On Saturday night, with most people in the press centre away at delegation parties, Soraya from Spain completed the last rehearsal of the day. The version of the song La Noche Es Para Mí presented for Moscow has a more dramatic opening than the previously presented composition.
The new version of La Noche Es Para Mí spelled problems for the technical crew in Moscow. It transpires that the special Eurovision Song Contest version of the song was never forwarded to all the involved on the production. This meant that the backdrop imagery and lighting was not synchronized with the music on the Saturday. In the background, the text Take me! and Shake me! was never displayed simultaneously with the the lyrics that were sung. The new version of La Noche Es Para Mí has a slower start than the released version, with heavier drums.
In her show, Soraya made use of five dancers and backup vocalists, and the choreography involved plenty of movement across the very large stage of the Olympiyski Indoor Arena. Soraya was dressed in a spectacular small silver dress with a bare back, but the Spanish delegation reported that this was not the definite stage dress for the Final. As backdrop for the many LED screens, nightclub-styled imagery was used, including disco balls and projections of parts of the lyrics and a close up of the face of Soraya. For the last run of the song, pyrotechnics in the form of fires, and for the final beats silver sprays, glitter fountains and red bolts, was set in the enhance the visual interpretation of the song.
Several Spanish supporters were present in the arena, loudly voicing their very positive opinions on the entry. The Spanish delegation only arrived in Moscow on Wednesday, and the technical crew still has several days to adjust the show before the Final, one week from now.
Soraya Arnelas was born in Valencia de Alcántara, in the Spanish region of Extremadura, on the 13th of September 1982. Her career as an artist started in 2005, after she had become the most popular finalist of the TV programme Operación Triunfo. Her debut came with Kike Santander’s production for her first album Corazón De Fuego – a mix of Latin themes with other genres such as ballads and pop dance – which got a platinum disc in Spain in 2006. 2007 saw the release of her second album Ochenta’s – versions of great hits from the 80’s – and she was awarded another platinum disc. After this success, one year later, she released her third album Dolce Vita. In 2008, she went once again into the recording studio to bring to life her fourth album, Sin Miedo which consolidated Soraya’s own style. Apart from her mother tongue, Soraya speaks English, French and Portuguese. She collaborates with humanitarian organisations in aid of children.
Image gallery: Spain: First rehearsal
Soraya from Spain entered the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday for the first rehearsal for the final of her La Noche Es Para Mí.
In the press conference, Soraya commented that she had small problems with the shoes during the rehearsal, but nothing that can't be sorted out. She also revealed plans of recording her entry in some other languages, including Swedish, since three out of the four songwriters are from Sweden. “It's not in my hands to win, it's only in my hands to make a good job,” she commented. “You just saw some things here, but we're hiding the clothes.” Only in the final will the choreography and certain other ingredients be fully in place. In the end of the press conference, she performed her entry together with the background vocalists.
Image gallery: Spain: First press conference
Spain's Soraya completed her first press conference late on Saturday evening.
