Eurovision song contest. The early meeting of artists around the Europe. Eurovision unites a lot of people but also divides at the same time people into two camps. One's who travel where ever Eurovision is going to and those ones who switch it immediately off. I have watched Eurovision song contest since I was teen, so it kind a became a tradition to me in a way, but have skipped several years too. I wasn't really watching it because of the music, but more because of all the stuff what they came up. Every year it had to bigger and crazier stage technique or props. Ship out of costumes, entries out of the most strangest things, backup dancers in costumes in every possible color imaginable (with butterfly wings also, check 2010) and the glitter on top of it all. And crazy light plans! I think it's the craziness of it all together what makes me watch the competition.
The first Eurovision song contest was held at 24 May 1956 in Switzerland and there were seven competitors from different countries. The most famous Eurovision song must be "Waterloo" from ABBA with they won the competition in 1973.
The music is quite often more euro dance style, ballads, save the world songs, or a very strange combination of styles. There has been pirates, super heroes, awkward dresses with bad taste. Often the singers don't have any voice neither, but it feels already like part of Eurovision. They try to cover it with most strangest ways. It's always interesting to see which language the artists have chosen to sing...leather costumes, tear apart costumes etc..It's also awkward to listen when Turkey or Bosnia Hertzegovina are singing in English.
I think the first competition that I remember that I watched was in 2000 when Olsen brothers won the competition with "Fly on the wings of love" or atleast I remember the winner.
Here's some favorites from the years.
Tatu was a very controversial at it's own time they performed 2003 in the Eurovision. For all those who thought that they were a couple read this, copied from Yahoo. It was a big big publicity scam. It's such a cheap and low trick.
"This sounds weird but it was a concept created by a psychiatrist. He somehow thought a lesbian group might be sucessfull because it was more of a fantasy. The group acted as a couple on stage while in real life they had their personal straight lives. It was all a show. One of the got pregnangt, I dont know what happened to her. At some point people began speculating about their personal life and so the truth came out." -Apollo-
It's even worse now especially in the light of this year, when the mayor of Saint Petersburg wrote the anti gay law. Read more from New York times: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/01/world/asia/anti-gay-law-stirs-fears-in-russia.html
"Under the new law, which passed 29 to 5, “public actions directed at the propaganda of sodomy, lesbianism, bisexuality and transgenderism among minors” will be punishable with fines of up to $17,000. The law defines propaganda of homosexuality as “the targeted and uncontrolled dissemination of generally accessible information capable of harming the health and moral and spiritual development of minors,” particularly that which could create “a distorted impression” of “marital relations.” -New York Times-
The song name "Not gonna get us" gets a new meaning.
t.A.T.u - "Nye ver, nye boysa"
They had later in 2009 an interval act with "Not gonna get us" at the Eurovision.
t.A.T.u - "Not gonna get us"
And one big hit from them was "All the things she said"
Zeljko Joksimovic - "Lane moje"
Hari Mata Hari - "Lejla"
And the same year Finland won with Lordi - "Hard rock hallelujah"
Sopho Khalvashi - "Visionary dream"
I remember that after watching this video I was totally convinced that I have to go to visit Georgia some time! Here is the Eurovision version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMC8xSKdOwA
Same year there was the craziest contestant so far. VERKA!
Verka Serduchka - "Dancing Lasha Tumbai"
That year Serbia won the competition with:
Marija Šerifović - "Molitva"
I was just thinking Charlie's angels when I was watching this video!
2008 Finland had Teräsbetoni competing with their song "Missä miehet ratsastaa"!
One legendary song from them is "Taivas lyö tulta" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSR2E2qXl3M&feature=related
2009 Estonia was my favorite with Urban symphony. It was great to hear them singing in Estonian which is a very beautiful language.
Urban Symphony - "Rändajad"
But that year Norway won the competition with
Alexander Rybak - "Fairytale"
2010 Germany, Lena won with "Satellite" with the sweetest German accent ever!
The next year she went also to the finals with "Taken by a stranger"
The lyrics in the Eurovision song contest are always something very very strange. Song names like "Ding dong", "I'm still alive", "Dum Tek Tek", "Haba haba", "Boom boom". And she's coming out of a boxing glow!
Armenia: Emmy - "Boom Boom"
My ultimate un-favorite is Jedward, from Ireland.
Maja Keuc, presenting Slovenia took part 2011 with "No one". But I liked the Slovenian version better.
Here is also the English version just for comparison.
Jea! And now the 2012! My favorite to win is Sweden with Loreen - Euphoria, other good ones are Estonia Ott Lepland - "Kuula", Bulgaria: Sofi Marinova - "Love unlimited" , Cyprus Ivi Adamou - "La la love", Finland - Pernilla Karlsson - "När jag blundrar", Israel - Ibazo: "Time", Slovakia: Max Jason Mai - "Don't close your eyes", Ukraine: Gaitana - "Be my Guest". The strangest entry this year must be Russia with Buranovskiye Babushki "Party for everybody".
Pernilla Karlsson - "När jag blundrar"
Ibazo - "Time"
Sofi Marinova - "Love unlimited"
And the biggest favorite:
Loreen - "Euphoria"
She was also the only one of the artists who met some opposition members of Azerbaijan in Baku and it became into the news. Behind the Eurovision there were things happening, before the contest some of the opposition member were brought or captivated. The Baku city was cleaning unwanted members away, and also destroying some houses that were still inhabited so that more than 4000 people had to flee from their homes.
Here's some more information about what is/was going behind the competition in Baku.
Here's some more information about what is/was going behind the competition in Baku.
BBC - Panorama: Euvosion's Dirty secret
Loreen visits the organization Civil Rights Defenders in Baku
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