Gerard James Borg

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Gerard James Borg is a Maltese songwriter, author, and concept creator.[1] He is well known for writing multiple songs that competed in the Eurovision Song Contest.[2]

Borg has written six of the Maltese entries for the annual Eurovision Song Contest with composer Philip Vella.[2][3][4] Their song "7th Wonder" sung by Ira Losco gave Malta 2nd place in the contest. This was the first time Malta reached 2nd place and it is the country's best result in the contest so far, alongside the 2nd place earned by Chiara with the song "Angel" in 2005.[4][5] Borg and Vella also penned the song "Reaching Higher" as the official theme for the 2003 Games of the Small States of Europe which were held in Malta that year.[6] Some of their compositions have also done well in foreign charts.[7]

Borg has also co-written the song "Shine" which represented Russia in the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest and wrote songs for several national finals in other countries which include France, Norway, The Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Iceland, Bulgaria, and Romania.[1]

Borg has also written blog-style articles for theTimes of Malta,[8][9] and some of his fashion designs appeared on the German fashion publication Burda.[1][4][9]

Eurovision Song Contest

Eurovision Song Contest entries

Vertigo dress rehearsal in Helsinki 2007
Julie and Ludwig performing "On Again... Off Again" at Istanbul (2004)
Morena performing "Vodka" at Belgrade (2008)

National final entries

Country Contest Year Song Artists Placing Sources
Belgium Eurosong 2006 Beyond You Vanessa Chinitor 7th place in Quarterfinal [17][18][19]
2008 Décadance Femme Fatale 3rd place in Quarterfinal [20][21][22]
Bulgaria EuroBGVision 2006 2006 Wish Neda Karova and Da 8th place [23][24][25]
France Les chansons d'abord 2014 Ma liberté Joanna unknown whether 2nd or 3rd in the final [26][27]
Greece Ellinikós Telikós 2011 2011 It's All Greek To Me Antigoni Psihrami 4th place [28][29][30]
Iceland Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2008 I Wanna Manicure Hara Sisters eliminated before the final [31][32][33]
2011 Ég trúi à betra líf Magni Ásgeirsson 2nd place [34][35]
Malta Malta Song for Europe 1999 Breathless Claudette Pace 5th place [36][37][38]
2000 Shine Ira Losco 6th place [39][40][10]
Desire Claudette Pace 1st place (8th at ESC 2000)
2001 Spellbound Ira Losco 2nd place [41][42]
2002 Dazzle Me Paula 5th place [43][44][11]
7th Wonder Ira Losco 1st place (2nd at ESC 2002)
2003 Superstitious Natasha & Charlene 5th place [45][46]
2004 Tango 4 Two Keith Camilleri 6th place [47][48][12]
On Again... Off Again Julie & Ludwig 1st place (12th at ESC 2004)
2005 Déjà vu Olivia Lewis 2nd place [49]
2006 Amazing AnnaBelle 14th place [50][51][52]
2007 My Love Isabelle Zammit 10th place in Semifinal [53][54][13]
Night Wish AnnaBelle 12th place in Semifinal
Vertigo Olivia Lewis 1st place (25th in semifinal at ESC 2007)
2008 Tangled Jessica Muscat eliminated in Semifinal [55][14][56]
Throw Your Stones Daniela Vella eliminated in Semifinal
Superhero Klinsmann eliminated in Semifinal
Casanova Morena 5th place
Vodka Morena 1st place (14th in semifinal at ESC 2008)
GO Malta EuroSong 2009 Kamikaze Lover Baklava 18th place [57][58]
Typical Me Alison Ellul 8th place
Crossroads Raquela 11th place
2010 Fired Up Foxy Federation 18th place [59][60]
Samsara Claudia Faniello 8th place
Three Little Words Ruth Portelli 8th place
Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2011 Movie In My Mind Claudia Faniello 9th place [61][62]
Love Me Like Your Money Kelly Schembri 15th place
Moondance Baklava 6th place
Heart Of Glass Cherise eliminated in Semifinal
2012 Autobiography Dorothy Bezzina 8th place [63][64][65][66]
DNA Romina Mamo eliminated in Semifinal
Pure Claudia Faniello 2nd place
2013 Fall Like Rome Richard Edwards 13th place [67][68][69]
Love-o-holic Deborah C 9th place
Loverdose Melanie Zammit eliminated in Semifinal
Starting From The End Dorothy Bezzina 15th place
The Remedy Klinsmann Coleiro eliminated in Semifinal
Ultraviolet Jessika 8th place
Overrated Marilena eliminated in Semifinal
Dress Rehearsal Saska Hunt withdrawn from competition
2014 Hypnotica Jessika 8th place (Winner of Public Televote Award and TVM Award) [70][71][72]
Invisible Raquel Galdes eliminated in Semifinal
Lovetricity Christabelle Borg 8th place
Oblivion Chris Grech 13th place
2015 Fandango Jessika 9th place [73][74]
2016 The Flame Jessika 7th place [75][76]
2017 Breathlessly Claudia Faniello 1st place (16th in second semi-final at ESC 2017) [77][16]
2022 Aphrodisiac Jessica Grech eliminated in Semifinal [78][79]
Electric Indigo Baklava ft. Nicole 15th place
Kaleidoscope Jessica Muscat 17th place
The Netherlands Nationaal Songfestival 2003 Heatwave Ebonique 4th place [80][81]
Norway Melodi Grand Prix 2005 Velvet Blue Kathrine Strugstad 5th place [82]
2006 Absolutely Fabulous Queentastic 3rd place [83][84]
2010 Million Dollar Baby Belinda Braza eliminated in Semifinal [85][86]
Romania Selecţia Naţională Eurovision 2007 Lovestruck Indiggo disqualified [87][88]
2012 Girls Don't Cry Ioana Bianca Anuta 4th place [89][90]
The Best A Man Can Get Lucian Oros 9th place
Russia Kto? 2014 Shine Tolmachevy Sisters Chosen by internal selection after national contest was abandoned. (7th in ESC 2014) [91][15][92]
Spain Destino Eurovisión 2011 Golden Cadillac (no artist assigned) eliminated in Song selection prior to Final [93][94]

Publications

Gerard James Borg has published 5 novels.

  • Sliema Wives (2013)[95]
  • Madliena Married Men (2015)[96]
  • Bormla Babes: Behind the Scenes (2017)[97]
  • Tigné Point Bachelors (2019)[98]
  • Sliema Wives: The New Breed (2021)[99]

Borg's debut novel Sliema Wives is a local best seller and it peaked at number one after one week of its release.[1] Part of the proceeds from the book were donated to local charity Puttinu Cares.[100] Similarly, Madliena Married Men also reached the number one spot in the local bestseller list.[101]

References

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  96. ^ Il-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb (2016). Annual Report 2015 (PDF). p. 54. ISBN 978-99957-889-3-3. Retrieved 12 July 2022. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  97. ^ Il-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb (2018). Annual Report 2017 (PDF). p. 33. ISBN 978-99957-916-5-0. Retrieved 12 July 2022. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  98. ^ Il-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb (2020). Annual Report 2019 (PDF). p. 41. ISBN 978-99957-939-1-3. Retrieved 12 July 2022. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  99. ^ Il-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb (2022). Annual Report 2021 (PDF). p. 39. ISBN 978-9918-9518-7-1. Retrieved 12 July 2022. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  100. ^ "The five wives of Gerard James Borg". Times of Malta. 15 December 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  101. ^ "Bormla Babes launched in style". Times of Malta. 4 November 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.

External links