Switzerland have won Eurovision twice, in 1956 (the first ever competition!) and 1982 (with world famous Celine Dion).  Their luck of late hasn't been great when it comes to Eurovision, with a bunch of dismal results in the early 00's cumulating with a big fat zero (nul points) in the 2004 Semi-Final.  Fortunately (and deservedly) Switzerland did much better in 2005 with the imported estonian rock-chick group Vanilla Ninja, singing 'Cool Vibes'.  One of my personal favourites last year, Switzerland finished a comfortable 8th in both the Final and Semi-Final, and at one point in the voting looked as though they were going to win the whole thing.  So for a change, and hopefully not a one-off, Switzerland find themselves directly qualified to the 2006 Final, and are surely going to do everything in their power to stay there in the years to come.

 

 

Switzerland really have done everything within their power to ensure another good result in 2006.  With super group Six4One singing 'If We All Give A Little', Switzerland are surely going to do well.  This is my favourite of the whole Contest, and despite this usually plaguing entries such as Jemini in 2003 and Knut in 2004, I can't see Switzerland faring badly this year.  Six4One are made up of six different singers from six different countries - Liel from Israel, Alcazar member Andreas from Sweden, Tinka from Bosnia, Keith Camirelli from Malta, Portuguese born Marco Matias, who came second to Gracia in the German equivalent to Pop Idol and Claudia D'Addio from Switzerland.  Already we can see votes coming from no less that six countries - Israel, Sweden, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Malta, Potrugal and Germany.  So what about the song?  Well I think it's one of the best on the whole thing, despite not being popular in Eurovision land at all.  I can't see it doing as badly as the current polls suggest, it's just not as bad as they make out.  It's a schmaltzy little number but chugs along nicely - and has everything a true Eurovision song should have - something that's easy to sing along to, the opportunity to clap your hands and a rousing choruse with no less than two key changes.  All in all I think it's a great song, but maybe not the winner I would like it to be :o)

 

 

I don't think Switzerland will manage direct entry to the 2007 Final, but I don't think they'll do badly - a top half placing is certianly on the cards.  Coming first in the running order will mean that Switzerland will set the standard, and there are alot of dreary songs coming up afterwards, so it should be remembered.  I reckon Switzerland will pick more points up than from just Malta, germnay, Portugal, Israel, Sweden and Bosnia & Herzegovina, but I don't think we'll see Eurovision 2007 in Bern, as much as I'd like to.

 

 

I still want it to win, and it's so hard to say how it will fare.  It could be a contender for victory - something I'd love to see, but I think more realistically this is in the bottom of the top half of the songs in the contest.

 

 

A review will appear here after the Contest.