Before coming here to Europe, I have never heard about Eurovision. I felt so dumbfounded when I learned about it because I am a big fan of Reality TV Shows and Competitions. In my head, I thought of, “It is the biggest singing competition in Europe and I did not know about it”. “Shame, Shame”, I chanted to myself.
So, the first time I have learned about Eurovision was when my roommate showed me video of Conchita Wurst’s Rise Like A Phoenix. Other than the theatricality of the performance, my jaw dropped with all these grandiose preparation for the staging. The lighting was on point as well as the visual effects in the background. I was so amazed that we spent almost 3 hours just watching videos from past performances.
Fast forward to May of last year, it came to me that Eurovision is actually huge in Estonia. I had a conversation with my Estonian classmate that Estonians watch it together as a family. It has been an Estonian culture since the conception of the event. In addition, he told me that Estonian viewers also make a personal scoresheet of which country to give 12 points, 11 points and so on. It has become a kind of betting game for the bragging rights and maybe some other special amenities for the winner.
So last year, the International Student Ambassadors had a screening event for Eurovision 2016. See pictures in this link (https://www.facebook.com/pg/utambassadors/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1162890390434438).
While I was sitting there and watching the performances, I was amused of some performances because you can say that this country is giving “All In” just to win votes from people. The artists were wearing spectacular costumes that were shining and shimmering. My reaction to it was “splendid!”. Well, the performance last year of “How to win Eurovision?” practically sums up my amusement for my first Eurovision event of my life.
My personal wish for this event is to have an act just standing in the middle of the stage with just a spotlight and simple attire. I want an act that focuses on the music and show vulnerability that would transcend to the souls of the viewers. I say this especially those to the countries that chose not to participate in the event due to lack of budget (But, I really don’t know how much it cost anyway, so please feel to comment in this post if you know). In addition, I am not saying that all acts should be this simple. I am still in for a big glitter bomb on stage for the diversity of the presentations.
So this coming May 13, the International Student Ambassadors is again inviting everyone to a screening of Eurovision 2017 at Illegaard. We will have Bingo and provide face painting during the event. Cheer for your bets! See you there!
