Eurovision 2007

It was well before its time…actually it’s been around for 52 years. For those Yanks who’ve never heard of it, think American Idol with a singer/band from every European country that come together on one night to win Europe’s song contest. It’s called Eurovision.

Now, I have known about this shindig for over 2 years: the first year I was in Germany, I was still in the black hole of no TV so I could not watch the coverage. The second year, we were out of town. This time, I was determined to watch Eurovision for myself.

Here’s how it works:

Who were the contestants?

(1) This year, 42 countries participated. The top 10 finalist countries from last year automatically qualified for this year’s final.

(2) Additionally, the UK, Spain, Germany, and France also qualified for the Final held on May 12th (actually they are always in the final) because these countries give the most money to fund the Eurovision contest. This brought the total to 14.

(3) Finally, the top 10 finishers held from the Semi-Final event held on May 10th were added to the Final, bringing the total number of competitors to 24.

(4) All countries that did not reach the top 10 in last year’s Final, including those that were eliminated in the Semi-Final and any new countries that joined for the first time, were required to compete in the Semi-Final this year.

Are you thoroughly confused yet? Hang in there and read on….

What kind of music was performed?

Everything under the sun! We had a boy band rock group from Spain, an “Il Divo” group of tenors from Latvia, “a folk singer, fiddle playin’ chick from Ireland…hard rock, soft rock, opera, pop, techno, alternative….soloists, bands, duets, trios, etc. For some of the contestants, I just had to laugh, get up, and use their performance as a food or bio break; others were quite good and entertaining. Some songs were in native language; others were in English. Yes, music is a personal taste but either way, I was thoroughly entertained.

Where was the contest held?

This year’s event is held in Helsinki, Finland, as last year’s winner monster band Lordi hailed from this country. Next year’s event will be held in the home country of this year’s winner (yes, I know who it is but I am leaving you in suspense for the moment).

Who voted for the winner and how?

Now, I had read the website and the short answer is: the citizens of Europe! How that actually worked was quite interesting to watch unfold. During the performances and for a few minutes after the last contestant, people all over Europe phoned in or sent a text message to designated in-country phone numbers to cast their votes. The only rule was that you could not vote for the country you were calling from.

After the voting period ended and votes were counted, TV viewers were treated to the voting results on a country-by-country basis... “live via satellite” to the capital of each participating country. Representatives of each nation announced the results of their country’s voting. Points 1 through 7 were awarded to those country contestants winning spots 10 through 4. These results were simply flashed on the screen. The most interesting results were those taking places 1, 2, and 3 (with each being awarded 12, 10, or 8 points respectively). After each nation reported in with their results, the totals were re-tallied and viewer could see the latest standings. With 42 countries voting, it took a bit of time…. sounds like it would be fair and equitable, right?

Well, interestingly enough, countries appeared to be voting by geographical or regional block. Baltic States gave the top spots to those nations next to them or in the Baltic region (i.e. Estonia voted for Lithuania for a top spot). Scandinavian countries voted for their Nordic brethren (i.e. Sweden voted Finland into their top spot). Eastern European countries flat out voted…well…for Eastern European countries. Germany voted the top spot to Turkey…sounds fair until you know that Germany’s largest immigrant population is Turkish. So, it did seem that countries were not necessarily voting for the group(s) they thought were truly the best…

Who won?

Short Answer: Marija Serifovic from Serbia singing her own composition Molitva.

Who did the Hachie Gal vote for?

While I did not call in and actually vote (remember, I am watching UK TV and did not have the Germany phone number) that did not keep me from “voting at home”. Similar to the home voting for Miss America/Miss USA, my votes are the surest way to get a contestant ousted. My top three votes (in order of personal preference) were for Spain (finished 20th), Sweden (finished 18th), and Greece (finished 7th). Clearly, I was thinking “who did I like the best” rather than voting for my Central European neighbors. I actually had heard of and liked Germany’s entrant, big-band singer Richard Cicero (think Michael Buble singing in German) – I had him in my top five (he finished 19th).

Interesting side note: ABBA was a Eurovision contest winner….

I also had some personal votes:

Weirdest name for a performed song: Switzerland’s Vampires Are Alive.

Weirdest costumes: That is hard but the top three go to (1) Denmark (think Dame Edna in silver lamée), (2) Denmark’s drag queen entrant, a hot pink clad Carmen Miranda, and (3) France’s group who were wearing Jean Paul Gaultier costumes that were shockingly bad…in hot pink and black. One guy had a stuffed toyed animal around his neck???

All in all, a fun way to spend a rainy Saturday evening.