Names named for Belarusian ‘competition’

Each year, Belarusian telly stages a ‘national final’ and pretends the result isn’t prearranged to please ‘Europe’s last dictator’ Alexander Lukashenko.

As fans we get to watch a bunch of madcap hopefuls ‘audition’ in a Portakabin before a shortlist of contenders appears.

The official line insists the winner will be decided on 28 February by 50/50 public voting/jury, and if there’s a tie, the jury vote will take precedence.

Here are the songs and links to previews (if you listen to nothing else this year, give Anastasiya Razvadоvskaya four minutes of your time).

1. Napoli –  Don’t let me down
2. Sasha Zakharik – Rocky road
3. Anastasiya Malashkevich – Invisible
4. Chakras – La-ley-la
5. Anastasiya Hlamоzda – Burning again
6. Anastasiya Razvadоvskaya – Hello
7. Yan Yarosh – Fire
8. Angelika Pushnova – True love
9. Darya Khmelnitskaya – On fire
10. Aura – Barany svaje (Барані сваё)
11. KeySi – Chili pepper
12. Val – Da vidna (Да вiдна)