The official motto of the 68th edition of Eurovision is ‘united in music’, but the continent’s sequin-clad masses converge on the Swedish city of Malmö for Saturday’s grand final – healing and bridging divides. There were serious doubts about his musical abilities.
In the run-up to the main event of the song contest, Dutch performer Joost Klein was investigated by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for an unexplained “incident” and missed out on a spot in two rehearsals. .
“We are currently investigating a reported incident involving a Dutch artist. He will not rehearse until further notice,” the EBU said in a statement.
At a press conference Thursday night, several performers, including Klein, said the debate over Israel’s participation, secured by singer Eden Golan’s advance to the semifinals, has overshadowed the world’s largest live music event. expressed dissatisfaction with the possibility that .
Klein, who is scheduled to perform just before Dolan on Saturday night, was asked about his performance at a press conference. Gaba“Europapa”, a pop anthem about free movement, would be a perfect fit for the tournament’s unifying motto. “I think that’s a good question for the EBU,” he said sharply.
In March, the Japan Broadcasting Corporation ruled that Israel would be allowed to participate as long as it changed the lyrics of its original title, “October Rain,” which was based on the trauma of the October 7th Hamas massacre.
The EBU defended its decision, saying Eurovision is a “non-political music event” and “not a contest between governments.”
Golan, 21, was ordered by Israel’s National Security Agency to remain in his hotel room during the performance and was taken in a motorcade to a dress rehearsal. Among the lineup of semifinalists, she cut out a timid-looking figure near the stage exit, especially since no other contestants were willing to spontaneously make a gesture of solidarity.
When a Polish journalist asked Golan if he thought that his participation in the contest could put other artists or the fans in attendance at risk, there was a commotion around the auditorium, and the host You don’t want someone to step in and say that if that’s the case, you don’t need to answer the question. “Why not?” Klein interjected. Klein was sitting next to her, holding a Dutch flag above her head.
Greek performer Marina Satti also appeared to imitate Golan’s doze when she took questions from Israeli reporters.
Bambi Thug, a non-binary singer representing Ireland in this year’s competition, said the debate over Israel’s participation had “completely overshadowed everything”.
“This goes against everything Eurovision is intended to do,” they said.
The group of performers gathered at Eurovision was a “big, big community”, adding that Israeli contestant Dolan “wasn’t even allowed to meet us”. “God forbid I have a conversation that will change my mind.”
Bambi Thug, who was forced to remove makeup with the word “truce” written in medieval Celtic script before Thursday’s first semi-final, was left wondering what happened in the case Klein is being investigated for. He said he did not know exactly why. “But I’m with any pro-Palestinian person.”
In the run-up to the song contest, pro-Palestinian activists unsuccessfully urged participating artists to boycott the five-day event.
Approximately 5,000 protesters wore Palestinian flags, black-and-white keffiyeh scarves, and flags as fans from across Europe headed to the venue on Thursday, wearing colorful suits and sequined dresses and national flags. They gathered at Stortorget Square in Malmö holding banners that read: “Boycott Israel.”
One of them was 19-year-old Christopher Kivon, who participated in the protest as a member of Fridays for Future Sweden. “Israel is using the ESC to ‘pinkwash’ its country,” he said. He said the fact that Israel was asked by the Broadcasting Workers Union to amend the item “suggests that Israel is trying to get its message out.”
In the city center, many official posters and banners are graffitied with the words “United by Genocide”. Further protests are expected on Saturday.
Around 120 people waved Israeli and Swedish flags, sang Hurricane of the Golan, and performed the previous Israeli Eurovision song at a small gathering in Malmö’s Davidschar district on Thursday night, under heavy police security. They danced a horror song to the participating song.
“Golan came into a very hateful environment. [in Malmö] And we absolutely didn’t like it,” said Jehoshua Kaufman, one of the rally’s organizers. “We wanted to welcome her and pay her tribute to those killed at her Nova Festival on October 7th.
“In this city, we are very afraid of having different opinions. You can probably walk down the streets of Malmö with a kippah, but you can’t walk with an Israeli flag.”
Moments before his remarks, a woman approached Mr. Kaufman’s congregation and shouted “genocide” and “murderer” before being taken away by police.
France famously called Eurovision a “monument to nonsense” when it refused to send in entries in 1982, but even nonsense is rarely apolitical.
Originally devised as a means of experimenting with new transnational broadcasting technologies, the unifying European spirit of the song contest was “an almost unintended consequence of the political context of post-war Europe,” says a member of the international broadcasting industry. said cultural historian Paul Jordan. Judge of the French national selection for Eurovision 2019.
Still, the bridges the contest builds are real. A Swiss non-binary singer befriends a Greek dancer, an acerbic Estonian dances backstage with a cheerful Armenian in national costume, and a young fan from Turkey meets longtime Aegean rival Greece. There aren’t many events in Europe that support this.
Greek singer Marina Satti welcomed new fans with open arms on Thursday night. “We really love Turkey,” she said at a press conference after the second semi-final match, while also insisting that a musical be staged to commemorate the absence of Romania and Bulgaria. The traditions of the Eastern Mediterranean region have deep roots that extend beyond today’s borders.
Because Eurovision is said to be apolitical, even simple messages are often expressed in a veiled manner, giving this year’s contest a surreal feel. giving.
“We are the only country in the world that is shaped like a butterfly,” said Latvian singer Donsu after reaching the final. “The butterfly is a symbol of hope and freedom, because to be a butterfly you have to fly and be free. And every country in the world has the right to be free.”
Is he talking about post-Soviet Latvia and its Baltic states? Ukraine? Palestine? In a song contest as politically charged as this year, this song is unlikely to be the last topic of conversation.
