Timeline
Moldovan National Broadcaster TRM announce that Etapa Nationala 2023 will be held to select Moldova’s artist for Eurovision 2023.
23 Dec 2022
TRM opens song submissions
16 Jan 2023
60 song submissions are whittled down to 33 valid entries
28 Jan 2023
Live auditions are broadcast on TV but only 30 artists compete as 2 songs are disqualified and 1 artist is unable to appear on the night. The contestants are whittled down to 10 finalists
4 March 2023
10 finalists compete in Final broadcast on TV
Winner selected
Important Players
Professional jury of 5 members include Radio Executive, Performer, Singer, Composer, and Journalist. They select the 10 finalists from all the Live Auditions.
In the Final, Public will get Televote to decide the winner- 50%. Approx 11,000 televotes were cast.
In the Final, the Jury will also get to vote to decide the winner -50%
Everyone is happy
Serial Contestants
Aliona Moon - Eurovision backup singer 2012 ( for Pasha Parfeny), then soloist Moldovan Eurovision Entrant 2013.
SunStroke Project - Moldovan Eurovision Entrant 2010, and selected again to represent Moldova at Eurovision in 2017. They hold the honour of reaching 3rd in the 2017 Eurovision Grand Final and that is Moldova’s best ever result at Eurovision. They were responsible for the “Epic Sax Guy” phenomenon.
Pasha Parfeny - this guy has competed at Moldovan National Selections a total of 9 times either as a singer, instrumentalist or composer. He has been selected as Moldova’s Eurovision entrant in 2010 ( as the then lead singer of SunStroke Project) and then as a soloist in 2012. He also composed the Moldovan song entry for Aliona Moon in Eurovision 2013 and was the pianist for her in the 2013 Eurovision Final. Maybe he should be Mr Eurovision and not Johnny Logan!
The other 7 finalists are pitted against the above mentioned successful, renown, and highly fancied heavy hitters so let’s see how they fared at the Etapa Nationala 2023.
5th place (11 points) is awarded to Donia with her song “Red Zone”. Sexy outfit but static performance of an uptempo pop song. Her usually solid voice is hamstrung by nerves. She only softens briefly, when she plays the saxophone.
4th place (15 points) is the family group Surorile Osoianu. Five sisters and one brother who enjoy success with their very traditional Moldovan folk harmonies preserving Moldovan cultural identity thru song. Scored better with televoters but supported by a good jury vote too.
3rd place (17 points) Aliona Moon with her ballad “Du-ma”. Ethereal ethno pop with haunting voice. Well supported in the jury vote. It is a flawless performance.
2nd place (18 points) SunStroke Project with their dance number “Yummy Mommy”. The proposal seems underdone to me with the two main performers trying to keep the energy going, the Saxophone and some back up dancers. Popular with televoters.
And the runaway winner on 24 points is Mr Eurovision - Pasha Parfeny with his ethno pagan pop number “Soarele si Luna” ( Sun and Moon). A pagan wedding ritual in the forest complete with Pasha in his free flowing Moldovan costume, vested drummers, mythical forest creatures ( nymphs with deer antlers) and a flute playing jester. It is an earworm chorus imbued with Pasha’s eccentricity and has huge potential for epic staging in Liverpool.
Moldova has drawn the tougher Semi Final 1, however I feel the song’s folklore appeal and the usual solid support Moldova enjoys from its neighbours, will see it sail into the Final.
Go Moldova.