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About Andorra...
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2004 Result
Points in Semi Final: 12
Position in Semi Final: 18th
Points in Final: Failed to qualify
Position in Final: Failed to qualify
2005 Contest: Must compete in Semi Final
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History (1956 to 2003)
Andorra's previous appearances: 0 year(s) out of 48
Years participated: None
Best result: N/A
Andorra makes its first ever appearance at Eurovision in 2004. Unusually for a new entrant, Andorra is not part of former Yugoslavia, the former USSR or eastern Europe - rather, it is a tiny principality tucked between France and Spain in the Pyrenees. Now that Andorra's own broadcaster is a member of the EBU, the country becomes eligible to enter Eurovision for the first time. Like the other new entrants, Andorra will compete in the Semi Final on 12 May.
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This year's entry
Position in Semi Final draw: 6
Position in Final draw: Failed to qualify
What I said prior to the Semi Final:
"No one can accuse Andorra of not taking Eurovision seriously. Despite having a population of just 65,000, the country managed to spread the procedure for selecting its entrant over more than two months of TV shows - it was one of the first participants to begin its selection, in January, but one of the last to finally pick its winner in March. The selection stipulated that songs should be performed in Catalan, Andorra's official language, and - unusually - viewers in the neighbouring Catalonia region of Spain were able to take part in the voting along with all the Andorrans. The result of all this is local girl Marta Roure representing her country in Istanbul, with the song 'Jugarem a estimar-nos'. For such a tiny country, the song is surprisingly good - it is a catchy, uptempo number, not unlike the kind of song Iceland likes to enter for Eurovision. Above all, in this era of the free langage rule, it is refreshing to hear Catalan at Eurovision for the first time ever. Could Andorra achieve what no other country has ever managed (apart from in the very first contest, obviously) and win Eurovision at the first attempt? More importantly, if Andorra did win, how would everyone get there in 2005 when the nearest airport is four hour's drive away? (Believe me, I've experienced getting to Andorra... it takes a while)."
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What I predicted...
My prediction for Semi Final: 10th to 14th
My prediction for Final: Possible qualifier; 12th to 17th if it does
What I predicted prior to the Semi Final:
"It's fair to say that Andorra have exceeded most people's expectations with this strong song, even so, the bookies rate it as a rank outsider, and it languishes near the foot of most fan polls - which is a shame. Singing in Catalan, while a good thing for the contest, also has the disadvantage that few televoters are going to understand what the song's about. I think a lot depends on Marta Roure's performance - can the singer from Andorra la Vella cut the mustard on an international stage in front of millions of viewers? I hope so. If Marta gives a strong live performance, this should make into the Final; I don't think it's a winner, but it could just about go top ten, and secure Andorra an automatic place in the Final next year. If the performance is less good, I think Andorra will struggle to reach the Final in the face of more experienced singers from other countries."
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What you thought...
Final Poll Ranking: out of 36 ()
(Updated 15 May 2004; change refers to movement over final week)
In the run up to the Contest, over 5,000 visitors to this site voted for their favourite song in the Soult.com Eurovision Poll.
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What actually happened
After the well-behaved Israeli performance, Andorra decided to ignore the idea of 'less is more', surrounding Marta with underdressed, hyperactive dancers. Marta, meanwhile, looked like she had forgotten to do her hair before stepping onto the stage - perhaps she let Piero (see Switzerland) loose on it? Marta's live performance, unfortunately, was not great - a pity, given that the song was really quite good.
I did predict that Marta needed to give a strong performance, saying that "Andorra will struggle to reach the Final in the face of more experienced singers from other countries". My prediction of 10th to 14th in the Semi Final was a little out, however, given that Andorra actually finished 18th - it's just a good thing Spain gave Andorra 12 points, or Marta would have shared Swiss Piero's ignominy of scoring nothing at all. Still, overall a 'close' prediction rather than a 'wrong' one, I think.
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What the bookies thought...
 | Andorra to win: | 15/05/04 (prior to Final) | - |
| | 13/05/04 (after Semi Final) | - |
| | 11/05/04 | 50-1 |
| | 08/05/04 | 50-1 |
| | 06/05/04 | 100-1 |
| | 04/05/04 | 66-1 |
| | 31/04/04 | 66-1 |
| | 24/04/04 | 66-1 |
| | 17/04/04 | 66-1 |
| | 07/04/04 | 50-1 |
| | 24/03/04 | 50-1 |
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Andorra opened and ended the Eurovision betting at 50-1. The bookies didn't rate Marta's chances of qualifying, and unfortunately they were right.
(Odds quoted here were those offered by Coral.co.uk. 'F' indicates favourite, 'JF' joint favourite.)
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Links
 http://www.marta-roure.net/
 http://www.rtvasa.ad/Eurovisio/eurovisio.asp
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Notes (see 'History' above)
- The 1956 Contest (where each country had two songs) is counted as a single appearance;
- Countries eliminated in the 1993 preliminary heat (EE, HU, RO, SK) ARE NOT counted as making an appearance in that year's Contest;
- Countries eliminated in the 1996 preliminary heat (DE, DK, HU, IL, MK, RO, RU) ARE NOT counted as making an appearance in that year's Contest;
- Countries eliminated in the 2004, 2005 and 2006 Semi Finals ARE counted as making an appearance in that year's Contest.
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Your comments (14)
From Liezel Jean Fieldad, Philippines
Added 11:14:57 2006-07-22
Andorra is very beautiful place... Or shall I say, beautiful country... Actually, I'm missing this place so much... Soon, I'll go back there... Keep it up to enter again in the Eurovision for the coming years... Thank you.
From Sergi, from Catalonia (Catalan Countries), SPAIN
Added 18:0:11 2004-5-15
Eventhough she's very nice and sings very good, there's a very importance in the language she uses:CATALAN, the mother tongue of near 10 million people in the west mediterranean, only co-official in some regions and discrimitated and forbidden during centuries by the Spanish and French goverments. Who knows nowadays that the Catalan-Aragonese kingdom nearly dominated the Mediterranean in the 14th century and between its posessions there was half today's Italy, and even Athens??
I would like to congratulate all the people have done all they could and more to bring Andorra and Catalan to Eurovision, and also to everybody speaks Catalan in the world. ENDAVANT!
From lena, SPAIN
Added 17:16:16 2004-5-15
holaaaaa felisidat!!!!!!!1
From Ahmet, TURKEY
Added 2:23:49 2004-5-13
Andorra had a great song that I will remember for a long time. I hope to find your casette! Thank you for your performance!
From Panayotis, GREECE
Added 3:8:21 2004-5-6
Nice, happy song, catching beat. May sound a bit ordinary, but the use of catalan language makes it totally different in the end. I may not understand much, but I like it a lot! Good luck to tiny Andorra, which I think is going to give us a big surprise!
From Charlie, SPAIN
Added 8:21:47 2004-5-5
I am so proud to listen to my mother language in Eurovision for the first time ever. Of course I cannot be objective, but if you've ever been in love, look for the lyrics (www.eurovision.tv) and you'll find impossible not to leve this song.
From Dimitris, GREECE
Added 13:46:9 2004-5-3
I thing this song is a classic Eurosong.If it was from Sweeden or Ireland it would be definatelly in top5.I like it a lot and i'm very glad that it is sung in another than enlish language.I feel that this song would surprise us.
From Marion, GERMANY
Added 26/04/2004 14:42
Hey, this is a really nice Popsong! And thankfully another language than english. Go on Andorra!
From valentí from Catalonia, SPAIN
Added 24/04/2004 14:58
I feel very proud to hear catalan language in the esc, my language...Besides this I must be objective and think it's a song with chances to win, the kind that I like most.Very good luck in your first time.
From sweetboy4, SPAIN
Added 16/04/2004 13:57
holas!yo estoy con españa pero andorra es uno de mis lugares favoritos ,para ir a esquiar jejeje
suerte marta y ya veras como con tu cancion en catalan arrasas!!viva el catalan!!!!!!!jejeje ciao
From IDO, ISRAEL
Added 16/04/2004 02:04
ANDORRA-AND MARTA YOU ARE NO 1
THE SONG IS EXCELLENT A REALLY GOOD LUCK TO ANDORRA.
WE LOVE YOU ANDORRA AND I HOPE MANY ISRAELIS WILL VOTE FOR ANDORRA
From T.G.Beck, ICELAND
Added 07/04/2004 13:10
nice poppy song. sung in catalan (which i found out here on this page, thought it was 'andorran' or something :p says all about my knowledge of geography). quite tolerable. people clapping along and stuff. nice groove.
From Sérgio Rego, PORTUGAL
Added 06/04/2004 15:32
Very nice to see our brothers in Andorra taking part for the first time and in Catalan. Nice song, it will get points from Portugal and Spain but that's pretty much about it, I'm afraid. Don't think it will go to the final.
From Steinar, NORWAY
Added 04/04/2004 17:45
Another nice debut...I feel the chorus has a bit of ABBA to it, but not in a bad very. Very catchy. good, modern verse with nice "rolling" beats which creeps withim the melody.
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