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POLL: WHO WILL WIN EUROVISION 2012?
Financial Mirror
http://www.financialmirror.com/news-details.php?nid=26504
May 25 2012
This week, Europeans can forget about the debt crisis and politics for
a moment, and throw themselves into rooting for their home country
or favorite artist. Eurovision 2012 is under way, and about half a
billion viewers are expected to tune in for the finale on Saturday.
Here are the finalist:
United Kingdom Hungary Albania Lithuania Bosnia-Herzegovina Russia
Iceland Cyprus France Italy Estonia Norway Azerbaijan Romania Denmark
Greece Sweden Turkey Spain Germany Malta FYR Macedonia Ireland
Serbia Ukraine
The song contest started in the 1950s, and each country competing is
represented by a single singing group or soloist. Because Azerbaijan
won last year, Eurovision is being staged in its capital, Baku.
Azerbaijan, a mainly Muslim ex-Soviet republic, is to host the grand
final of the 57th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday.
Azerbaijan sees the competition as a chance to showcase the country
and - flush with cash from oil and gas sales - has spent $60 million
on a city facelift intended to show its achievements.
However, activist groups advocating a broad spectrum of issues -
from human rights to religion - have also sought to use the occasion
to draw attention to their campaigns. Armenia pulled out of the
contest in March, underscoring tensions over the disputed enclave
of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian-backed forces wrested the mainly
Armenian-populated enclave inside Azerbaijan, from Azeri control
after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
William Lee Adams is a writer for Time magazine and editor-in-chief of
Wiwibloggs, a site dedicated to covering the Eurovision contest. From
Baku, he introduced Morning Edition host Renee Montagne to three of
the finalists in the multinational competition.
"Greece takes Eurovision incredibly seriously," says Adams. "And they
typically bring the exact same song. It's kind of cheesy. It has an
ethno-Greek background. It's upbeat and danceable, and that's what
this year's contestant, Eleftheria Eleftheriou, brings."
Ukraine's contestant is half-Congolese, which has caused some
controversy. After Gaitana won that country's national final, a
right-wing politician was quoted as saying she wasn't "an organic
representative of the country." But the country embraced her, says
Adams. Her song is called "Be My Guest."
Representing Russia this year is a group of six grandmothers. Their
song, "Party for Everybody," tells the story of the babushkas welcoming
their grandchildren home. "This song itself is kind of appalling,
but Eurovision isn't about the best song," he says. "It's about the
best act. And this one comes with attitude and spunk and spirit,
and the belief that you can keep on moving no matter how old you are."
Here are some facts about song contest:
- The first contest took place in 1956. It was originally conceived
in Monaco by Marcel Bezencon and based on the Italian Sanremo Festival
held since 1951. Switzerland won the first contest.
- The Eurovision Song Contest boasts a television audience estimated
at around 125 million people each year.
EUROVISION RECORDS:
- Singer Johnny Logan won the contest three times. In 1980 and 1987
he represented Ireland and won both times. In 1992 he wrote Linda
Martin's winning entry.
- ABBA is the most successful Eurovision Song Contest winner. The
Swedish band won the contest in 1974 with the song "Waterloo".
- The most covered song in the contest is Domenico Mudugno's "Nel
Blu Di Pinto Di Blu," also known as "Volare".
Norway came last most often -- in 1963, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1981,
1990, 1997, 2001 and 2004. However, they have also won three times
-- in 1985, 1995 and 2009. Ireland has won seven times, Luxembourg,
France and the United Kingdom five times. Sweden and the Netherlands
have won four times.
- Most winning songs were performed in English - songs (mostly) in
English won 24 times. French is also popular, with 14 victories. Dutch
and Hebrew songs won 3 times each
- Dima Bilan gave Russia its first victory in the Eurovision Song
Contest in 2008 with a rock ballad "Believe."
- More than 1,000 songs already have taken part in the Eurovision
Song Contest. In 2006, the song of Ireland's Brian Kennedy was number
1,000. Number 100 was "T'en Va Pas", performed by Esther Ofarim
for Switzerland and Luxembourg presented the 500th song in 1986,
"L'amour De Ma Vie".
- In 2008 and 2011, a record number of 43 countries participated
WHAT HAPPENED IN 2011:
- Azerbaijan won the 56th Eurovision song contest with the romantic
ballad "Running Scared".
- The song was about a love-struck couple and was performed by
21-year-old student Eldar Gasimov and Nigar Jamal, 30, a mother-of-two
who lived in London. The duo was known as Ell-Nikki.
- Italy was second and Sweden came third in the contest, hosted
by Germany.
Financial Mirror
http://www.financialmirror.com/news-details.php?nid=26504
May 25 2012
This week, Europeans can forget about the debt crisis and politics for
a moment, and throw themselves into rooting for their home country
or favorite artist. Eurovision 2012 is under way, and about half a
billion viewers are expected to tune in for the finale on Saturday.
Here are the finalist:
United Kingdom Hungary Albania Lithuania Bosnia-Herzegovina Russia
Iceland Cyprus France Italy Estonia Norway Azerbaijan Romania Denmark
Greece Sweden Turkey Spain Germany Malta FYR Macedonia Ireland
Serbia Ukraine
The song contest started in the 1950s, and each country competing is
represented by a single singing group or soloist. Because Azerbaijan
won last year, Eurovision is being staged in its capital, Baku.
Azerbaijan, a mainly Muslim ex-Soviet republic, is to host the grand
final of the 57th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday.
Azerbaijan sees the competition as a chance to showcase the country
and - flush with cash from oil and gas sales - has spent $60 million
on a city facelift intended to show its achievements.
However, activist groups advocating a broad spectrum of issues -
from human rights to religion - have also sought to use the occasion
to draw attention to their campaigns. Armenia pulled out of the
contest in March, underscoring tensions over the disputed enclave
of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian-backed forces wrested the mainly
Armenian-populated enclave inside Azerbaijan, from Azeri control
after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
William Lee Adams is a writer for Time magazine and editor-in-chief of
Wiwibloggs, a site dedicated to covering the Eurovision contest. From
Baku, he introduced Morning Edition host Renee Montagne to three of
the finalists in the multinational competition.
"Greece takes Eurovision incredibly seriously," says Adams. "And they
typically bring the exact same song. It's kind of cheesy. It has an
ethno-Greek background. It's upbeat and danceable, and that's what
this year's contestant, Eleftheria Eleftheriou, brings."
Ukraine's contestant is half-Congolese, which has caused some
controversy. After Gaitana won that country's national final, a
right-wing politician was quoted as saying she wasn't "an organic
representative of the country." But the country embraced her, says
Adams. Her song is called "Be My Guest."
Representing Russia this year is a group of six grandmothers. Their
song, "Party for Everybody," tells the story of the babushkas welcoming
their grandchildren home. "This song itself is kind of appalling,
but Eurovision isn't about the best song," he says. "It's about the
best act. And this one comes with attitude and spunk and spirit,
and the belief that you can keep on moving no matter how old you are."
Here are some facts about song contest:
- The first contest took place in 1956. It was originally conceived
in Monaco by Marcel Bezencon and based on the Italian Sanremo Festival
held since 1951. Switzerland won the first contest.
- The Eurovision Song Contest boasts a television audience estimated
at around 125 million people each year.
EUROVISION RECORDS:
- Singer Johnny Logan won the contest three times. In 1980 and 1987
he represented Ireland and won both times. In 1992 he wrote Linda
Martin's winning entry.
- ABBA is the most successful Eurovision Song Contest winner. The
Swedish band won the contest in 1974 with the song "Waterloo".
- The most covered song in the contest is Domenico Mudugno's "Nel
Blu Di Pinto Di Blu," also known as "Volare".
Norway came last most often -- in 1963, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1981,
1990, 1997, 2001 and 2004. However, they have also won three times
-- in 1985, 1995 and 2009. Ireland has won seven times, Luxembourg,
France and the United Kingdom five times. Sweden and the Netherlands
have won four times.
- Most winning songs were performed in English - songs (mostly) in
English won 24 times. French is also popular, with 14 victories. Dutch
and Hebrew songs won 3 times each
- Dima Bilan gave Russia its first victory in the Eurovision Song
Contest in 2008 with a rock ballad "Believe."
- More than 1,000 songs already have taken part in the Eurovision
Song Contest. In 2006, the song of Ireland's Brian Kennedy was number
1,000. Number 100 was "T'en Va Pas", performed by Esther Ofarim
for Switzerland and Luxembourg presented the 500th song in 1986,
"L'amour De Ma Vie".
- In 2008 and 2011, a record number of 43 countries participated
WHAT HAPPENED IN 2011:
- Azerbaijan won the 56th Eurovision song contest with the romantic
ballad "Running Scared".
- The song was about a love-struck couple and was performed by
21-year-old student Eldar Gasimov and Nigar Jamal, 30, a mother-of-two
who lived in London. The duo was known as Ell-Nikki.
- Italy was second and Sweden came third in the contest, hosted
by Germany.