AleziRadio Festival of Songs 1997

AleziRadio Festival of Songs 1997
Dates
Final	16th of May 1997
Host
Venue	The Bristolian Centre, Breganny, BR
Presenter(s)	Emily Sawyer
Musical director	Daniel Jacobson
Directed by	Benjamin Alfred Jacobson
Executive supervisor	Harris Matthews
Executive producer	Sarlinne Aouvigners
Host broadcaster	Royal Bristolian Radio
Participants
Number of entries	18
Vote
Voting system	Each region sends two juries and two public votes where each votes 1,3,5,7, and 10 for the best 5 songs
Winning song	" עקבים גבוהים " by Lalo Interdimensional

AleziRadio Festival of Songs 1997 is the fortieth edition of the annual AleziRadio Festival of Songs. The competition was held as usual in 16th of May 1997 by the authorities of Royal Bristolian Radio. This is the third time that Bristol hosted the competition after previously hosting in 1961 and 1976 after the victory of Three Grand with the song "Something Isn't Right Here"

The competition was won by Lalo International with the song " עקבים גבוהים " representing the region of Tel Hadiv. It's the fourth time that the region has won the competition and the first winner to be transgender. She also won with the largest margin from the runner up in the history of ARFOS, winning 100% more votes than Bax (the runner up) with 202 points. She is also the first singer in the history of ARFOS to earn 200 points and the first to win with that amount of points as well.

Bristol and Zafizamarrah earned second and third place respectively. This means that it's Bristol's third second place and Zafizamarrah's twelfth third place.

The festival was organized by the Royal Bristolian Radio (RBR), where like Zafizamarrah, decided to hold a bidding process to pick the hosting city for the festival. A record seven cities bid for the event, such as Victoria, Aubergine, St. Yves au Vignette, Damperson, Hackley, Amerson, Amoston, and Breganny. Initially, three other cities was going to bid, such as Mariabel, New Bearington, and Cualquey. However, financial problems forced the three cities to withdrew. Due to the massive amount of cities bidding, RBR decided to shortlist the list, where they put Victoria, Hackley, and Breganny to the final round of bidding. In a tight round of voting, Breganny won the rights to host the festival where they earned 56% of the RBR's board's vote.

Breganny was Bristol's fifth largest city at the time, as of the 1995 census, it has the population of 251,000. The factor of it's selection to host the competition was the fact that Breganny is only 34 kilometers away from Victoria, the capital of Bristol. For the event, they decided to hold the event in the newly built Bristolian Centre. It can host 5,388 people, making it one of the biggest venues to have hosted the festival.

Visually, the 1997 logo can be said as one of the most unique in the "Coca-Cola Sponsorship Era". Even though it retained the shapes, the visual team at RBR rearranged the logo and changed the colour to Red, White, and Blue to represent the Union Jack, which was (and still is) in the flag of the region (now sub-region) as Bristol remained a British-Alezian joint-cooperation area until 2021 where the United Kingdom returned Bristol fully to the Alezian Union. Other than that, the colours also unofficially represents the French community, which is the biggest minority in Bristol. This year is also the first time that the caption below the logo didn't use a second language since the official language of Bristol is solely English.

Incidents

Lalo International's Victory

After the public knew that Lalo International (real name Lanna Rohamaina, previously Lanzari Rohamain) had been "re-arranged" two years before her being selected for the festival, the Alezian public were divided over the issue of her representing Tel Hadiv. Some supported her decision due to the fact that it's her choice, while others protested due to "public indecency". The ones protested even suggested Radio Tel Hadiv-Yezateinu to disqualify her and get Danni Kalshevet (third place in the Regional Preselection of Tel Hadiv) to take her place in the festival.

The selection of Lalo International invited massive controversy that the National Ulema Council of North Alezia was to be called over whether people like Lanna should be given protection of state. Meetings lasted for a few months without any results. However, Lalo International's massive victory in the Festival resurfaced discussions to restart again.

Her victory prompted public opinion to change, added with Mukhlis Krasnaya Novogrody (which was Premier at the time)'s meeting with Lalo International, which got the Ulema Council to hold a vote to decide the legality and protection of same-sex relationships and transgender people. Over the vote, the protection law was passed by 4-2 (Tel Hadiv, Bristol, Pyalivostok, Zafizamarrah over Basna and Aramna) majority. And after that, the Ulema Council gave a recommendation to the State Council of North Alezia which resulted in Nakaz 72/1998 which protected the rights of people that was mentioned.

Due to her impact, Lalo International was given "The Star of Alezia" for her contribution in supporting Alezia's progress of being one of the most inclusive Muslim-majority nation in the world, While the song itself was applauded for being "brave" and "new".

Conductors

The list of conductors can be seen below.

Soeradi returned as conductor after unable to do so last year due to overexhaustion. However, Dnerash Abikoshev withdrew after disagreements with Radio Tel Hadiv-Yezateinu over how the conducting should be initiated. And so, the Tel Hadivian entries were conducted by Kadesh Kayel.

Region	Conductor
Basna	Soeradi
Zafizamarrah	Andi Ansari
Pyalivostok	Benzema Lakashivich
Tel Hadiv	Kadesh Kayel
Mosin-Nagan	Isa Nagavishan
Bristol	Walter Shawn
Aramna	Misha Roubennais
Pantabang Islands	Lillea Aurie Dadon
Daya Island	Yalta Naaminen

Commentators

Region	Radio Broadcaster	Commentators
NATIONWIDE	AleziRadio	English: Azza Ruzindari (AR-P1), Anria Marindaruddin (AR-TV1) Arabic : Farah Al Fattaharin (AR-P2), Nur Hasan Yusril (AR-TV1, broadcasted a day after the live competition)
Zafizamarrah	Radio Zafizamarrah	Arabic: Islan Haffizi (RZ-P1) Buginese: Andi Zahranita Narinda (RZ-PB)
Pantabang Islands	Radio Zafizamarrah / Pa'ana'taba'angi	Alezian : Ya'en Rama'i Dadon (RZ/P A) Dutch : Aalsterijk Sa'i'ue'i Salem (RZ/P Nederlandse)
Tel Hadiv	Radio Tel Hadiv - Yezateinu	Hebrew : Sheila Rayeshmaim (RTH-Y-P1)
Bristol	Royal Radio of Bristol	English : Michael Carl (RRB) French : Alfonso Roubin (RFrB)
Pyalivostok	Radio Pyalivostok	Russian : Yovleyin Dabarnova (RP)
Basna	Radio Basna Raya	Indonesian : Nissa Roukindayan (RBR)
Mosin-Nagan	Radio Tel Hadiv - Yezateinu / Mosinannaganyan	Georgian : Berlyan Madanoshvili (RTH-Y / MN)
Daya Island	Radio Pyalivostok / Dayain Saari	Finnish : Lisa Koorvinen (RP / DS) Swedish : Endive (RP / DS / Svensk)
Aramna	Araminhaes Radioues	Aramnan : Ennie Loulavais (ARR)

Spokepersons

Islan Hafizzi who commentates the event for the Zafizamarranian Arabic broadcast also reads the results of the second Zafizamarranian jury.

Region	Domicile	Spokespersons
Basna	Basna Kota	Isma'iluddin Hazar Alwadi
Pyalivostok	Pyalivostokgrad	Danijel Kalovich Ibel Souzielyova
Zafizamarrah	Metropolitan Zafizamarrah	Andi Hazul Azulaini Islan Hafizzi
Bristol	Victoria	Eddie Hayne Elliot Macquerel
Pantabang Islands	Bucinnois	Kalinda Da'udanda Salem Irlene A'uka'we'i Dadon
Tel Hadiv	Tel Hadiv	Meshrina Aveshner Albert Goldweissman
Daya Island	Aaren	Miisa Kulvalainen Bonni Kalvin
Mosin-Nagan	Trishi	Sinnadi Rabanshvili Danika Kalvinayan
Aramna	Las Araminhaes	Bourlie Darlainais Marielle Houren

Participating Entries and Results

• "*" = the singer won the Independence Award which was held the day before the competition.
• The song for the Independence Award for the year was "Something Like Me" by Maxwell Maximillian from 1954

No.	Region	Singer	Song	Translation	Language	Place	Points
01	Bristol	Bax*	Lucky Girl	-none-	English	2	101
02	Zafizamarrah	Daffa Ruzan	أنت مميز	You're Special	Arabic	3	100
03	Zafizamarrah	Naran Thalafi	أين أنت؟	Where Are You?	Arabic	4	84
04	Aramna	Genessitta Lambeth	Veilla	Villa	Aramnan	15	11
05	Tel Hadiv	ENGINE	חלק ממני	Part of Me	Hebrew	10	35
06	Basna	Indramayu Salwa	Bertahan Selamanya	Lasts Forever	Indonesian	5	82
07	Mosin-Nagan	Sigmund Gneigas	საარსებო წყარო	Livelihood	Georgian	8	40
08	Mosin-Nagan	Chika Karovina	ლედი დედოფალი	Lady Queen	Georgian	9	37
09	Tel Hadiv	Lalo Interdimensional	עקבים גבוהים	High Heels	Hebrew	1	203
10	Daya Island	Martina Naakol	Etkö ymmärrä minua kerrankin?	Can't You Understand Me For Once?	Finnish	12	30
11	Aramna	Leina	Disco	-none-	Aramnan	6	72
12	Daya Island	Sinta Maalivalainen	Täyttä ajanhukkaa	Complete Waste of Time	Finnish	18	6
13	Basna	Sally	Angin Barat	Western Wind	Indonesian	16	11
14	Bristol	Jacinda Lilith	Imperative	-none-	English	11	35
15	Pyalivostok	Alfonso Kasanovich	Два раза	Two Times	Russian	7	44
16	Pantabang Islands	Cherlin Auni D adon	Ta'oun A'amu	Your Love	Francalezian	14	17
17	Pantabang Islands	Allen Ribenie Salem	A'e'opo	Airport	Francalezian	13	18
18	Pyalivostok	Edward Lazavoin	По-другому	In A Different Way	Russian	17	10

Voting by Region

	BR-1	BR-2	ZF-1	ZF-2	AR-1	AR-2	TH-1	TH-2	BN-1	BN-2	MN-1	MN-2	DI-1	DI-2	PY-1	PY-2	PI-1	PI-2		BR-1	BR-2	ZF-1	ZF-2	AR-1	AR-2	TH-1	TH-2	BN-1	BN-2	MN-1	MN-2	DI-1	DI-2	PY-1	PY-2	PI-1	PI-2	TOTAL
Lucky Girl	XX	XX	1					5							7					XX	XX	7	7	10			7	3		5	10	7	10	5	5	5	7	101
أنت مميز	7		XX	XX		10			5	5		5	7		10						10	XX	XX			10		1	10					3	7	10		100
أين أنت؟	3	10	XX	XX	10	3		10	7	10								7				XX	XX	3	1				3							7	10	84
Veilla					XX	XX			1						5	3								XX	XX		1		1									11
חלק ממני					1	1	XX	XX	3				5	3			10			5						XX	XX	7										35
Bertahan Selamanya			5	7			10	7	XX	XX		7	1		3	7					3			7			5	XX	XX	10	3			7				82
საარსებო წყარო		5					3				XX	XX		10				3		7					7					XX	XX	5						40
ლედი დედოფალი	1	7		1		5	5				XX	XX				5	7						3		3					XX	XX							37
עקבים גבוהים	10		10		7	7	XX	XX	10	3	7	10	10	7		10	5	10		10		10	10		10	XX	XX	10			5	10	7	10	10		5	203
Etkö ymmärrä minua kerrankin?				3	3					7			XX	XX				5				3	5							1		XX	XX		3			30
Disco		3	7		XX	XX		1			10			1	1	1	1				7	1		XX	XX	7	10		7	7		3	5					72
Täyttä ajanhukkaa													XX	XX							5											XX	XX	1				6
Angin Barat					5				XX	XX	1											5						XX	XX									11
Imperative	XX	XX		5			7				5						3			XX	XX					5	3			3	1				1	1	1	35
Два раза	5			10				3				3	3		XX	XX								1	5			5					3	XX	XX	3	3	44
Ta'oun A'amu							1				3	1		5			XX	XX		3	1					3										XX	XX	17
A'e'opo		1	3														XX	XX						5							7	1	1			XX	XX	18
По-другому										1					XX	XX		1		1			1			1			5					XX	XX			10