15 July – Once more, the moon has come

Opening a contest. Is there anything more daunting? Well, being on second or sixteenth is no fun as those positions have never won. However, if you get it over with , then it means you can hit that free bar earlier in the Green Room.

Today’s pick is one of those opening songs that is still picked as one of the best. It comes from today’s birthday girl Danijela Martinović who employed one of those real crowd-please tactics – the costume change. As if this song, with its great orchestral arrangement and power was enough, she goes and changes from black to white. Brilliant. She scored off all-but-two of the countries taking part. The other two were just juries – and obviously sticks-in-the-mud at that. She came fifth. Only twice in 26 appearances has Croatia finished better. And when she was part of Magazin (& Lidija) in 1995, she came sixth. What a girl!

Danijela is 50 today.

Sretan rođendan, Danijela!