Credits
News
© RTS
Interview with OGAE Croatia
Serbia: Jelena Tomašević - "I can't compete with a turkey!"
Jelena and Željko Joksimović, the composer of her song Oro and Eurovision Song Contest runner-up in 2004, appeared on the HRT show Na domaćem terenu (On Home Ground) last weekend.
"I have been collaborating with Željko for several years, and our song Jutro came second at Evropesma in 2005, second for reasons known to all", says Jelena, thus alluding to the political situation in Serbia and Montenegro at the time.
"I think that it is a great honour to represent my country at such a big event", says the singer, who eventually plans to record the song in Spanish, Greek, Hebrew, Finnish, Russian and English. On asked why the song was being recorded in so many languages, Jelena said: "Ask my PR team! I like all the versions, but I'm going to sing completely in Serbian in May. I think a lot is lost by singing in English. Isn't that what Eurovision's all about, showing the difference?"
Jelena says that she always enjoyed watching Eurovision when she was a little girl, however when Željko sang Lane Moje in 2004, Eurovision became much more popular.
"I've heard all the songs for this year's contest, and I have to say that I have not been won over by a single one. But what I dislike most is the direction in which some countries are going. I'm thinking first and foremost about Ireland. I think it is totally bizarre, and the banalisation of a once respected musical event. I simply can't compete against a turkey. Isn't the whole point that the singer performing a song can be seen? Perhaps he is backstage, and it is playback!" says Jelena.
Related polls
- POLAND: Your favourite song in the national final?
- ARMENIA: Your favourite song in the national final?
- The Netherlands decided: How much do you like Ik be verliefd (Sha la lie)?
- Cyprus decided: How much do you like Life looks better in spring?
- Iceland decided: How much do you like Je ne sais quoi?
- Denmark decided: How much do you like In a moment like this?
- Norway decided: How much do you like My heart is yours?
Go directly to the reactions
Recent news about Croatia
Croatia: Many songs already available 73
Full list of Dora direct qualifiers announced 23
[UPD] List of contestants for Dora 2010 is out 24
Croatia: HRT receives 200 submissions for Dora 2010 6
Croatia: The Aleksandar Kostadinov interview 12
Recent news about Serbia
Three songs for the 2010 Serbian selection 70
Confirmed! Goran Bregović to compose Serbian entry 100
RTS presents new selection method on Tuesday 10
Goran Bregovic to compose for Serbia? 86
Serbia: Joksimovic and Bajaga top Blic poll 69
Reactions
When reacting to a news item, please stick to the topic. Inappropriate messages (swearing, racism, hate, etc.), messages in other languages than English and spam (which includes URL advertising) will be deleted and you risk your account being removed. Reacting on newsitems is only possible when logged in as a member. Still don't have member account?
Click here to react Click here to become a member (free!)
WITHDRAW IRELAND...or send sond an other song
i totally agry with Jelana...
cook this turkey and eat it with a lot of garlic
Didn't she just say: "Isn't that what Eurovision's all about, showing the difference?"
mmm... mmm....
When a 'joke' entry does well, it's usually because it's a catchy and entertaining song. Not any old joke entry can do well. Well Verka came 2nd place, it was because the SONG was good, and catchy, and a lot of people (including myself) actually loved the music.
Ireland is a literal joke, what with the lyrics, and although it's catchy, not half as much as Verka, it won't win. I think the same for Spain. No doubt some silly entries will do very well, but I predict another female soloist to win this year, and it won't be Jelena.
People in the west seem to read so much more into what she said than people in the east - isn't that amusing? If she was being that condescending it would show - surely the Croatian interviewers would have just slapped her with the microphone and walked away? It's not like she was being interviewed by RTS - she was being interviewed by a country who's entry she's supposedly insulted along with everyone else's. I think she was just sharing her opinion and probably spoke very politely.
As for what she said about Ireland - even fans complain about Ireland's entry so imagine how artists must feel. Eurovision is huge in eastern Europe, its respected, it attracts the best artists. For them to compete against a turkey? It's an insult personally to them and professionally. Jelena didn't even go that far, she just called it an insult to the contest, basically.
I have no problem with anything she said. I disagree all around, but I don't think she's being condescending at all.
I agree with her. Go Jelena!
well done jelena.
a true singer! the serbian entry rocks.
good luck
WOW a lot of ppl agree here with Jelena...
But I am not sure this was right thing to say.. I mean she is home representer and in that way she is some kind of host and she should worm welcome everyone...
A lot of ppl thinks that Ireland this year sends mocking song. Mocking to Eurovision, to fans, to everyone who love Eurovision , so that's why I am no surprised that she said that...
Well I admire her honesty because she could say that all songs are great, that this is the closer Eurovision ever and stuff like that.. but she won't get any pt from Ireland now 
I just don't know is her honesty good or bad in this case ???
Get over youself jelena. Look at the trends. 2006- Lordi, 2007- Verka came 2nd!...the unusual acts always do well.....the esc is about bring europe together and uniting it through song. I think someone has gotten carried away with the competition component. If anyone has a chance of winning- its russia
"My song is the best others are crap", "Vote for Serbia, the best song", or "Serbians have better taste than any other people in Europe".
Clearly she never said any of these things, these are simply imputations, wild exaggerations and unfounded conjectures. To say that she's not taken aback by any song this year is a polite way of saying she doesn't particularly like any, which is a legitimate opinion of one entrant, she is not under a contractual obligation to claim she likes any particular ESC song if that really isn't the case. Besides, she most likely only voiced loudly what a lot of competitors are thinking. Why she should be seen as disrespectful and even rude(??) as a consequence of that is frankly beyond me.
the final is a saturday night and the most of the people want have fun and when goto listen ireland or spain, they i am sure go to vote for them, eurovision must be a party not a funeral,i agree with you peter eriksson
@ Peter
Spain and Ireland are not nearly as catchy as Verka was last year so dont worry about them winning. Surely, Ukraine -07 was a joke entry. But it was better than quite a few of the so called "serious" entries in Helsinki.
I agree with Jelena. No song has impressed me this year. There are certainly some good and original songs, but I think nothing would survive after ESC in my mp3 player.
I also agree with World Song Contest ESC doesn't produce chart hits, but just makes an artist a little more well known in his country or may even damage him. We haven't heard anything from Anna Vissi or Sarbel (fortunately) in Greece after their attempts.
Last year, a joke-entry ended up as 2nd in the final. So I don't think we shall calm down, and I really fear that Ireland or Spain will win in Belgrade!
There are 43 entries this year and just a few of them are so called "joke"-entries so I think people should just calm down and stop saying how these songs will destroy the contest.
As for Jelenas comments, well as much as she has the right to have an opinion just like anyone else she should step down from her high horses. If she thinks the contest has such a low standard then why did she agree to take part in the first place? I know, I wont be voting for the Turkey but I don´t walk around thinking that entry is the end of the contest either....
@ fabio
Lordi were silly for so many of us, as well as Molitva was boring to many ppl. They both won
I agree with Jelena,Ireland should be shamed with this song.I am glad becouse she is gonna sing in serbian
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO JELENA
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SERBIA
"she's right about the performer not being seen."
And Lordi were??
THE ONLY BIG HIT IN THE WORLD GO TO BE EL CHIKI CHIKI FROM SPAIN, IS ALREADY BIG HIT IN SPAIN AND THE NEW VERSION WITH KING AFRICA(VERY POPULAR IN AMERICA),GO TO BE REALLY A BIG BOOM,
My gosh i respect and agree with every word!!
Bravo Jelena!!
Well, she's right about the performer not being seen. He might be using playback and we would never know.
Great interview! Jelena is so right!
But I am confident that she will kick the turkey and the other crap in the ass! So far, I love all the versions of "Oro", especially the Portuguese one!
Both Spain (silly) and Russia (boring to death) have no chances, whatsoever.
And Spain will win over Russia!
@ Peter
But Russia will win over them both
@ World Song Contest
I agree with what you say, hopefully the contest will spring huge international hits again one day. Don't forget though, the ESC album is released all over Europe (and beyond) every year now, and even though the songs aren't hits on an individual basis, the songwriters must get royalties for every copy sold, so there is still some incentive to write songs for the contest. In the old days, only a few songs, if lucky, got an international release, now, all of them do, albeit on an album.
As a performer it's her duty to be humble and not cause disrespect to her other competitors. As much as I don't love the Irish entry, I'm offended as she's coming across as a snob, and not someone I'd like to vote for. I'm not saying she should be fake and say every entry is absolutely wonderful but she should be less offensive and speak only about the good aspects of the contest, instead of focusing on the bad. If she can't find anything good to say about it, maybe she shouldn't have entered. I like both the Serbian and Irish entries this year, and I wish them both luck, but right now I think the turkey has a better attitude then her.
Jalena! You WILL compete against the Chicken in the Final! And he will win over you..unfortunately!
The list of 154 reactions is divided into 6 pages. Choose a page:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
React yourself
This news article is older than one week. Reacting to articles is only possible in the first week after publication.
