I am sitting through one of the most interesting cultural experiences of my life. It's called the Eurovision Song Contest, during which captive audiences spread all across Europe sit expectantly in front of their tv's waiting for their country to wow the rest of Europe. This seriously all-inclusive contest, with groups from Belarus, Azerbaijan, Macedonia, and Malta, allows one group from every country to perform a song, over the course of two days, with one eventual winner. This contest, experiencing its 56th year, first came to my attention and collided with my ignorant conscience in the middle of a Justin Bieber-like concert being performed in the middle of Tivoli during my visit to Copenhagen. A song was performed that shook the crowd and evoked such excitement in those all around me that I had to know what was happening. I was told that the Danish band who had won the Eurovision Song Contest last year was performing their winning song. Until that moment, I've never seen such nationalistic, excited Danes in my life. And then I arrived in Stockholm where I was excitedly told that this years contest would be performed on tv this very week!!
And so here I sit watching each country passionately perform. And I'm speechless. There are no words to adequately describe what I am seeing. I have never heard so many different languages, so many english accents, so many passionate facial expressions, mullets, or break-dancing men in decorative skirts and thick eyeliner who utilize fake plastic trumpets to the beat of a ukrainian song sung in english inviting the crowd to 'be my guest!' Seriously, do you think you could find the words to truly describe this experience??
All I know is that American Idol has got a thing or two to learn before it has reached the big time...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSQdnvzV8CE
(I don't even know what he's saying and I love this song)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_F6H6--FrU
(reinforcing my speechlessness)
http://www.eurovision.tv/page/baku-2012
(for a further education)