What does victory mean for a Eurovision performer and his or her
country?
Kiev (dpa) – Italian singer Francesco Gabbani is widely expected to
win the grand final of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest on
Saturday in Kiev with “Occidentali’s Karma,” his entry about
Westerners embracing Eastern ideologies.
Gabbani’s music video, with a delicate Oriental interior juxtaposed
by a mascot-like dancing ape, has already had more than 100 million
views on YouTube.
Bookmakers at EurovisionWorld.com have placed Italy in the top slot,
with Portugal and Bulgaria the runners-up.
“I think it will be very difficult for anyone to beat Italy,” said
Alasdair Rendall, president of the United Kingdom’s branch of the
Eurovision fan organization OGAE.
“They have that combination of a strong song, a good singer and a
memorable TV performance, with a gorilla dancing on stage!” Rendall
told dpa.
Hassan Yusuf, an editor at Vision magazine, which is dedicated to the
annual contest, expressed a similar sentiment.
“The winner this year will probably be Italy,” Yusuf told dpa. “It
ticks all the boxes.”
“The only other countries that could challenge it are Portugal,
Sweden or Bulgaria,” Yusuf continued. “And you must not discount
Ukraine either. They will get a lot of support from their
neighbours.”
Ukraine is hosting the competition for the second time.
Eurovision, which boasted a viewership of more than 200 million
people last year, started in the 1950s as a way to bring together
countries with a light-hearted contest. The contestants are chosen by
their countries’ organizing teams.
According to the event’s website, acts from 26 countries will
participate in Saturday’s grand final. The winner is the performer or
group that receives the most points from viewers at home and juries
made up of industry professionals.
Last year, Ukrainian singer Jamala won the contest, giving her
country the right to host this year’s competition.
Jamala’s song about Soviet-era repressions in Crimea, courted
controversy in neighbouring Russia, which this year is essentially
boycotting the competition.
“For the winning country it’s all about prestige,” Yusuf said. “It
gets a chance to host the contest and show off all its tourist sites
and culture.”
Most Eurovision stars fade, even with the boost of millions of
viewers during the contest. Rare exceptions have been ABBA or Celine
Dion, who went on to develop prestigious careers.
Some winners continue to perform in their own countries, such as
Germany’s Nicole and Sweden’s Loreen, said Gordon Lewis, Vision
magazine’s chief editor.
Others winners have changed direction, “with Dima Bilan from Russia
now doing more acting than singing,” Lewis said.
“Few recent winners have achieved ongoing chart success, and some,
including Jamala from last year, have struggled to even reach the
charts,” Lewis continued.
“Many performers are probably never heard again outside their
borders,” Yusuf said. “It’s more personal satisfaction rather than
financial gain.”
