O Julissi
Encyclopedia
"O Julissi" also known as "O Julissi Na Jalini" is a song with lyrics in a constructed language
by the Belgian
six-piece band Ishtar
. The swing influenced song represented Belgium
at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
first semi-final in Belgrade
, but failed to make it to the grand final.
This was the second Belgian entry to be sung in an entirely constructed language, in the 2003 Contest
the country was represented by folk band Urban Trad
with "Sanomi
" which finished as the runner-up to Turkey's Sertab Erener
singing "Everyway That I Can
".
"O Julissi" was released as a single on 14 March 2008, and the song entered the Belgian Ultratop
at #7. In its second week, "O Julissi" topped the list.
Ishtar's song was elected after they won the final of Eurosong 2008
. Ishtar, until then an unknown band, defeated better known artists, like pop singers Sandrine and Brahim. The other contestants in the final were rock group Paranoiacs and Nelson, who had written a ballad.
Ishtar performed their song during the semi-finals on May 20, 2008 but were not selected to take part in the final of the competition.
Constructed language
A planned or constructed language—known colloquially as a conlang—is a language whose phonology, grammar, and/or vocabulary has been consciously devised by an individual or group, instead of having evolved naturally...
by the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
six-piece band Ishtar
Ishtar (Belgian band)
Ishtar is a Belgian folk band who represented Belgium at the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest with the song O Julissi, sung in an imaginary language. They competed in the first semi-final on 20 May 2008.- O Julissi :...
. The swing influenced song represented Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Eurovision Song Contest 2008
The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 was the 53rd edition of the Contest. It was hosted in Belgrade, Serbia after Marija Šerifović won the 2007 Contest in Helsinki, Finland. This year was the first contest to have two semi-finals which were held on 20 and 22 May, and the final held on 24 May 2008...
first semi-final in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, but failed to make it to the grand final.
This was the second Belgian entry to be sung in an entirely constructed language, in the 2003 Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2003
The Eurovision Song Contest 2003 was the forty-eighth Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Skonto Hall in Riga, Latvia on 24 May 2003. The hosts were Marie N and Renārs Kaupers. Sertab Erener, the Turkish entrant, won the contest with "Everyway That I Can", scoring 167 points. The winning...
the country was represented by folk band Urban Trad
Urban Trad
Urban Trad is a Belgian folk music group, consisting of both Flemish and French speaking people and a close connection with Galicia.-Members:*Yves Barbieux: flutes and Galician bagpipe*Veronica Codesal: vocals*Soetkin Collier: vocals...
with "Sanomi
Sanomi
"Sanomi" was the Belgian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2003, which ranked second in the Contest, performed in a constructed language by the six-piece band Urban Trad....
" which finished as the runner-up to Turkey's Sertab Erener
Sertab Erener
Sertab Erener is a Turkish pop music singer and also a cross-over soprano with a vocal range that extends to high F. She is one of the most successful female Turkish pop singers in her homeland, and is considered one of the divas of Turkish pop music...
singing "Everyway That I Can
Everyway That I Can
"Everyway That I Can" is the winning song of the 2003 Eurovision Song Contest sung in English by Sertab Erener.-Everyway That I Can:"Everyway That I Can" was written by Demir Demirkan in early 2003 and produced and arranged by Ozan Çolakoğlu, famous for his works with pop idol Tarkan...
".
"O Julissi" was released as a single on 14 March 2008, and the song entered the Belgian Ultratop
Ultratop
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts...
at #7. In its second week, "O Julissi" topped the list.
Ishtar's song was elected after they won the final of Eurosong 2008
Eurosong (Belgium)
Eurosong was the Flemish selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. It selected the Belgian entry to the Contest every second year. The last Eurosong was in 2008. Due the good result of Tom Dice in 2010, who was chosen internally, the VRT decided to cancel Eurosong....
. Ishtar, until then an unknown band, defeated better known artists, like pop singers Sandrine and Brahim. The other contestants in the final were rock group Paranoiacs and Nelson, who had written a ballad.
Ishtar performed their song during the semi-finals on May 20, 2008 but were not selected to take part in the final of the competition.
Charts
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|