Pure and white for FYR Macedonia

Lead singer and guitarist  Vlatko Ilievski is smartly dressed in a black suit, with silver buttons, and his backing dancers are equally as elegant with their white traditional and classic outfits, trimmed with red belts for the four men.  The female dancer is also in white, with red trimming on her dress.

It is a very energetic performance from all concerned, with ethnic influences in the style of dance. One of the male dancers also plays an accordion during the performance. An unusual touch is the use of a megaphone by Vlatko. The whole presentation is visually very striking, and hold the attention of the audience throughout.

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Two months since last sung

Vlatko Ilievski hadn't sung his song for two months prior to arriving in Düsseldorf Arena for his first rehearsal.

"I know the song, so I don't have to rehearse it. Last night, I sung it in five places, so it's all over my head."

Despite the little rehearsing at home, he felt good about his first rehearsal.

"It was great, we were so relaxed after that. And today, we have all the costumes in place, every piece of our plan is completing day by day."

"I like to find out what it is like, since everybody are talking about it. I know it will be great, hope it will be glamorous," he says.

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It is composed by the team of Grigor Koprov ,Vladimir Dojchinovski, Marko Marinkovikj-Slatkaristika and Jovan Jovanov

Folk influences and a Russian girl

At the press conference afterwards, the delegation from FYR Macedonia confirmed that the costumes seen at today's rehearsal would be the outfits worn in the Second Semi-Final. Although they talked about having a slight change for Vlatko if they qualified for the Final, and he jokingly suggested he should have a third outfit with him if he had to perform the winning reprise.

The choreography has taken its influences from hip hop and folk, as well as influences from Russian folk dancing.

Vlatko is very much a hard rocker, despite the smart hair cut he has had, inside he is still a rocker.

When he first heard the song in demo form, it had no lyrics. Vlatko didn't want it to have the usual rude lyrics that can be found in hip hop music, and suggested it should be more of a love song. Within twenty minutes the lyricist had come up with the words, which is about a Russian girl.

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