Romania’s Paula Seling, Ovi Qualify For 2010 Eurovision Song Contest Final

Romania’s representatives to Oslo were Paula Seling and Ovi, with the song „Playing With Fire”.

The list of countries that made it through Thursday’s semi-final also includes Georgia, Ukraine, Turkey, Israel, Ireland, Cyprus, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Denmark.

Performers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Russia, Greece, Portugal, Belarus, Serbia, Albania, Belgium and Iceland were selected for the finals during the first round of semi-finals held Tuesday.

The competition roster also includes France, Germany, Norway, Spain and Great Britain, which qualified for the final without having to compete in the semi-finals.

The finalists were selected by a specialized panel, whose grades accounted for 50% of the final decision, and by audiences who voted for their favorites via phone.

Romania’s representative at last year’s Moscow edition was Elena Gheorghe, whose song „The Balkan Girls” ranked 19th in the finals. The winner of the 2009 Eurovision song contest was Norwegian Alexander Rybak, who performed the song „Fairytale”.

The Eurovision Song Contest has been broadcast every year since 1956, and is one of the world’s most enduring television shows.