Eivør on The finalists List of Liet International 2010

Faroese and Vepsian band in the final of Liet International 2010

The selection jury of Liet International 2010 has selected the last five finalists of the 7th edition of European minority language song contest Liet International 2010, which will be held in Lorient, France on the 27th of November. The independent jury, which was composed of independant music experts from Brittany, Friesland and the Council of Europe, had a tough job. They listened to 46 songs in 21 different minority languages from all over Europe, from Galicia to Russia, from the Faroe Islands to Cyprus. Also the variety in styles was huge, ranging from folk to rock, rap, pop, tango and even folkopera.

Out of those 46 songs the jury has selected the following five artists for Liet International 2010 in Lorient, Breizh/Brittany, France:

1. Rachel Walker, Fada Bhuam, Scottish Gaelic
2. Eivør Pálsdóttir, VOKA, Faroese
3. The Temporary, Cupan Toast, Irish
4. Mafia Galega, Billarda Sempre, Galician
5. Jousnen Jarved, Verrez Tullei, Vepsian song from Russia

It will be the first time that Liet International will present songs in Faroese and Vepsian. Faroese is a minority language in Denmark, spoken by 48.000 people on the Faroe islands. The Liet Foundation is impressed by the quality of the music production in this small nation. The song of Eisvor Palsdottir was one of the nine songs Liet International received. All songs were of good quality and produced professionally. Vepsian is endangered Finn-Ugrian language spoken by only 4.000 people in Russian Karelia.
Five other bands/artists already qualified for Liet International earlier this year by winning a song contest in their part of Europe.
These five artists/bands are:

6. Xera, the winner of the Premiu al meyor cantar, Asturias
7. Pia Maria Holmgren, winner of the Sámi Grand Prix, Sámi from Sweden
8. Equal Souls, winner of Liet 2010, Fryslân
9. Stéphane Casalta, winner of Suns, Corsica
10. Resistence in Dub, winner of the public vote of Suns, Friûl, Italy

During the coming weeks the Festival Interceltique de Lorient (FIL) will select a Breton song and artist for Liet International 2010. As the host of the European minority language song contest it is their privilige to do this. This means that, apart from the Breton finalist, the line-up of Liet International 2010 is ready.

The seventh edition of Liet International is the first which will take place in France. Liet International was invited to Lorient, Brittany by de Region Breizh/Bretagne and the Festival Interceltique de Lorient (FIL). Since 2008 Liet International is organised under the patronage of the Council of Europe. Liet International is also supported by the the autonomous region of Asturias in Spain and by the province Friesland in the Netherlands.

Liet International was conceived and developed in Friesland, the Netherlands, by the Liet Foundation in 2002. Since then Liet International has become one of the larger events for the promotion of minority languages to a larger audience, attracting lots of media from all over Europe. The last edition of Liet International took place in Ljouwert/Leeuwarden, the Netherlands in 2009 and was won by Sámi rockband SomBy from the north of Finland.

Here follows a Video for the song Vøka, Live in Wienna 2009:



For further information on Liet, please visit the link below:
VIA: LIET.