Welcome to the last ESC Insight Newsletter before the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 comes to an end. It’s been one brilliant fortnight and I just wish we could do it all again next week!
This Newsletter gives you all the news you need to know from Semi Final fallout and the Grand Final surprises before ending with Robertson’s Reflection. If he could choose a winner for this year, he would choose Jamala and the song ‘1944’. Here he explains why.
The hollow, echo-filled atmosphere is done with such a delicacy it leans into some excellent storytelling. Through that listen-to-me ambience comes a story that is feisty, heartfelt, but direct to the soul. I recognise it’s linguistically simple for the essay-type topic, but doesn’t sound dumbed down at all. Instead the story here is profound and well told, accessible to the masses yet intriguing the academics. It climaxes in a huge flourish at the end where one incredible high note, the right side of a scream, symbolises the suffering of hundreds of thousands from a time long ago. Eurovision has never had anything so hauntingly brilliant.
I know you want to throw the politics question at me. I know you want to question how this can be my chosen song when for its Crimean history topic it intentionally draws too many comparisons to today’s troubles. Of course it does, but I’m struck by how tasteful this form is. In Eurovision if we look at most politically fuelled songs they have tried to be wacky and make the theme light and fluffy. ‘1944’ is unapologetically dark and sombre and all the better for it just like it is unapologetic about being in the Crimean Tatar language, a language her country Ukraine will not understand. The story Jamala sings about is one that I am glad Europe will listen to on Saturday night and has a place in the family entertainment SVT are producing.
Do you agree? Would Ukraine be the right, worthy winner? Whoever you want to win on Saturday night, let’s have the best song win and a party that all of Europe can celebrate.