Just as the countdown is starting my TV I thought, I'd let all of you outside of Europe know why we are going a little bit crazy right now...
The Eurovision Song Contest as it's called today (in the past we used to call it by the French title Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson) was founded 60 years ago. It's a contest where a lot of European countries send singers and battle against each other. But the reason it was founded wasn't just "for fun" and for the battle. Instead the idea was to use the power of music to unite the European countries after the war.
This years motto is "building bridges" so it's stil showing what it was and still is about. Although the topic is more broad nowadays. It's a show with no discrimination, especially after last year, when Conchita won.
Probably the people in a lot of countries go crazy when it's time for ESC. But in my opinion it's especially the Nordic countries... I mean, Sweden created it's own festival around the ESC. They don't have just one show to choose their singer, now, they have a few more. Melodifestivalen (the melody festival, literally) is their show which lasts for a few weeks. When I lived in Sweden I listened to nealy nothing else than the songs of the contestants all day in the radio. YOu can't flew the madness called Melodifestivalen!
( Here's an article from 2013.)
I also stumbled upon this article which illustrates the Icelandic perspective - they're equally crazy.
Eurovision Song Contest was also the starting point for a few careers, like Celine Dions or, of course, ABBAs! They won in 1974 and before that day no one knew them:
A few other highlights/winner:
Lordi for Finland 2006
Alexander Rybak for Norway 2009 - he got the highest points ever
Lena for Germany 2010
Lorren for Sweden 2012
And here are the live updates from today evening
if you aren't able to watch!
