AGBU - AYA Damascus Chapter

You can listen to Eva Rivas and download Apricot Stone
here: http://agbu-aya-damascus.org/music/

Oslo, Norway -

The tall Armenian beauty Eva Rivas had her first rehearsal today, and she was not only singing about an Apricot Stone, it even appeared next to her on stage! Warm feelings surrounded her performance, which is a musical blend of ethnic and modern sounds.

The Armenian entry for the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest will feature one of the national symbols of Armenia: an apricot. It is not only part of many myths and legends, but it also gave the colour to the lower stripe of the Armenian flag. On stage, an apricot stone was placed behind Eva, and there was also an artificial waterfall. During the performance, a dancer approached the waterfall with a vase and then watered the apricot stone. It then opened up and made a small apricot tree appear, which kept growing till the end of the stage act.

Armenia will be setting a new record in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest: Eva Rivas will be accompanied on stage by Jivan Gasparyan, a 83-year-old musician - he will be the oldest ever person to feature in an Eurovision Song Contest performance. He will be seated on a stone, playing a duduk, a traditional Armenian flute. Apart from him, Eva has three female backing vocalists to support her.

The tall Armenian singer performed in casual clothes today, but she showed her dress for the Semi-Final to the cameras - it will be a long dress in the colour of apricots. The stage was also lit in orange colour, and it was surrounded by dark curtains. Smoke effects were used, fitting the soft and mystic atmosphere of the song. In the last run of the rehearsal, the pyrotechnical effects were also rehearsed. They consisted of single flames appearing along the edges of the stage.