Wednesday, April 25, 2007

My lips were sealed...

It had been on the tip of my tounge for ages.

My fingers were itching to type it down in my blog.

But I couldn't say anything. My lips were sealed. Now it has finally been officialy announced. An agreement has been struck between the Maltasong Board and MTV Europe to promote Malta using Vertigo. Yahoo!!! :)

This decision has come a long way. There was no doubt that everybody thought it was a good idea. But good ideas do not run on their own steam. They need finances.

MTV Europe is represented in Malta by a company owned by Grace Borg, the former Maltasong Chairman. Through her intervention, MTV offered to air a number of television spots throughout this month and up till the Eurovision Song Contest, next month.

The offer was made quite some time ago. But as I said, it couldn't materialise due to lack of funds. It was only through the personal intervention of Minister Francis Zammit Dimech that this important step has become a reality.




I really must say that the Minister has been a great help. He has tried to assist in all he could and I am pleasantly surprised that a person who has such an important job finds the time to get involved and go to such lengths to see that something happens.

Promotion is an important tool in the Eurovision Song Contest sphere. It is not the only ingredient in a winning package, don't get me wrong. But good promotion normally brings good results. And this is exactly why the MTV offer couldn't be missed.

I am even happier that I am able to contribute that little bit to putting Malta on the map as a tourist attraction. Using a Eurovision song to promote the island is a new way of approaching things. I just hope it works! :)

Now to something completely different. I've been invited to go to a bootcamp with the Malta Armed Forces. It lasts one whole day. Supposedly Philip and Gerard (the composer and author) are coming as well. I am dying to see who is the macho, out of the three of us.

I will let you know more tomorrow. Hopefully with photos.

Speak to you again tomorrow! :)

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great promo clip .... visit Malta once, and you'll keep visiting us forever ... Olivia you're simply the best!!!

Anonymous said...

Complimenti Olivia! Well done for the promotion clip. You ' re really doing a great job! Keep it up and I really hope that you keep this blog even after the eurovision song contest! Prosit!

Anonymous said...

Olivia, with all due respect, for such an important clip couldn't you have put on a better accent!!!

Anonymous said...

My Opinion in what regard the comment posted by oliviafan before me....I just think think that Olivi used quite a good english and after all English is NOT our mother languagae so you can't expect someone to have perfect english with such a good accent. After all it's Malta that we're prooting not the english language. Maybe the accent she used is just how maltese speak english....and well I think that her english is just not as bad as the usual spokepersons use in the actual eurovisions. Even Moira last year was like the giant's statue acting like she was relaxed but infact she had I DONT KNOW WHATS HAPPENING written all over her face. Maybe it's time that we change that ugly blurred backdrop and use something more original....and make the spokeperson a pleasure to watch not a nightmare.....

Now to what you wrote Olivia,

I think that you haven't been watching television lately.....And I think you've benn caught in a little lie....The day as a soldier has been being promoted for some 2 days and we have seen some footage of it too in the Xarabnk program. You've done with the soldier that took part in Spjun last year havent you? And why is that goldfish face Olivia that we can see you doing? Grrrrr Olivia don't lie to us.....you should tell us something on the performance as a penalty of this....:D After all we'll we see the whole performance on xarabank or just snppets.....please answer.....:P

Anonymous said...

Nice and interesting clip although i expected to give more importance to the song hehe because i felt that the songs starts from nowhere!! But still I loved the clip and ot may help us for the little extra help we might need!!

No matter the result Olivia we all know that this yr u really worked hard and was probably the closest person to the fans and to the people!!!

If you win (like we all hope) or if you come last (hopefully not) we all know you did the best job possible for Malta and Vertigo!!!

Goodluck 4 Helsinkii!! :)
Thanks a lot!!!

Anonymous said...

good for you olivia, why wouldnt malta and mtv want the best maltese entry shown. i am still just loving this song.
i was on the eurovision nation messageboard and it is very clear that the fans there, even if they dont love the song, love you and your blog and therefore, they are saying that, they find you so honest and lovely that cant help but vote for you on the night. olivia the blog was a fantastic way of sharing your journey with us it has helped us understand how hard the preperations can be, it has given us an insight to what sort of peson you are. you are certainly no diva....which is very refreshing.
congratulations again.....good luck our hearts and hopes are with you.......aussie fan xxx

Schlagerboys said...

Can't wait to hear about the boot camp... and darling... the most macho one out of the three of you isn't likely to be those other two is it???

BARBARINO said...

Dearest Olivia, well done!!!! very well done!!! great idea and i think if they are going to air this a lot of times a day this will help also Vertigo..... it is true that your accent is a bit strange on the clip, but i guessed that is done on purpose, because it sounds very maltese...and i know you have a great accent in english, becuase you sing vertigo with a very good one..actually i find very sweet the way you talk and end the whole spot...
in the last days i do not manage to do anything in my spare time but talking about eurovision and vertigo on the web(my favourite site is esctoday.com where i star :-) as Nikolas Vertigo :-)....i do not know what i an do fron here in berlin to help vertigo a bit...sometimes i am so desperate that i can not come to Helsinki..but i made a promise to myself, to my friends, to others and now to your friends here and to you personally: if vertigo makes the wonder and wins i am gona be next year in Malta to watch the contest live..yes i promise that and i am looking
forward to it..well it is all about dreaming, wishing, hoping and being passionate in this life, isn't it? and that is what Vertigo inspires me to do.....i have to go to sleep now....p;ease, please keep us informed a bit on your Helsinki plans...well just a glimpse.....Many greetings to all xxxxx

Anonymous said...

YOU ARE GREAT OLIVIA
THIS MTV CLIP IS A HELP FOR YOUR PROMO, I THINK IT CAN HELP FOR EUROPE PEOPLE TO LISTEN AND CAN VOTE IF THEY THINK IT IS THE BEST SONG AND IN MY OPINION IT IS!!!!!!!
GOODLUCK OLIVIA
GOODLUCK VERTIGO
GOODLUCK MALTA & MALTESE PEOPLE
FROM JOSEPH

Cra-Zee said...

Well done Olivia, You chose the best time 2 promote Malta through the song VERTIGO! It will do a great deal of Good 4 both our conutry as well as $ VErtigo! GOOD LUCK we are all with u! U have put in a good deal of Effort im sure! No matter what the Result we are all with u xxx


P.S 10x Nikolas 4 ur continuos Support escpecially on esctoday.

oriana said...

Hi Olivia,

I would like to wish you GOOD Luck in Helsinki. I don't know how often the clip will be showed every day but i thing every little thing helps.I hope some day Malta can represent this famous festival.

Schlagerboys said...

Thanks for the CDs and DVDs - come and have a look at the competetion on the Schlagerblog!

The video is fabulous!!

Anonymous said...

Hi Olivia!

Mela, nixtieq nghid lilek Olivia u lil kull min kellu x'jaqsam ma' dan il-Promotion kemm ghall-Vertigo kif ukoll ghall-Malta PROSET IMMENS ghax idea mill-AQWA!!! Ghalija l-Promo Clip BELLEZZA!!! Mill-ISBAH!!! Ix-xeni tal-video li dehru fil-Promotion Clip mill-AQWA u anke x-xeni ta' Malta!!! U bla dubju ta' xejn li anke inti Olivia!!! Verament gejt tajba hafna fih u tkellimt hafna sabih u tajjeb!!! Anke bhala libsa ghogbitni hafna ghalkemm ma dehritx kollha imma xorta ghogbitni hafna!!! F'kelma wahda ta' kollox: BELLEZZA!!!

GOODLUCK HAFNA lill-kulhadd!!!

Tislijiet
Nigel Blundell

BARBARINO said...

Dearest Olivia,
today i had the chance to watch you with online streaming at hte Xarabank Contest and see with my eyes what i had already sensed: that beside a very good singer you are a very sweet, nice and down to earth talented person..i had the chance to see your parents, who i recognised immediately from the photo of your graduation which you had posted here....they seem to be very very nice and good people themselves and very very proud of you...i could not understand a word of maltese and your words, but i managed to capture the state of mind and heart of you and of some of your colleagues...and i saw how touched you were by the good words of your parents..and i liked that you are so cool that you could laugh with all the funny versions of Vertigo...and people in Malta love you a lot, i could sense and see this too...so you can be total confident now: you have a great song in your language, a talent in you and a passion for the contest and your country, the love and support from all maltese and us..the "vertigo-addicts" :-) who wish the best result for you...for me you are already a winner, you realised your dream of representing Malta to the contest, and you charmed lots and lots of people with Vertigo and your singing, and not only maltese...be confident Olivia, passion, deep feelings and hard work bring usually a very good outcome...i can not wait to enjoy Vertigo live on the ESC stage and surely i am not the only one....Come back here soon...Greetings to all...xxxxxx

Anonymous said...

Olivia,

Nixtieq nghidlek Proset hafna u nghidlek ukoll kemm jiena kuntent li fl-ahhar din l-ahbar giet imwettqa. Minn meta kont smajt li kontu behsibkom tippromovo lil Vertigo fuq l-MTV mall-ewwel oghgbitni l-idea u tista' tobsor kemm kont kuntent meta smajt l-ahbar li giet imwettqa din l-ahbar hekk importanti. Jiena nemmen hafna li din il-pubblicita' ser tghin hafna hafna lil Malta u lil Vertigo biex fil-Eurovision immorru tajjeb hafna.

Il-messagg li ghedt inti fl-ahhar vera oghogbi u ghal min qal li l-accent ma hariglekx sew taghtix kas ghax jiena sewwa rajtu hareg. Proset mill-gdid!

Your Big Fan,
Bjorn Blundell. xxx

Anonymous said...

Listening to you perform live at the Waterfront gave me gooseflesh! Good Luck Olivia! A short note to Nikolas Vertigo: Your enthusiasm for our song and the way you described it brought a smile to my face and tears in my eyes. Thank you and you are welcome any time in our friendly land. C.