Olivia Lewis
Encyclopedia
For the comic book character, see Menagerie.
Olivia Lewis, born 18 October 1978, is a singer from Qormi
, Malta
. She has competed 11 consecutive times in the Malta Song For Europe
festival, which selects the country's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest
. At her 11th attempt she finally won the 2007 festival, held in Ta'Qali
on 3 February 2007, with the song "Vertigo" and represented Malta at the semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest
held at the Hartwall Areena
in Helsinki
, Finland
, on 10 May 2007. She performed in the 20th position following Norway
's Guri Schanke
with "Ven a bailar conmigo
" and preceding Andorra
's Anonymous
with "Salvem el món
". However, she did not manage to qualify for the final.
Lewis began singing as a child and has been involved in musicals and music festivals. She sings in several musical styles, from pop
to jazz
, but favors soul music
.
Lewis was the first female artist to perform during the Malta Jazz Festival
together with the Paul Giordimaina trio. Her performance was the opening event at the 2005 festival. Lewis has also performed regularly at the International Festival of the Maltese Song, scoring as high as third place. She has won both the Lithuanian National Song Festival and the Bulgarian Song Festival.
On 10 May 2007, Olivia and her team participated in the semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest
with the song "Vertigo". Though highly tipped as a favourite to pass with online polls and betting companies, Olivia failed to reach the final for Malta
and placed 25th out of 28 countries with just 15 points.
Qormi
Qormi is a city in Malta with a population of 18,550 , which makes it the second largest locality in Malta...
, Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. She has competed 11 consecutive times in the Malta Song For Europe
Malta Song for Europe
Malta Song for Europe was the song festival which decides who will be Malta's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest, organised by Maltese broadcaster Public Broadcasting Services ....
festival, which selects the country's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
. At her 11th attempt she finally won the 2007 festival, held in Ta'Qali
Ta'Qali
Ta' Qali is a village in Malta, a wide open space in the middle of Malta containing the national stadium, Ta' Qali National Park and a national vegetable market which is locally known as the Pitkalija....
on 3 February 2007, with the song "Vertigo" and represented Malta at the semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2007
The Eurovision Song Contest 2007 was the 52nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It was won by first-time appearance as an independent country Serbia and was held at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland from 10 May to 12 May. The host broadcaster was YLE.Finland earned the right to host...
held at the Hartwall Areena
Hartwall Areena
Hartwall Areena is a large multifunctional indoor arena located in Helsinki, Finland...
in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, on 10 May 2007. She performed in the 20th position following Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
's Guri Schanke
Guri Schanke
Guri Schanke is a Norwegian actress and singer. She is known in Norway for her acting career, and was part of the 2005 round of the Norwegian version of Dancing with the Stars, where she came in second....
with "Ven a bailar conmigo
Ven a bailar conmigo
"Ven a bailar conmigo" was the Norwegian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, performed in English and Spanish by Guri Schanke....
" and preceding Andorra
Andorra
Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...
's Anonymous
Anonymous (band)
Anonymous is a band from Andorra that in 2007 represented the country with the song "Salvem el món" in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 after winning the national selection. The song, however, failed to make it through past the semi-final stage....
with "Salvem el món
Salvem el món
"Salvem el món" was the Andorran entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, performed in Catalan and English by Anonymous...
". However, she did not manage to qualify for the final.
Lewis began singing as a child and has been involved in musicals and music festivals. She sings in several musical styles, from pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
to jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, but favors soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
.
Lewis was the first female artist to perform during the Malta Jazz Festival
Malta Jazz Festival
The Malta Jazz Festival is a three day musical event held every July on the Mediterranean island of Malta. The festival, held annually since 1990 at Ta` Liesse on the Valletta waterfront...
together with the Paul Giordimaina trio. Her performance was the opening event at the 2005 festival. Lewis has also performed regularly at the International Festival of the Maltese Song, scoring as high as third place. She has won both the Lithuanian National Song Festival and the Bulgarian Song Festival.
On 10 May 2007, Olivia and her team participated in the semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
with the song "Vertigo". Though highly tipped as a favourite to pass with online polls and betting companies, Olivia failed to reach the final for Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
and placed 25th out of 28 countries with just 15 points.
Malta Song For Europe
| Year | Placing | Song | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 7th | "Falling (for your love)" | singing with Marvic Lewis |
| 1998 | 15th | "You're the one" | |
| 1999 | 7th | "Autumn of my love" | |
| 2000 | 5th | "Only for you" | |
| 9th | "I wanna love you" | ||
| 2001 | 7th | "Love will see me through" | |
| 10th | "Hold me now" | ||
| 2002 | 11th | "Give me wings" | |
| 2003 | 6th | "Starting over" | featuring IQ's Verse-One |
| 2004 | 2nd | "Take a look" | written by Paul Giordimaina and Fleur Balzan |
| 2005 | 2nd | "Deja Vu" | written by Philip Vella and Gerard James Borg Gerard James Borg Gerard James Borg is one of Malta's most successful song writers and concept creators for the last decades. Borg has penned five of the Maltese entries for the annual Eurovision Song Contest with Philip Vella, besides several Eurovision national final entries.... |
| 2006 | 2nd | "Spare a moment" | written by Ray Agius and Godwin Sant |
| 2007 | 1st | "Vertigo" | written by Philip Vella and Gerard James Borg Gerard James Borg Gerard James Borg is one of Malta's most successful song writers and concept creators for the last decades. Borg has penned five of the Maltese entries for the annual Eurovision Song Contest with Philip Vella, besides several Eurovision national final entries.... |