12 points/ Douze points
I've been an Eurovision aficionado since it came to represent a precious annual family moment.
I'm old enough to remember "J'aime la vie" by Sandra Kim playing on all radio stations day and night. That was in 1986 and the last time Belgium won, or arguably the last time Belgium offered a song with a chance at winning the competition.
Truthfully I miss the olden days when it was not all about the dances and the flashy screens in the background and "12 points" still meant something other than "hi neighbour".
Once upon a time it was all about the quality of the music and the most amazing instrument ever ; the voice.
Yet as a fellow blogger pointed out so well about the Eurovision yearly event:
This amazing entertainment show that teaches about different countries and cultures every year does in fact unite.
It was once a family event for me, and it sill is for many families all over Europe and probably beyond our borders as well.
It unites in even bigger ways as well.
Respective contestants from countries at war with each other have performed back to back and sat not two feet away from each other whilst awaiting the results. x3
They even clapped for each other when selected. That is one powerful feat, one that only music could achieve.
And remember what powerful political statements have been made on screen, in front of millions of viewers all over Europe?
Who could forget the Armenian candidate Iveta Mukuchia, waving a flag of Nagorno-Karabakh to draw attention to their cause in 2016. x2
Sure, she was reprimanded, but nevertheless allowed to perform during the main event, and gave a breathtaking performance , no doubt powered on by the fact that she had done something for a cause dear to her heart.
Further global influence generated by the Eurovision are the international music careers it brings forth.
A Eurovsion victory and even a simple participation has proven to be beneficial to many careers in the music industry.
Celine Dion, Abba, Cliff Richard, Dana International, Johnny Logan and Julio Iglesias to name just a a few have the singing contest to thank for their amazing musical careers. *1
In fact many of the Eurovision songs from the artists mentioned above as well as other artists having participated in the contest , are all over my spotify play lists.
and J'ai cherché (2016) are streaming whilst I'm composing this very blog post.
I'd like to express my support for Eliot , the Belgian candidate for 2019 who performed very well in Tel-Aviv last night, and despite a generally weak selection of songs and acts did not make it to the grand finale at the Tel Aviv Convention Center next week.
It's a shame and undeserved but it's no secret that televoting system has its many flaws.
My vote for now goes to Zala Kralj & Gašper Šantl representing Slovenia this year.
Before rounding up, I must give a shout-out to an amazing Eurovision fan based blog.
From interviews , to news and updates, literally anything of Eurovision interest can be found on this Wiwibloggs. Just follow the link .
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Sources:
x1 : https://www.parismatch.com/Culture/Medias/Celine-Dion-ABBA-Francoise-Hardy-Ces-stars-qui-ont-participe-a-l-Eurovision-1254188
x2 : https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurovisiesongfestival_2016
x3 : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurovision_Song_Contest_2012
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