Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007

{{main|Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest}}

Prior to the 2007 contest, {{lang|ro|Televiziunea Română|i=no}} (TVR) had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Romania nine times since its first entry {{esccnty|Romania|y=1994|t=in 1994}}. Its highest placing in the contest had been third place, achieved {{esccnty|Romania|y=2005|t=in 2005}} with "Let Me Try" performed by Luminița Anghel and Sistem. In {{esccnty|Romania|y=2006|t=2006}}, "{{lang|it|Tornerò|i=no}}" by Mihai Trăistariu finished in fourth place.

TVR organized Selecția Națională 2007, a competition to select their entrant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2007. In early January 2007, the broadcaster published a provisory list of 24 songs shortlisted to compete in the two semi-finals of Selecția Națională on 27 January and 3 February, and the final on 10 February.{{cite news|url=https://mobile.hotnews.ro/stire/1127599|title=Andreea Balan si Mandinga se retrag din cursa pentru Eurovision|publisher=HotNews|date=18 January 2007|access-date=23 March 2020|language=ro|trans-title=Andreea Balan and Mandinga withdraw from the national selection for Eurovision}}{{cite news|url=https://www.9am.ro/stiri-revista-presei/LifeStar/52742/Piese-lacrimogene-manele-si-texte-obscene.html|title=Piese lacrimogene, manele si texte obscene|trans-title=Tears, manele and obscene lyrics|author=Mandache, Ioana|via=9am.ro|website=7plus.ro|language=ro|date=18 January 2007|access-date=23 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516053406/https://www.9am.ro/stiri-revista-presei/LifeStar/52742/Piese-lacrimogene-manele-si-texte-obscene.html|archive-date=16 May 2013|url-status=live}} They were selected on 17 January, out of 259 entries submitted to TVR until 15 January, by a jury panel consisting of music and entertainment professionals Ionel Tudor, Cornel Fugaru, Adi Despot, Dan Teodorescu, Mihai Ogășanu, Șerban Huidu and Titus Andrei.{{cite news|url=http://averea.ro/wiev.php?id=9388&id_sectiune=3|title=Andra ataca Eurovision pe mana lui Moga|trans-title=Andra works with Marius Moga for Eurovision|date=16 January 2007|access-date=23 March 2020|work=Averea|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070117121952/http://www.averea.ro/wiev.php?id=9388&id_sectiune=3|archive-date=17 January 2007|url-status=live|author=Voicu, Una-Maria}}

"Do the Tango with Me", "Liubi, Liubi, I Love You" and "Love Is All You Need" were appointed by TVR as replacement songs for the voluntarily withdrawn entries "Hungry for Love" and "Prinde-mă, aprinde-mă" by Andreea Bălan, as well as for "Gozalo" by Mandinga. The results in each show of Selecția Națională were determined by a 50/50 combination of votes from a jury panel—made up alternately of Andrei Partoş, Titus Munteanu, Gabriel Cotabiţă, Ogăşanu, Despot, Andrei Tudor, Teodorescu, Titus Andrei, Mirela Fugaru, Horia Moculescu, Cristian Faur, Mihai Georgescu, Sorin Vasile and Ionuț Radu—and a public televote.{{cite news|url=https://www.emaramures.ro/locomondo-va-reprezenta-romania-la-eurovision-2007/|title=Locomondo va reprezenta Romania la Eurovision 2007|trans-title=Locomondo will represent Romania at Eurovision 2007|language=ro|publisher=eMaramureș|date=11 February 2007|access-date=23 March 2020}} Cătălin Măruță and 3rei Sud Est were hired as hosts.{{cite news|url=https://tvmania.ro/prezentatori-debutanti-1163.html|title=Prezentatori debutanti|trans-title=Debuting hosts|language=ro|publisher=TV Mania|date=5 February 2007|access-date=23 March 2020}} Due to multiple requests from observers, TVR decided to establish a commission on 5 February to analyse several entries in regards to their compliance to the competition's regulations.

File:Rednex 2019 - Moe Lester the Limp, Zoe Duskin, Pervis the Palergator, Cash 1.jpg (pictured in 2019) competed in the first semi-final with "Well-o-wee", finishing second with the televotes.]]

Interval acts for the first semi-final on 27 January included covers of the past Eurovision Song Contest entries "Volare" ({{esccnty|Italy|y=1958|t=Italy 1958}}), "Congratulations" ({{esccnty|United Kingdom|y=1968|t=United Kingdom 1968}}), "What's Another Year" ({{esccnty|Ireland|y=1980|t=Ireland 1980}}), "Diva" ({{esccnty|Israel|y=1998|t=Israel 1998}}) and "Everyway That I Can" ({{esccnty|Turkey|y=2003|t=Turkey 2003}}) performed by Romanian artists such as Luminița Anghel and Taxi. Additionally, a boxing match between Anghel and native actress Luiza took place.{{cite news|url=http://esctoday.com/7388/live_now_first_romanian_semi_final/|title=Live now: first Romanian semi final|publisher=ESCToday|date=27 January 2007|access-date=23 March 2020|author=Klier, Marcus}}{{cite news|url=http://esctoday.com/7383/romania_semi_final_details_announced/|title=Romania: Semi final details announced|publisher=ESCToday|date=25 January 2007|access-date=23 March 2020|author=Floras, Stella|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200216072606/http://esctoday.com/7383/romania_semi_final_details_announced/|archive-date=16 February 2020|url-status=live}} Although scheduled to be performed in the fifth position at Selecția Națională, "Make-It" by Giulia Nahmany was disqualified due to accusations of plagiarising "Risin'" (2004) by Natalia.{{cite news|url=https://www.libertatea.ro/stiri/giulia-nahmany-eliminata-de-la-selectia-eurovision-175165|title=Giulia Nahmany, eliminata de la selectia Eurovision|trans-title=Giulia Nahmany, eliminated from the national Eurovision selection|language=ro|work=Libertatea|date=26 January 2007|access-date=23 March 2020}} Todomondo, Rednex and Ro-Mania, and Morandi and Wassabi made up the top three of the televote.{{cite news|url=https://www.9am.ro/stiri-revista-presei/LifeStar/53574/Moga-detronat.html|title=Moga, detronat!|trans-title=Marius Moga, dethroned!|author=Enache, Dana|language=ro|date=29 January 2007|access-date=23 March 2020|work=Curentul|via=9am.ro|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170926182544/http://www.9am.ro/stiri-revista-presei/LifeStar/53574/Moga-detronat.html|archive-date=26 September 2017|url-status=live}} The results of the semi-final were:

File:Andra (dec 2015) - 2 - cropped.jpg competed in the second semi-final, being the most voted by the public with her entry "Dracula, My Love".]]

The second semi-final on 3 February had a television audience of 5,511,000 viewers and similarly had several covers of past Eurovision entries as interval acts, alongside another boxing match between two native celebrities.{{cite news|url=http://tvr.ro/eurovision/index_en.php|title=Finalists of Eurovision 2007 national selection|publisher=Romanian Television|access-date=23 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210024540/http://tvr.ro/eurovision/index_en.php|archive-date=10 February 2007|date=4 February 2007}}{{cite news|url=http://esctoday.com/7448/tonight_second_romanian_semi_final/|title=Tonight: second Romanian semi final|publisher=ESCToday|date=3 February 2007|access-date=23 March 2020|author=Klier, Marcus}} Although initially assigned to this semi-final, "Love Struck" by Indiggo was disqualified because the duo failed to attend rehearsals. Simplu and Andra were the televote's favorites, gathering more than 10,000 votes and around 8,000 more than the follow-up.{{cite news|url=https://romanialibera.ro/cultura/arte/moga--pus-din-nou-la-zid-86157|title=Moga, pus din nou la zid|trans-title=Moga, suppressed again|language=ro|work=România Liberă|date=5 February 2007|access-date=23 March 2020|author=Dinulescu, Gabriela}} The results of the event were:

File:Marius_Moga.jpg (pictured in 2011).]]

Romanian group Sistem presented their single "Soare" as an interval act during the final of Selecția Națională on 10 February.{{cite news|url=http://www.monitorulcj.ro/cms/site/m_cj/news/9539-circul-eurovision-2007#sthash.cgfKpy7c.lrzVENMr.dpbs|title=Circul Eurovision 2007|trans-title=Controversy surrounds Eurovision 2007|language=ro|publisher=Monitorul de Cluj|date=11 February 2007|access-date=23 March 2020}} "Dracula, My Love" by Simplu and Andra had been falsely suspected for plagiarising "When Religion Comes to Town" (1994) by E-Type, but was ultimately disqualified from the competition for having been partially performed by Simplu at the MTV Romania Music Awards 2006 prior to TVR's cutoff date of 1 October 2006. Similarly, New Effect and Moni-K's "Sinada" was disqualified for having received local radio airplay prior to the aforementioned date.

In addition, it was discovered that "Well-o-wee" by Rednex and Ro-Mania was a modified version of "Călușul", a song on the latter's 2001 album Lasă-mă să beau. This led to the entry's exclusion from Selecția Națională, alongside "Crazy" by Morandi and Wassabi, who failed to attend rehearsals. According to Marius Moga, the latter was a boycott due to the disqualification of "Dracula, My Love".{{cite news|url=http://www.adevarulonline.ro:80/articole/moga-my-love/302412|title='Moga, my love'|author=Bejan, Anca|language=ro|date=9 February 2007|publisher=Adevărul|access-date=7 June 2022|archive-date=14 February 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070214024140/http://www.adevarulonline.ro:80/articole/moga-my-love/302412|url-status=dead}} The mass disqualification of songs generated controversy among observers. "Liubi, Liubi, I Love You" by Todomondo emerged as the winner, gathering the maximum 12 points from the public (11,243 televotes) and ten from the jury. The full results were as follows:

File:Todomondo Eurovision 2007.jpg.|alt=Six men wearing multicolored clothes are seen performing onstage.]]

To promote "Liubi, Liubi, I Love You" as Romania's Eurovision entry, a CD single was released in 2007 by TVR, followed by a promotional tour in Belarus.{{cite news|url=http://esckaz.com/2007/rom_todomondo.htm|title=Romanian entrants Todomondo on tour in Minsk (Belarus) – Interview|publisher=ESCKAZ|author=Andrianov, Sergey|access-date=8 April 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512093519/http://esckaz.com/2007/rom_todomondo.htm|archive-date=12 May 2012}} Additionally, Todomondo released a Dan Maoliu-directed music video and launched their own website in April 2007, in order to interact with fans and present them with news and biographical information.{{cite news|url=http://esctoday.com/8079/romania_liubi_liubi_i_love_you_will_succeed/|title=Romania: "liubi liubi I love you will succeed"|publisher=ESC Today|author=Kalimeris, Aris|date=27 March 2007|access-date=9 April 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408222949/http://esctoday.com/8079/romania_liubi_liubi_i_love_you_will_succeed/|archive-date=8 April 2018}}{{cite news|url=http://esctoday.com/8169/todomondo_launch_official_site/|title=Todomondo launch official site|publisher=ESCToday|author=Floras, Stella|date=6 April 2007|access-date=23 March 2020}} The Eurovision Song Contest 2007 took place at the Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland and consisted of one semi-final on 10 May and the final on 12 May 2007. According to the then-Eurovision rules, selected countries, except the host nation and the "Big Four" (France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom), were required to qualify from the semi-final to compete for the final; the top ten countries from the semi-final progressed to the final.{{cite AV media|date=10-12 May 2007|title=Eurovision Song Contest 2007|location=Helsinki, Finland}}

In Romania, the show was broadcast on TVR,{{cite news|url=https://eurovision.tv/country/romania|title=Romania – Eurovision Song Contest|publisher=European Broadcasting Union (EBU)|access-date=15 April 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170513230046/https://eurovision.tv/country/romania|archive-date=13 May 2017}} with Manoliu as the country's head of delegation.{{cite news|url=https://www.libertatea.ro/entertainment/se-retrage-todomondo-191035|title=Se retrage Todomondo?|trans-title=Are Todomondo withdrawing?|language=ro|date=8 May 2007|access-date=23 March 2020|work=Libertatea}} Todomondo were scheduled for technical rehearsals on 7 and 8 May, experiencing considerable malfunctions with the sound and graphics. Manoliu stated: "If the stage and the camera work will not fit our requirements, despite our efforts to help the team implement [them], we do not exclude the possibility of withdrawing from the competition".{{cite news|url=http://esctoday.com/8379/rehearsals_and_press_conferences_schedule/|title=Rehearsals and Press Conferences schedule|publisher=ESCToday|access-date=23 March 2020|date=27 April 2007|author=Floras, Stella}} Automatically qualified for the final due to Romania's top ten placement {{esccnty|Romania|y=2006|t=the previous year}}, the group performed 20th on the occasion, preceded by the {{esccnty|United Kingdom|y=2007}} and followed by {{esccnty|Bulgaria|y=2007}}.{{cite web |title=Grand Final of Helsinki 2007 |url=https://eurovision.tv/event/helsinki-2007/grand-final |publisher=European Broadcasting Union |access-date=22 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422064603/https://eurovision.tv/event/helsinki-2007/grand-final |archive-date=22 April 2021 |url-status=live}} Their show made use of pyrotechnics worth €5,000.{{cite news|url=http://esctoday.com/8484/todomondowe_need__money_for_pyros|title=Todomondo: We need money for pyros|publisher=ESCToday|access-date=23 March 2020|date=6 May 2007|author=Kalimeris, Aris}}{{cite news|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y96QWdyx5TQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211214/Y96QWdyx5TQ |archive-date=2021-12-14 |url-status=live|title=Todomondo - Liubi, Liubi, I Love You (Romania) Live 2007 Eurovision Song Contest|publisher=YouTube|date=19 September 2016|access-date=23 March 2020}}{{cbignore}}

Below is a breakdown of points awarded to Romania in the Grand Final, as well as by the country in the semi-final and Grand Final of the contest. On the latter occasion, Romania finished in 13th position, being awarded a total of 84 points including 12 awarded by both {{esccnty|Moldova|y=2007}} and {{esccnty|Spain|y=2007}}, ten by {{esccnty|Andorra|y=2007}}, and eight by {{esccnty|Hungary|y=2007}}.{{cite web |title=Results of the Grand Final of Helsinki 2007 |url=https://eurovision.tv/event/helsinki-2007/grand-final/results/romania |publisher=European Broadcasting Union |access-date=23 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423064914/https://eurovision.tv/event/helsinki-2007/grand-final/results/romania |archive-date=23 April 2021 |url-status=live}} The country awarded its 12 points to Moldova in the semi-final and Grand Final of the contest.{{cite web |title=Results of the Semi-Final of Helsinki 2007 |url=https://eurovision.tv/event/helsinki-2007/semi-final/results/romania |publisher=European Broadcasting Union |access-date=23 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423064916/https://eurovision.tv/event/helsinki-2007/semi-final/results/romania |archive-date=23 April 2021 |url-status=live}} For the announcement of the points, TVR appointed Andreea Marin Bănică as its spokesperson to announce the Romanian voting results.

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{{Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest}}

{{Eurovision Song Contest 2007}}

2007

Category:Countries in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007

Eurovision