Eurovision Song Contest 2017

[Jeff]

May 14, 2017 6:38:16 GMT Richard said:

Yes indeed, most of the other songs were rubbish, and as for the presenters...

Richard

Yes, we were 8th after the "expert" jury vote but once the European public had their say we fell to 15th ! Still, our best performance since 2011.

I watched the entire show (almost 4 hours) with a pen and paper and gave my own marks to each song. (Yes, I really am that sad !). Truth to tell I had Croatia and Portugal as joint-leaders and Germany in 3rd. (I thought they had a strong entry. Others didn't). I thought the Croatia entry was interesting since the guy has two ways of singing. In fact if you close your eyes you think there are two singers on the stage. He does remind me a bit of a rather annoying gentleman in an insurance advert. Maybe that's why he came 13th. But he was unique. He's hard to compare with anyone ! Nevertheless I can see him as a support act on someone's tour in the coming months, if not in his own show !

eurovision.tv/participant/jacques-houdek/info



I don't think Salvador Sobral would approve of the special effects and flashing lights. Here is the winning song



And of course we must see the yodelling Romanians again. Yes Comet they were good !



The winner reminds me of the Holland entry from a few years ago, just 2 singers on the stage with no special effects. It's interesting to speculate on the voting. We know you can't vote for your own song in your own country. What you can do however is vote for your own song in someone else's country ! Since there are 3 times as many EU nationals living in the UK as Brits living in Spain for example it is not surprising that the UK never gets in the Top 10 any more (not for the last 20 years anyway).

[comet]

So this is the girl from Belgium..

Ellie Delvaux

I didn't understand the Portuguese lyrics on the other song so I was rooting for Belgium.



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the more I hear it the more I like it

[Libby]

But isn't music so much more than lyrics?

[Richard]

Yes indeed! I don't always listen closely to the lyrics of a song, and I always prefer to hear opera arias and choruses sung in the correct language, as they were written. The librettists knew best.

Richard

[comet]

May 17, 2017 4:45:08 GMT Libby said:

But isn't music so much more than lyrics?

there is a little hint in the thread title "SONG" contest.

when the Eurovision first started, every singer used the same orchestra, so everything was equal from the start except for the singer and the lyrics, it was the song or the singer that won the contest. There were no dancing fools or paddling pools, no flashing lights or screens, just a song contest that was televised.

[Libby]

Being European, meaning a lot more languages than just English might be involved, I took the name with a grain of salt. I figured it was a rough translation, so I thought maybe it was singing contest.

Anyway, my point was that music and SONGS are more than just lyrics, because some of my favorite songs by Hayley, Josh, Sarah, etc. are not in a language that I understand. Umm, and a certain song in particular I know that's in Portuguese is one of the best SONGS I know. I think you know it. You might have heard it live before. I know I did.

[Dave]

May 15, 2017 15:44:02 GMT Jeff said:

May 13, 2017 22:57:15 GMT Dave said:

Oh my goodness me, the music is back!

Salvador Sobral from Portugal, their first ever winner, singing a gentle ballad "Amar Pelos Dois" (Love For Both) with no flashing lights, no spectacular videos, no nothing... except a piano... a few strings in the background... and him. Written by his sister Luisa, who sung the reprise with him.

A victory for music!

Dave

A gentle, humble, softly-spoken bearded man seeking success in a public vote. Now who does that remind me of ?

His long lost English grandad?

Dave