Iceland gets Cool

The Icelandic national final for Eurovision 2008 is on 16 February. The semi-finals started in late November and include some of the best names in Icelandic music: Birgitta Haukdal, Hafdís Huld (formerly of GusGus, solo album Dirty Paper Cups (2006) is brilliant) and Barði Jóhannsson (creator of the sublime Bang Gang and one of the more strange people in Iceland, even stranger than Hafdis!). Barði & Hafdís Huld have a song each in the Final already (written by them):

'Núna veit ég' - performed by the magnificent Birgitta Haukdal (Open Your Heart, ESC 2003) in a duet with Magni Áseirsson.

Barði Jóhannsson's first creation is a throw back to 90s eurodance - called 'Ho ho ho, we say hey hey hey' - performed by Mercedes Club.

There is also a wildcard final, giving several songs a second chance to make the National Final. Barði has a tongue-in-cheek, cheesy duet in the wildcard show. The song is 'Á ballið á' and it is 'performed' by Böðvar Rafn Reynisson & Tinna Marína Jónsdóttir who are having way too much fun.

Hafdís Huld is singing two entries as well as writing one. She will also be in the wildcard show with 'Boys and Perfume' wearing a pink and chocolate dress.



(Now, she performed this song live in May '07 - so one presumes its going to be invalid if selected).

Halfis Huld's other entry, 'Á gleymdum stað' failed to qualify.