The disaster called "Mamaia 2000"

Another edition of the light Romanian music festival is closed. It was not one like the others but "the last of the millenium" as organisers proudly called it. As the festival had a budget of 2 billion lei everyone expected only the best. Instead we had three bitter days and thinly prepared contestants.

Some of the plays started a scandal, as they have not been introduced to the public for the first time as announced. Thus the song "The Sky" (composed and interpreted by Proconsul) participated to the festival at the Creation section although it was broadcast at least three times by radio stations and TV stations.

The explication is simple: the rules of the festival were modified for this edition according to the "business interests" of the organisers. Proconsul finally admitted that the song was presented at the Callatis Festival.

However, "The sky" won one of the press prizes "given" by George Stanca, the self-proclaimed president of the press jury. The interpretation night was one of the weakest of the festival's history. The 14 contestants made the audience plug their ears when they heard the "sublime voices."

Noticed at the Callatis Festival, debutante Rafael Ciobotaru, a sort of mixture between a rocker and a eunuch was wanted on the first place at least a month before the festival started. He "enchanted" the audience with the faces he made and some falsettos.

For the Creation section, the 8206 people in the audience who phoned their opinions of the song chose Valahia's song "Nu mai vreau iubire." They learned that the rules have changed again over night and the decision of the jury was taken into account by more than 50%.

Marcel Pavel, the sensitive singer wanted to take his revenge on a press member that accused him of "buying the trophy (a Mercedes)" and promised to beat some sense into her.

What music can do to some people... the Festival was saved by the Hits night when contestants competed for the Hit of the Year title, much to the satisfaction of the audience and the organisers who failed to understand that this small gain was not theirs.