Norway - Haba Haba - Stella Mwangi

17 - 30 pts in semi 1

Stella Mwangi won the Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix with the song Haba Haba.
Haba Haba was already #1 in the Norwegian charts (VG Lista top 20) the day before the final.
Haba Haba translates as Little By Little (Swahili) and the song is written by Stella Mwangi herself with Beyond52 and Bigcity on production.

Nairobi born Stella Mwangi worked with Senegalese Hip Hop group Wagable with whom she scored chart hits in Senegal and Gambia.
She released her first solo album Living For Music in 2008.
Her music has been featured in several US TV shows like CSI New York and America's Next Top Model.

Stella has signed a record deal with EMI Norway and is currently working on a new album.
EMI and NRK have issued a promo disc with EPK (Electronic press kit). It features the original version audio and instrumental plus radio jingles, photos, bios and the national final video.
The disc plays on PC and DVD players.

Update: A demo/promo cdsingle was also issued by EMI, it's increasingly usual 'home made' style disc affair.
It has the original version and the instrumental.
Insert sleeve is the same as the digital release photo (= top pic)
(see scan below for disc)

You can check out the Haba Haba at Stella's website or at Stella's Youtube channel.

versions:
Haba Haba - Eurovision version
on the official Düsseldorf album
Haba Haba - Original
on the NMGP CD and EPK.
Haba Haba - Instrumental
on EPK
Haba Haba - karaoke
digital from the official site Eurovision TV only.
Haba Haba - Norwegian comedy version
Stella made a parody video where she sings a version of Haba Haba in Norwegian. Watch it here.

Charts:
Norway VG lista top 20: 9, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 5, 5, 9, 11, 20, -----, 20, 18

Kinanda:
Stella Mwangi has released her new album Kinanda. It of course includes Haba Haba and new single Lookie Lookie.
(EMI 5099902914428)

Afrikaans coverversion

Brothers Harry and Tony Campbell from Cape Town South Africa have recorded about 15 albums since 2001 but it took 10 years for a Eurovision song to find its way to their impressive collection. The brother do mainly country music, but their Afrikaans version of Haba Haba certainly has some pop flavours.

The released a greatest hits album in 2011 (Grootste Platinum Treffers) and Haba Haba is one of the four new recording on this 2CD collection.
The album is available through iTunes, as are most of their 15 or so albums. The CD's are available at Kalahari. Also find the boys at Eurocovers.
Die Campbells Website

Smurfular coverversion
The little blue guys (and 1 girl) in the white pointy hats are at it again: They have recorded a Swedish version of Haba Haba for their new album Smurfparty 3. They call the song Bada Bada. Also on the same album is a version of the Swedish entry Popular.
The album is out on Warner / Metronome on december 7. (WMS-5052498-980826)
The same two tracks can be found on their new Norwegian album Smurfeparty 3 (as Smurfene).  Haba Haba is now Dans Meg Til Smurfeland. and Popular becomes Populær (Warner 5052498981021)
Listen to the songs of the Norwegian selection here at NRK.

You'll get  radio show excerpts introducing the songs per heat, with all heats now online.

NMGP
The CD with all 21 songs from the Norwegian selection is out now (Universal 2759810 9)

The CD is available now in the Norwegian shops and at BeaRecords

Norway in 2010 (Didrik Solli Tangen) and 2009 (Alexander Rybak)

Out Now

The 3CD Norsk Melodi Grand Prix Gjennom 50 År features all Norwegian entries from 1960 to 2010. You'll find the Norwegian winners of course but also all of their famous last-placers like Kirsti's Oj, Oj, Oj, Så Glad Jeg Skal Bli, Finn Kalviks Aldri I Livet and Jahn Teigens Mil Etter Mil.

It also includes the 1963 entry Solhverv by Anita Thallaugh, which was never released before. Unfortunately it's a sloppy recording of the live Eurovision version with the opening chords missing.

A third CD has 20 Grand Prix songs that didn't win the ticket to Eurovision including popular songs like Teigens Glasnost, Toni Damle Aaberge's Butterflies and golden oldie

La Meg Være Ung by Wenche Myhre.

The 3CD is out on Universal (5329104-7)