vinipereira

Emotions
 

 
 
We continue the official part of the ceremony with a very special guest!
That's right folks, even the pandemic could not stop this lady from coming.
 
Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the official anthem of the Totallympics International Song Contest!
 

A wise man once said: "Keep you friends close and your enemies closer."
 
Someone that every aspiring TISC participant needs to keep close is the Committee. While they are known for their excellence in recognizing the winning material, the inner workings of the Committee remain shrouded in mystery.
 
All we know is that Italy currently rules this secret society.
 
It is time to visit one of Istria's estates and maybe dedicate a song to the Committee!
 

 
 
Rumor has it this is how @Agger and @heywoodu got removed from their Committee duties during the 2018 Jubilee...
 
 
*Disclaimer: We are not asking for trouble. Any mention of the Committee is met with purest intentions.
 
 

We return to the Plitvice Lakes, only this time with our 2CELLOS buddies.
Let's enjoy a cover of Mumford & Sons' I Will Wait.
 
It has indeed been a long wait for Croatia to get an opportunity to host this wonderful competition. The long wait which included no less than three failed bids. We dedicate this song to all the aspiring hosts. Your time will come.
 

Behind the Checkers: Lika
 

 
 
Let's check out Lika next. Lika is a mountainous and the least densely populated region of Croatia.
 
Starting from the South, we find the Zrmanja river, known for its, in part, steep and barren canyon.
 

 
 
Velebit is arguably the most impressive mountain of Croatia. Stretching for about 145 km, the Velebit is a home to no less than two National Parks (Paklenica and Northern Velebit). Due to its mythical look, it is unsuprisingly a place where many legends are set.
 

 

 
 
Velebit has its own endemic plant - Degenia velebitica.
 

 
 
Situated beneath the Velebit, Gospić is the largest town of Lika.
 

 
 
Lika is also a place where the famed inventor Nikola Tesla was born, in the village of Smiljan.
 

 
 
Town of Slunj is known for its well-preserved 18th century mills.
 

 
 
Plitvice Lakes are also here! They are the oldest, largest and most visited National Park of Croatia. Plitvice Lakes consist of 16 different lakes, which are interconnected by various waterfalls and cascades. They are known for their crystal blue-green color.
 

 

 
 
Irregardless of the season, the Plitvice Lakes are not to be missed.
 

 
 
Going back to the Adriatic Coast, we conclude our trip to Lika in the town of Senj. It is a home to the Nehaj Fortress pictured below.
 

 
 
While the whole of Adriatic Coast is prone to having strong bora winds during the colder months, Senj is pretty much the epicenter of it.
Winds exceeding 200 km/h are a common occurance.
 

We are back in Zagorje, up and around the ruins of Kalnik, only this time we welcome 2CELLOS.
 
They will perform a cover of Enya's May It Be... May it indeed be, and may the best song win.
We dedicate this performance to all TISC champions!
 

 
 
 

Behind the Checkers: North Dalmatia
 

 
 
We are back in Dalmatia! For the last time tonight.
 
There are 1244 islands in Croatia. One of them was bound to look like this. Pictured below is Galešnjak.
 

 
 
Next up are the Kornati Islands. Consisting of 89 islands on an area of about 320 square kilometres, they are the densest archipelago in the entire Mediterranean. Kornati Islands are known for their largely barren outlook.
 

 
 
Telašćica Bay is just next door. You can find it on the Dugi Otok (eng. Long Island).
 

 
 
Let's go back to the mainland. First up is the town of Primošten. Its old town was built on an island, which eventually got connected to the mainland by hand. Primošten was named after the verb primostiti (eng. to bridge).
 

 
 
Going up the coast we stumble onto Šibenik. Its main sight is the 15th century Cathedral of St. James, protected by UNESCO.
 

 
 
St. Nicholas Fortress can be found here too. It is one of four fortresses of Šibenik, and the only one to be set on sea.
 

 
 
Krka National Park is up next. It surrounds the river of Krka, and is mostly known for its waterfalls and cascades.
 

 

 
 
We conclude our journey through Dalmatia in Zadar. We already visited its Sea Organ.
It is the fifth largest city in the country.
 

 
 
Zadar is known for its sunsets, which have been proclaimed as the best anywhere by my favorite director Sir Alfred Hitchcock.
 

 

Behind the Checkers: Zagreb
 

 
 
Let's visit our capital!
 
Zagreb is located in the Central Croatia, along the Sava river, and on the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain.
 

 
 
Let's take a closer look at some sights.
We start with the Zagreb Cathedral. 108 meters high, it is the tallest building in Croatia.
Top of the southern tower got destroyed in an earthquake on March 22nd, 2020.
 

 

 
 
Next up is the National Theatre.
From the outside, it is the same as the theatre in Rijeka, which is hosting this Opening Ceremony.
 

 
 
Zagreb Funicular has been going up and down the historic centre since 1890.
 

Guess who made it to the Zlatni Rat?
 
If the whole coronavirus pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we take too much for granted. And indeed, between all these 14 wonderful TISC editions, it can be quite easy to forget how much we owe to one person and one forum that make it all possible.
They are @Sindo and Totallympics.
 
Chariots of Fire is a familiar tune which always brings out the best Olympic vibes.
We dedicate this rendition to Totallympics - the Home of Olympic Sports.
 

 

Behind the Checkers: South Dalmatia
 

 
 
Let's take a look at some bits and pieces of South Dalmatia.
 
We start with the Walls of Ston. Over 5 km long, they are one of the longest preserved fortification systems in the world.
 

 
 
Next up is the Pelješac peninsula. It is the second largest peninsula in Croatia, known for its vineyards on the steep slopes above the Adriatic Sea.
 

 
 
Neretva Delta is the most fertile bit of the South Dalmatia, known for its tangerine plantations. TISC fans will love this!
 

 
 
Next up are Baćina Lakes. While they are very close to the sea, they are still freshwater lakes.
 

 
 
Blue Lake near Imotski is rather unique.
 

 
 
Red Lake is just next door.
 

 
 

Behind the Checkers: Dubrovnik
 

 
 
Is there a better place to start our journey than the iconic city of Dubrovnik?
 
Situated on the Adriatic Coast in the southernmost part of the country, Dubrovnik is a true gem of the Adriatic.
 

 
 
Thanks to its maritime trade and skilled diplomacy, Dubrovnik reached high level of development during the 15th and 16th centuries. While its influence eventually started to fade, largely thanks to disasterous earthquake of 1667, Dubrovnik to this day remains to be one of the cultural hotspots of Croatia.
 
Dubrovnik is particularly known for its rich literature tradition. Many Croatian authors came out of Dubrovnik. Some of the most notable ones are Šiško Menčetić, Marin Držić and Ivan Gundulić.
 

 
 
Dubrovnik's most recognizible feature is its old town, which has been listed as UNESCO heritage site since 1979.
 
While in the old town, you should definitely pay a visit to the main street - Stradun.
 

 
 
Historical city walls and fortresses are not to be missed either. Pictured below is the Minčeta Fortress.
 

 
 
Towering over Dubrovnik, you can find the hill of Srđ (415 m). It is just a cable car-ride away from the old town!
 

 
 
Dubrovnik has been used as a set location for several films and TV series, including Star Wars.
 

Behind the Checkers: Osijek
 

 
 
Let's pay our first visit to the continental Croatia now.
 
Situated in the easternmost part of the country, you can find the city of Osijek. It is the fourth largest city of Croatia.
 

 
 
Osijek is located on the Drava river.
 

 
 
Kopački Rit is just 10 minutes away from the city centre. It is a wetland area known for its rich biodiversity.
 

 
 
Around 260 bird species, 140 species of plant, 40 species of fish and several mammal species can be found in the area.
 

Parade of Nations (1/3)
 
First batch of nations is welcomed by folk dancers from Slavonia.
 
Their performance consists of two parts.
First up is a traditional party song celebrating rakija. It's basically tailor made for @Wumo.
Second part features a traditional kolo (eng. circle) dance.
 

 
 

IRSKA / IRELAND
Jury Members: @OlympicIRL
Total Participations: 14
Best Result: 1st (2014O, 2015A, 2016O, 2017O, 2019A)
Points Record: 333 (2014 Open)
 
 

ARGENTINA / ARGENTINA
Jury Members: @konig
Total Participations: 14
Best Result: 5th (2017 Open)
Points Record: 140 (2017 Open)
 
 

AUSTRALIJA / AUSTRALIA
Jury Members: @KingOfTheRhinos
Total Participations: 5
Best Result: 2nd (2019 Open)
Points Record: 172 (2019 Open)
 
 

BRAZIL / BRAZIL
Jury Members: @titicow @vinipereira
Total Participations: 14
Best Result: 2nd (2017 Annual)
Points Record: 142 (2017 Annual)
 
 

BUGARSKA / BULGARIA
Jury Members: @Federer91
Total Participations: 13
Best Result: 5th (2018 Open)
Points Record: 109 (2018 Open)
 
 

DANSKA / DENMARK
Jury Members: @Wumo
Total Participations: 14
Best Result: 1st (2018 Open)
Points Record: 202 (2018 Open)
 
 

FRANCUSKA / FRANCE
Jury Members: @Benolympique @Bohemia
Total Participations: 14
Best Result: 3rd (2014 Open, 2015 Annual)
Points Record: 194 (2014 Open)
 
 

GRČKA / GREECE
Jury Members: @Janakis
Total Participations: 14
Best Result: 12th (2014 Open)
Points Record: 98 (2014 Open)
 
 

INDIJA / INDIA
Jury Members: @Ashton @Fly_like_a_don
Total Participations: 13
Best Result: 14th (2017 Open)
Points Record: 84 (2017 Open)
 
 

INDONEZIJA / INDONESIA
Jury Members: @Griff88
Total Participations: 9
Best Result: 6th (2016 Annual)
Points Record: 114 (2016 Annual)
 
 

IRAN / IRAN
Jury Members: @MHSN
Total Participations: 4
Best Result: 4th (2017 Annual)
Points Record: 135 (2017 Annual)
 
 

ITALIJA / ITALY
Jury Members: @Gianlu33 @Henry_Leon @Pablita @SteveParker
Total Participations: 14
Best Result: 1st (2018 Annual)
Points Record: 206 (2013 Open)
 
 

IZRAEL / ISRAEL
Jury Members: @Dnl
Total Participations: 1
Best Result: - (debut)
Points Record: - (debut)

Opening Act
 

 
 
Seats are getting filled, performers are warming up, anticipation is at its high...
But wait a minute... Turns out @bestmen was right all along!
 
It's not UFO. It's not Coronavirus. It is Planet X!
And it is about to collide with Earth!!
 

 
 
Well, that is some rotten luck right there. But like we say in showbiz - The Show Must Go On.
 
And indeed, upon taking over the hosting duties on record-short notice, and during the COVID-19 pandemic at that, we found ourselves dealing with seemingly an impossible task. We had our work cut out and we had to compromise. Nevertheless, it is such an honour to play host to all of you, and I do hope you enjoy the show!
 
Performing the Opening Act are 2CELLOS. This talented musical duo consists of Stjepan Hauser and Luka Šulić. Like any good success story, they started small, but then a video of their Smooth Criminal cover went viral and brought them global recognition. Tonight, they will quite appropriately perform a cover of Queen's The Show Must Go On.
 

 
 
2CELLOS... Remember that name. We may just meet them again sometime...

Lijepa Naša
 

 
 
After... Whatever that was, it is time for the first official part of the ceremony.
 
Ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the National anthem of Croatia!
 

... Ireland 2013
Mexico 2014 ...
... Serbia 2014
Denmark 2015 ...
... Ireland 2015
Slovakia 2016 ...
... Lithuania 2016
Great Britain 2017 ...
... Tunisia 2017
Brazil 2018 ...
... United States 2018
Mexico 2019 ...
... Denmark 2019
 
.
.
.
 

 
 

 
 
Ladies and gentlemen,
Welcome to the Opening ceremony of the Totallympics Annual International Song Contest 2020!
 
 

The theme of the official logo is Symphony of Nature, or rather, Symphony of the Sea.
 
There are several elements to it. Most prominent are the sea and sand in the background. They represent the Croatian coastline. With an estimated length of 6000 km and counting more than 1000 islands, the Croatian coastline is known for its rugged nature. The boat floating on the top represents harmony. Finally, we have the music sheets written on waves together with several notes thrown around. They indeed represent the Symphony of the Sea.
 
How does the Symphony of the Sea sound like?
Well, one way to find out is by going to Zadar. More specifically to its Sea Organ.
 
The Sea Organ is an experimental musical instrument which creates the sound by the sea waves crashing into empty pipes located underneath the large marble steps. In its essence, the Sea Organ allows the nature to take over a role of conductor.
 

 
 
The sea tends to become melancholic on a rainy day.
 

 
 
The logo is courtesy of @vinipereira.
 
Join us for the Opening Ceremony in two days.
Grand Final will be held Saturday, while the Closing Ceremony (incl. Medal Presentations) will close out the weekend.
 

This is also one of my favourite movies ever. Remarkable on every level.
 

He was also the biggest winner ever of Boccia at the Paralympic Games with 4 gold medals. Really sad.
 

Totallympics International Song Contest - Top 40 Chart
 
 

 
 
 
As we await the Festival of Music on Wednesday and indeed the TISC Annual Grand Final on April 11th, it is incredible to think that over 500 songs have now been showcased at TISC. In this series we will look at the Top 40 of TISC, the songs that proved to be a hit with the national juries and secured the highest points-per-jury averages. Each of the songs in this series have scored well over 100 points and are in the top 10% in terms of points-per-jury averages. How many songs from the latest edition of TISC (the 14th edition) will appear in the next update of the Top 40 remains to be seen.
 
 
Today we begin with those songs in positions 40th - 31st on the All-Time list. Part I of today's edition (Positions #40 - #36), Part II (Positions #35 - #31).
 
 
 
 
40
 
 

 
Fito Paez - Mariposa Technicolor
 
 

 
 
 
 
39
 
 

 
Kelly Clarkson - A Moment Like This
 

 
 
 
 
38
 
 

 
Alok, Bruna Martini feat. Zeeba - Hear Me Now
 

 
 
 
 
37
 
 

 
Enya - Diamonds On The Water
 

 
 
 
 
36
 
 

 
Bryan Adams - Run To You
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Provisional Voting Schedule
 
 
Voting Order Nation Voting Time
(Host)
Voting Time
(Local)
Morning Session 1 United States 10:00 01:00 / 04:00 2 Spain 10:12 10:12 3 Moldova 10:24 11:24 4 Australia 10:36 18:06 5 Lithuania 10:48 11:48 6 Brazil 11:00 06:00 7 Indonesia 11:12 16:12 8 Serbia 11:24 11:24 9 Kazakhstan 11:36 15:36 10 Israel 11:48 12:48 Coffee Break 12:00 - 13:00 60 mins Early Afternoon Session 11 Tunisia 13:00 12:00 12 Germany 13:12 13:12 13 Ukraine 13:24 14:24 14 Canada 13:36 07:36 15 Norway 13:48 13:48 16 Denmark 14:00 14:00 17 Hungary 14:12 14:12 18 Romania 14:24 15:24 19 Argentina 14:36 09:36 Lunch Break 14:48 - 16:30 102 mins Late Afternoon Session 20 New Zealand 16:30 02:30 21 Portugal 16:42 15:42 22 Uruguay 16:54 11:54 23 Mexico 17:06 10:06 24 India 17:18 20:48 25 Sweden 17:30 17:30 26 Poland 17:42 17:42 27 Italy 17:54 17:54 28 China PR 18:06 00:06 Tea Break 18:18 - 19:30 72 mins Evening Session 29 Slovenia 19:30 19:30 30 Greece 19:42 20:42 31 Bulgaria 19:54 20:54 32 Iran 20:06 22:36 33 Ireland 20:18 19:18 34 Croatia 20:30 20:30 35 Malta 20:42 20:42 36 Netherlands 20:54 20:54 37 France 21:06 21:06 38 Slovakia 21:18 21:18  

Grand Final Venues
 
 
As you may already know, the Grand Final Weekend will be held in Rijeka. Let's take a look at the venues we will be visiting.
 

 
 
Opening Ceremony will be held in the Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc.
 

 

 
 
Grand Final will be held in the Zamet Hall.
 

 

 
 
Closing Ceremony and Medal Presentations will be held at the Trsat Castle.
 

 

Some of the cancelled/postponed Paralympic events:
 
 

Some of the cancelled/postponed Paralympic events:
 
 

Thank you for predicting - the contest is closed due to cancellation of the Championships because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, had tested positive for Coronavirus while in Australia.