SYSTEM OF A DOWN TO EUROVISION WITH ARMENIAN GENOCIDE THEME?
Gibrahayer
June 20, 2008
oikotimes.com – June 23 2008 – After Armenia received its best result
ever this year with Sirusho, the world-famous rock band System of
a Down has shown a keen interest in representing Armenia in Russia,
next year. However, the soloist of the American band, Serj Tankian,
has openly stated in a recent visit in Finland that this will be
under one condition: if they will be able to use Eurovision as a way
to make the much-debated Armenian Genocide issue known. "Eurovision
Song Contest would be an excellent way to make this theme known. We
must seriously think of this." said Tankian in response to a question
posed by Finnish News Agency.
System of a Down is very politically active and are noted for the
liberal political views expressed in their songs, tackling myriad
subjects including the War on Drugs, religion, drug use, and especially
censorship.
They have actively campaigned to get Turkey to recognise the
controversial Armenian Genocide and the subject is often-tackled
in their songs. They are also a part of the Axis of Justice, a
non-profit political activist organisation fighting for recognition
of the polemical issue, believed to have taken part in the early 20th
century. Ironically, the band has many Turkish fans as well.
Previously similar themes have been tried at Eurovision with mixed
success. In 1976 Greece sent the song Panaghia mou, Panaghia mou
about the invasion of Cyprus, in 1993 Bosnia-Herzegovina performed
Sva bol svijeta about the war in the region, and it is also believed
by experts that the 1996 United Kingdom entry Ohh Ahh Just a little
bit also has a hidden message about genocide.
With previous song titles such as Violent Pornography, This Cocaine
Makes Me Feel Like I’m On This Song, Peephole and Fuck the System,
System of a Down would perhaps be censored by the EBU rule a bout bad
language that previously forced Silvia Night to officially change the
lyrics of her song, while the EBU would probably choose to believe
the political message was a reference to ancient Armenian bedtime
stories or an ending relationship.