888/917 Monica Anghel & Marcel Pavel: Tell me why (Romania 2002)

Two good singers together make usually a great duet, but not always. Sometimes when a good singer (or singers) and a good song meet, the result is not as good as expected. Sometimes the pieces don't fit because they are from a different puzzle. That is very much what I think of the Romanian Eurovision entry from 2002.

The first bars of this song are just like written me in mind. A delicate piano intro leads to a magnificently arranged ballad (love that saxophone break) that has a message and feeling which with a tender and thoughtful interpretation could have resulted a perfect schlager.

But the Monica Anghel is neither tender or thoughful. She is a good singer, she has a great presence and a voice that can carry a long way even with a less sophisticated melody. But her voice is just what this song does not need. She blasts out all her passion and despair leaving the melody in ruins.

Marcel Pavel is slightly closer to what this song would have needed. With his dynamics he could have given this song the interpretation it needs, but when he had to compete of space and volume with the mighty diva the song is turned into a race track of two singers that try to outdo each other.

And in this contest of egos the poor song is shred to pieces. All one can think is which of them won, Monica or Pavel. What a waste.

My points 2/5.