Just in case you missed the past 2 years, there are a host of talented singers now appearing from eastern Europe, not least out of talent shows like Junior Eurovision. Plus exposure and recommendation on blogs and, of course, MySpace, YouTube, imeem and bebo.Once these singers achieve local success, they gather international fans and, when lucky, support from producers and singers in the USA and UK. If they happen to be photogenic and colourful (Ruslana, top right), so much the better.
Ruslana is, in fact, a huge phenomenon, with fantastic productions for her live shows that take the idea of 'circus' to Cirque du Soleil levels. As she sings "I am the dream you wanna see" there can be few who disagree. Even Missy Elliott enjoys the Wild Energy of Ruslana, joining in on her single The Girl That Rules.
Meanwhile, London has been host to Christabelle Borg from Malta, a young singer who has won nominations and awards at singing festivals, including Eurovision. She has been recording with top producers and we can expect lots of airplay on MTV and, without doubt, YouTube once the word starts to spread. One solid track is I Wanna Know with throbbing bass and sweet vocals over the top.
