Eurovision Song Contest Kyiv 2005

The best song finally wins! This 2005 Eurovision Song Contest was better: no much politics (apart from the Baltic and Iberian blocs)! Greece even took 12 from Turkey, and that I am told has never happened before... the winning singer Helena taking votes from almost all others. I found that it was a great Greek woman with a great performance. Well done! Keep it up! Greece seems so be winning a lot lately, and that's nice from a country of just about 11 million inhabitants. OK, the song was in English, and I personally would prefer to listen to country singers sing in their own language (although I fear that if that's the case, we would still be watching the Festival in Ireland... no, no more, thank you), but this winning song also contained music and style of Greek tradition and history from many parts, including the Macedonian history of Greece!

Oh yes European culture and the Eurovision Song Contest which is like Adolph Hitler and racial harmony appearing in the same sentence . Actually this years contest was far worse than usual because the tunes seemed confused . Croatia's song started off with some bagpipe music while the entries from Greece and the United Kingdom sounded more Turkish than the entry by the Turks . Oh and the Greeks did a bit of riverdancing which probably was a cynical attempt to fool the voters into thinking they were watching Ireland who often win but for some reason didn't qualify for the final this year

Okay lets be truthful and say I was hoping the best looking female contestant was going to win . I guess I shouldn't be too disappointed since the Greek contestant had the best legs and she won while Romania had the best cleavage and she came third with the Israeli motek also doing very well . Unfortunately there was a miscarriage of justice with some ugly fat bird from Malta getting the runner up spot which adds fuel to the rumours that it's only middle aged homosexuals who vote in this contest .

As for the music it was instantly forgettable . Norway does deserve some credit since they contributed an act that seemed very similar to a tribute band for Brit glam rockers The Darkness and Denmark's entry could easily have passed as a respectable POP IDOL contender . Talking of POP IDOL Britain was represented by Javine a former contestant of one of the reality pop shows but her performance on the night was very very poor and she ended up near the bottom of the final vote

As for the voting itself this what gets my goat . Countries continue to vote for their neighbours regardless of the merit of the songs themselves . Greece and Cyprus give each other twelve points while the Balkan , Baltic and Scandinavian countries scratch each others backs . It's totally ridiculous as is the fact that while only 24 countries take part a total of 39 countries vote . In fact I think the majority of the running time was taken up with the voting rather than the singing . Good job nobody takes this competition seriously otherwise it would cause world war three

On the one hand it is very satisfying to see any and every kind of activity which helps to strengthen a united Europe. Thus, each and every addition of countries forming the European Union can only be hailed as a great success. I love Europe: it is the cultural cradle of our planet; it is a microcosm of our planet; it has the greatest mixture of cultures and languages of the entire planet. Europe is not perfect: nothing is perfect. However, Europe is the insignia of multiracial integration, as can be found nowhere else on our spaceship earth.

But from there to Eurovision...................

Excuse me, but there is a great violation of perspectives. Evident political overtones and manipulation are in process, such that the millions of telephone calls - on "special" numbers which are the most expensive, thus generating wealth for TV companies and the organizers - are just one gigantic fraud. However, with all the hype, there is more than enough ingenuousness to keep the inexorable wheels turning - and churning out much of the same about the same each year.

Gone are the days when countries sang in their own language - ABBA made sure of that with their pretty songs - and nearly all participating countries sing in English. Therein lies the disaster: it all sounds the same. What but, forsooth, if the contesting singer is from Latvia or Croatia, if they sing in English? Only France and Spain, occasionally Germany, keep to their own languages. Other than that, "Eurovision" is nothing more than a fastuous pop concert, carefully rehearsed and re-rehearsed, so that in the end, it might be a good idea if a hearse carted it off to some out-of-city rubbish-dump and left it there unceremoniously and unprostituted for future generations.

But as is the case with most contests, whether they be Hollywood Oscars, Pullitzar Prizes, or the Eurovision Song Contest, they only exist to perpetuate themselves and make profits - good hard cash for all involved.

oh my god!yesterday i saw it.Norway's heavy rock song "In My Dreams" by Wig Wam was awesome.one of the greatest this year and maybe the best.Switzerland song "Cool Vibes" Vanilla Ninja was magnificent. Vanilla Ninja is the best Estonian band of all time no doubt. and also Vanilla Ninja made awesome performance no doubt. winner Greece their song "My Number One" was OK,but not the best. United Kingdom song "Touch My Fire" was horribly terrible the worst. best Eurovision songs of all time first is definitely "Waterloo" by Abba.and others what i like are Ira Losco's "7th Wonder" "Runaway to stars" by Sahlene,but i don't remember everybody by Dave Benton & Tanel Padar even thought i'm Estonian.this year best songs were In "My Dreams" by Wig Wam and "Cool Vibes" by Vanilla Ninja

Come on everyone, if you talk about the quality of the music then you have missed the point, it's about competition, pitting nation against nation to see who will win. Surly this must be better than going to war with each other, at least at the Eurovision song contest no one dies.

The excitement of the voting especially when its a close run thing, is an adrenalin rush and if it's your own country up there vying for the top spot I defy any patriotic person not to start shouting at the screen. There has in the last few years, with the introduction of telephone voting, been a growing concern over neighbours voting for each other, political voting. Yes it does have an effect on some of the final positions but the song that wins will always be the one that appeals to the majority, so that still makes it fair.

For many artists this is the launch pad for a successful career in countries other than their own. The exposure they get from performing in front of an audience of 500 million is worth it's weight in gold. However bad you consider the song to be at least they are original, unlike the "pop idol" type shows who rely on cover versions.

There are many countries in Europe that have benefited from winning the contest and hosting it the following year, countries trying to establish their place in the world and all of them proud to show what they can do and in fact where they are. Tourism increases following the contest so that more people have experienced the delights of say Estonia or Latvia than they ever would have thanks to Eurovision. So there is more to it than the songs. I for one think the world would be a poorer place if we did not have this institution.