Big up for Belgium

The first semi final of the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest is about to begin soon but whatever happens result-wise the best entry of the night is Belgium.

You already knew this, I've been praising this madly talented little Loïc ever since last winter. Of course he is my favourite.

But I also enjoy stating it since it's not quite every year that Belgium shows their better sides and enter something good or convincing. Very much like Austria, I tend to enjoy their entries but very rarely have them on my first place.

So just because I can, I'd like to share a couple of times when Belgium really got it right.

They had their moments already before the ESC went in colour. I don't know what kind of heartless creature you must be not to melt for Tonia and her fool-proof recipe for love. (She does get the guy in the end, you know.)



Tonia - Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel (Belgium 1966)

Louis Neefs is something of a monument to entertainment in his home country of Flanders. He competed twice at the ESC and while his first song turned into a real evergreen, it's the second one that is a minor masterpiece with it's wonderfully suggestive arrangement, complete with the kind of lazy trumpet that I love.



Louis Neefs - Jennifer Jennings (Belgium 1969)

Just like Louis Neefs, Ann Christy left the world far too early and with far too few commercial successes under her belt. This wonderfully breezy little song - according to the songwriter a tale of lesbian love - is one of my all-time favourites.



Ann Christy - Gelukkig zijn (Belgium 1975)

All hell broke loose at the Flemish final when Pas de Deux and their minimalist pop experiment beat all the pre-contest favourites and the debacle in Munich was possibly inevitable, but I wish more countries dared to this kind of thing. Think of this while you hear a number of pretty but mind-numbingly dull ballads in tonight's semi.



Pas de Deux - Rendez-vous (Belgium 1983)

There are more wonderful songs in Belgian song-book than this one, but if we talk favourites this jaunty yet aggressive plea for world peace must be included. A touch too much of everything and that's what I love the most about it. Liliane for president!



Liliane St-Pierre - Soldiers of Love (Belgium 1987)