Scotsman, United Kingdom
May 20 2006
Britain turns to rap to regain former Eurovision glory
LONDON (Reuters) – Humiliated three years ago with “nul points” and
placed nowhere ever since, Britain is seeking a return to Eurovision
Song Contest glory by turning to rap.
Its torch-bearer for Saturday’s Eurovision Song Contest final is Daz
Sampson with a track called “Teenage Life”, complete with backing
singers in school uniform.
Britain has won the contest five times over the past half-century and
has come second a record 15 times, but recent results have been
dismal.
Jemini’s 2003 offering, the out-of-tune “Cry Baby,” was judged its
worst offering ever, garnering not a single vote and coming a richly
deserved 26th.
James Fox did a little better in 2004, coming 16th but last year
Javine Hylton again plumbed the depths by coming 22nd.
Rapper Sampson, a self-confessed Eurovision fan, is determined to
improve matters.
“So-called political voting does go on but nowhere near as much as
people in the UK say,” he admits. “I think we hide behind that a bit.
“The fact is, for the past 10 years or so we haven’t sent anything
good.”
Britain qualifies automatically for the final, along with France,
Germany and Spain, as the four biggest countries in the event.
HEAVY METAL
This year’s contest takes place in Athens following Greece’s first
ever Eurovision victory in 2005.
Among the more bizarre finalists are Finland’s Lordi, a heavy metal
band who perform in monster masks and costumes. Their song “Hard Rock
Hallelujah” may just give the Finns their first ever win after over
40 years of trying.
Others are going for more tried and tested entrants.
Ukraine, which won in 2004 on only the second attempt, spent months
looking for the perfect entrant and song before coming up with Tina
Karol, one of the biggest stars in the former Soviet state.
Contest debutants Armenia have sent Andre, an award-winning singer
who has performed all over the world, while Bosnia and Herzegovina’s
entrant, Hari Mata Hari, “the nightingale of Sarajevo,” is another
well-known regional performer.
Spain and Ireland are following suit.
Spain will be represented by Las Ketchup, best known for their 2002
global chart-topper The Ketchup Song, and Ireland is hoping for a
Eurovision comeback with Brian Kennedy, who recently sang at George
Best’s funeral and scored a top three hit in the UK with a cover of
Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up.”
The other qualifiers from Thursday’s semi-final are Russia,
Lithuania, Sweden and Turkey.
PASSPORT TO FAME?
The contest has produced its fair share of stars: most famously it
launched the career of Abba when they won with Waterloo in 1974, and
Bucks Fizz enjoyed plenty of chart success following their 1981
victory.
But often the winners fail to make much of an impact on a global
scale, with many slipping back into obscurity after their moment in
the spotlight.
Recent examples include Latvia’s 2002 winner Marie N and 2004’s
Ukranian victor Ruslana, who might be big stars at home and in
neighbouring territories but haven’t made much impression on UK
audiences.
Many UK performers have also disappeared without trace, from 1998’s
Imaani to 2001’s Lindsay Dracass.
“Admittedly the end result was a big disappointment,” says former UK
representative Nicki French, who came 16th in 2000 with “Don’t Play
That Song Again.”
“But it didn’t seem to matter to the real diehard fans of the
contest,” she added. “Since my participation, I have performed as a
special guest for numerous Eurovision events in various countries,
including Germany, Sweden and the UK — and the diary always gets a
fair bit busier in May nowadays.
“I would dearly love to have the chance to do it again, only
hopefully with a better placing at the end.”