2001

2001 saw Natasha St-Pier representing France, the country’s first (and, thus far, only) North American act.  A prolific recording artist, she recently released a greatest hits album and is currently on tour in her native Canada.  Interestingly, she’s done the best for France so far this past decade – perhaps an affirmation of her views concerning French ESC participants, or perhaps because her 4^th place song “Je N’ai Que Mon Âme” (“I Only Have My Soul”) was in fact the first French attempt to–mon Dieu!–incorporate English lyrics on stage?  Who knows.  Only time will tell if France will ever pick a US contestant to represent them (though that entry, as we’ve seen from recent controversy over language policy and test scores, would have to been sung at least partially in French).  Even so, I’d seriously doubt it.

2006

Greek-American Annet Artani represented Cyprus in 2006 with “Why Angels Cry” (think gospel version of “What for?”).  She was born “Annette” in New York City but decided to change the spelling so Greeks could pronounce it easier.  Prior to her ESC debut, she collaborated with Mando (ESC Greece 2003) as well as Britney Spears, as a backing vocalist and co-writer of “Everytime”.  As with most things Britney-related, Artani has not missed her fair share of controversy – from contesting her 15^th place semifinal finish (Q #13) to exiting prematurely after being invited to appear on “Fame Story” (former Greek version of, yes, American Idol) and later represent Greece in Eurovision 2008 (due to “contractual differences”).  Seems like Artani isn’t the only one bailing out on the Greeks.

2008

2008 was a double-whammy as far as Eurovision America is concerned.  What made it so interesting was that our two Americans represented such different ends of the spectrum at the finale that year.  Isis Gee (born Tamara Diane Wimer) grew up in Seattle before marrying Adam Gołębiowski and moving to Poland.  She’s recorded several jazz albums and was selected the Polish Eurovision act with “For Life”,where she made it through to the final before (sadly) coming in 23^rd place.  Gee currently resides in Italy, where, from the looks of it, has successfully dispelled the notion that there is more to life than bottle tan and peroxide (though she insists her time in Miss America was for a “scholarship opportunity”) (Q#4).  Fittingly, she recently appeared on “Taniec z Gwiazdami” (Polish version of, yes, Dancing with the Stars).  It was either that, or The Real Housewives of Warsaw….

America’s other 2008 entrant, Kalomoira (or –mira, it’s a bit hard to tell for sure) Sarantis, on the other hand, hailed from the East Coast prior to her transcontinental musical debut.  Like Annet Artani, she is a native New Yorker of Greek descent, participated in Season 2 of “Fame Story” (and won the contest), and had a row with her Greek recording label.  Like Isis Gee, she performed in the Greek version of Dancing with the Stars and has expressed her national pride, though perhaps in a  more subtle way.  After winning the internal selection, Kalomoira came in 3^rd for Greece with “Secret Combination” in Belgrade.  Immediately following her ESC success/label row fallout, Kalomoira left Greece for New York, ultimately deciding to return, re-sign with the same recording label, and film a Japanese game show (our ESC participants are so predictable).  Which makes me ask: is taking your cue from other pop stars a secret combination to success (maybe not), or just good feet?

2009

Last year’s contest in Moscow was a unique experience for Germany, who decided to go with a secret combination of their own – pairing relatively unknown American performer Oscar Loya with “surprise” guest star Dita von Teese (pro-Europe burlesque dancer and former Mrs. Marilyn Manson) for a rousing rendition of “Miss Kiss Kiss Bang” accompanied by Alex Christensen on the piano.  Loya grew up in California and currently resides in Munich/Berlin.  He was involved in Broadway’s musical theater scene prior to forming Alex Swings Oscar Sings with Christensen, a successful German producer/inventive lyricist/Clay Aikenite; last year, they were the first German act featured on Oprah and released a collaborative album.  Von Teese, on her part, raised some high hopes in her stage appearance for Germany, though the performance ultimately came in a slightly-disappointing 20^th place.  In retrospect, however, it’s hard to tell which was meant to steal the show – von Teese’s presence or Loya’s pants.  (Though as we’ve seen, shiny pants don’t always equal success).

Not to be overlooked was another almost-shocker that American metal/rock band System of a Down (whose members are of Armenian heritage) would represent Armenia at the ESC.  Somehow the rumor mill went into overdrive (especially considering the band’s been “on hiatus” since 2006) and the viral spread needed to finally be combated by the band itself.

2010

Sadly, no representatives from our continent in this year’s contest (at least, to my knowledge).  However, there were some close second-best scenarios:  1) Albanian Juliana Pasha’s backup singers were all American.  2) Everything about Azerbaijani Safura Alizadeh’s entry can be considered American given its US choreography and production….everything, that is, except Safura herself.  3) Greece’s Giorgios Alkaios lived in the US as a toddler.  4) Lastly, Tom Dice (Belgium) and Jessy Matador (France) headed to the States to film their official ESC videos (for Mr. Matador, Miami specifically….though unfortunately for Kalomoira, it looks as though her recent trip to Florida came courtesy of a green screen).

American by association. (Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/38029120@N05/4642612063)

And that’s it! (thank goodness)  Lastly, no story about North Americans in Eurovision would be complete without a shout-out to those non-native participants who’ve spent a considerable amount of time living in the US/Canada (ie, longer than the 90-day visa waiver period).  Such notables include (but are by no means limited to): Ronnie Tober (Netherlands 1968), Julio Iglesias (Spain 1970), the Herrey brothers (Sweden 1984), Lara Fabian (Luxembourg 1988), Tajči (Yugoslavia 1990), Stefan Raab (Germany 2000), Dave Benton (Estonia 2001), Mando (Greece 2003), Sakis Rouvas (Greece 2004 and 2009), Noa (Israel 2009), Aysel Teymurzadeh (Azerbaijan 2009), Giorgos Alkaios (Greece 2010).  I am certain there are others to be added this list; thus, if I’ve left out anyone (whether glaringly obvious or not), do let me know…

So, to wrap up: what lessons can we take from all this?  Just this, my fellow citizens….whether you’re an American Idol hopeful, aspiring academic, or budding ornithologist,  there is always a place for you at the Eurovision Song Contest….perhaps even its own stage.

Allow me to begin by saying that although many Americans may not have heard of the Eurovision Song Contest (at least, as compared to the Australian and South African fans, from what I’ve seen), the few, the proud does in fact extend beyond myself and my co-author (and, of course, you, our lovely reader).  While respected local and national US news (ie Washington Post and New York Times ), media commentary, and entertainment industry sources alike commit the egregious error of framing the contest as a “European” version of American Idol to their readership, we the enlightened ones, however, know that to be utterly preposterous!  It’s actually a Europeanized version of Italian Idol.

Same stylist, different contest. (Sources: Wikimedia Commons and http://www.flickr.com/photos/rayzphotoz/2520021340/)

This may come as a surprise, but several members of our select circle have taken it upon themselves to venture into uncharted pseudo-celebrity waters as North American performers in the ESC.  Yes, you’ve heard me right – people originating from our dear continent have actually traversed a fairly large ocean to represent countries competing in a European song contest!

Now, you may be asking: who are the honorable members of this exclusive club, and what the heck were they doing at Eurovision?   Tricky questions, indeed, but nothing we here at Eurovision America can’t answer.  Let us proceed in a chronological order, from the start of the contest to the start of the current century.

Luxembourg 1979, 1985, 1986

The word says it all: Luxembourg.  Due to the apparent dearth of Luxembourgish pop performers (or perhaps just a preference for other means of expressing Luxembourgishness, which may at least partially explain why they are no longer in the contest, the Grand Duchy of a half-million denizens selected not one, not two, but THREE North American acts to represent them during their 38-year Eurovision tenure.

1979’s entry was Jeane Manson.  Manson brought the true American success story to Eurovision –from being born in Ohio, growing up in Mexico and becoming a Playboy bunny to (naturally) moving to France to obtain a singing career, reality TV show, and YouTube channel.  It was thus only fitting that she represent Luxembourg with “J’ai Déjà Vu Ça Dans Tes Yeux” (“I’ve Already Seen That In Your Eyes”).  Déjà vu indeed…..I could’ve sworn I’ve seen those knights at Spamalot.

In an act representing nearly as many countries as those in the contest, 1985 saw American Diane Solomon represent the Duchy alongside a Dutchwoman, a German, a Briton, a German-Briton and (surprisingly) an actual Luxembourgian as 1/6^th of a group mysteriously known as “The Internationals.”  She had previously hosted a BBC show entitled The Diane Solomon Show and is currently a homeopathy/natural foods specialist.  Though an admirable trilingual cacophony, “Children, Kinder, Enfants” came in an unadmirable 13^th out of 19 entries; Diane is featured on the far right.  Perhaps she should’ve stuck to a solo act.

In 1986, Sherisse Stevens (neé Laurence) became Luxembourg’s third North American and Canada’s first representative at the Eurovision Song Contest.  Unfortunately for Sherisse, that distinction was partially overshadowed/robbed of her by her fellow countrywoman two years later (see below).  Like Diane Solomon before her, she was previously a TV host, and finished a commendable third place as the inaugural ESC Canadian with “L’amour De Ma Vie” (“The Love Of My Life”).  Which nobody other than the Huntsville Community Choir seems to remember….

Switzerland 1988 and 1993

There’s not much I can say about this act.  Celine Dion, a then-rising star in her native Canada, was approached and asked if she would represent Switzerland at Eurovision 1988 (at least, according to the story: for a more visual representation, skip to 5:00).  Though crossing the Atlantic to compete in a foreign country’s singing competition in a tutu may have seemed an unorthodox career-launching move, one can only respond thusly: when the Helvetic Confederation calls, you answer.  It can even be said that choosing Ms. Dion was the first time the Swiss actually took a stand on something.  And it paid off for everyone: Celine won the contest with her entry “Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi” (“Don’t  Leave Without Me”), earning herself and her tutu cross-continental recognition and Switzerland its long-overdue quadrilingual place in the Eurovision sun.

Speaking of Quebec, Switzerland’s next North American selection, Annie Cotton, was Eurovision’s third Canadian in a contest in which Canada, I reiterate, is not a participating country.  Her 1993 entry, “Moi, Tout Simplement” (“Quite Simply Myself”) came in third place that year with 148 points.  From 1991-2000 she appeared in a TV show called “Watatatow”, which lasted for 15 seasons.  Though with a name like that, it’d have probably been a successful title at Eurovision as well.

United Kingdom 1997

Despite the oft-quoted “special relationship” between the UK and US (though for reasons why I have yet to understand, seeing as it’s basically an issue of phonology), the United States has only represented its transatlantic brethren once (as opposed to twice for Luxembourg….yeah, I know).  But we can’t blame perfidious Albion; on the contrary, you could say they were biding their time for a truly compelling American act (by featuring obscure Aussies in between).  In 1997, that act was Katrina Leskanich and her band, Katrina and the Waves, best known Stateside for their hit, “Walking On Sunshine”.  Across the pond, their ESC entry “Love Shine a Light” gave the UK its fifth (and latest) Eurovision win, America’s first (and only) one thus far, and the band its second hit before breaking up in 1998.  After bashing the contest in ‘03, she later returned to Eurovision as a participant in Melodifestivalen 2005, presenter in “Congratulations”, and judge of Belgium’s Eurosong 2008.  Regardless, whether you’re a fan of Katrina or modernist critiques of narrative fiction, there’s something in this ’97 entry for everyone.

I’ll save the past decade’s participants for the next post.  (Phew!  Who would have thought there’d be so much to say?)

I regret that I haven’t posted comments on the songs yet, but hopefully Daniela and I can get something up before we leave.

I also hope to update while in Norway, but that’s dependent upon Internet access there.

Not entirely on topic, nor is it off topic. However, I was discussing Eurovision with someone this evening (it’s a common occurrence if you’re me), and she told me of a drinking game she had played watching the Eurovision Song Contest. I found it interesting at the very least, and it perhaps says something about the triteness of Eurovision lyrics. This game would probably work best if you’re not into Eurovision, because, well, I’ll relay her story.

Round I: The Songs
Before the contest begins, gather everyone who’s going to play and each person picks a unique word that they think will appear in many of the songs. One that’s absurdly common is “love.”  Try also “dance,” “night,” or “heart.” Or if you’re Dustin the Turkey (Ireland 2008), “points.” Write that word on a piece of paper, and put it in a hat, then each person draws from the hat to determine their word. Whenever that word is mentioned — in any language — that person must drink.

If you’re feeling particularly evil, you could always look up the lyrics beforehand. The story that was relayed to me was that someone looked up the lyrics ahead of time and noticed that in one of the songs, “Dancing Lasha Tumbai” by Verka Serduchka (Ukraine 2007, and perhaps one of the most famous or infamous entries of the modern Eurovision era), the word “seven” was said an absurd number of times. Twenty-four, to be exact. (Yes, I counted.) So of course she put “seven” as the word into the hat. That didn’t turn out well.

Round II: The Points
During the intermission, put all the names of all the countries competing in the final into a hat. Each person draws an equal number of countries. When one of your countries is awarded eight points, take a drink. When one of your countries is awarded ten points, take two drinks. And when one of your countries is awarded twelve points, take a shot.

This could be really bad, if, for example, you picked Norway last year. That’d be 16 shots, plus a bunch of other drinks that I don’t feel like counting. At some point, you just have to give up.

So, what do you think? Ideas? Comments? Your own drinking game? Or perhaps this isn’t what you really wanted to see from me.

The contest, for those of you who remember, was called “World Idol” and featured representatives from 11 countries who had won their own country’s version of “American Idol”, which (in the spirit of full disclosure) officially began in the UK.  Kelly Clarkson represented the US, sang as almost all her contemporaries, of course, in English, and after being accused by the Canadian judge of yelling rather than belting, lost out to “dark horse” Kurt Nilsen of Norway.  The US got tired of losing to Norway in the international arena, and the World Idol competition was not to be seen nor heard of again.  In fact, depending on the results of 2014’s final medal count, it remains to be seen whether the next Winter Olympics may in fact be our last.  Uff da!

The Dark Horse. (source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/iboy/4406255213/)

But enough about Kurt Nilsen.  What does any of this have to do with Eurovision?  Well, besides the mirrored voting systems, World Idol does help me, as a grudge-holding American, to discuss the particularities of the Norwegian brand of singing-contest success: they are either very good at it or very, very bad.

In fact, Norway holds the Eurovision distinction as the most frequent recipient of the dreaded “nul points” – exactly four times since the contest first began, with the additionally-dubious record of coming in dead last in ‘63, ‘69, ‘74, ‘76, ‘78, ‘81, ‘90, ‘97, ‘01 and ‘04.  Simultaneously, they also hold the record for the most number of points achieved in a single contest, with the largest gap ever between first place and second.  In light of this intriguing dichotomy, let’s revisit two of Norway’s shining and, um, not-so-shining Eurovision moments:

1)   Last year at Moscow, a humble Alexander Rybak thanking the audience in Russian (or Belorussian?), Norwegian, and English.  He is currently preparing his 2010 thank-you’s in Welsh, Maltese, and Esperanto.

2)   1997’s Tor Endresen, singer of “San Francisco” and most recent Norwegian nul points recipient.  With a song dedicated to 1960’s America, you would think other acts have since taken a cue from this performance.  Guess not.

With that said, I think it’s time to introduce this year’s contestant from Norway.  Classically-trained Didrik Solli-Tangen was selected from Melodi Grand Prix with a fairly cheesy ballad (comprising around 1/3 of the songs at Eurovision this year) entitled “My Heart Is Yours”.  Though written by ESC vets Hanne Sørvaag and Fredrik Kempe, the song has fallen under some scrutiny of late, ranging from not-altogether-surprising allegations of plagiarism (though the breadth of accusations are truly remarkable: from a 2007 UK national final selection, to this year’s Irish song, to a random Polish one, to Michael Jackson’s “Will You Be There“) to the downright disturbing.  Seriously though, let’s cut the kid some slack – here he is trying his hardest (no pun intended) with a familiar face on violin:

But, who is Didrik, does he have the fire in the belly, and, most importantly, what are his chances of beating the United States?  I’d say the odds remain stacked in Norway’s favor, considering that the US is not competing in Eurovision this year (or ever).  Nonetheless, don’t let that boyish charm and ability to hit the high C fool you – from the (ahem) insider knowledge I’ve received, Norway possesses a nefarious agenda bent on avenging its previous Eurovision faux pas and securing what may be the third-ever two-peat  in ESC history (discounting Spain’s second consecutive win in 1969, which was apparently rigged by Franco).  It seems that NRK producers have devised a sure-fire way of spicing up Didrik’s image and performance by making a few necessary changes.

No shoes, no shirt, no problem. (source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/iboy/4335083475/)

Wearing nothing but Norwegian curling pants and a pair of “Solli-Tangens” (details have yet to be released, though we can safely assume they’re similar to Ray-Bans), I am informed by production officials that Didrik intends to hand out as many samples of akvavit and lutefisk as possible within the span of 3 minutes while accompanied by up to (though not exceeding) five assistants over 16 years of age.

Fancy pants, Norway-style. (source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/slack13/4400369638/)

Though admirable in its attempt to curry favor with the audience (though perhaps not with the Norwegian government), the proposal has come under fire recently – the main reason being the unfortunate realization that both akvavit and lutefisk are actually quite nasty.

Mmmm, lutefisk! (source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtcarlson/2178666901/)

As you can see, there’s (potentially) much to look forward to from this year’s Eurovision host nation.  So, to wrap up:  what lessons can we take from all this?  Well, that from our transatlantic perspective, unless it’s Kurt Nilsen or curling, we can’t garner much hope of Norwegian success this year.  But, best of luck, anyway!  Heia Norge!!

Daniela and I were lucky enough to get tickets to all three major events in Oslo, and we’ll be going there. With any luck, we can provide you updates from the show. Daniela has given me the great suggestion of doing some video updates from Oslo. This, of course, depends upon us having Internet access, so I can’t say for sure if I’ll be able to do this, but I hope to be able to give you some video from Oslo come May.

Expect more from me when I’m not bogged down in thousands of pages of reading for law school. (Like commentary on the songs selected.) I have no idea when that will happen.

Unrelated Notice: Our host has switched file servers for this site, and I’ve been informed that this may break some things. Hopefully it won’t, but if you notice something broken, drop me a line.

O, Julissi! (source: commons.wikipedia.org)

As a matter of fact, such people do exist!  If you’re in the year 2010 and living in Turkey, just head to the local branch of your country’s MHP.  Though I’m sure there are other examples out there, I’d like to focus on two specific ones which caught my attention in recent years:

1)  Seeing as Israel won three times previously with lyrics solely in Hebrew, there was no ostensible reason why Shiri Maimon needed to sing any part of her 2005 song in English.  Nonetheless, in the “post-1999” era, pressure was placed on her to change the lyrics so that at least half the song was in English, thus guaranteeing a more “successful” entry.  Shiri initially reacted against singing in English, but eventually reversed her position, saying recently in an interview that singing in English is important because “the audience watching Eurovision…wants to understand something”:

Now, I ask you, Europe:  is it really so hard to just look up the lyrics themselves? (though in some cases, I’m not so sure you’d want to).  It is interesting to note that, in the years since Maimon’s performance, every Israeli song has had English components and not fared any better.

2)  To illustrate an opposing example of the influence of popular opinion, take the slightly more notorious case of Sebastien Tellier and his, um, preferred song choice of 2008.  I’m sure some of you heard the story – Tellier himself wanted his song entirely in English, while French government officials had other ideas of what a French song should sound like, leading a few notable MP’s to demand an explanation from the Culture Minister.  Like Maimon, Tellier listened to the outcry and altered his lyrics, adding a couple lines in French, (noticeably, one which stated, “love sings in French”).  Interestingly enough, an entirely French song was sung the following year and landed in the Top Ten.  Go figure.

Here’s a member of France’s UMP party voicing his opposition to Tellier.  And of course, here’s Tellier’s memorable video.  Do you feel he effectively conveyed his message en anglais?  You be the judge.

Which leads me to my Eurovision pop quiz of the week:  Whose verbal performance is the most incomprehensible?

a)      Sebastien Tellier

b)      O Julissi

c)       Polina Smolova

d)      Miss Teen South Carolina

So, to wrap up: what lessons can we take from all this?  That, short of becoming a right-wing nationalist, there must be another way for fans of  pro-language diversity in the ESC to make our preferences heard, rather than succumbing to the popular notion that users of Queen’s tongue are necessarily more “successful” at Eurovision.   Though I could devote pages more to this topic, I’ll leave it at this and revisit the English-language issue on the day Eurovision is broadcast nationally in the US….should it ever occur.

Finally, a first post! (better late than never, right?)   Being that this is Eurovision America, with Michael and I both one of the few, the proud American Eurovision fans, I feel that this first post should be devoted to discussing an ESC issue relevant to both sides of the Atlantic.

Now as you all know, a specter is haunting Europe….the specter of English-language songs!   Barring the occasional Latvian singing in Italian, or bizarre exception, most of the winning acts (22 -24, depending on how strict you are with interpretation) have been sung in English.  Naturally, this phenomenon has multiplied ever since the ESC changed the rule permitting countries to sing in whatever language they liked.  Crafting English lyrics has even become an unofficial rule for any lyricist seeking a “successful” Eurovision tune.

The exception. (source: commons.wikipedia.org)

Yet, this all begs the question:  on a continent where the majority of people’s first language isn’t English, must the majority of Eurovision songs be sung (or partially sung) in the native language of those whose countries don’t even reside under the European Broadcasting Union’s domain?  It should be duly, though ironically, noted that ESC stands for both Eurovision Song Contest and English-speaking countries, amongst other things.

Let’s observe the following map:

(source: bab.la)

With English clearly trailing behind German, Russian, and Turkish in percentage of European speakers, let’s explore some possible explanations for this seemingly perplexing conundrum:

1)  English and French are the two official languages of the EBU and ESC.  With that said, why aren’t more songs being sung in French?  We’ve all witnessed past Eurovision hosts attempting (and, sadly, at times miserably failing) to speak both English and French.  Hmm.  Well, if anything, they serve to the further the fact that, like cash, English is King.  Sacre bleu!

2)  Which leads me to the underlying reason here: that despite the map above, English is an ‘international’ language, a lingua franca of sorts that people all over Europe – yes, even Eastern Europe! – can semi-understand.  Actually, maybe we want to rethink that one about Eastern Europe (see below).  Oops.  Well, you can’t blame Miss ESC Belarus 2006 for trying, I suppose.  Indeed, it can be argued that singing in English at the ESC gives you a platform for honing your language skills. (or at least, extra practice for the TOEFL)   But, nonetheless, why this language in particular?

3)  Which leads me to what is most possibly the supreme underlying reason of all: the cultural and linguistic hegemony of the USA, ubiquitous and lurking even in benign singing contests with which she has little to do because 1) she has better ways to occupy her time,  2) is not technically part of that exclusive international broadcasting conglomerate known as “Europe”  (though the entry of other ESC countries is thus debatable.  For the sake of continuity with the next post, perhaps I’ll save that discussion for another time…)

I found Belgium’s entry impressive, especially for a ten-year-old to be singing:

And the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’s entry I think, with a little polishing, would have done quite well in the real contest. I don’t personally like it as much FYR Macedonia’s ESC entry this year, Nešto što kje ostane, but I think the song, with the right singer, could have done better. Maybe it would have made the final.

Malta staged a Chiara look-alike, which was quite interesting to watch. The Chiara look-alike didn’t have a voice anywhere close to Chiara’s, which I think was at its best in Angel in 2005 (interestingly, also in Kyiv)

Also appearing on stage in Kyiv tonight was Ani Lorak, Ukraine’s second place finisher in 2008, and yes, she performed “Shady Lady.”

The Netherlands ended up winning. Enjoy their promo video.

Well, the Olympic gold medalist moved away from Eurovision and back to real figure skating on a normal sized rink and won the World Grand Prix series in Moscow. While Eurovision has left Moscow and is on its way to Oslo, its stars certainly have not.