8mm Forum: Eurovision

This is topic Eurovision in forum General Yak at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on May 14, 2016, 01:12 PM:

This famous European song contest lost for me all its interest some years ago since the songs were allowed to be in English and no longer in (one of) the language(s) spoken in the participing country. I've just heard that Belgian television will brodacast the event with subtitle for all the songs. I wonder if that is or has been done in other countries. Good idea, anyway. UPDATE : False alert, the songs are subtitle in...English ! Belgian TV : 0 point.

[ May 14, 2016, 02:23 PM: Message edited by: Dominique De Bast ]

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on May 14, 2016, 03:30 PM:

No offence anyone but can someone explain how australia is anything to do with europe. And israil now i think about it.
A terrible event with the comical voting showing the politics of it all. [Big Grin]

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on May 14, 2016, 03:46 PM:

For Israël, the explanation is that due to the political situation in the Middle East, this country could not have relationships with the neighbours and had a special partnership with Europe (also, many Israelis come from Europe). Australia came recently in the contest, guested by Austria. I thought it would be a "one shot" but I see Australia is still there.

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on May 14, 2016, 04:38 PM:

Ah i see.in that case they should call it worldvision its clearly no longer euro.
Bring it up to date and open it for all.i dont think i could possibly sit through that though [Big Grin]

BTW, as you say why are all or most of the songs sung in English now?

[ May 15, 2016, 03:57 AM: Message edited by: Tom Photiou ]

Posted by Brian Fretwell (Member # 4302) on May 15, 2016, 04:52 AM:

I believe the full name is European Broadcasting Union. Israel being there, as said above, to get access to TV programmes.
If Australia had won they would not have hosted next year's contest, so they are not there as members but guests.

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on May 15, 2016, 05:21 AM:

Tom, the possibility of singing in English is not new (it started in the 70,s, everybody remember Abba) but has not been used on a large scale. It seems that there is a presure from "new countries" (since tha fall of communism, a lot of newcomers changed the Eurovision we knew before) to use English. To be clear, even if I hope no one has any doubt about that, I have nothing against English, I just feel sorry an original concept, that gave us an unique opportunity to hear languages we otherwise would remain unknown has completely lost its soul.

Posted by Raleigh M. Christopher (Member # 5209) on May 15, 2016, 06:08 AM:

English is the world lingua franca. Put a Swede, Dane, Norwegian, Dutch, Pole, Spaniard, Italian, French, Portuguese, Hungarian, Finn and German in the same room, and they will speak English to each other, because it's the only language they likely all have in common.

Still, native English speakers should learn other languages. I speak French and Spanish, as well as English.

Posted by Mark Todd (Member # 96) on May 15, 2016, 06:33 AM:

I much prefer the songs when sung in the native language.

Its all starting to sound very samey to me.

I`d like to see more odd bodds and differnt styles etc.

Not much stood out this year.

Best Mark.

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on May 15, 2016, 06:46 AM:

Raleigh, English is eveywhere, so the Eurovision song contest had an origninal concept. At the beginning, in the 50's, there was no written rule about language but there was an agreement that each paticiping country would use his (or one of his) official language(s). In 1965, a country (Sweden) choose English, so a new rule was added to prevent this and from 1966, a local official language had to be chosen. In 1973, a free language choice was again permitted until 1977 when the former rule came back. In 1999, the free language choice was again reintroduced. Once again, I have nothing against the English language but I question the interest of all songs in the same language in what was once a multicultural moment

Posted by Raleigh M. Christopher (Member # 5209) on May 15, 2016, 06:58 AM:

I understand what you are saying.

I think the other reason for the preferred use of English is commercial viability. These people want to be successful professional singers. Pop stars. They need to sing in English to do that, and to get the widest exposure. Eurovision is just like "American Idol" or "UK Idol" etc. It's a hopeful springboard to commercial success.

P.S. I'm only trying to explain why they all sing in English now. I'm not
defending it as what "should" be done, just trying to explain the reasons why it is likely done.

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