Every project / musical / show / concert I do, I do with love and passion (TM)

Sunday, May 25, 2014

To be or not to be... Do we continue with the blog?



We do not speak about Shakespeare... but yes of the viability of continuing with the blog. Is it already necessary to continue with the blog? Is it useful for Tanja's career?. 

A few days ago we were doing an extensive article where we were analyzing these 5 years with the blog...



Let's see the fulfilled aims:

  • Tanja already has web official page from November, 2013 (though really it is improvable and there is slightly stuff at this moment...) 
  • Since she gained the Eesti laul 2014 and her action in Eurovision she already is known internationally
  • She already has some international offer that will study her viability...
  • From eurovision already there are numerous interviews in english about Tanja
  • We had the only group of fans on Facebook since May 2010 with only 218 fans... She has now after Eurovision in her page of the Facebook 14.342 fans :) :) and since 2013 also a channel on youtube with 438 subscribers, pinterest, twitter... 
  • We have been the only "meeting point" from 2009 until July, 2012 (creation of Tanja official page on Facebook) for the fans of her that they wanted to read something in english, videos, activities and many photos outside Estonian magazines in Estonian...
  • Since july 2012 we completed the information of the activities of the artist, but are aware that their Facebook page has priority... and since December 2013 we were again the meeting point of all the extensive information about Tanja on Eurovision... (we did 79 post about Eurovision!!!!)
Well... at this point: what do we do? 


Really the aim of this blog was playful but always we have considered it to be useful for the artist... before had a big "empty" on the internet about Tanja and nothing written in english... now I see no reason nor good nor necessary strength to continue... I do not know if it's really useful for the hours used... In Eurovision devoted too much time to blog... many daily hours... I got involved too much effort...  I feel a bit alone in the project.

We invite you to answer this simple poll (Yes / No)... but very important for us (deadline June 1)

CONTINUE? Answer poll at sidebar right!
 

Monday, May 12, 2014

Special post 5 Anniversary! Past, present and future

If you have some time, I'd like you to read this long special article.

There has come the moment to do a summary, to think and value these 5 years of the blog. We will link our blog with Tanja's evolution as artist, her professional life parallel to that of this humble blog. Everything what has happened, the successes and the failures, past, present and future... 

Tanja's blog: History of 5 years

The initial phase of this blog and successes: We have spread in english the professional career of a great artist, well-known in her country but very unknown outside Estonia. It was an a bit innovative and risky theme, because in this moment few artists of Estonia had web / blog in english... except Vanilla Ninja evidently. Our english isn't very good (we use translator for comfort and still I know that there are grammatical mistakes :) but if we wanted to do some international thing it had to be like that.

Tanja's blog first header (2009)

We have had visits from the whole world. Obviously Estonia is the country that more the blog has visited us. The list of countries is endless... and we are speaking of before Eurovision. 

The idea of joining in a only web page all my favorite artists of European electro-pop and Estonian pop (pep1000 channel) was a good way of attracting to the Estonian music, new fans, who then turned aside for our blog and who did not know Tanja or other artists from Estonia

Diverse channels in youtube were cancelled for trying to spread Estonian music... this article in Ekspress was the only sample of solidarity that I know to the reason and was written by a Estonian journalist "fan" of Pep1000 channel and that surprisingly was living in my city.

Ekspress article about Pep1000 channel in youtube
We could have spoken in diverse occasions with Tanja, thanks to the Internet miracle. Tanja is nice, affectionate and kind with her fans. Without Internet the contact with the singer had not been possible. We announced ourselves for the first time in an on-line interview of the magazine Õhtuleht December, 2009... She already knew us, already people had spoken to her about the blog...

Interview online Õhtuleht Estonian magazine (December 2009)
Difficulties: We have never had priority in obtaining stuff for the blog, always "dependence" of other external sources but in this initial phase there were no hurries, everything was going to the pace that we were indicating. We were doing in youtube passes of slides with mp3, principally of the first bands of Tanja as "Nightlight duo" or "Jz Belle" and big songs that there was nothing... or download the small videos that existed of her in some Estonian magazine, Reporter, Delfi or little shows as Teler TV or Tähed muusikas (Kanal 2)...

Kodu Keset Linna movie (2009)

The problems that we had to obtain the songs "Another country song", "I can b the 1" or "Kuldne plaat 2002 awards" when they were not in Internet... complex processes and that we did not have help great either, and always with the problem that we do not know Estonian to do our negotiations.

Tähed Muusikas (Kanal 2) 2009
Tanja walks to the top: 2010 is a crucial year for Tanja's ascent. After the show Laulud Tähtedega (Estonian channel TV3) the professional life of our artist multiplies, the offers in shows, ads, fashion, theatre, TV's programs and concerts... all is now very abundant. A lot of videos of performances start abounding about this program principally in youtube. They will follow other shows of importance in TV as Laulupealinn or Elu Veinimoisas that will consolidate the reputation of her furthermore.

Laulud Tähtedega (2010)

From this moment we have disadvantage for work with the blog. From my country we cannot record TV3 on-line because only it is possible to see in the computer and it is not possible to record (and it has had moments that it is not possible to see). Since then and TV's later shows always we have to wait for who any volunteer puts the videos in youtube to start giving news or putting link to the videos. Complicated task of having a blog of "news" and of depending on the others. These shows are weekly and the need to have the videos and news for next week was creating a total dependence of the "volunteer" who was putting them in youtube. Our task is complicated but fun and exciting.

The first interview: In 2011, november the first interview that Tanja grants to us, in this occasion for Pep1000 channel, web that also already knows.

She says in this moment: "I think that this is very exciting, that people from other countries are interesting in what i do and who I am". The European fame still had not come but I already was saying to Tanja that there were people been interested in her. But at the same time I was saying to her that also there are problems with the Estonian stores to be able to buy her music with foreign card of credit. Also she speak to us about the problems of doing a album in solitarily: "I think about doing an album all the time. But it’s not that easy for singer without managers or sponsors to finance an album and all the expenses that come with that, but i’m not losing hope".

Wikipedia: We were the first ones in putting Tanja at the wikipedia. It seems to me that it was neither in this moment nor in Estonian. Later some another user modified it modifying very much our article and the references that were joining it in blog. 

Post about Tanja at Wikipedia (november 2011)
The first album in solitary - Gemini: Conscient of her increase of popularity, Tanja there does her first official Facebook in July, 2012 a few weeks before her first album in solitary "Gemini" in December of this year. Up to this moment Tanja only had her Facebook's personal profile, in which join friendship and work all at one... it did not have too much felt. 

From this moment Tanja initiates strongly and when her time allows it to her in the world of the virtual marketing because she -logically :)- knows the news, her concerts... we almost always find out about her actions when already they are made. A strong competition has gone out for us but... the motive of the blog is for her, therefore... everything better for her Facebook. 

Gemini album December 2012
Second interview: January, 2013. The things are changing... We congratulate to Tanja on her album in solitarily "Gemini" and say to her that there are many songs in English... Are you preparing an international projection? "Well, i do dream about going abroad or trying to... ;0) Now we have something to show, something to offer and we do have some meetings with some people... so lets see".

Su nägu kõlab tuttavalt: "Your face sounds familiar" is a famous show in the whole Europe in which you present famous (singers, actors, humorists...) they interpret very known songs, it returned to place Tanja in the highest point of her popularity and it us demonstrated once again, that she adapts perfectly to all the TV's shows. In the memory magnificent actions have stayed as that of Loreen, Pink or Madonna. Precisely Tanja's dance with Argo Liik in "Try" would be probably the beginning of a great idea of contemporary dance for the Eesti laul 2014 (although they already knew from Fame 2006).

"Try" memorable performance (2013)
In November 2013, Tanja creates its own official website. In this initial dates is written only in Estonian. Also she did Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram... all social networks and all linked together... the initial idea of ​​marketing is very good.

Top in Estonian and International fame - From Eesti laul to Eurovision: We come to the miraculous classification for Eurovision. Even I remember when to the program ETV "Ringvaade" Tanja's classification promised to be for the Eesti laul. I remained without words... so many years waiting for this and now it is happening.

Since then (december 2013), begin the first interviews to Tanja in English in diverse mass media. If you are a finalist of a national final for Eurovision already you exist internationally.

When she wins on March 1 Eesti laul 2014, the interviews in portals of information of all the Eurovision countries one takes dizzy pace and in all the possible languages (english, spanish, french...). I believe that it had not heard speaking to Tanja in english until this day (only in some occasion in the show "Elu veinimoisas" that was done in France) and that well the girl speaks!. It is the highly gifted one even in the languages!.
 
Eesti laul 2014 final march, 1
Tanja's official web that after gaining the Eesti laul happened to be exclusively in english and had problems of functioning diverse days. The information that Tanja tries to update does not do it across the web that has stayed as a basic and static device of information. Really though it has very big and nice photos, we were waiting for more of her official web. She tries to report on day after day in her Facebook, more rapid and instantaneous.

Tanja web on march 2014

We have still a high level of visits in the blog (some day very high) but now you put "Tanja amazing" in the search "Google" already takes webs related (always) to Eurovision to the user to numerous pages. Also in the forums they speak about Tanja well and badly on "Amazing". I surprised very much to read two days later (March 3) that already existed 17 pages in a Spanish forum speaking about Tanja... and in Spanish! this was unthinkable only weeks before.

It was a very curious and striking moment...Our work initiated at the wikipedia as one of the sources in english more important that they speak about her and the text that she did in her biography of her official web, has been copied in all the articles done by "journalists" relating to the song of "Amazing" in Eurovision. 

There is no a deep investigation of the artists of the contest... they limit themselves to copying done by others. I believe that a good journalist has to understand more on the person that he speaks, to investigate more his/her professional life... We have to remember the habitual questions on Amazing and her dance similar to that of Loreen or if she sings "live"... she has answered thousands of times. A bit more of imagination!.

Third Interview: A few days after gaining the Eesti laul I turn her to sending a few questions at this moment historically. She is late a few days in answering and she says to me: "I have like 27 interviews to do :) It's crazy". Now already the majority they would be in English. It is necessary to value and see since everything is evolving... I say to her: of your last album "Gemini" 11 songs already were in English... did you saw nearby your international career? Answer: "Well :) no… i hoped that some day somebody would buy my album from outside Estonia as well but… now it actually can happen and i'm very happy"

Live in Eurovision: The days of press conference the interviews to Tanja are countless (all in english in the contest and Estonian for Estonian magazines) and the questions always are more or less the same ones. Tanja is announced in Denmark and also it does some small action in some Copenhaguen's coffee, Eurovillage or Euroclubs. The days of rehearsals she confronts them with naturalness as if the whole life had been on stage as this one. Tanja appears in numerous photos, thousands posts in the press of Eurovision, small blogs related to the festival, the press of Estonia... try to control everything about Tanja is very complicated and difficult. Nonetheless, we did an extraordinary campaign on Eurovision (79 post!!! OMG!!!).

Tanja at Press Conference Eurovision 2014

Now already she is international, a little pop star. Only it is necessary to wait the day of the action may, 6. This day Tanja's light would shine in Europe though there are strategic aspects that do not allow her go to the final. Nonetheless also we did a small critique on the performance and the improvable aspects that we observe.

Tanja's performance at first semifinal Eurovision May, 6 2014


Meanwhile Tanja's official web is without updating from the middle of March... She trusts again in her Facebook, where Tanja contributes some daily photo of her trip to Denmark, more direct and effective. Really her facebook works wonderfully. The fans it sees in her facebook the point of contact with the artist. Very well... but...

A date: on abril, 23 Tanja has on Facebook 5.555 fans -- May, 7 10.963 fans. 

In 14 days she duplicates the fans!. Logically when the contest is ended and she returns to Estonia, is settling down and stopping the number of fans.


Let's value now, the negative and improvable part of the blog,

Failures:

Tanja and the blog: In all the interviews that have done to Tanja in Eurovision... she has never mentioned this fans blog... I do not know but believe that it had been a good idea to devote knowing itself as "meeting point" of all her intense activity, with many videos and post in english and for to demonstrate in Europe that she already was known partially by fans of out of Estonia :( 

All the journalists were doing the same questions to her in Eurovision... the information relating to her biography was extracted from her official biography in her web on the wikipedia... It had not been better to look at the blog where you have almost everything in the last 5 years...
 
Header Tanja's blog from Eesti laul 2014 until Eurovision finish
Participation: We have not could promote the participation in the blog. There are readers' scanty comments of the blog. The principal motive I believe that it has been because the blog is realized only in english. It could not be in Estonian because in this language only we know titles of songs, few words. Probably a double version english/estonian had been the better thing but do not be the one who can translate all that... and we live very far from Estonia.
Any news done in Estonian in a Estonian magazine about Tanja, has in a few minutes, enough comments... We could not have had them. I sit it Estonian but you have to understand that this I initiate to spread the artist... it was not done by bad intention.

Future: The future of this blog we will have to analyze it... now already it does not have very much felt that it exists... or yes... I don't know!. She already is known internationally and has a very active Facebook, and an official web that I suppose that update and will put more stuff... 

But these 5 years of compiled material it cannot get lost has to be left here. To the free being "blogspot" from "Blogger" there will no be problems of not realized payments.

The blog in the media: The blog also has had scanty repercussion in the mass media of Estonia. It has not just understood himself, not to being again, for the problem of the language. I do not want that they say that my blog is wonderful but curiously a good Estonian artist, has an unknown fan who has done a (nice :) blog to her. 

Only Elu24 did a small article about the blog... not since it happened! Thank you Elu24!!!! and now recently Postimees noticed us in the small polemic originated for seemed in the choreography of the videos clips of Tanja and Ruth Lorenzo in Eurovision 2014. Thank you also to them!.




The author is involved too much in the project: Sometimes I have involved myself too much in the blog: Though I know that the aim of the blog is playful and we have amused ourselves very much doing it, there is a "project", a final "aim" that is the total spreading of the artist, always inside our possibilities. We want to do everything possible for her because we know that the blog people look at it... and sometimes enough people.

Therefore, the night of March 1 I could not sleep, the blog had happened from "partial" interest to be a not official blog of an artist who will be famous in Europe from the following day. 

Conclusions:

I am satisfied with my "casting" of favorite artist to spread it internationally. It might have chosen any other artist of Estonia (there are very good singers) but I concentrated on her. The band Nightlight duo impressed me strongly and since Ly Lumiste separated momentarily of the world of the music... well then I followed to Tanja. 

And now I see that my "choice" was not at random... finally she represented to Eurovision this year 2014 a very emotive moment for me. She is already a small international star!.

Tanja at Opening ceremony Eurovision 2014
Tanja has been recognized internationally, every thing what she has obtained to been by her effort, tenacity and an admirable witness... but yes that we can affirm that she was in the mind of some person outside Estonia before she was landing in Copenhagen... the stuff compiled in the blog is important and it would be a shame to lose it... the blog has worked as meeting point for the people who wanted to obtain information of the artist for sections, professional career and videos in english... and this yes that it is necessary to recognize it ;).

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Today Tanja has arrived in Estonia and has given an interview to ETV

Photo by Anna-Liisa Villmann of ERR

Interview Link

The most important thing for us of the interview: Tanja once said that she did not say for sure that is not participating in the Eurovision Song Contest again next year, but the principle remains valid "Never say never."

The return of Tanja's team to Estonia

Photos of the return of Tanja and Estonian team in the Tallinn airport. They come from Copenhagen after having lived through the experience of Eurovision.
 





 
All photos by Ilmar Saabas

Videos of Tanja at Euroclub - Copenhagen

Tanja performing "Amazing" live at Euroclub in Copenhagen, 7 May 2014. She is accompanied by the co-author of "Amazing", Timo Vendt, at the saxophone.
 

 
 
Tanja live - cover song: "Work Bitch" Tanja live @ Euroclub Copenhagen
 

Photos of Tanja and Timo Vendt at Euroclub - Copenhagen

 



 
 



 
All photos by Tanel Meos

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Tara Wills cover Amazing

From Hungary... very amazing and interesting cover! Congratulations Tara!


Thursday, May 08, 2014

First semifinal: Critique of the day later

I already know that now it is very easy to think about the happened. Without doubting Tanja had to be in the final and it would be one of top 5 on saturdays final, but I want to think about the happened. 

Hit song, stylist, choreography, feelings between the couple, makeup, hard work realized... quite perfect, I don't have words, the Estonian team is the best!.

I cannot say anything on what they vote for the associations of Eurovision or the public who often is influenced per the geopolitics and votes to the neighboring country, to the country where he/she was born... but yes that I can think what I saw on Tuesday

With the help of the music expert Telly Ulman, she has made me think a series of details that some I already advanced these night but that she deepens and extends.

We add all the themes that Tanja already was taking dragging: seemed with Loreen (the public has not understood that it could be a complementary performance to Loreen) and the problematics or confusion in the public if she was singing live... the following observations:

· As Telly says, this stage was too big for this dance and song. Unlike the Eesti laul and the video clip of the song, certainly the intimate and romantic atmosphere that has to demonstrate the song gets lost in a too big stage. Probably without lights (everything the dark one), and a few areas lighting them the most striking atmosphere had been created between them...

· Cameras work was not right: I already said that it looked like to me a good idea to begin stretched on the stage and with the camera in the "sky". Nevertheless any change rapidly...


The most common characteristic in the action: cameras very far from the performance. This already I observed it on Tuesday article in the night. Too deep... all very far... no intimacy between them... too much light... In addition Tanja's face is seen very rarely.

 

Backing vocals? Once or twice, I was thinking that they were not... and yes! Marvi, Kaire and Marilin they were on the corner of the whole scene... Does someone know how they were dressed? Were they handsome?

Backing vocals? on the right corner!
The intimate atmosphere returns to lose, you do not believe yourself the history... The camera focus from very far, again and again... now from the sky!... there are once or twice that once focus from above (they two almost do not meet) and in once one sees up to the whole flight of steps of the public...

From the sky... where are Tanja and Argo?

public? this breaks furthermore the romantic history of the moment...
In the most difficult moment of the whole choreography... the reflections on the stage also seem to me to be guessed right... also the camera had to be one more poc nearby...

This mirror below...
I believe that some spectator will have needed these small mistakes but will not have been decisive for Tanja's elimination. The juror already is different, they know much more of music and they might have been fixed in these details... I also want to add to my comment that any other experts in Estonia, Juhan Paadam in Õhtuleht magazine has also noted some other design flaw or strategy errors (he refers to brown color).

Though I return to repeat that Tanja would be in the top 5 undoubtedly. In the first semifinal there has qualified some country that was not deserving it... and they have forced Estonia to remain out of the final.

The principal motive: I believe that the people have not understood the difficult thing that is to sing and to dance at the same time...

Do not be the one who decided the sights of the cameras and stage design but... I am sorry, it has not been too guessed right... Sometimes the grandeur of the stage can be a negative weapon... The stage of the Eesti laul was perfect for this song and choreography.

This blog has never been of critique always it has been of promotion and spreading of the artist... but all the magazines do, we also want to think.

Already well I have said my opinion... it continues being a terrible injustice not to reward Tanja's and Argo hard work in these months... do not worry Tanja, already you are international!.


Wednesday, May 07, 2014

Tanja says in this video "All the contestants are amazing"

Today photos and Video of Tanja in the old town of Copenhagen - at Eurovision Village







Songs: Amazing and Cover of Vaya Con Dios «Nah Neh Nah» 


Song: Amazing


Song: Amazing 
C
Cover of Vaya Con Dios «Nah Neh Nah

"Ringvaade" interview to Tanja before and after the withdrawal

This photo leads to a video program "Ringvaade" of ETV that explored the emotions in the first Eurovision semi-final stage, before and after the withdrawal.

http://menu.err.ee/v/eurovisioon/e19b8b6b-f9df-4605-9cd0-364e704ec73f

Also we know impressions of: Marvi Vallaste, Kaire Vilgats, Marilin Kongo, Mikk Saar and Timo Vendt

Initial reactions from the press of Estonia to the elimination of Tanja

First videos interviews to Tanja after eliminated in the semifinal.... she is sad but says it is a wonderful experience and there's more to think how each country voted... everything is done... what fortitude that shows this girl!.

Video by ERR




Photo Postimees by Tairo Lutter

"What happened? Estonia did not get the finals" says Õhtuleht magazine, 

"Sorry! Estonia did not make the finals of the Eurovision" says Elu24

and Publik Delfi says "SUMMARY: The sad! Tanja superhuman effort is not guaranteed to Estonia in the Eurovision finals".

Gallery postimees Tanja and Estonian team at Green Room