Introduction

• Participant(s): Claudia Faniello
• Song: "Breathlessly"
• Writer(s): Gerard James Borg
• Composer(s): Philip Vella & Sean Vella
• Broadcaster: TVM
  
• Social media: 
• Team review: 

This year Malta is celebrating its 30th anniversary in the Eurovision Song Contest. Congratulations! The Maltese broadcaster PBS has arranged a national final like in previous years. This year’s winner is no stranger in the Maltese music scene and in particular in the “Song For Europe” show - Claudia Faniello. She could convince the juries and televoters with her song “Breathlessly”.

For Claudia it’s not her first time at “Song For Europe”, she had ten previous attempts since 2006:

• 2006 "High Alert", 12th / her brother Fabrizio made the first place
• 2007 "L-Imħabba Għamja", 7th
• 2008 "Caravaggio", 2nd
• 2008 "Sunrise", 3rd
• 2009 "Midas Touch", no qualifier (Heat 2)
• 2009 "Blue Sonata", 4th
• 2010 "Samsara", 8th
• 2011 "Movie in my Mind", 9th
• 2012 "Pure", 2nd
• 2013 "When it's Time", 7th
  
  

Claudia Faniello was born in Qwara in 1988. Her brother Fabrizio has represented Malta twice at the Eurovision Song Contest. They have an Italian father and a Maltese mother. So it was clear for Claudia to become passionate for music since she was a little girl and at one day she would step into the footpaths of her brother. In the age of 12 she appeared in TV shows and on national festivals. In 2002 she sang live with Malta's National Orchestra in aid of impoverished children at the University of Malta. She is also started to write songs. Claudia is well known in Malta thanks to her participations in the “Song For Europe” show. In 2006 she sang in the national final, where she came 12th, while her brother won the ticket to the ESC in Athens.

Now a dream comes true for Claudia. She will perform the Maltese song “Breathlessly” in Kiev at the Eurovision Song Contest. The song is a typical love ballad which has often been heard at the ESC, nothing really outstanding. This song needs a really great show to convince in Kiev. The video clip is greatly made, a story filmed backwards, very interesting. The 28 years old singer will start in the Semi Final 2 and the song is written by the well-known composers Philip Vella and Gerard James Borg, who had several songs for Malta in the ESC.

History

• Debut: 1971
• Participations: 30
• Victories: 0
• Finals: 23
• Top 10: 13
• Chances for Top 10: 45 %
• Chances for Final: 62 %

For Malta it’s the 30th anniversary this year in the Eurovision Song Contest. Malta had its debut in 1971 with a song in the Maltese language called "Marija L-maltija" by Joe Grech. The Maltese have only used their native language twice, due to the fact that English is the second official language it has always been used as advantage. Nowadays every country can chose the language of their entries by preference. Over the years Austria has send a song in French, Latvia in Italian or Cyprus in French. But English has been the main language in the Eurovision Song Contest for most of the countries. That's why Malta does not enjoy the language advantage anymore.

There has been a long pause in the Maltese participation between 1976 until 1990. Then Malta returned in 1991 with "Could it be” by Paul Giordimaina and Georgina and achieved a good 6th place. With this new enthusiasm and energy the Maltese reached a lot of good positions. Out of 29 participation, Malta reached the Top10 for 13 times, so the chance to reach a Top10 position for Malta is approx. 45%, statistically. And to reach the Grand Final is approx. 62%.

Unfortunately, Malta has never won the ESC, but made a second place two times and a third place two times as well. Malta is so eager to win the contest one day, rumours said it should be the first open air contest in history. At least Malta won and hosted the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2014 and thanks to this occasion the Maltese broadcaster could show off a little bit what to expect if Malta wins the ESC, the introduction, the postcards were perfectly made. This is what we could expect if one day Malta will host the ESC.