Balkan Hopefuls Clear Their Throats for Eurovision

With first semi-finals of the of 2017 Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv starting on Tuesday, eight Balkan countries are hoping their singers make it all the way to the final on Saturday.

Under the motto of "Celebrate Diversity", 11,000 spectators in Kyiv's International Exhibition Centre will hear Albania and Montenegro compete in first semi-finals on Tuesday, while Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania and Croatia will have to wait for the second semi-finals on Thursday.

Of 36 countries competing in both semi-finals, ten will join Ukraine, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain in the final. All countries will be included in the voting system.

With her song "World", 28-year-old Lindita Halimi, born in Kosovo, will represent Albania. Halimi has lived in the US from 2013.

Able to sing in ten languages, she told Eurovision that her song was "about self-acceptance, and accepting others as they are, and spreading love, no matter the ethnicity, race, religion or sexual orientation of the person".

Bulgaria will be represented by 17-year-old Kristian Kostov, born in Moscow of Bulgarian and Kazakh origin. He was the finalist of the 2014 "Kids Voice Russia" talent show, as well as the runner-up of the Bulgarian "X Factor" in 2016.

Kostov's song for Eurovision is a love song, "Beautiful Mess".

Croatia will be represented by 36-year-old singer Jacques Houdek, who is known for his exceptional voice and who mentors on the TV music show "The Voice". For Eurovision, Houdek will sing a song called "My Friend" in both English and Italian.

"As with every song so far, and with this one for the Eurovision, I want to spread a feeling of communion, friendship and appreciation of diversity among people," Houdek said in February...