Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005
Encyclopedia
The 1999 Eurovision Song Contest
runner-up Selma was internally selected to represent Iceland
at the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, and she performed the song "If I Had Your Love" in Kiev
. The song is written by Linda Thompson
and composed by Þorvaldur Bjarni Þorvaldsson and Vignir Snær Vigfússon.
on 13 June 1974. Selma was just 10 years old when she debuted in an Icelandic children’s opera production, which led to different roles in stage productions. After winning a song contest at the Commercial College of Iceland she received an offer to front the dance music group Fantasia, spending two years with the band. In 1995 Selma landed the part of Rosalia in West Side Story, staged at the National Theatre of Iceland. She has also participated in other theater production, acting and singing in The Rocky Horror Show
, Grease
, Little Shop of Horrors
, Singin' in the Rain
, Romeo and Juliet
, Hair
and most recently the popular Icelandic children’s musical "The Fruitbasket". She has also been busy teaching and training artists for, for instance, the Icelandic version of ‘Pop Idol’ as well as providing choreography for music videos and the main professional theaters. Selma represented Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1999 in Jerusalem, where she finished second with the song ‘All Out Of Luck’. The single was featured on her bestselling solo album ‘I Am’ in 1999, followed up by her second album ‘Life Won’t Wait’ a year later.
The spokesperson who revealed Iceland's votes for other countries was RUV host and Miss Iceland 2003 winner Ragnhildur Steinunn Jónsdóttir
.
Eurovision Song Contest 1999
The Eurovision Song Contest 1999 was the 44th Eurovision Song Contest, held on 29 May 1999 in Jerusalem, Israel after Dana International won the contest the previous year in the United Kingdom. The venue for the contest was the International Convention Center...
runner-up Selma was internally selected to represent Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
at the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, and she performed the song "If I Had Your Love" in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
. The song is written by Linda Thompson
Linda Thompson
Linda Diane Thompson is an American actress, lyricist and beauty pageant winner who rose to international fame as Elvis Presley's long time girlfriend after he separated from his wife.-Pageants:...
and composed by Þorvaldur Bjarni Þorvaldsson and Vignir Snær Vigfússon.
Background
Selma Björnsdóttir was born in ReykjavikReykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
on 13 June 1974. Selma was just 10 years old when she debuted in an Icelandic children’s opera production, which led to different roles in stage productions. After winning a song contest at the Commercial College of Iceland she received an offer to front the dance music group Fantasia, spending two years with the band. In 1995 Selma landed the part of Rosalia in West Side Story, staged at the National Theatre of Iceland. She has also participated in other theater production, acting and singing in The Rocky Horror Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the...
, Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
, Little Shop of Horrors
Little Shop of Horrors (musical)
Little Shop of Horrors is a rock musical, by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood. The musical is based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman...
, Singin' in the Rain
Singin' in the Rain (musical)
Singin' in the Rain is a musical with a book by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, lyrics by Arthur Freed, and music by Nacio Herb Brown.Adapted from the 1952 movie of the same name, the plot closely adheres to the original...
, Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
, Hair
Hair (musical)
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement...
and most recently the popular Icelandic children’s musical "The Fruitbasket". She has also been busy teaching and training artists for, for instance, the Icelandic version of ‘Pop Idol’ as well as providing choreography for music videos and the main professional theaters. Selma represented Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1999 in Jerusalem, where she finished second with the song ‘All Out Of Luck’. The single was featured on her bestselling solo album ‘I Am’ in 1999, followed up by her second album ‘Life Won’t Wait’ a year later.
At Eurovision
At Eurovision, Selma delivered a strong performance, but it did not live up to the expectations of most viewers. Many people believe that her performance suffered mostly because of the bad camera angles, which did not capture her performance very well and the poor choice of costume. Overall, Selma went from being a favorite to not even qualifying for the final.The spokesperson who revealed Iceland's votes for other countries was RUV host and Miss Iceland 2003 winner Ragnhildur Steinunn Jónsdóttir
Ragnhildur Steinunn Jónsdóttir
Ragnhildur Steinunn Jónsdóttir is an Icelandic television personality, actress, and former Miss Iceland.-Biography:Ragnhildur began her gymnastics career in 1991, and was recognised as the 1998 Best Gymnast. Ragnhildur is the co-host of Sjónvarpið's top-rated primetime news/talk show Kastljós...
.