All About Latvia

Dear Visitor: For this year’s Eurovision information, please go here.

Hit refresh often. New content at the end of the entry. If you’re looking for live TV broadcast, go to Eurovision web site.

Updated at 2052 CET: I must admit before the show I only listened to a couple of performers. So far, I liked Hungary and Switzerland’s entries, but I’m keeping the open mind for their live performances tonight. Incidentally, the Eurovision online video feed is up and running.

The following is the list of countries represented at ESC in their running order.

1. Hungary
Updated 2114CET: A definite favorite. Though the fact that they’re first might end up hurting them. From this site:

Q 29-year-old Nagy Tamás is the folk dancer and choreographer of the band. He has obtained a degree from the folk dance department of the Ballet Institute. As a solo dancer and the ambassador of Hungarian folk dancing and folk music, he has traveled around the globe, performing in nearly every country of Europe, in the United States, in South America, and Australia as well.

Reminded me of Riverdance of sorts with some definite folk influence. It is a good thing they aren’t singing in English.

2. UK
Updated 2116CET
Those Brits, I tell ya. A bit of Asian thing going, but still beats, “Oooh, Ahhh, just a little bit,” their Australian entry a couple of years ago.

The girl who didn’t make it into Girls Aloud in Pop Stars: The Rivals because she looked like she’d been signed by someone else but turns out she hadn’t and was just unlucky.

Wardrobe malfunction on the Eurosong final in London. Although the following has more to do with Ireland, I associate Father Ted TV series with Britain.

QThe scene: Two priests set out to compose the ultimate “Eurosong”, write about a horse but can’t find a good tune. They then hear a b-side of a 70’s Norweigan entry who died in a plane crash along with everyone who had anything to do with the record and steal it. On the way to the stage one of the priests hears the obscure b-side being played in a lift and hears the entire stage crew walking around humming it. They are forced to revert to their original shonky keyboard/guitar combination with disasterous/comedic results. Ireland has won the contest three years in a row and, as a result, the organisers are losing a fortune having to host it every year - so in a desperate attempt to lose they select Fathers Ted and Dougal as their representives, and they duly go on to score 0 points in the final.

From Supermercade Project, download Father Ted song here

3. Malta
Updated 2119CET
You don’t habe to be thin to sing in this contest, that’s for sure. One That you love is Chiara and her “Angel”

4. Romania
Updated 2124CET
She kinds reminds me of Elmer Fudd in her way of signing the lyrics:

Let me twaaay, let me twaaaay
I don’t wanna say goodbye
I will find a way to make you stay
Just let me twaaaay

Are those canisters filled with nuclear waste? A metalurgical composition should work well in Ukraine.

5. Norway
Updated 2130CET
Wig Wam signing about my dream girl:

I don’t know if this is what it seems
Is it real or just a fantasy?
Aim to please is all you ever do
Making all my fairytales come true

Is it a man? Judging by his lips, no. Judging by the hairy chest, maybe.

Minus the guy’s makeup (did he hire an artist for that?), the music reminded me of Europe, the Swedish “heavy” metal group that sang “The Final Coundown” in the early 1990s.

6. Turkey
Updated 2132 CET
Did they really think the belly dancing would give them the victory, once again? I think not.

7. Moldova
Updated 2135CET
This is for those who don’t know where Moldova is.

8. Albania
Updated 2137CET
Na. I sensed she was a bit off on the musical side. It’s as if she’s screaming, instead of singing.

9. Cyprus
Updated 2143CET
“Everybody, let’s go together”. What? And have a giant orgie? Come indeed.

10. Spain
Updated 2145CET
I’ve no idea what the song is about, but I’m admiring those dresses.

11. Israel
Updated 2150CET
I like this song. In a way, it seems to be too good to even be in the Eurovision.

12. Serbia & Montenegro
Updated 2154CET
Three guys got together to have a little booze. The result was this song and dance. Although in some books, this country prize of the best looking performers. I wouldn’t know.

13. Denmark
Updated 2201CET:
This is sort of an upbeat song I would vote for.

14. Sweden
Updated 2204CET:
In Las Vegas, as in Las Vegas, Nevada?
I do like the tune, though. Kinda catchy.

15. FYR Macedonia
Updated 2209CET

La la ley la?

This song has probably the strangest lyrics:
Day after day Time after time You just try to make me cry Hand in your hand Tears in my eyes I pretend you make me fly (what?)
But honestly It’s plain to see I’m not the man to be Your cuddly toy I’m the boy Who will break up with you to be free.

Well, see ya.

Just been informed, there’s another blogger out there who is blogging Eurovision.

16. Ukraine
Updated 2214CET
No comment. No. Really.

17. Germany
Updated 2216CET
Now that’s dissapointing: no tradiditonal techno entry from Germany with cheesy lyrics and … ah, nevermind. This calls for another beer. Otherwise, you just can’t take it any more.

18. Croatia
Updated 2219CET
A simple song. With some kind of drum-banging thrown in.

19. Greece
Updated 2223CET
Now forgive me, if I’m wrong, but I thought Greece was supposed to be one of the favorites in this contest. Maybe it’s because their song is about Number One, but they ain’t such in my book.

Had a little technical difficulty with the Web site.

20. Russia
Updated 2227CET
I want to be a back-up signer and go “no one no one.” No, not really.

21. Bosnia & Herzegovina
Updated 2230CET
Blond hair. Pelvic moves. Blond long hair. Triple that. What more can you ask for?

22. Switzerland
Updated 2234CET:
When East meets West in these girls. Switzerland sought help from Estonia in this year’s competition. Being a neutral country, they can do that.
From this web site:

QAfter a string of appalling results in the Eurovision Song Contest, Switzerland has decided to look abroad for its 2005 performers, and it will be the Estonian girl band Vanilla Ninja that will represent the Swiss in Kyiv. The four piece first came to attention in their native country in 2003 when they performed at the Estonian national final for Eurovision. Their song “Club Kung Fu” (which was written by Sven Lõhmus who wrote this year’s Estonian entry won the public televote, but lost out in the combined jury vote. Despite this it became a hit, both at home and also a minor hit in the German chart and helped launch the band internationally.

They are also best picks of Baltic Blog and Completely Biased.

23. Latvia
Updated 2240CET
Now if your grandmother is missing old dress, it probably went to make clothes for this dork-duo from my home land. Apparently, Latvians have been gaining quite a following since they moved to the finals at ESC. “It is not about a ‘real’ war,” they said in the interview to ESC official web site. “It is more about advantages and dreams. You are not born a loser, you have all chances in the world. For us, the lyrics of our song – and its message – are very important.”

The funny thing is: I remember the children’s pop group Dzeguzīte (Cuckoo) led by Raimonds Pauls, where Valters and Kazha were members. Someone pointed out that this is the worst ballad this year. Walters & Kazha are two guys sitting on chairs, while moaning instead of singing - just like Re-union (and Max) did last year.

24. France
Updated 2242CET
And when you expect the French to come up with an English song, they surprise you with a song in… French.

Now, the best part of this contest is about to start. The voting. I narrowed my votes down to Hungary, Switzerland and Israel. But I cannot vote, as I’m overseas And suddenly, it’s as if I’m watching HBO and one of the Klytchko fights. His English hasn’t changed much.

Updated 2302CET: I have decided to root for Hungary. I think it would be a fun Eurovision in Transylvania. But the voting can go on for a couple of weeks. Just kiddin’.

Updated 2311CET:
No points for anyone good from Austria.

Updated 2313CET:
You can always count on your southern neighbors for points.

Updated 2317CET:
Maybe a Eurovision in Chisineu is not such a bad idea. I did notice the booing of Ukrainians for voting for Russia. The vote was rigged as much as it can be in the Luka’s Belarus.

Update 2323CET:
Since Estonians can’t vote for their own country, they voted for Estonian Swiss. And maybe, they will bring Eurovision back to Baltics. Well, not really, because it would be in Switzerland.

Update 0027CET:
Congrats Greece! See you next year.

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As we have promised, tonight is the night when Europe is united for a strange cultural 50-year-old phenomenon, known as Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), held in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, that orange country, or the O.C.

In place of introduction

This is the contest of the best of the worst, really, that has no equivalent in the U.S. I have tried explaining the contest to an American who had never been to Europe, only to hear her say, “It’s like the American Idol.” Kinda. It’s been around for 50 years and was created for a specific purpose: to bring the continent together, a sentiment strong in Europe after World War II. Most participants have been largely unknown. Most winners have been largely unknown after the contest. Except it launched the careers of ABBA in 1974 and the Canadian import who sang for Switzerland, Celine Deon, in 1988.

In his book “The United States of Europe,” T.R. Reid points to the ESC as the tie that binds Europe.

Q“It’s the crap, it is totally crap, you know, but I love it,” Reid, begins his explanation of European love-affair with Eurovision to his presumably American audience with a quote from a Slav Gregor. “I mean, this is rubbish — seeess eess roobeesh — but I cannot miss it. Every year, I never miss it. That’s why we are all here tonight, you know because we all love how strange it is, how crazy. Everybody loves Eurovision. Everybody my age, but not just my age! Everybody loves, because it is totally crap!”

Stefan Geens presents, perhaps, a typical view of Eurovision that is shared by all Americans, no doubt.

Q If you live in Europe, then, you have to develop a coping mechanism. And the best way to cope is not to cower, but to stare the beast in the eyes, and then give it a big wet sloppy kiss on the mouth. This is what we were doing Saturday night, addled by fine wines, which made it easier to leave one’s ironic detachment at the door (there were children there, after all).

He also posted some fun lyrics that often make me smile. For example, Swedish entry to the 2003 ESC had these words:

QI can be the one you love forever, I can be the dream of your heart. … You can turn the winter into summer, oh yeah You can be me my wonder every day. Everytime I see you I just want to hold you, I wish you felt the same way that I do.

Stalker.

I dug out in my archives and found this entry from that same year. I didn’t like the German group’s lyrics.

Regardless of its content, however, the contest is a symbol of united Europe. It has also been used in research studies, such as this. Based on the past voting data, the researchers concluded that:

QDespite the British tendency to feel distant from Europe, our analysis shows that the U.K. is remarkably compatible, or ‘in tune’, with other European countries. Equally surprising is our finding that some other core countries, most notably France, are significantly ‘out of tune’ with the rest of Europe.

Regardless of the fact that it is a pan-European pageant of kitsch, bad taste and third-rate lounge acts, it has existed for 50 years.

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