, the UN Uncovered radio show and the BTR Russkiy
in the Mix show are still very much on air and in production on weekly basis
- it’s a way of switching off once a week, I guess, and thinking about the
bigger picture every now and then!

And the book… The synopsis for the sequel is already done, while the first
book is currently being reviewed and edited by the critics, so I’m excited
and just a little nervous!

Wow, would you believe that “Is It True?” is still in the charts and still
going strong? While “Thinking of Someone Else” is #2 on the iDanceFM charts
and we’ve just completed a pop cross-over radio mix in the UK, which I’ll be
posting shortly on myspace! And by the way, it has just been picked up by
Hit FM and Europe Plus, a couple of leading Russian commercial radio
stations and will probably be added to a few more top stations throughout
Russia in the next couple of weeks or so.

I’ll do my best to keep the blogs coming on regular basis and keep you all
posted at all times… My apologies again for not getting back to everyone
in timely manner but I promise to get better at it – I’m really not as good
as I used to be But I’ll improve, promise!

After ESC 2009 Success – A European Chart-Topper!

I couldn’t be more excited and thrilled with the results following the Eurovision extravaganza earlier last month… While most of us expected the ESC madness to be over following the grand finale on May 16, shortly thereafter, I realized that the craziness had only just begun as the phone started ringing like never before with 2 min intervals the moment my plane touched down in New York City!

First things first – the European chart report as of this week:

“Is It True?” single (EMI)

Norway: 1
Sweden: 2
Belgium: 23
Denmark: 16
Switzerland: 9
Finland: 6
U.K.: 49

ESC 2009 COMPILATION (Capitol)

U.K.: 14
Sweden: 1
Switzerland: 3
Norway: 6
Denmark: 21
Austria: 13
Spain: 13
Germany: 3

And the sales + chart positions are building up by the week, and so are my responsibilities…! Plus more covers of “Is It True?” in various languages by top artists in Germany, Russia… even South Africa and more! TBC asap!

New and exciting co-write opportunities with some of the best songwriters and production outfits across Europe and the U.S. that I could have only dreamed of last month are now becoming my collaborators in the studio. How do I feel? Too insane to be proud of it and I wouldn’t dare relax at this point either… But the anticipation of the next big chart-topper is so intense!

 There are some incredibly exciting projects (music, books, bands, etc. – you name it! But I’ll say no more…) and collaborations in the pipeline, but I keep reminding myself that there are only 24 hours at my disposal per day. How can I make the most of it? Sleep, oh how I miss that minor form of escape on daily basis.

And just in case you haven’t heard this week’s Russkiy in the Mix, be sure to tune on June 2nd @ noon NY time (or straight afterwards – in the archives on the website) at www.breakthruradio.com to hear some of my favorite tunes that I picked up while I was in Moscow last month. Make sure you check out “Moscow Never Sleeps” – undoubtedly my favorite track of the month and a constant reminder of how much fun we had whilst there in-between the crazy meetings, shoots and rehearsals.

Missing it already!

Time to say goodnight yet again… But in the meantime, one little secret – a sequel of my debut novel (which is being edited as we speak by my agents and editors in London and NY!) that I’m currently developing… So many exciting stories and adventures that I had forgotten about… Ohhh, the beauty of writing a novel based on a true story! Daren’t say any more – hush my mouth!

Final Day – Is It True? Yes, It Is!

It’s not only true, but it’s also over (the madness, the excitement, the 24 hour schedule with no time to sleep, et cetera). But what a fantastic ride it’s been, and what a great payoff in the end! I couldn’t be more ecstatic about the results…

Iceland came in second, with 218 points, including ‘Douze Points’ from three countries: Norway, Malta and Ireland. Ironically, one of the co-writers of our song – the legend, that is – happens to be an Irish-born Brit, Christopher Neil. I have to admit, getting 12 points from Chris Neil’s native Ireland was rather special for us. I sat next to him during the televoting and clutched his hand tightly with excitement throughout.

After all, it wasn’t just about Iceland anymore, was it? It was about a great singer singing a song that Graham Norton, the BBC commentator (and a huge UK TV personality) referred to as “a real song” in a song contest. 

Countless TV interviews, shoots and meetings back to back – how does one leave such an artistic haven in the very heat of the moment? Truth be told, I should really be staying here for another week or so, but who could have predicted the outcome? The pre-ESC live primetime TV show, which broadcasted both nationwide and internationally, targeted  millions of Russian-speaking viewers that certainly helped. And singing the song in Russian, in front of my colleagues in Moscow, well, it was simply unforgettable!

What’s next, I wonder? Apart from a flight to New York first thing in the morning, as well as tons of work waiting for me on the other side of the world, it’s probably wisest to strike the iron while it’s hot, and not relax for a second. Otherwise, how often does one compete and, moreover, beat songs written by Andrew Lloyd Webber,  Diane Warren and Ronan Keating? I’m so proud of our achievement, and of course so thrilled with Yohanna’s final performance on the last night (and all the nights prior to the grand finale – she’s been amazing throughout!) As a young songwriter, I’m humbled, but I’m also over the moon to be on the same songwriting team with real pros such as Christopher Neil and Oskar Pall Sveinsson!

It really has been a thrill and a great adventure taking my friends, readers and listeners along on a special Eurovision ride to Moscow, but everything has to come to an end at some point. But, rest assured that when the next big opportunity comes along (and there are a few ideas in the works, more on that later!) you’ll be the first to hop on the train and come along with me. There will be new stories, new characters and more unpredictable adventures. Indeed, there is a lot to look forward to!

In the meantime, thank you all so much, from the bottom of my heart, for sharing this very special moment with me from Day 1. Don’t forget – Chapter 2 is just around the corner!

Day 11 – It Is True, We Are Officially In!

I couldn’t be happier or more proud! Making it to the finals has most definitely been the highlight of my trip so far. Isn’t that why we are here, after all? 

Rumor had it, just before the semi-final gala kicked off, that Iceland would either be the first to go through, or it would simply miss out by a couple of votes. The polls across the Olympiisky Stadium walls, however, had been very promising during the week. We were placed at the very top of the list, as the most likely contender for the finalist spot.  I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t confident… in fact, overly confident, particularly after hearing Yohanna’s semi-final performance in the Green Room – we were so proud!

But suddenly it all turned into a real Eurovision nightmare, as the finalists were announced one by one, each flag pulled out individually from the electronic envelopes. There were 10 of them in total. 1, 2, 3, 4, it wasn’t getting any easier, although what helped was the constant reminder that the results were being disclosed in random order. But still, were we going to make it? By #9 we knew it was going to be either Belarus or Iceland – or maybe neither, as Eurovision has always been famous for being completely unpredictable!

When the very last envelope was pulled out of the batch, I looked away from the screen and closed my eyes and ears. It was getting a little too intense! Would I be able to face another flag, other than our Icelandic one, when I opened my eyes? 

I honestly cannot recall seeing our flag on the screen and neither can I remember hearing “Iceland” or “Is It True?” as we sat holding hands in our cozy Green Room. Yet, I do remember our screams and tears once it had finally hit home – we had made it to the finals, 10 out of 18 semi final entries! I wish I could describe how it felt without sounding too cliché,  but I can’t help it – it really was THAT amazing!!!

What’s next for our team in the coming days? Well, a couple of top notch TV shows and exclusive interviews, which have already kicked off following our big night. And it’s going to get even bigger and all the more exciting (and perhaps even more nerve-wracking) on May 16th – the Grand Finale! Dare I make any predictions? Let’s wait and see. I’m just enjoying the moment, anticipating the unknown and making the most of this fantastic experience. Had I known it was so good, I would have made my first Eurovision attempt quite a few years ago. But I suppose it’s better to do it later than never at all!

And now it’s time to face another crazy day filled with intense drama, excitement, madness and a whole load of fun! Who knows what the rest of the week has in store for us? It just keeps getting better…. And tougher, too!

Day 10 – Semi Final Preparations!

As we are making last minute preparations for the semi final, due to take place tonight at 11 PM Moscow time, the excitement is building up and our overall schedule is getting tighter by the minute!

While most of the delegation parties are beginning to wind down (until the big night on the 16th) most of the participants are spending less time on the dance floor.Everyone is devoting all of their energy to the upcoming semi finals tonight, and on the 14th. As it happens, we are in the first group of semi finalists, hence the madness and major anticipation of the event.

Although the absolute highlight is bound to be the grand finale itself, tonight is quite a big deal, too – it’s pretty much down to a fantastic performance by Yohanna (we are VERY confident!) and of course, one of the primary ingredients – LUCK.

We simply MUST qualify tonight and go through to the finals, but I admit I’m a little nervous – who wouldn’t be? We all are, and if anyone says otherwise – they’re either insane or just lying!

And here’s the line up (I almost wrote the “track listing” – I’m too much of a studio nerd, I guess!)

(Composer/lyricist in brackets)

Montenegro – Andrea Demirović – Just get out of my life (Ralph Siegel/Bernd Meinunger, José Juan Santana Rodriguez)

Czech Republic – Gipsy.cz – Aven romale (Radoslav Banga)

Belgium – Copycat – Copycat (Miam Monster Miam/Jacques Duvall)

Belarus – Petr Elfimov – Eyes that never lie (Petr Elfimov/Valeriy Prokhozhy)

Sweden – Malena Ernman – La voix (Fredrik Kempe/Fredrik Kempe, Malena Ernman)

Armenia – Inga & Anush – Nor par (Mane Akopyan/Avet Barseghyan, Vardan Zadoyan)

Andorra – Susanne Georgi – La teva decisió (Get a life) (Pernilla Georgi, Susanne Georgi, Rune Braager, Lene Dissing, Marcus Winther-John/Josep Vila)

Switzerland – Lovebugs – The highest heights (Adrian Sieber, Thomas Rechberger, Florian Senn)

Turkey – Hadise – Düm tek tek (Sinan Akçil/Hadise, Sinan Akçil, Stefan Fernande)

Israel – Noa & Mira Awad – There must be another way (Noa, Mira Awad, Gil Dor)

Bulgaria – Krassimir Avramov – Illusion (Krassimir Avramov, William Tabanou/Casie Tabanou, Krassimir Avramov, William Tabanou)

Iceland – Yohanna – Is it true? (Tinatin Japaridze, Óskar Páll Sveinsson, Chris Neil)

FYR Macedonia – Next Time – Nešto što kje ostane (Damjan Lazarov, Jovan Jovanov/Elvir Mekić)

Romania – Elena Georghe – The Balkan girls (Daris Mangal, Ovidiu Bistriceanu, Laurenţiu Duţă/Laurenţiu Duţă, Alexandru Pelin)

Finland – Waldo’s People – Lose control (Karima, Ari Erik Veikko Lehtonen/Karima, Annie Kratz-Gutå, Ari Erik Veikko Lehtonen, Waldo)

Portugal – Flor-de-Lis – Todas as ruas do amor (Pedro Marques/Pedro Marques, Paulo Pereira)

Malta – Chiara – What if we? (Marc Paelinck/Gregory Bilsen)

Bosnia & Herzegovina – Regina – Bistra voda (Aleksandar Čović)

And the rules? Oh, that’s the scary part!

18 countries listed above will present one song each, including “Is It True?” representing Iceland. Nine countries will be chosen by televoting to move forward to the grand final this Saturday and the tenth spot will go to the country that placed the highest in the voting of the juries but did not qualify through televoting. Only the qualifiers will be announced during the show, and the complete results will be revealed after the final.

There’s so much more I want to tell you about the last couple of days but it’s now time for me to rush over to a meeting with my publishers (and I have to sort out one of my publishers’ lost baggage – I keep forgetting I’m one of the very few Russian speakers in our delegation… if not the only one! I love it, most of the time) and I do promise to give you all the details following our semi final. It’s all just a few hours away! I’m excited, sleepless and a little nervous – but not really. So stay tuned for the results and don’t forget to Vote for Iceland!

Day 8 – Eurovision Fever in Moscow!

The last couple of days have been so intense and “full on” – there is absolutely no escape from the Eurovision madness. Wherever I go in Moscow, it’s unbelievable! 

Constant press conferences, interviews (TV and radio, even across the other side of the world… but more on that later!) rehearsals and parties – I truly am having a blast! But on the same note, as you may already know, I haven’t been getting any sleep – only 3 hours per night at most – since I arrived here over a week ago. Dare I complain? Hell, no! 

Spending quality time with our Icelandic delegation has become so addictive! I honestly can’t imagine not seeing them every day, come this time next week. What a great crowd of fun, creative, and professional people! If teamwork is what this is all about, then I feel extremely fortunate, especially now that we’ve really, really clicked. We have all hit it off in a big way – each and every one of us, collectively and individually. It’s so wonderful to work together with a group of people toward a common goal!

The Greek Party at our local hotspot Euro-Club was great fun last night. Some of the highlight acts of ESC 2009, including the Eurovision heartthrob himself, Sakis Rouvas, performed (mostly) live. Others mimed as well (should I just zip my lip?) and introduced their upcoming entries for the competition. This was a very particular audience, consisting of obvious Eurovision fans from all over the world.  We were no exception! 

Chris Neil, Oskar, Alma and I stood on the balcony overlooking the Euro-Club stage. We watched Yohanna blow everyone away with her performance, yet again. It would be fair to say that she blew us away too! I don’t know why, but the overall impact of the song, and the performance itself, well, both are getting stronger and stronger, instead of turning into a daily routine. This is quite unusual, I think. But then again, I’m getting so excited about the upcoming semi-final (and particularly the big final night) I can barely wait for another 48 hours!

Tonight is the official opening ceremony of the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, and the welcoming party will be held at Moscow’s historic Manezh Hall, in Red Square. Although a lot of the former Eurovision stars were lip-synching all night long, it turned out to be a very entertaining event. We all had a great time just “chilling out,” as they say. The vibe was cool and the finger food was very impressive, too. 

Unlike yesterday’s pre-Eurovision promo program, tonight’s gig featured only one of the entrants this year; Anastasia Prikhodko from Ukraine, who will represent Russia in the finals. Bizarre, isn’t it? Everyone’s representing everyone else, including our “not-so-purely Icelandic delegation!” It’s very exciting, though, since we are all so multi-national. And even though I’m Georgian-born, and not of Russian heritage at all, I am the most Russian of all the Russian representatives this year, being an official citizen of the Russkiy Land. This is all according to the local and national periodicals and news agencies. Is it true? Yes, it is!
During the opening ceremony, my producer and co-author of the Icelandic song (our new universal term for “Is It True?”) suddenly pointed out a gentleman standing in the corner by the bar – it was Chuck Taylor, one of the leading music journalists in the United States! Or so I thought, at first…

But soon enough I realized it wasn’t Chuck; it was his secret twin brother! In all honesty, I had sworn it was really him, and then I zoomed in on the poor look-alike. I harassed him with my digital camera for the remainder of the evening, still secretly hoping he’d turn out to be Chuck Taylor’s relative in Russia!

 
Just before we all decided to call it a night, before yet another manic day (and it really is going to start getting more and more intense, from tomorrow onwards) Chris and I were interviewed over the phone by the UK’s very own Dave Charles, at HFM. It was unusual and even spooky to a certain extent, but great fun – we stood next to Lenin’s Tomb as we chatted away with Dave. We talked about my songs, our Eurovision tune and “la vie” in Moscow. Pure magic!

It’s scary, but just a couple of decades ago, conducting an overseas interview from Soviet Russia with a capitalist world journalist would have been virtually impossible! I do feel incredibly fortunate to have witnessed a tad bit of that era, but I’m even luckier to be alive in a semi-democratic world as a young person. I can say or do whatever I like… well, some of the time!

As Britney’s new single is playing in the background on Russian MTV (yes, I still watch Russian MTV once every couple of years) and as I’m slowly but surely beginning to realize I haven’t blinked an eye since the madness kicked off, first thing this morning, here’s a quick reminder before I drift off into the night: The official 6-day countdown to the main event has just begun, right here on BTR. So whatever you do, please be sure to keep your eyes on Iceland – you just NEVER know!