One of the great big problems in the world today is the lack of visions, of engagement, of commitment... So how wonderful isn't it to see that it least someone has it in them?
I always wonder how non-european eurofans percieve the magic of the Eurovision Song Contest. It must be exotic with all the flags and all the countries and all the languages, then calling all the capitals up to collect the points...
So, it feels good to see that there is a blog devoted to explaining Eurovision for Americans, trying to make the whole package a little bit more understandable. Go in there, read it and applaud the initiative.
And all you other non-European fans - if you feel like it, I would love to hear what makes the contest special to you. Leave a comment and tell me.
And, to celebrate the American blog, one of the Americans that have taken part at the ESC through the years.
Jeane Manson - J'ai déjà vu ça dans tes yeux (Luxembourg 1979)
We've shown Eurovision in Australia since long before I was born, and for longer than many of the countries in the contest today have had too (as they never hesitate to announce year after year :P)
ReplyDeleteFor me though, as we discussed, the song that I guess got me in to Eurovision was Ne Brini. The combination of key changes, language changes and coming from a country I had only heard stories of genocide and misery coming from. I was instantly hooked!
I discovered Eurovision back in late 2006, so the first one that I got to see live (with a 7-hour difference... ¡gracias TVE Internacional!) was Helsinki. The combination of different languages, music genres, sounds and instruments, combined with the amazing stages and the reflection of each country's culture within the music, dance or costume, is what trapped me to become a fan.
DeleteBut not just that: seeing and criticizing the live performances according to your own personal taste, watching your favorite songs go up (or down) the scoreboard... and also the point announcement is a nerve-wrecking moment!
For me, Eurovision is a way to discover new sounds, new songs and new performers that are not available here and (unfortunately) won't reach America (the continent).
Fun fact: We used to have a spin-off contest called the "OTI Festival" ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OTI_Festival ) which ran from 1972 to 2000 (I heard of the contest, but never saw any edition). The contest was open to any member of the "Organization of Iberoamerican Television" (OTI in Spanish), and it accepted any song performed in Spanish or Portuguese. Spain and Portugal were in the founding members, and even USA and Canada participated with songs in Spanish. We even had, just like in ESC, the (only) participation of the only country in Africa with Spanish as an official language: Equatorial Guinea.
Great blog! ¡Saludos desde México!
Pepe
Hello! To toot our own horn, my wife and I have been blogging about Eurovision since 2006: http://www.eurovisionlemurs.com. We admittedly both got into it for the kitsch, but as the years have gone on we've really gotten into the spectacle of it. We've even gone down the rabbit hole of watching the national finals, which usually offer an interesting look into each country's sensibilities. It's just a lot of fun to follow.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Jen & Chris